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Revive That Blog
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Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Having Faith In God's Word And His Healing Power
"WHAT EVER YOU DO IN LIFE LET GOD DIRECT YOUR PATH, FUTURE AND YOUR DESTINY."
The Word of God cannot work without Faith. You cannot understand without Faith. Speak the word of Healing and you will be healed. Faith is certain of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. God's word is living and active. It penetrates to driving our Body, Mind and Soul.
Praise the Lord in the mist of the Problem.
Ask God for his Help.
Listen to the Lord.
Pray for deliverance.
Always think Positive.
Raising the bar is getting closer to God.
Every Season in your Life has a Purpose.
Our Lives are determined by the Season's.
Go from Pain to Power.
God cannot Heal a thing by saying it is not there.
You must admit your Present Condition.
Your true Beauty is in your Inner Self.
Life and Death are in the Power of the Tongue.
Your Mind plays an important role in your Victory.
Nothing is to Hard for God.
Life is Lived from the Inside Out.
All we have is Today
The Future is the Past that has not happen Yet.
God is in Control of History he Work out everything for his Purpose.
God never brings you Out without bringing you Into.
"WHAT EVER YOU DO IN LIFE LET GOD DIRECT YOUR PATH, FUTURE AND YOUR DESTINY."
Thursday, April 26, 2012
The A-Z Of Motivation
Pain may sometimes be the reason why people change. Getting bad grades make you realize that you need to study. Debts remind you of your inability to look for a source of income. Being humiliated gives you the 'push' to speak up and fight for yourself to save your face from the next embarrassment. It may be a bitter experience, a friend's tragic story, a great movie, or an inspiring book that will help you to get up and get just the right amount of motivation you need in order to improve yourself.
With all the people trying to pull you down and waiting for you to fail, how can you stay motivated and positive?
Try this A to Z of tips for motivation
A - Achieving your dreams. Avoid negative people, things and places because they will only drag you down. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
B - Believe in your self, and in what you can do. Believe in your possibilities and your dreams. Every advancement of humankind has taken place because someone believed in themselves.
C – Consider all of the angles and aspects of everything you encounter, whether it is people or situations. Motivation comes from strength of purpose. Being able to see both points of view will give you more chance of being successful and keeping those around you motivated too.
D – Don't give up and don't give in. Every successful person from J K Rowling to Walt Disney to Sylvester Stallone to Thomas Edison had multiple failures before being successful. Sometimes their failures or rejections ran into the hundreds before they achieved success.
E – Enjoy. Work as if you don't need money. Dance as if nobody's watching. Love as if you never cried. Learn as if you'll live forever. Motivation takes place when people are happy.
F – Family and Friends. Use your family and friends to help you stay motivated. The big football teams have cheerleaders and fans to encourage them. Your family and friends can be your cheerleaders and fans. Use them to keep you going when you feel your motivation drifting.
G – Give that little bit extra. Self improvement happens everywhere all the time, whether you are at home, at work or at school. Anthony Robbins tells us that the difference in effort between excellent and outstanding is miniscule, yet the difference in rewards is massive. Giving that little bit extra can put you into the outstanding.
H – Hang on to your dreams. There may be times when it looks bleak, but hang on to your dreams. The night is darkest just before the dawn. It is at this moment that you are closest to success and 95% of people will give up. Push through this moment and you'll achieve your dreams.
I – Ignore those who try to destroy you. Don't get involved in their dramas or toxicity – just walk away. Surround yourself with people who will encourage and support you. Remove those who want to pull you down and watch you fail from your life. You'll find it much easier to stay motivated.
J – Joy and gratitude. Perhaps two of the fundamentals for motivation and success is to be joyful in what you do and grateful for what you have.
K – Keep pushing forwards no matter how hard life may seem. In the toughest moments you can choose to move forwards or to run away. It's your decision – one path brings you closer to the success, the other takes you away from it. Which do you want to follow?
L – Learn to love your self. This isn't as easy as it sounds for most people, but by loving yourself you will be happier and more motivated because you will believe you deserve what you achieve.
M – Make things happen. Motivation and success doesn't come from sitting in front of the television drinking coke and eating pizza. Take action and you'll achieve your dreams.
N – Never lie, cheat or steal. Always play a fair game. At the end of the day, if you live a dishonest life, it will come back to you. Living an honest, fair life allows you to be proud of what you do.
O – Open your eyes. Everyone has a set of blinkers that they wear and see everything through them, i.e. how they would like things to be. Look at life with open eyes and see things how they are, and see them how you want them to be. Then take action to make it happen.
P – Practice makes perfect. The more you practice, the better you become. A top sportsman doesn't reach their status through a single practice or game. They practice harder and longer than anyone else, and as such, are rewarded more than anyone else.
Q – Quitters never win. And winners never quit. So, which do you want to be?
R – Ready yourself. Always be ready to take advantage of the opportunities and situations presented to you. Prepare in advance, and ignore the voice telling you to put it off until tomorrow. Remember, it wasn't raining when Noah built the ark!
S – Stop procrastinating. You can put it all off until tomorrow, but one day there will be no more tomorrows. Start procrastinating about procrastinating and do tomorrows jobs today.
T – Take control of your life. Discipline and self control are synonymous with motivation. So many people believe their lives are out of their control. Look at your life in detail and you'll discover you have more areas under your control than you think.
U – Understand others. If you know very well how to talk, you should also learn how to listen. You have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Understand others and strive to be understood.
V – Visualise it. Your sub-conscious knows no difference between your imagination and reality, so if you rehearse your success in your mind, then your sub-conscious will believe in it and make it happen.
W – Want it more than anything. Every successful person has had a burning desire to achieve their goals. The Wright brothers didn't invent the aeroplane because there was nothing on the television. They had a burning desire to succeed and kept going, even in the face of setbacks.
X – X Factor is what will make you different from the others. When you are motivated, you tend to put on "extras" on your life like extra time for family, extra help at work, extra care for friends. This X-Factor sets you aside from the crowd and marks you out for success.
Y – You are unique. No one in this world looks, acts, thinks or talks like you. Value your unique gifts, whatever they are and use them for your success.
Z – Zero in on your dreams and make it happen!!!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
How To Succeed In The Music Business
So you still wanna be a star?
Whatever genre of music you're in, you need to define your definition of success. If your definition is 'being a rich and famous superstar', then, well 'good luck'... but if your definition is 'being a creative artist doing what you want to do in life by sharing your music with those who will listen', then you should succeed. And if you've got the bottle to stick to your own sound and style, your own beliefs of how your music should sound, then you've even more chance of success in the long term.
But be warned - flying in the face of convention, of what is current, is always difficult. But trends fade and die - original talent and music does not!
If you've recorded an album yourself then get independent feedback, both musical and technical. Friends and family will always say your music is "great" (and hey, that's fine, you need that support). But, the person who tells you everything you do is great may be good for your ego, but they're of no practical use at all! The harsh reality is that you need good constructive criticism from independent sources who know what they're talking about. Okay, easier said than done, but there are publications like "Sound on Sound", for example, who provide demo reviews.
Another tip is seek out your local recording studio and pay for a studio engineers time (or better still the studio owner if you can), just to listen to your recording. Pick their brains and ask their advice on all aspects of your recording. I did this myself and it was invaluable. You've got to make sure you can relate to the studio engineer and that they can relate to what you're doing. But at the end of the day, you're paying them just to listen and to give you the benefit of their experience. Believe me, many studios will be glad to do this when they realize you're serious about accepting constructive criticism and you're willing to pay the going studio rate for it. But I reiterate, ensure you find someone who has experience and some empathy with the music you're doing.
The reason that this is so important is because often, when starting out doing a first album you wont have the knowledge or equipment to make it sound anything more than a demo. Unfortunately, so many aspiring musicians get so close to their "creation" that they fail to hear that the music isn't as good as they think it is, particularly on the technical side!
It's always good to remember that there are probably tens of thousands of people around the world (maybe millions, who knows?!) doing the same thing you are. There's no shortage of home studios turning out music and no shortage of organizations, particularly on the Internet, telling you how to "Make it Big".
So, the trick is to stand out as being 'different from the rest' while achieving a standard that is 'professional'. How do I define professional? Where someone has taken the time and effort to take the recording beyond a home demo. Okay, I know that may seem a little opaque, but the truth is that it's difficult to define, you just "know".
Music is very subjective - we all hear different things in it, indeed, we all need different things from music to make it acceptable to us, whether as a composer or a listener. There are great musicians who are technically amazing playing various instruments but record music that is devoid of soul or passion and restricted by self imposed musical constraints. Conversely there are musicians with little or no training who can blow your mind with fabulous and inventive music because they are not constrained by formal musical training. It's also worth pointing out that being a competent musician doesn't make for a competent composer of music! And even a competent composer can't necessarily imbue the composition with that special ingredient that make people sit up and take notice.
It's also true to say that a good musician/composer is not necessarily a good studio engineer! This is a fact that in my opinion, is often overlooked. Too many composers think that because they have access to an all singing, all dancing workstation and/or computer, they can turn out a great recording. More often than not, nothing is further from the truth. Composing is a talent, and engineering an album is another, very different talent. Mastering an album is yet another, very different talent. I'm not suggesting an individual cannot do all these things well. Of course they can, with years of experience, and even then, with input from other sources.<
Too many times I've sat listening to a demo where the composer is convinced that the music and the recording is "great" when in fact it isn't. The recording and use of sounds is cheesy and naff, but the composer can't hear it because they haven't "stepped outside the box", as I would say. They haven't stood back from the music and really listened to the recording and compared like for like against professional recordings of the genre.
It's a hard lesson to learn, to be self critical of your own creations and sometimes to realize that your creation is actually far from perfect and that sometimes, the best place for the creation is in the bin and that you need to start again on another idea. But this is probably one of the most important lessons to be learned on the musical journey.
It also important to consider this one unpalatable fact. Your album may be great. It may have nice songs, be well recorded etc. etc. but it simply may not be good enough to be anything more than an inde album that sells a few hundred copies. That's Life!
It's a simple fact that record companies will listen to the first 20 seconds of a demo and then switch it off and consign the demo to the bin if it doesn't make an instant impression.
That's not just A/R men either. Some years ago, a major label had so many demos that its A/R department couldn't handle them all so it gave piles of demos to everyone, even the cleaners to sift through. Everyone ended up doing the same thing - if the CD didn't make an instant impression, then it was "on to the next".
Sure, that may seem unfair, but if you're the record label exec trawling thru thousands of demos, how would you do it? Again, I run a small inde label, so I know what it's like.
I'm not suggesting you record your demo to send to a big label. I'm relating the story to hammer home the point that with so many people making music, all thinking theirs is "the best album ever", that you have to be realistic - you probably have more chance of winning the UK lottery and the Euro lottery in the same week than getting a record deal!
But that shouldn't stop you!! Your demo should be well recorded and recorded well enough that you could press it and sell it yourself. In this day and age, that's probably the best way forward. Sure, still send copy to record labels, but also remember that record labels will be looking for a lot, lot more than just the music. They'll be looking for experience, an image, a malleable artist and lots more besides for today's music industry.
Your music should have an identity that stands out from the rest and it should have an emotional presence. Achieving this is very, very difficult and in truth, it cannot be taught or learned. I truly believe music either has that magic ingredient to make the listeners hair stand on end, to perk people interest, or it doesn't. And that comes from the musician - not the production, the engineering, the mastering the record label or anywhere else - it is the defining essence of the artist.
So, what am I trying to tell you here? Well, to summarize, embark on the road of being a musician with passion and belief but accept that the chance of major success thru a record deal is virtually impossible. Understand that you must listen with open ears to what you do and learn to be critical of your music. Make constructive criticism your closest ally through people whose opinion you value and trust. And however hard you think it's going to be to have any measure of success, realize that it will be even harder!
Whatever genre of music you're in, you need to define your definition of success. If your definition is 'being a rich and famous superstar', then, well 'good luck'... but if your definition is 'being a creative artist doing what you want to do in life by sharing your music with those who will listen', then you should succeed. And if you've got the bottle to stick to your own sound and style, your own beliefs of how your music should sound, then you've even more chance of success in the long term.
But be warned - flying in the face of convention, of what is current, is always difficult. But trends fade and die - original talent and music does not!
If you've recorded an album yourself then get independent feedback, both musical and technical. Friends and family will always say your music is "great" (and hey, that's fine, you need that support). But, the person who tells you everything you do is great may be good for your ego, but they're of no practical use at all! The harsh reality is that you need good constructive criticism from independent sources who know what they're talking about. Okay, easier said than done, but there are publications like "Sound on Sound", for example, who provide demo reviews.
Another tip is seek out your local recording studio and pay for a studio engineers time (or better still the studio owner if you can), just to listen to your recording. Pick their brains and ask their advice on all aspects of your recording. I did this myself and it was invaluable. You've got to make sure you can relate to the studio engineer and that they can relate to what you're doing. But at the end of the day, you're paying them just to listen and to give you the benefit of their experience. Believe me, many studios will be glad to do this when they realize you're serious about accepting constructive criticism and you're willing to pay the going studio rate for it. But I reiterate, ensure you find someone who has experience and some empathy with the music you're doing.
The reason that this is so important is because often, when starting out doing a first album you wont have the knowledge or equipment to make it sound anything more than a demo. Unfortunately, so many aspiring musicians get so close to their "creation" that they fail to hear that the music isn't as good as they think it is, particularly on the technical side!
It's always good to remember that there are probably tens of thousands of people around the world (maybe millions, who knows?!) doing the same thing you are. There's no shortage of home studios turning out music and no shortage of organizations, particularly on the Internet, telling you how to "Make it Big".
So, the trick is to stand out as being 'different from the rest' while achieving a standard that is 'professional'. How do I define professional? Where someone has taken the time and effort to take the recording beyond a home demo. Okay, I know that may seem a little opaque, but the truth is that it's difficult to define, you just "know".
Music is very subjective - we all hear different things in it, indeed, we all need different things from music to make it acceptable to us, whether as a composer or a listener. There are great musicians who are technically amazing playing various instruments but record music that is devoid of soul or passion and restricted by self imposed musical constraints. Conversely there are musicians with little or no training who can blow your mind with fabulous and inventive music because they are not constrained by formal musical training. It's also worth pointing out that being a competent musician doesn't make for a competent composer of music! And even a competent composer can't necessarily imbue the composition with that special ingredient that make people sit up and take notice.
It's also true to say that a good musician/composer is not necessarily a good studio engineer! This is a fact that in my opinion, is often overlooked. Too many composers think that because they have access to an all singing, all dancing workstation and/or computer, they can turn out a great recording. More often than not, nothing is further from the truth. Composing is a talent, and engineering an album is another, very different talent. Mastering an album is yet another, very different talent. I'm not suggesting an individual cannot do all these things well. Of course they can, with years of experience, and even then, with input from other sources.<
Too many times I've sat listening to a demo where the composer is convinced that the music and the recording is "great" when in fact it isn't. The recording and use of sounds is cheesy and naff, but the composer can't hear it because they haven't "stepped outside the box", as I would say. They haven't stood back from the music and really listened to the recording and compared like for like against professional recordings of the genre.
It's a hard lesson to learn, to be self critical of your own creations and sometimes to realize that your creation is actually far from perfect and that sometimes, the best place for the creation is in the bin and that you need to start again on another idea. But this is probably one of the most important lessons to be learned on the musical journey.
It also important to consider this one unpalatable fact. Your album may be great. It may have nice songs, be well recorded etc. etc. but it simply may not be good enough to be anything more than an inde album that sells a few hundred copies. That's Life!
It's a simple fact that record companies will listen to the first 20 seconds of a demo and then switch it off and consign the demo to the bin if it doesn't make an instant impression.
That's not just A/R men either. Some years ago, a major label had so many demos that its A/R department couldn't handle them all so it gave piles of demos to everyone, even the cleaners to sift through. Everyone ended up doing the same thing - if the CD didn't make an instant impression, then it was "on to the next".
Sure, that may seem unfair, but if you're the record label exec trawling thru thousands of demos, how would you do it? Again, I run a small inde label, so I know what it's like.
I'm not suggesting you record your demo to send to a big label. I'm relating the story to hammer home the point that with so many people making music, all thinking theirs is "the best album ever", that you have to be realistic - you probably have more chance of winning the UK lottery and the Euro lottery in the same week than getting a record deal!
But that shouldn't stop you!! Your demo should be well recorded and recorded well enough that you could press it and sell it yourself. In this day and age, that's probably the best way forward. Sure, still send copy to record labels, but also remember that record labels will be looking for a lot, lot more than just the music. They'll be looking for experience, an image, a malleable artist and lots more besides for today's music industry.
Your music should have an identity that stands out from the rest and it should have an emotional presence. Achieving this is very, very difficult and in truth, it cannot be taught or learned. I truly believe music either has that magic ingredient to make the listeners hair stand on end, to perk people interest, or it doesn't. And that comes from the musician - not the production, the engineering, the mastering the record label or anywhere else - it is the defining essence of the artist.
So, what am I trying to tell you here? Well, to summarize, embark on the road of being a musician with passion and belief but accept that the chance of major success thru a record deal is virtually impossible. Understand that you must listen with open ears to what you do and learn to be critical of your music. Make constructive criticism your closest ally through people whose opinion you value and trust. And however hard you think it's going to be to have any measure of success, realize that it will be even harder!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
6 Tips For Quitting Smoking
If you are currently a smoker, quitting the habit could be one of the most important things you will ever do in the next part of your life. In fact, if you quit now, you will most likely be adding seven years to your life.
While many people try to quit and fail, it is not an impossible task. Thousands of people, just like you, have decided to quit and have succeeded. You too can be among the successful former-smokers. Here are six tips that will help you to quit smoking once and for all:
1. Make a vow that you are going to quit smoking from today onwards
Success in all spheres of life begins with firm determination. If you are wishy-washy you can never do anything. However, if you make up your mind, once and for all, that you are giving up the habit, whenever a craving comes, you will remember your vow and not give in.
2. Exercise more and get your body in shape
If you sit idle there is more chance that you will light up your cigarette and relax. Fill your spare time with sports and vigorous activity. Try to feel how good it is to get your blood circulating and breathing the air deeply. If you are not the athletic type, then brisk walking will have the same benefit as other kinds of sports.
3. Avoid places and pastimes that put you within reach of cigarettes
If going to a bar or pub means that you are going to have a drink and then light up, maybe it is better to avoid that place for the time being. Once you have truly stopped smoking and you feel how good it is, you can go anywhere and not be tempted. But while you are in the transition phase it is better to carefully choose where you will spend your recreational time.<
4. If you have to put something in your mouth, drink water or eat healthy snacks
Whenever you get a desire to put a cigarette in your mouth, replace it with something that will help you rather than harm you. Drinking small amounts of water throughout the day is not only a good way to help you quit smoking, but it is also a great way to stay healthy. You should drink 4 litres (quarts) of water per day, if you can. If you need to put something solid in your mouth, then eat a piece of fruit.
5. Get support from your friends and family
Tell them that you are giving up smoking for health reasons. Your true friends will support you and not offer you cigarettes. Your family and loved ones will similarly support your efforts and help you to avoid situations where you may feel obliged to smoke out of social pressure.
6. Strengthen your will power with yoga and meditation
Very few people are born with perfect will-power. Like anything else, practice makes perfect. If you want to strengthen a physical muscle you may work out with weights. If you want to strengthen your "mental muscle" you need exercise as well. Yoga and meditation are disciplines that enable even complete beginners to build up their capacity to concentrate and firmly accomplish whatever they set out to do. Try it out and see for yourself.
Follow these six tips and you will be well on your way to quitting smoking.
While many people try to quit and fail, it is not an impossible task. Thousands of people, just like you, have decided to quit and have succeeded. You too can be among the successful former-smokers. Here are six tips that will help you to quit smoking once and for all:
1. Make a vow that you are going to quit smoking from today onwards
Success in all spheres of life begins with firm determination. If you are wishy-washy you can never do anything. However, if you make up your mind, once and for all, that you are giving up the habit, whenever a craving comes, you will remember your vow and not give in.
2. Exercise more and get your body in shape
If you sit idle there is more chance that you will light up your cigarette and relax. Fill your spare time with sports and vigorous activity. Try to feel how good it is to get your blood circulating and breathing the air deeply. If you are not the athletic type, then brisk walking will have the same benefit as other kinds of sports.
3. Avoid places and pastimes that put you within reach of cigarettes
If going to a bar or pub means that you are going to have a drink and then light up, maybe it is better to avoid that place for the time being. Once you have truly stopped smoking and you feel how good it is, you can go anywhere and not be tempted. But while you are in the transition phase it is better to carefully choose where you will spend your recreational time.<
4. If you have to put something in your mouth, drink water or eat healthy snacks
Whenever you get a desire to put a cigarette in your mouth, replace it with something that will help you rather than harm you. Drinking small amounts of water throughout the day is not only a good way to help you quit smoking, but it is also a great way to stay healthy. You should drink 4 litres (quarts) of water per day, if you can. If you need to put something solid in your mouth, then eat a piece of fruit.
5. Get support from your friends and family
Tell them that you are giving up smoking for health reasons. Your true friends will support you and not offer you cigarettes. Your family and loved ones will similarly support your efforts and help you to avoid situations where you may feel obliged to smoke out of social pressure.
6. Strengthen your will power with yoga and meditation
Very few people are born with perfect will-power. Like anything else, practice makes perfect. If you want to strengthen a physical muscle you may work out with weights. If you want to strengthen your "mental muscle" you need exercise as well. Yoga and meditation are disciplines that enable even complete beginners to build up their capacity to concentrate and firmly accomplish whatever they set out to do. Try it out and see for yourself.
Follow these six tips and you will be well on your way to quitting smoking.
Friday, February 17, 2012
What Is Freelance Blogging?
Blogging (short for "web logging"), born from the Internet age, is one of the newer venues for freelance writing. The Internet has generated a lot of news about the financial possibilities open to bloggers: an audience of potentially millions -- along with possible corporate sponsorship, a byline, and infinite creative control -- captures the imagination of many prospective bloggers, and makes blogging seem like an infinitely desirable, lucrative field.
The truth is it is much more difficult to become a successful freelance blogger. A good knowledge of marketing, web design, and being consistent are skills you need to make a living (or a comfortable extra income) from this new form of media.
The reason for this is the low barrier of entry. Anyone with access to web space can start a blog. Sites like Blogger, Livejournal and even MySpace offer free web space to anyone willing to sign up. This has resulted in millions of blogs in existence today, many of them literate, many of them wildly popular, and nearly all of them free to read and browse.
That variety of free content makes it difficult to charge for access to your writing, no matter how good it is. You could be the greatest expert on foreign policy or nutrition known to man, and few people would be willing to pay $5 -- or $1, or one cent -- to read a blog post by you, the expert, when there are thousands of semi-qualified (but bright and engaging) writers giving away similar material.
So your main sources of revenue are going to come from advertising and from whatever paid content you can fit into the site. Luckily, web advertising is becoming less dicey than it was a year ago. Google's "AdSense" program is a good baseline for a page, providing targeted advertising based on your content and paying you, directly, per click-through (although the pay rate per click is low.) You can supplement that amount with other forms of web advertising, from the comparatively unobtrusive banner to pop-up animations that "float over" the text.
This brings us to the "double-edged sword" problem in web advertising. The most effective advertising is obtrusive advertising; that is, advertising that blocks valuable content until the user clicks on it either to make it disappear or to take you to a different website. However, obtrusive advertising also irritates your readers, which can lead to a lower reputation for your blog overall. On the Internet, reputation is the single best determinant of your web traffic. Using obtrusive advertising can significantly lower your traffic and make your blog that much less attractive to potential advertisers.
So you'll need to find a happy medium between heavy advertising (and light traffic) and little to no advertising (and high traffic, but little revenue.) Luckily, the instant responsiveness of the Internet, along with the commenting features available on nearly all blogging software, make it easy to ask your readers about exactly what level of advertising they'd be willing to accept. Reader connectivity is one of the most important features of any good blog: not only does it allow you to fine-tune your blog over time, eliminating features that readers find irritating or off-putting, but it also allows you to develop personal connections with your readers, the kind of connections that build loyal audiences.
There are other ways to make money by blogging, such as the following:
1) It's possible to sidestep advertising altogether by making some of your content unavailable, except to subscribers. For example, you might only keep your most recent five or six blog entries unlocked, and require a monthly subscription fee to read the rest of the archives;
2) Or you might keep your current posts and your entire regular archives active, but produce some longer or specialized entries or other content and charge a set fee for these;
3) You could even compile some of your best entries into a physical book, along with some new content, and offer it for sale. Even if all the entries are available online, you'd be surprised how many people are willing to pay to have something they can hold in their hands;
4) Additionally, you could go the Salon.com route -- make all of your archives available to anyone willing to watch a short full-screen advertisement -- or you could rely on readers' willingness to support content that they find worthwhile by asking for donations outright.
Many prominent blogs and online content providers have done this and found themselves able to make rent and pay all of their bills every month on donations alone.
No matter how much advertising or subscription services your blog has, it's all worthless if people don't want to read you in the first place. And there are three simple rules to make your blog popular:
1) Write on something you care about
2) Write consistently and thoughtfully on a regular schedule (daily is best)
3) Read and comment on other blogs
People read blogs because they provide a source of information and analysis on topics that traditional media sources only cover sketchily and hastily, or don't cover at all. Don't try to figure out an ideal money-making blog topic and proceed from there. People care about blogs because blogs are about personal, in-depth viewpoints and thoughts.
If you can provide those to your audience regularly, and you can set up a minimally-intrusive but still worthwhile revenue system through advertising or subscriptions, there's no reason why you can't become a successful blogger.
The truth is it is much more difficult to become a successful freelance blogger. A good knowledge of marketing, web design, and being consistent are skills you need to make a living (or a comfortable extra income) from this new form of media.
The reason for this is the low barrier of entry. Anyone with access to web space can start a blog. Sites like Blogger, Livejournal and even MySpace offer free web space to anyone willing to sign up. This has resulted in millions of blogs in existence today, many of them literate, many of them wildly popular, and nearly all of them free to read and browse.
That variety of free content makes it difficult to charge for access to your writing, no matter how good it is. You could be the greatest expert on foreign policy or nutrition known to man, and few people would be willing to pay $5 -- or $1, or one cent -- to read a blog post by you, the expert, when there are thousands of semi-qualified (but bright and engaging) writers giving away similar material.
So your main sources of revenue are going to come from advertising and from whatever paid content you can fit into the site. Luckily, web advertising is becoming less dicey than it was a year ago. Google's "AdSense" program is a good baseline for a page, providing targeted advertising based on your content and paying you, directly, per click-through (although the pay rate per click is low.) You can supplement that amount with other forms of web advertising, from the comparatively unobtrusive banner to pop-up animations that "float over" the text.
This brings us to the "double-edged sword" problem in web advertising. The most effective advertising is obtrusive advertising; that is, advertising that blocks valuable content until the user clicks on it either to make it disappear or to take you to a different website. However, obtrusive advertising also irritates your readers, which can lead to a lower reputation for your blog overall. On the Internet, reputation is the single best determinant of your web traffic. Using obtrusive advertising can significantly lower your traffic and make your blog that much less attractive to potential advertisers.
So you'll need to find a happy medium between heavy advertising (and light traffic) and little to no advertising (and high traffic, but little revenue.) Luckily, the instant responsiveness of the Internet, along with the commenting features available on nearly all blogging software, make it easy to ask your readers about exactly what level of advertising they'd be willing to accept. Reader connectivity is one of the most important features of any good blog: not only does it allow you to fine-tune your blog over time, eliminating features that readers find irritating or off-putting, but it also allows you to develop personal connections with your readers, the kind of connections that build loyal audiences.
There are other ways to make money by blogging, such as the following:
1) It's possible to sidestep advertising altogether by making some of your content unavailable, except to subscribers. For example, you might only keep your most recent five or six blog entries unlocked, and require a monthly subscription fee to read the rest of the archives;
2) Or you might keep your current posts and your entire regular archives active, but produce some longer or specialized entries or other content and charge a set fee for these;
3) You could even compile some of your best entries into a physical book, along with some new content, and offer it for sale. Even if all the entries are available online, you'd be surprised how many people are willing to pay to have something they can hold in their hands;
4) Additionally, you could go the Salon.com route -- make all of your archives available to anyone willing to watch a short full-screen advertisement -- or you could rely on readers' willingness to support content that they find worthwhile by asking for donations outright.
Many prominent blogs and online content providers have done this and found themselves able to make rent and pay all of their bills every month on donations alone.
No matter how much advertising or subscription services your blog has, it's all worthless if people don't want to read you in the first place. And there are three simple rules to make your blog popular:
1) Write on something you care about
2) Write consistently and thoughtfully on a regular schedule (daily is best)
3) Read and comment on other blogs
People read blogs because they provide a source of information and analysis on topics that traditional media sources only cover sketchily and hastily, or don't cover at all. Don't try to figure out an ideal money-making blog topic and proceed from there. People care about blogs because blogs are about personal, in-depth viewpoints and thoughts.
If you can provide those to your audience regularly, and you can set up a minimally-intrusive but still worthwhile revenue system through advertising or subscriptions, there's no reason why you can't become a successful blogger.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
How to Have a Beautiful Life in a Mad Dash Society
When you go out, look at the people around you. Don't they look like they're in a hurry to get somewhere? When you ask your friends out for a gathering, do you often get, "Sorry, I've got an appointment, or I've a meeting on that day"? Many people are chronically busy nowadays. They all have the compulsion to be successful as fast as possible. And to achieve that, they figure they have to compress five years of work into one, by moving five times faster! So they rush – developing a hard-nosed edge, sacrificing personal time and relationships, to get as much done as they can. But despite their earnest and wholehearted attempt to be successful, they often waste their effort because they lose their sense of direction – focusing on the trees, but failing to notice the forest – they end up running in circles. If you don't occasionally stop running and look up at the stars, how will you know which way is North? (Don't tell me you have a compass.) In real terms, this means you have to set some time everyday to stop, and reflect.
· What do I value in life?
· What does success mean to me?
· Has what I've done today brought me closer to my life's goal?
· How do I get from where I am, to where I want to be?
Yes, these questions require you to think deep; do some soul-searching. But when you have the answers, your mind will be clear. It's like driving a car with a clean windscreen... you can see where you're going! I suggest you clean your windscreen every night by taking time to reflect. That way, your VISION will be as sharp as can be. Everyone needs a Vision – that vivid mental image of what you'd like to Be, Do, and Have in life. Without it, we can't see which way we're headed. And the only way to develop it is to pause, reflect, think deep, and search your soul.
*The Love of Having*
Have you heard of Retail Therapy? Women love it. It's the idea that you can go shopping, buy something you like, and it will make you feel good about yourself. In the Be-Do-Have model, buying stuff is obviously in the HAVING stage. People subconsciously feel that having more stuff, will make them become who they want to be (Have>>Be). But the sad part is, only the reverse is true. Being who you want to be, will lead you to having what such a person has (Be>>Do>>Have).
Many people are using the Retail Therapy model to feel successful. They scamper to earn as much money as they can, then they splurge it on a lavish lifestyle – fast car, high-class dining, luxurious apartment, hot nightspots, and exotic traveling. All these luxuries and status symbols are suppose to help them BE somebody... But unless they already know who they are on the inside, they often end up being nobody. Luxury rich, but cash poor. These people have spent all their money on the toys. They will never get rich because they have none left over to invest. We all know that you MUST use the money you accumulate to buy assets which produce residual income, if you are EVER going to achieve wealth and financial freedom.
As we rush through our day, making money and spending lavishly, in a race to be successful, perhaps we can realize that all it takes... is one diagnosis of a critical illness, one lawsuit that bankrupts you, or the death of a loved one, to shift your values in life. Suddenly the stuff you have isn't important anymore... You'd gladly give it all away to get back your health, to shelter your family, or to share more time with your loved one.
All a dying man wants is to be well again. All a homeless man wants is good food and a warm place to sleep at night. And all a grieving man wants, is to have spent more time with his loved ones. Don't let this happen to you. Slow down, pause, and reflect. Figure out what's important to you in life. Then spend more time doing what's important, rather than following the masses – being busy everyday; chasing an imaginary shopping list of what it takes to be successful. Remember… better to walk slowly in the right direction, than to dash madly all over the place.
· What do I value in life?
· What does success mean to me?
· Has what I've done today brought me closer to my life's goal?
· How do I get from where I am, to where I want to be?
Yes, these questions require you to think deep; do some soul-searching. But when you have the answers, your mind will be clear. It's like driving a car with a clean windscreen... you can see where you're going! I suggest you clean your windscreen every night by taking time to reflect. That way, your VISION will be as sharp as can be. Everyone needs a Vision – that vivid mental image of what you'd like to Be, Do, and Have in life. Without it, we can't see which way we're headed. And the only way to develop it is to pause, reflect, think deep, and search your soul.
*The Love of Having*
Have you heard of Retail Therapy? Women love it. It's the idea that you can go shopping, buy something you like, and it will make you feel good about yourself. In the Be-Do-Have model, buying stuff is obviously in the HAVING stage. People subconsciously feel that having more stuff, will make them become who they want to be (Have>>Be). But the sad part is, only the reverse is true. Being who you want to be, will lead you to having what such a person has (Be>>Do>>Have).
Many people are using the Retail Therapy model to feel successful. They scamper to earn as much money as they can, then they splurge it on a lavish lifestyle – fast car, high-class dining, luxurious apartment, hot nightspots, and exotic traveling. All these luxuries and status symbols are suppose to help them BE somebody... But unless they already know who they are on the inside, they often end up being nobody. Luxury rich, but cash poor. These people have spent all their money on the toys. They will never get rich because they have none left over to invest. We all know that you MUST use the money you accumulate to buy assets which produce residual income, if you are EVER going to achieve wealth and financial freedom.
As we rush through our day, making money and spending lavishly, in a race to be successful, perhaps we can realize that all it takes... is one diagnosis of a critical illness, one lawsuit that bankrupts you, or the death of a loved one, to shift your values in life. Suddenly the stuff you have isn't important anymore... You'd gladly give it all away to get back your health, to shelter your family, or to share more time with your loved one.
All a dying man wants is to be well again. All a homeless man wants is good food and a warm place to sleep at night. And all a grieving man wants, is to have spent more time with his loved ones. Don't let this happen to you. Slow down, pause, and reflect. Figure out what's important to you in life. Then spend more time doing what's important, rather than following the masses – being busy everyday; chasing an imaginary shopping list of what it takes to be successful. Remember… better to walk slowly in the right direction, than to dash madly all over the place.
Motivation in life
So many of us are demotivated to achieve anything. Such people are not enthusiastic about anything. They don't want to work towards any goal. Nothing motivates them to work. Why is it so? Why many of us are not motivated? What is wrong?
We think in different ways and our thinking is decided by many factors. Some are known and some are unknown. The known factors are - thinking, circumstances, early upbringing, living style, culture, family support, friends, own intelligence etc. Our thoughts and our mental makeup is also decided by many factors that are yet not known. Two persons of similar upbringing may be facing similar situation, but react in opposite ways? there are so many whys about the human mind that it is very difficult to determine about what may happen.
Coming back to the central question - why are some of us totally demotivated? There is no easy answer. Can anything be done to propel such people towards work? Can one do anything to make them enthusiastitic about anything, so that they begin working towards it?
Take your own example. You are motivated to do one thing, but totally demotivated by something else. A mathematician may get very excited looking at a Math problem, but remain unaffected by the greatest pieces of music? Why? The musician acts exactly opposite, or may get equally excited by maths problem and music. Why? Our mind is a complex structure, about which we ourselves don't know much. How many of us can claim to know about their own mind? They may know about thier abilities and disabilities, their likes and dislikes, etc. but can they predict about their own reaction in a situation? very difficult.
One has to find one's own answers in such situations. One has to reflect himself/herself and decide about the action that can be taken to break the unmotivated state. Friends, family and even medical science can help one to a certain extent, but the final destination has to be reached by the person on his/her own.
If at anytime, you notice that a friend of yours is getting demotivated about life, try to inspire him/her as much as you can. Even if you are physically away from your friend you can send him inspirational ecards and tell him to download motivational screensavers and wallpapers. So motivate everyone who needs the boost.
We think in different ways and our thinking is decided by many factors. Some are known and some are unknown. The known factors are - thinking, circumstances, early upbringing, living style, culture, family support, friends, own intelligence etc. Our thoughts and our mental makeup is also decided by many factors that are yet not known. Two persons of similar upbringing may be facing similar situation, but react in opposite ways? there are so many whys about the human mind that it is very difficult to determine about what may happen.
Coming back to the central question - why are some of us totally demotivated? There is no easy answer. Can anything be done to propel such people towards work? Can one do anything to make them enthusiastitic about anything, so that they begin working towards it?
Take your own example. You are motivated to do one thing, but totally demotivated by something else. A mathematician may get very excited looking at a Math problem, but remain unaffected by the greatest pieces of music? Why? The musician acts exactly opposite, or may get equally excited by maths problem and music. Why? Our mind is a complex structure, about which we ourselves don't know much. How many of us can claim to know about their own mind? They may know about thier abilities and disabilities, their likes and dislikes, etc. but can they predict about their own reaction in a situation? very difficult.
One has to find one's own answers in such situations. One has to reflect himself/herself and decide about the action that can be taken to break the unmotivated state. Friends, family and even medical science can help one to a certain extent, but the final destination has to be reached by the person on his/her own.
If at anytime, you notice that a friend of yours is getting demotivated about life, try to inspire him/her as much as you can. Even if you are physically away from your friend you can send him inspirational ecards and tell him to download motivational screensavers and wallpapers. So motivate everyone who needs the boost.
How To Relax Fast
Why should you learn how to relax fast? Because stress is more than just unpleasant. It's also dangerous. Many diseases are now known to be caused by or made worse by stress, but you can do something about it. Just try these relaxation techniques today, and use them whenever you feel that tension coming on.
1. Have a hot shower. The hot water relaxes your muscles, and the break from more stressful activities helps too.
2. Play relaxing music. Experiment to see which music relaxes you the most effectively. Then keep your favorite relaxation CD at the office, or wherever you'll need it most.
3. Go somewhere else. This really helps if the things stressing you out are in the room or associated with it. Why not get out for a little while?
4. Have a cup of chamomile tea. Chamomile seems to have a calming effect on the nerves, and hot drinks in general can help you relax.
5. Watch your mind. If you can spot the stressors lurking just below the surface (hunger, worry, a phone call you need to make), you can resolve them and feel more relaxed.
6. Have a laugh. Of course, you know from experience that this helps you relax, right? Find the guy that knows all the best jokes, or just find something funny in front of you.
7. Breath deep through your nose. Just close your eyes and pay attention only to your breathing while doing this. Five slow deep breaths is like a mini-meditation.
8. Take a walk. Walking is one of the best relaxation techniques if you have at least ten minutes to spare. Find a pretty place to walk while you're at it.
9. Give someone a hug. As long as it's from somebody you don't mind hugging, this really can be very relaxing.
10. Interrupt your routine. Stop to talk to that guy sleeping on the bench, or eat lunch on the roof. Anything that breaks you out of your habitual patterns can relieve stress.
Over time you can change yourself, and be naturally more relaxed. Of course, if the thought of the work involved in this just stresses you more, you might want to take it slow. In the meantime, the relaxation techniques above really aren't difficult, so why not try a few, and learn today how to relax fast.
1. Have a hot shower. The hot water relaxes your muscles, and the break from more stressful activities helps too.
2. Play relaxing music. Experiment to see which music relaxes you the most effectively. Then keep your favorite relaxation CD at the office, or wherever you'll need it most.
3. Go somewhere else. This really helps if the things stressing you out are in the room or associated with it. Why not get out for a little while?
4. Have a cup of chamomile tea. Chamomile seems to have a calming effect on the nerves, and hot drinks in general can help you relax.
5. Watch your mind. If you can spot the stressors lurking just below the surface (hunger, worry, a phone call you need to make), you can resolve them and feel more relaxed.
6. Have a laugh. Of course, you know from experience that this helps you relax, right? Find the guy that knows all the best jokes, or just find something funny in front of you.
7. Breath deep through your nose. Just close your eyes and pay attention only to your breathing while doing this. Five slow deep breaths is like a mini-meditation.
8. Take a walk. Walking is one of the best relaxation techniques if you have at least ten minutes to spare. Find a pretty place to walk while you're at it.
9. Give someone a hug. As long as it's from somebody you don't mind hugging, this really can be very relaxing.
10. Interrupt your routine. Stop to talk to that guy sleeping on the bench, or eat lunch on the roof. Anything that breaks you out of your habitual patterns can relieve stress.
Over time you can change yourself, and be naturally more relaxed. Of course, if the thought of the work involved in this just stresses you more, you might want to take it slow. In the meantime, the relaxation techniques above really aren't difficult, so why not try a few, and learn today how to relax fast.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Waterfalls - The Motivation Of Work
Water, the liquid that sustains the nature. It will be very difficult for us to find a living being who does not need water. Have you observed water anytime? Yes, I know that you take bath in water, wash yourself with water, drink water many times a day, but what I am asking is- have you observed water? Take a glass of water and look at it carefully. It is transparent. It has no taste. It mixes with most of the materials and it takes every color given to it. That is water. And that is why waterfalls are so charming.
The speed of falling water itself is a great freshener. Why does that make us feel good? Is it the power of the fall, or the great volumes of water that falls non stop? The whole atmosphere feels clean near a waterfall. The small drops of water that cover the whole surroundings are enchanting in themselves and the view is mesmerizing.
Why do people go and visit waterfalls? How many of us think about that? We visit waterfalls because we love watching them. We get energized watching them. We get a feeling of unknown excitement being near a waterfall. Why? The first reason is that the waterfall is natural. No man made waterfall will ever attract so much attention as the natural one will. We are after all products of nature and carry the genes of forefathers who lived in jungles. Second reason is the sense of purity we feel near a fall. That and the power, the velocity of the fall, copious amount of water going down at every moment.
That takes us away from our worries and attracts us to itself. Come watch me. Look at my power, look at my innocence and look at the non stop motion. I never get tired. I have been going on like this for centuries and will continue like this. From infinity to infinity. That is the message of waterfalls. The waterfalls motivate us to work untiringly. The message they give is simple - work ceaselessly without thinking of any support from anyone. Be on your own and work. One day the world will come to watch you. Get inspired by the waterfalls next time you see one.
Looking for a good love message?
Are you looking for the right message to share with your loved one? Then Lovemessage.org is the right web site for you. This web site is dedicated on sharing any form of written love expression from love stories, love poems to sad messages. Sometimes, it is really hard to find the perfect love poem or love quote to write on a card or in a SMS message. But for sure, whatever you need, you will definitely find it here.
Upon entering the web site, you can already see the various sections that are all dedicated to sharing love messages that can help you. The first section is the love messages section where you can find simple love messages to your special someone. You can also find love quotes here that are really good to put in cards especially when you plan to give someone flowers or a gift. The next section is romantic messages. This section is specially made to cater to some of the most romantic messages you can ever send to your special someone. You might not see it, but you just might melt the heart of your loved one with that romantic message.
The next section is the flirty message section. You can try sending the messages here if you are flirting with someone or your lover. It is also good for a laugh or to make a loved one smile. There is also a section for love SMS messages. Since SMS has been a popular form of communication now, you can use this to text your special someone a sweet message to brighten up their day. However, if you really want to make your special someone smile bigger, you can try the funny messages section. There is also a section for messages about unrequited love and this is the sad messages section. If you love someone and that love is not returned, then you might find solace in these messages.
The next section is love songs where you can see lyrics of famous love songs that are dear to people. Lyrics of songs really strike us and you can use this to express what you really feel about your special someone. If you want something deeper than simple messages, you can try looking at the love stories, love poems, and love letters section. Why not try writing the love letter that Napoleon Bonaparte has written as well. Your special someone will find this really sweet and adorable of you.
With all these messages and love works, how can you not find something perfect for you and your special someone? Remember that your special some deserves to hear how much you love them as much as you can. And you also want this for your self too. Being in love is fun, love is fantastic. Keep telling the people around you how much you love them and don't take them for granted. Love does not come as often as we would want it, so when it shows up on your door step, open the door and welcome it. It will be fantastic.
Upon entering the web site, you can already see the various sections that are all dedicated to sharing love messages that can help you. The first section is the love messages section where you can find simple love messages to your special someone. You can also find love quotes here that are really good to put in cards especially when you plan to give someone flowers or a gift. The next section is romantic messages. This section is specially made to cater to some of the most romantic messages you can ever send to your special someone. You might not see it, but you just might melt the heart of your loved one with that romantic message.
The next section is the flirty message section. You can try sending the messages here if you are flirting with someone or your lover. It is also good for a laugh or to make a loved one smile. There is also a section for love SMS messages. Since SMS has been a popular form of communication now, you can use this to text your special someone a sweet message to brighten up their day. However, if you really want to make your special someone smile bigger, you can try the funny messages section. There is also a section for messages about unrequited love and this is the sad messages section. If you love someone and that love is not returned, then you might find solace in these messages.
The next section is love songs where you can see lyrics of famous love songs that are dear to people. Lyrics of songs really strike us and you can use this to express what you really feel about your special someone. If you want something deeper than simple messages, you can try looking at the love stories, love poems, and love letters section. Why not try writing the love letter that Napoleon Bonaparte has written as well. Your special someone will find this really sweet and adorable of you.
With all these messages and love works, how can you not find something perfect for you and your special someone? Remember that your special some deserves to hear how much you love them as much as you can. And you also want this for your self too. Being in love is fun, love is fantastic. Keep telling the people around you how much you love them and don't take them for granted. Love does not come as often as we would want it, so when it shows up on your door step, open the door and welcome it. It will be fantastic.
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