Shape your life

I am the best Captain in the entire world ...

Pleasant Sunday afternoon to all. The following was received today by a dear friend of mine, Mark Skovron.  Mark has always seen abundance received when in a place of peace and balance.  He has achieved it for many others, including himself.  Thank you Mark… CSea Perkins

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You’ve got to get back to that childlike ability to dream again.

You’ve got to start believing that you are special again.

You’ve got to see yourself winning again.

You’ve got to see yourself doing something special with your life, being somebody important, and being different than all of the lemmings that walk ever more toward the edge of the cliff.

I personally believe with my entire mind, body and spirit that as the great author James Allen wrote in one of the best books ever written, “As A Man Thinketh,”

“Mind is the Master power that molds and makes,

And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes

The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills,

Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills –

He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:

Environment is but his looking-glass.”

Has anything more powerful ever been written than this?

harvest time -reap the rewards

bountiful rewards

Yes it is Fall / Autumn and many crops continue to nourish us, in many ways. The environment and the economy benefiting the health of those who planted seeds.

The colors are mood changing, earthy and nutritional.  The crops tended to, given more care and attention, grow quite abundantly.  However, it stands to reason that those left to mother nature alone have struggled in quality, quantity and overall value.

We receive out of life what we put into it and then some. The abundance grows accordingly, either profits or great debt.  Choose wisely, knowing you are ultimately responsible for what you receive.  After all, it is what you release that you attract back.

Yes, again; a riddle relating to your life.  The seasons, the words, thoughts, actions and cycles are working in synergy. Once aligned with this belief; life takes on a whole new perception.  Along with this growth comes far more potential than we tend to normally think we are capable of, much less believe we will achieve.

Well now is as good a time as any to reap the rewards from the life you have led (seeds you have sown) in the past 6 months.  Is your attitude one of gratitude?

Does it ooze out of your pores and attract even more reasons to be grateful?

Awesome; your harvest is healthy, as is your future.

Grateful to everyone and every circumstance in my life; seeing and feeling the puzzle of life grow and piece together makes more sense now… CSea Perkins

effective communications – ‘competition’ topic arises

Competition is NOT a natural disaster, it is expected. Photo credit Joe Potrebenko, TS Ida results.

Michael Oliver has just sent me this great tip.  Have a read and see if this relates to your life.  He is offering effective communications… CSea

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Here’s a tip that could help you with your business.

When you’re talking with people about your products, you may come across someone who is not only using a competing product, but who is a raving fan of that product.

On the face of it, that doesn’t seem a very promising situation.

However, here’s a suggestion for you.

When the other person has finished telling you how much they love the other product, simply say…

“That’s great.  I’d be interested, is there anything you would change about your present product if you could?  Or, is there anything that you don’t like about it?”

You’ll be surprised at how often the other person will reveal to you that, in fact, there are some things that could be better.

In many cases the difference between what they have and what they really want is the clue and opportunity for you to introduce your product as either an alternative or a complement to what they are currently using. This is assuming of course you can fill the gap.

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Selfless plug for Michael … The situation I’ve just discussed is one example of the many things I cover in my CD program “Introducing Your Business And Products” (it’s covered in a role play called “How To Be An Effective Product Consultant”).

There are 8 role plays included in this audio program, each one dealing with a typical situation that you face as you build your business.  Listening to and preparing for these situations will automatically increase your effectiveness and help you address those situations easily so that you can get on with building your business.

And right now, when you order your copy of “Introducing Your Business And Products” before Midnight (Pacific Time) this Saturday November 7th, you can get them for $35 instead of the normal $47..

For the full details, simply click on the following link…

http://www.naturalselling.com/bp.html

Have a peaceful and prosperous week…

Michael

Have YOU Conditioned Yourself To Stop Listening?

Worth learning this valuable lesson ... listen more, speak far less!

You don’t have to wait any longer.  This weeks edition of ‘golden value’ from Michael Oliver proves to be very insightful, yet again.  You will recognize many correlations within your own life.

Listening, yes indeed, remains a primary focus for me to share with others.  It brings with it (when done effectively) the greatest gift with long term value I (or others) could possibly share with you.

You see the phrase ‘do the eco.nomics’ frequently in this blog.  Why?  Because when we allow the balance of responsibility to ourselves, the economy and the environment, we are achieving tremendous success, not to mention improved health as a by-product!

‘Tis the season of gratitude (every day should be) according to the calendar; so be grateful.  You can prove that by living what you learn and allowing others to see it and learn from it.  CSea Perkins

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Have YOU Conditioned Yourself To Stop Listening?

When you make assumptions and think you know what people are saying, in effect you stop listening. When you stop listening, you create resistance and people go away.

I experienced how frustrating this can be the other day when I spent one hour talking on the phone with a sales agent and the technical person of a well known North American airline. (I wouldn’t normally do this except I got fascinated with the craziness of the conversation!)

I had discovered when booking a flight on line, what appeared to be a flaw in their domestic internet booking system. I thought I would do them a favor by letting them know about it.

What became clear was that the REAL flaw was the appalling listening skills of the two people with whom I spoke.

While I stated from the beginning I was calling not to complain but to help (because I like and use their airline a lot) they didn’t hear this. They heard only the word “complain”.

As a result they attempted to direct me to take some actions that had nothing to do with why I was calling.

Maybe you’ve had experiences like this yourself. Or maybe you’re knowingly or unknowingly subjecting your potential customers and partners to the same treatment… especially if you have been taught “objection handling” or “overcoming objections” techniques.

Here are some of the things they did that parallels the pitfalls of handling people comments and questions as objections;

They told me what they thought I needed to know instead of listening to what THEY needed to hear.

They responded to me based on what they thought I was meaning. (I guess over time they have literally conditioned themselves to stop listening and respond by assuming they know what their customer is saying).

They unconsciously filtered and interpreted what I was saying based on their past experiences or what they had been taught.

They had an agenda based on their own needs and they were going to stick to it. They couldn’t register that I was not calling to complain. I was calling to help.

So what does this mean to you?

The question is, are you doing the same thing?

Are you assuming and responding to people based on what you think you know they are meaning when they make a statement or ask you a question?

What people say can be very different than what they mean. One of the principles of Natural Selling is “Listening to what is being meant as well as what is being said”.

I talk more about this, and how to effectively listen and respond in Chapters 7, 8 and 9 of my book “How To Sell Network Marketing Without Fear, Anxiety Or Losing Your Friends!“

If the airline staff had done this, the conversation would have taken 10 minutes instead of one hour, and we all would have been happy and got something from it!

That’s why in Natural Selling I train and coach my clients to think differently; to base their communication on principles and not techniques; to treat people with respect by understanding the meaning behind what they are saying before responding.

It makes for a more peaceful, fulfilling, and financially rewarding world.

Have a peaceful and prosperous week…

If you’d like to leave a comment about this article please click here

Best Selling Author of “How to Sell Network Marketing Without Fear, Anxiety or Losing Your Friends!“ – Selling from the Soul. Ancient Wisdoms. Modern Practice.

Want to get rid of all the techniques, systems and gimmicks simply by changing the way you think and the way you act on what you think? Choose one of the many convenient options on the right hand side of this newsletter. Or click here www.NaturalSelling.com

16 Big Green Ideas We’re Thankful For

It’s the season of giving thanks, and these big ideas deserve gratitude.

 

By Jaymi Heimbuch
San Francisco, CA, USA | Wed Nov 04 12:00:00 GMT 2009

Jim Esposito Photography L.L.C./Getty Images

READ MORE ABOUT:
Green Holidays | Less Is More | Thanksgiving

At Planet Green, we’re always grateful for any new invention or concept that carries an aura of sustainability. But now we’re entering into the season where it’s time to voice that thankfulness. There are quite a few major ideas that have changed the way we function within our daily lives, our communities, our cultures, and within the movement for sustainability. Some of the ideas have become so integrated into our thinking that we only notice them in their absence, while other ideas are still being developed by scientists, researchers and activists – though we know they’ll be a substantial part of our lives soon. Some of the ideas are ways of viewing the world and our role in it, while others are specific tools that help us live our green ethics. Without further ado, here are (most of the) big ideas we’re thankful for:

1. Green Blogosphere

We’ve got to put this at the top of our list. The green blogosphere has done wonders for connecting people to one another, spreading green living ideas, creating an ever growing community for eco-activists and burgeoning greenies, and giving a platform for the spread and creation of sustainable thought. We’re thankful for all the blogs that are part of this network, and all the people who create and read them – and that means we’re thankful for YOU!

2. Microfinance

Kiva just celebrated a landmark achievement of facilitating the loan of over $100 million in its 4 short years of existence. Kiva started the popular movement of microfinance as a viable option for redistributing wealth and helping small business owners make a living. More programs, such as MicroPlace and the Women’s Microfinance Initiative, have been starting up and helping to shift money around in small, sustainable, and significant ways.

3. Online Social Networking

Social networks online have been an incredible big idea to help green. Twitter not only helps people spread stories and thoughts, but also gather for events and raise funds for charities – charity:water’s twestival is one example. Recently, 350.org held a global day of action, the turnout for which was heralded as impossible without the help of online organization. Networks such as Facebook and WiserEarth help people connect with each other and causes. There seems to be no end to the green good online social networking can do.

4. Smart Grid

The smart grid is helping us integrate renewable energy into the electric grid, and use what energy is created in an intelligent way. The installation of smart meters facilitates communication between utilities and consumers, making energy consumption visible, and therefore much more manageable and efficient. While there are big questions to be answered regarding issues such a privacy, smart grid projects are getting the attention and funding they need to move forward and modernize our energy use.

5. Renewable Energy Sources

Tapping into the abundant natural energy sources that are renewable and clean is an idea for which it seems impossible to express enough thankfulness. Transitioning our electricity from being generated with fuels that require steps such as wiping entire mountains off the face of the planet, and have consequences as dire as dissolving the shells of corals and crustaceans, to being generated with fuels that are as abundant and constantly present as the sun and wind will help us in immeasurable ways change the course of our current destructive path to one of sustainability.

6. Neutral Carbon Footprint Accounting

Having a way to measure the carbon footprints of businesses, products and services is a key issue for sustainability, since you can’t manage what you can’t measure. Companies like HP and Apple are among many working to make their carbon footprint apparent to consumers; however, we currently lack a standardized method for accounting and comparing footprints. AMEE is one company working to create that neutral and transparent carbon footprint accounting platform, measure the footprint of everything on earth. A trustworthy number associated with everything we consume will help us reach our own sustainable carbon footprint.

7. Reuse Economy

Communities organized around keeping products in the consumer stream are a vital way to reduce waste, slow manufacturing of unnecessary items, and shift our concept of “need.” Services that help us accomplish this and that we love include thrift stores, swap parties, garage sales, Craigslist, and similar systems. They’re all part of the eco-nomics of sustainability.

8. Freeganism

Like a reuse economy, we’re also thankful for an economy that doesn’t require money – or even the exchange of products or services. Freeganism means zero waste, and that’s an equation we love. Freeganism covers everything from keeping perfectly good food from going to landfill, all the way to the service of tool libraries where members can utilize whatever is in the shed when they need it for free. Craigslist and Freecycle are two of our favorite community-oriented websites that help facilitate freeganism, as well as larger events such as Really Really Free Market.

9. Farmers Markets

Speaking of markets, farmers’ markets are of course on our list of big ideas we’re thankful for. In a way, a farmer’s market is such an old idea that it feels a little odd it would need to be included. But as we’ve moved away from buying food from local farmers and on to buying processed edible products from the agro-industrial complex, we’ve been lucky enough to realize just how incredibly valuable farmers’ markets actually are for our health, and the health of the planet. Getting to know our farmers’ markets again and creating our meals from the seasonal, sustainably grown foods found there is again a great big green idea.

10. Sustainable Cities

Cities that can thrive without damaging the ecosystem in which it exists, or the rest of the planet is a big idea we love. Making cities walkable, with loads of urban gardens, buildings that are efficient and nontoxic, regulations that promote zero waste…the list could go on. We’re seeing pieces of this happening in cities across the world, and we’re seeing ideas for new eco-cities. Ulitmately, we’d love to see all cities converted to enjoyable places to live with zero footprint.

11. Cradle-to-Cradle Design

Perhaps one of the biggest ideas to come from biomimicry is cradle-to-cradle design, and manufacturing, using, and recycling something as completely as any natural system. The earth wastes nothing when it comes to creating new life and reusing old stuff…why would we settle for anything less in the products, buildings, and systems we create?

12. Birth Control

Scientists have noted over and over again what happens to ecosystems when a species’ population booms out of control. Humans are no different. Birth control is a big idea that can can solve our own destructive growth without us having to give up our fun. It is also one of the cheapest solutions, beating out any other low carbon technology being researched for controlling our GHG emissions.

13. Less Is More

It’s not just people we need less of in order to be sustainable, we need less of everything. A Less Is More mentality gets us back to smaller portions of higher quality food, smaller cars with better fuel sources, smaller homes that offer more benefits… Having less is ultimately more.

14. Commuter Bikes and Electric Vehicles

Getting out of cars and onto bikes is a big idea we’ve seen boom. From bike share programs to wonderfully hacked bikes for getting groceries, along with companies and cities becoming more bike friendly, the commuter bike is making a comeback. And along side it, so too is the electric car. It’s old news – as in century old news – and yet we’re only just getting around to making the electric car a fact of daily life. Despite being slow to come around, we’re grateful.

15. Biomimicry

Biomimicry is an idea that seems obvious, and yet is cutting edge within science – looking at the way Mother Nature does things and using that as inspiration for how we want to get things done. Janine Benyus is one of the major leaders in biomicry, creating AskNature.org as a resource for cataloging all the many ways in which nature has already answered any design questions we can think up.

16. Inalienable Rights for Nature

Perhaps one of the biggest ideas we’re thankful for is this – nature has a right to flourish without humans mucking it up. Many cities and countries are recognizing this within their legislation, such as Ecuador and Switzerland. We look forward to seeing the rights of nature more widely acknowledged on a global scale.

This list isn’t comprehensive, so be sure to leave comments with the big ideas you’re thankful for!

More Things to be Thankful For
Five Climate Change Events To Be Thankful For
10 Green Things to Be Thankful For
Thanksgiving: So Much to be Thankful For

Choose how you feel today

Click on the image and take a wonderful journey with Patrick DiFruscia

Seeds of Confidence: Ask and Listen

seeds, confidence, food and life. sow those seeds regularly, the harvest is plentiful

This is great, so many can relate to Denis’ statements.  When you take the time to read each intently and relate it to your own life, all of the sudden you will feel a load lift off your shoulders.  Life is so much simpler and rewarding that most allow it to be. Can you tell us why?

Get your priorities straight!  You do realize the more value you give to another, the more value that comes to you, don’t you?  CSea Perkins

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It is better to earn the trust and respect of one of your children than to gain notoriety and adulation of the masses.

If you must speak, ask a question.

Unless what you say benefits the other person, don’t say it.

It’s not what I think that counts, nor is it what you think that counts. It’s what I think you think and what you think I think that really counts.

No one listens to a person operating out of self-interest alone.

Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle that fits them all.

If you attack another person’s beliefs, you are creating an enemy.

Moderation in temper is always a virtue. Moderation in principle is always a vice.

Emperors are overthrown. Empowerers are revered.

Before you state your case, gather the evidence, especially what motivates the other person.

Marriage is not total agreement. It is looking in the same direction together.

Listening without bias or distraction is the greatest value you can pay another person.

—Denis Waitley

Vitamins for the Mind – Career/Marketplace

natural vs. chemically induced ... choose wisely

Our weekly visit from Jim Rohn.  Today he brings another version of ‘vitamins for the mind’.  These are always nourishing and plentiful.

It is indeed balance we live for.  Jim brings the food for a healthy mind… CSea

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My father taught me to always do more than you get paid for as an investment in your future.

Whether you stay six weeks, six months or six years, always leave it better than you found it.

Don’t bring your need to the marketplace; bring your skill. If you don’t feel well, tell your doctor, but not the marketplace. If you need money, go to the bank, but not the marketplace.

If you make a sale, you can make a living. If you make an investment of time and good service in a customer, you can make a fortune.

Don’t just let your business or your job make something for you; let it make something of you.

Lack of homework shows up in the marketplace as well as in the classroom.

Where you start in the marketplace is not where you have to stay.

The worst days of those who enjoy what they do are better than the best days of those who don’t.

We get paid for bringing value to the marketplace. It takes time to bring value to the marketplace, but we get paid for the value, not the time.

Here’s the major problem with going on strike for more money: You cannot get rich by demand.

Climate Law Seen Raising Gasoline 13 Cents A Gallon

Date: 03-Nov-09
Country: US
Author: Timothy Gardner

NEW YORK – U.S. climate legislation would hike gasoline prices about 13 cents a gallon as oil companies push the price of carbon permits on to consumers, according to report by Point Carbon, an independent consulting company that tracks global carbon and energy markets.

The analysts did not share the oil industry’s view that a U.S. cap-and-trade system to curb greenhouse gas emissions would decimate demand for gasoline and force large numbers of refineries to shut down.

Climate legislation being debated in the Senate after passing in the House of Representatives narrowly in June would force big polluters to hold carbon credits for every tonne of carbon they emit.

Point Carbon analyst Emilie Mazzacurati said oil companies would face substantial carbon permit costs under the legislation because they would get few of the permits the government would distribute to companies during the first years of a cap-and-trade program.

But that should not hurt integrated oil companies very much, she said, because they could largely pass the costs on to consumers in the form of higher fuel prices.

If carbon prices average about $15 a tonne, about half the level at which price controls could start to kick in, oil companies would would boost gasoline prices about 5 percent from current levels, or 13 cents a gallon, the report said.

Exxon Mobil Corp, for example, could face about $5.9 billion a year in carbon permit prices, but would be able to recoup all but about $277 million of that, the report said.

“They are just going to increase prices, which is going to allow them to recover the money they are spending buying (carbon) allowances,” Mazzacurati said.

Point Carbon assumed the fuel price rise would not be enough to reduce demand for gasoline.

Power generators could face higher costs than oil companies, Point Carbon said, because they are not as free to boost electricity rates, which are controlled by state governments.

That means power generators who burn large amounts of coal would face big permit costs they would not be able to recover.

Utility Southern Co would face the highest costs of the largest emitters in the energy business, Point Carbon said. Carbon regulation could cost Southern an amount equal to about 3 percent of its yearly revenue.

“Climate legislation should not be about winners and losers but protecting the economy, our customers, and the economy,” said a Southern spokeswoman in an email.

Power generators that rely more on low-carbon power sources could make out quite well. Exelon Corp, which owns the country’s biggest nuclear power fleet, could see its annual revenue jump 9 percent, Point Carbon said.

That’s because Exelon would not have to buy large amounts of carbon permits that the big coal burners would, but they would be able to take advantage of any higher power prices that resulted from national emissions regulation.

Reprint from Reuters (Editing by David Gregorio and Lisa Shumaker)

Gradual Adaption

The key here being ADAPTATION.  Ron White has empowered us for years with this knowledge, success and recommendations.  Ron gives us an excellent spin on HOW TO and becoming quite good at it.

The awareness and effort is required by you, the acceptance and eventually your actions will determine your ability to adapt.

Having an attitude of gratitude tends to bring much more effective adaptation skills… CSea Perkins

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The older I get the more I notice that my metabolism seems to be moving slower than most glaciers. I was watching a turtle the other day make its way across the grass and I could have sworn that I heard my metabolism say, “Hey turtle, slow down…what is your hurry?”

It has become a monumental struggle to maintain the weight that I prefer. Other than eating the right foods, I have become a runner. That is right—a runner. It is the last thing I thought you would ever hear me say. A few years ago, it would have been more likely that I join a Polish circus as a fire juggler. Yet, here I am, a runner.

A concept that running has taught me is the one of “gradual adaptation.” When I started running, one and a half miles seemed unfathomable. As I lumbered around the track that first jog, it felt as if my eyes were rolling back in my head. I could feel my lunch making its way to resurface and my lungs gasped to grab all the oxygen in my time zone.

Now, as I glide past the 1.5-mile mark, I haven’t even gotten warmed up. What made the change? Gradual adaptation.

A fellow runner suggested that I run for 20 minutes at a slow pace. He convinced me that it was the duration and not the intensity that was important. I soon reported back to him that I was able to run 20 minutes with great ease at 6.3 mph. “Super!” he replied. “Next time you run, run for 25 minutes.”

In my mind, he might as well have told me to sprout wings and fly. Yet, I nodded my head and told him I would give it a try. To my amazement, the extra five minutes came easy. Within a few weeks, I was running 30 minutes, then 35, then 40, then 45 and then 60 consecutive minutes!

If I had started at 60 minutes, I would have most likely been wheeled to the hospital afterward and never run again. Instead, I chose the option of gradual adaptation.

Whether your goal is running, building a business or learning a new skill, the concept of gradual adaptation is one that you must implement to be successful.

Don’t attempt to change the world in a day. Brian Buffini says that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year (this is because they don’t practice gradual adaptation) and underestimate what they can accomplish in a decade.

How to implement gradual adaptation:

• Decide what your ultimate goal is
• Understand this will also be a lesson in patience and do not rush the end result
• Establish stages or levels of the larger goal
• Focus on the next stage, not the end result
• Remind yourself of the end result to maintain excitement and passion while still focusing on the next stage
• Measure your progress with a chart

Realize that your results in any endeavor will be slow at first, but as you gain momentum the results expand geometrically. This is why most overestimate their accomplishments for a year and underestimate the possible accomplishments of a decade.

This six-step process will work if you are building a business, a workout routine or learning a new skill. Remember that no one ever ran a marathon the first time out of the blocks and neither will you.

Practice gradual adaptation.

—Ron White