The Keys of Life - How to be Happy

As a life coach for a number of years now, I have been exposed to the concepts and tools necessary for creating a happy life. This information is not just text book theory, it is real, and I am proud to say that I am making a difference in such a positive way that both my clients and my children will maintain a real advantage in their future.

So what are the messages I attend? What are the tools I employ? And what is the language I maintain for a healthy mind? There are many imaginative ideas one can institute within the household to create awareness, and these examples seem to work for us, not always immediately, but I feel certain they will play out in a positive way in the future. When one singles out each item individually, they may seem too simple to make a difference, however when combined with a full understanding of the technology they begin to make a lot more sense.

So why is it that human animals are so unhappy? Why do we hear that 1 in 4 Australians are clinically depressed? This article would be too long if I were to cover all the reasons, but I will attempt to address a number of them.

1. We compare upwards.

There are so many things around us that make our life "easier" and provide us with more leisure time: .... DVD players, washing machines, fancy cars, play stations etc .. As we have more leisure time, these materialistic things help us fill our days, they make us "look good" and possibly temporarily happy, and more importantly provide us with the things that someone else does not have.

So what happens to the people who do not have some or all of these items? Children want what others have and feel that these things will make them and their lives more interesting and fun. We all want things. We do not need them, we just want them. We want them because our friends appear happier, and we want to be a part of that. So we compare upwards and we look to what we do not have that create a par. It's this vacuum that gives us a feeling of not being complete and we think we are not able to be happy. How often do we compare downwards? How often do we stop and say, "I am so happy to be free and can play with my children at the park", "I am so happy that I am alive and have food on the table". "I am so happy to be healthy and am not in hospital recovering from cancer."

I am consistently reminding my children to not only appreciate what they have, but to create a list on a daily basis of all the things they appreciate. The appreciation list can be as simple as "I appreciate getting a call from my friend earlier today". We need to balance out our comparison mechanism. It is becoming so increasingly difficult with society becoming more affluent, and the media controlling what we are told to think. We really have to start working hard at this. We have to start playing the game of life, so that it starts to work in our favor because as I look around at the number of overweight, depressed people and the state of this planet, we are losing the battle.

What else do I do to make my children aware? For many years I have been telling my kids to mute the ads on television. The marketing people who create these advertisements are a lot smarter than we are. They cleverly use positive associations to sell their products with no regard for what or how it is effecting our comparison state. They use anchors and leverage us into softening our brains.

I have signs around the house and try to create a balance. Small posters that say things like "A week of need not want", "A month of NOW!", "Do not complain about it, change it or fix it", "A situation needs to be either deal with or accepted" "Why make it a problem? There are no problems in the NOW." These signs inspire discussion and subliminal alterations to my children's assessment of life.

2. We have an obscured concept of what success is.

Many people in the western world think that success is a house, car, money, and possessions. You do not have to look far at the statistics to discover that the financially wealthy are not necessarily happier than those with less financial means and are more challenged financially. Who was it that stated:
"Today, we have more experts but more problems, more medicine but less wellness.
Bottom line, happiness has little to do with money. It is our state of mind. I remember when I was in my teens thinking that if I had enough money just for my bus transport I would be so happy. Then I got older and all of a sudden, it was not enough, I wanted a car etc. You know what I mean. Look around you, see how much STUFF you have, is it made up of a NEED or a WANT. Do you remember how happy you were when you only had a few boxes in your life, no baggage. Then you start to fill it up with stuff. Did it make you happier? Ladies and Gentleman, this is not success. It is empty and lacks value. And it never ends. This path will continuously be fed by trying to get somewhere, and humans do not realize that there is nowhere to get. We are creating dreams about "some day, one day". When I finally get my BMW then I will go camping with my family. When I just get $ x, then I will start a family, When I finally drop 7kilo I will be happier with my weight. The time is NOW, right now. This moment. Do not wait, do it now. Go on that trip, get involved with needy children, do that thing you have always said you would like to do. Help the less privileged. Just remember if you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy. Success is finding YOUR OWN passion, discovering what you want to do with your life and going for it 200%. Not doing what others tell you. Start today. Learn about yourself, then create the most amazing possibilities for yourself.
Life is beautiful and the universe if perfect in every way. All you have to do is allow yourself see how beautiful things are, how wonderful you are, and start to become part of what is already perfect.

3. Communication:

You do not have go go back many years to see how communication has changed. Think back to the days when you would walk along the street, take public transport and people would say "Gday" "Lovely day" etc. On face value it does not mean very much, but this is the game of life we ​​are not playing any more. We prefer to sit opposite a computer, answer emails, play computers games, swim in our pools at home, watch TV etc, left to communicate with our own "little voice". In fact with 50,000 thousand thoughts we have on a daily basis, it seems that we are spending more and more time "ALONE". Now that would be OK if our internal communication was open to new ideas, with a potential to create thought- provoking new concepts and important issues in life. However, the internal chatter is so limited, and has become so molded by our clever governments and advertising geniuses, that we do not have a chance. That's because we are only working from a position of what we know we know and what we know we do not know. It has left no room for all the things we do not know we do not know. We can only get access to those blind spots in our life if we have other people expose them. We can only get it by being present to our voices. We can only get it from others. If you were to engage in a conversation with that old lady on a bus, imagine what pearls of wisdom you may get from her. Or that gem from that person we chatted to while waiting at the checkout at the supermarket. We have been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet our neighbor. We have acquired outer space but not inner space. We need to get back to basics and start talking. We will all begin to discover that pretty much all people in the universe want the same things and generally think similar thoughts. We all want to be happy. 

I am continuously chatting to people, smiling as I walk past people, and I let my children see that, we discuss it continuously and make points of interest to what goes on. Continuing talking about the concepts of how people are trying to "look good and trying to avoid looking bad", and all about "life". Remember your children are not getting an education about "life" from school where they spend most of their days. Do not forget that you DID NOT GET ANY EDUCATION AT SCHOOL ABOUT LIFE. So get learning, get educated and start educating the children. It will help them with their health, relationships and conventional education.

I encourage you to consider that life is beautiful, and note that we have learned to make a living but not a life and we have added years to our lives, but not life to our years.

What I do:

Among other things, I provide face to face life coaching in Melbourne Australia. I am continuously making a difference in people's lives. I know that 5 minutes before I die I wont be thinking about the house or car I did or did not have, but I will be smiling at the thought of the numerous people whose lives have been effected positively by my input. It is the most rewarding life I could lead and I could ever pursue.

jonathan@lourie.org

Number 1 Secret To Making Money Online

"What is the number 1 secret to making money online?" is a question I get asked a quite a lot. I think it is a fair question to ask, it's something I asked when I first started out trying to make money online. So to save you seeking me out and asking me personally, this article will disclose what the number 1 secret to making money online is.

The secret is actually very simple. Surround yourself with as many successful Internet Marketers and successful Internet Marketing communities as possible. Do not waste your time trying to get rich quick. Surround yourself with success.

It works in the same way as working out with somebody who is much fitter than you. Just to be allowed to work out with them you will have to show massive determination at the start to work hard and learn all they teach you about nutrition and exercise. Then, after time, you will not only be as fit as they are, but you will also have the same level of knowledge. You could then even train somebody else to be as fit as you are now!

Making money online is no different really. The secret to being able to make money online faster than anyone else is to get yourself an Internet Marketing coach, and also to be actively involved in an Internet Marketing community. In the example of working out I used above, it works because you are involved in a peer group which is giving two massive benefits.

ONE. They are providing you with positive peer pressure. This is one of the best things an up and coming internet marketer could have. The pressure to better yourself is a huge benefit you can use to make money online. Definitely better than any of the negative peer pressure you get from anywhere else. The positive peer pressure will be especially productive when coupled with the second benefit below.

TWO. Your coach and your new community will provide you with the exact knowledge you need to be successful. Your coach will be a wealth of knowledge and motivation for you, and that is their job. Your community will provide the same because that is what a good community does. They help and support each other.

So if you are positively pressured into taking action on the knowledge you know will ensure your online business will be a success, then you will make money online, no doubt. This scenario is a win win for everyone involved, and that's exactly how business should be.

7 Top Tips to Car Salesman's Or Saleswoman's Success

Given that car sales account for 19% of total US sales in 2000 (source: US Small Business Administration), a lot of people are buying cars which mean that they are a lot of people selling cars. Additionally, new car sales have dropped from 63.4% in 1989 to 60% in 1999. Selling cars is not easy given that many still have a negative perception of car salesmen or women. Hopefully, these 7 tips may help you to sell more cars.

1. First and Foremost YOU need to think of yourself as a business. Car sales people work for an auto dealership, but most work on a salary and commission basis. When your compensation is commission based, this means you have more control of your destiny and should view yourself as a business instead of just a sales person.
2. Adopt a Planning Attitude. If you do not have a plan, then you are on some else's plan - usually the successful car saleswoman or salesman. As a practicing performance improvement consultant or coach for the last 10 years, I have observed that most people plan less for their own lives than they do for a simple visit to the grocery store.
3. Learn how to prospect. There exists a fundamental belief that the auto dealership is responsible for bringing traffic through the door because the dealership owners have all those "big bucks" for media advertising. Given that 80% of all new sales comes from referrals, would it not make more sense to prospect individually rather than simply on outside resources to control your destination? Those media efforts usually bring in suspicions, not prospects. Use your time wisely by focusing on prospects those who have a need, dollars and are a decision-maker. Do not rely only on the auto dealer to send out letters. Take the time to write some handwritten notes.
4. Improve your sales skills to make more money. Today's buyers are far more savvy than years ago. Learn how to cultivate and develop long term relationships. Consider a proven buying / selling sales process where marketing and selling skills are united to deliver to the desired results of another sold car. New car sales to used car sales are far more relationship based selling than years ago when car sales was a commodity sale.
5. Establish your sales goals using your great planning attitude. If you are a car salesman or car saleswoman and have 300 customers and the industry average sales cycle is 3 years, then every year you should be selling 100 cars. Focus your efforts of those who will be buying a car this year, but remember to continue to touch those who will potentially be buying another car in 2 or 3 years. HINT: Use the WAYSMARTcriteria for goal setting.
6. Identify the attitudes or beliefs that are obstacles to your success. Working with those in the auto industry, I have heard countless reasons why sales can not be made. However, when these reviews are reviewed, they are usually unfounded reasons based upon existing attitudes and beliefs. For example, "corporate has ruined the car industry by posting prices on the Internet. Everyone knows everything about the car." My response is "if price was a real objection, then everyone would be driving a Yugo or a Chevette. HINT: When you change how you look at things, the things you look at will change.
7. Make managing yourself priority number one. You must learn how to maximize your time especially in the area of ​​time management, ongoing professional development such as through business coaching training and personal life balance. The auto industry is truly a 24/7 business given that cars are with us each and every day of our lives. However, it is important not to lose sight of your personal life including family, friends, physical health, etc.

Yes, you can be an incredible car salesperson who can increase sales through these 7 simple car salesman tips. Just remember, sales regardless of industry is all about knowing your numbers and then multiplying your activity to secure those desired results.

Getting More Traffic to Your Website or Blog

There is a very common question that anyone who has a website or a blog has and this has to do with getting more leads and even traffic. There are many options that are being offered today to get rock solid traffic, and sometimes you can even make money while you are at it.

Creating more value for the prospective target

This is a great question that you should ask yourself. Value can be defined as a resource. This could be an article, a video or even a blog that is aimed at solving problems. The prospects are people who are more likely to work with the business and even sell the products as well. You need to make the offers more attractive to the prospective customers to encourage them to buy.

If you have some capital

If you can, you should invest in the business. You could hire a coach who has the kind of success that you may have always desired. This can have a great impact on your lifestyle and your life too.

You also need to learn more about the per click kind of advertising. You can use social media and use the available online courses that can help you apply this successfully to your blog or website.

You should also take time to invest in some long-term decisions. Take your time to strategize. It may not pick as quickly as you would like but the time taken to build your business will be very worthwhile in the end.

If you do not have any capital

You can try making money from the people that you want to emulate. You can achieve this through network marketing or use affiliate sales and programs. There are up lines that can offer some free coaching if you prove to be serious.

You need to create content every day. This should always be value driven by the target prospects. This will keep them interested and fully engaged at all times.

You also need to reach out to the market and to people in the social media platforms as well as on the offline meetings. If you are not conversant about prospecting, there are available resources that can prove helpful online. When you follow the plans well and diligently, you will be able to get waves of rock-solid traffic eventually. You will notice that your sales and leads will grow quite a lot as you follow the steps.

The best thing about using solid traffic is the fact that this is usually real people who are hyperactive responsive and they can show interest in hearing more about what you offer. When you have the best traffic source, you can access a large inventory that guarantees consistency and quality. With the best providers, you simply place the order and then let them take care of the conversions and the traffic. Optimization is very important in such a case. Having a great traffic source can work really well for you and your business.

The Servant - A Book Summary

In order to lead, you must serve. This is the solid













premise of the book "The Servant" by James C. Hunter.













It is discussed through the tale of John Daily, a













business executive who starts to lose his grip as boss,













husband, father, and coach. He was talked into going













on a week-long retreat at a Benedictine Monastery to re-center and find his balance. During the retreat, a













former Wall Street legend turned monk shows













him a different perspective on leadership - servant leadership.

The Ten Attributes of Love and Leadership













The book enumerated the following as the qualities of













a servant leader. Incidentally, these are also the













attributes of love, which was defined earlier as one's behavior towards others.

1. Patient - showing self-control.

2. Kind - giving attention, appreciation, and













encouragement.

3. Humble - being authentic without pretense or













arrogance.

4. Respectful - treating others as important people.

5. Selfless - meeting the needs of others.

6. Forgiving - giving up resentment when wronged.

7. Honest - being free from deception.

8. Committed - sticking to your choices.

All these behaviors will entail you to serve and













sacrifice for others. This would mean setting aside













your own wants and needs to focus on the legitimate













needs of others.

You need to realize that success does not only come













from hard work and appropriately playing the part.













To be successful in business and in your career, you













must be able to distinguish yourself from the rest













of the pack - you need to develop, build and defend













your reputation.

The Law of the Harvest

Remember: you reap what you sow. For authority or













influence to flourish, the right environment must be













provided and a nurturing behavior must be present. In













a garden, the soil, the sun, the water, the fertilizer,













and the care given by the gardener all make up the













environment under which the plant will grow and mature.













The one thing that you are not sure of, however, is













when the flowers will actually bloom. Bear in mind













that influence is not a magical beanstalk that will













sprout overnight; rather, it is













something that grows in time.

The Rewards of Leading with Authority

Leading with authority enables you to have a personal













mission statement: to serve the people you lead, to













listen to their needs, to give praise and recognition,













to show kindness, and to be honest, among other things.













When servant leadership becomes your ethos in life,













people would be lining up to join your cause.

By serving others and loving your neighbors, you are













keeping in line with the doctrines of the Church as













well as other religions. You mature psychologically













and spiritually, which is essentially the end goal of













the individual's journey through life.

While the above payoffs are well and good, the most













important reward of all is the joy you will experience













when you put others first and free yourself from the













chains of self-centeredness. As a certain Dr. Albert













Schweitzer wisely puts it, "I don't know what your













destiny will be, but one thing I do know. The only ones













among you who will be really happy are those who will













have sought and found how to serve."

About the Author:

James Hunter is the author of the internationally













best-selling book The Servant, subtitled A Simple Story













About the True Essence of Leadership. Now translated













into nine (9) languages, The Servant teaches the time













less principles of Servant Leadership and is the text













used in many MBA and other higher education curriculum













around the world.

Are Your Managers Ready for Generation Y Employees?

Generation Y or the "Internet Generation" will dramatically change every aspect of your business in the next five years!

Change will be constant, rapid and revolutionary. Want proof?

First, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is putting all of their 1,500 courses on the Internet. MIT believes that the "disclosure of knowledge and information can open new doors to the powerful benefits of education for humanity around the world." That means students, educators and self-learners will be able to audit these courses when and where they want.

Second, Bob Lutz, General Motors Vice Chairman, has a blog to communicate directly with his customers. It is an invaluable way to get important information out to the market. It is also a vehicle for timely and accurate feedback. Other GM executives are setting up blogs to talk directly to and get information from their employees. By comparison, Microsoft has over 1,500 customer and employee blogs.

Third, YouTube is an Internet overnight success story. It allows people to upload and share videos over the Internet. To date they have 100 million videos on their site and receive another 65,000 per day. The company was founded in February 2005, and was never profitable. Yet, Google understands the potential of their technology and purchased the company nineteen months later for $ 1.65 billion.

While Gen X employees understand Internet, multitasking and instant communications, Generation Y members excels at use of these three tools, and they will use them to transform business. They will challenge every aspect of the workplace.

How do the different generational employees look managers?

B oomers: The boss is not always right, but the boss is always the boss. I will put in long hours to get ahead. If necessary, I will do so at the expense of my family.

Generation X: The boss is not always right, but I'm not going to be here very long. I watched my parent's jobs being downsized or outsourced so I do not have the same loyalty to a company they did. I'm not married to the company; I value my life outside of work.

Generation Y: The boss is not always right, but are they open to new ways to do business? Events like 9/11 and the Columbine High School shooting have taught us that life can be fleeting. The Internet as exposed us to new ways of approaching life and work. I want to flexibility, to be valued for my ideas and my work and I want time off to volunteer.

They are called Generation Y, as in "why," because they are constantly questioning the status quo. They are almost as large as the Boomer generation and are over 65% larger than the Generation X group. In the next twenty-five years 80 million Boomers will be retiring. As the Boomers retire, the Gen X employees will become the Gen Y's managers. However, because of their sheer size Generation Y will be the overwhelming influence in the workplace for the next fifty years.

Generation Y fully embraces technology. Today's twenty-year-old college graduate was only five years old when the Internet was developed in 1992. They have always had the world at their finger tips. They grow up with instant messaging, text messaging, cell phones, iPods, PDAs, MySpace, YouTube, multitasking and blogging. They think, and act, in terms of instant communications. While Gen X employees understand and used these vehicles, Generation Y is totally immersed in them.

Baby Boomers changed the culture on civil rights, woman's rights, and gay rights. Their world was shaped by the Cold War. The members of Generation Y were born after the Civil Rights Act was passed (1964), the gay rights movement started (1969), the first woman sat on the US Supreme Court (1975), and the Berlin Wall came down (1990). The struggles many of us remember are accepted facts in their world. Generation Y individuals overlap diversity as an accepted norm and until recently knew nothing about war. Their world has always included diversity.

Each of us has memories of some recent tragic events: the Oklahoma bombing, the Columbine High school shooting, the World Trade Center bombing, and three wars-Iraq, Afghanistan and the War on Terror. If you were a thirteen to fifteen year old, how would these events shape your thoughts about the future? In a practical way These Generation Y's remain optimistic.

Generation Y members are group-oriented, confident, goal-oriented and civic-minded. They have a more worldly view than Generation X'ers. These new employees have been coddled by their parents. As children they received trophies for simply participating on a team. Parents told them were special and capable of doing anything. Their non-school activities were scheduled (eg, karate, soccer, etc.), and their parents were not afraid to call a teacher, coach or boy Scout leader if they did not think their child was being treated fairly.

Generation Y kids have been raised with instant communication, unrealistic feedback and rapid decision making as the norm. They believe they have the world in the palm of their hand. And, with their knowledge of today's technology they do.

So what can your managers do to get ready for Generation Y employees? Generation Y employees want to be heard and valued by their company when they start with your company. They place a high value on family and flexibility and will volunteer their time to cause them feel are important. They are fearless and not intimidated by titles or corporate organizational charts.

They love variety and are not afraid of change. If they think they have a good suggestion they will take ownership of the idea. And, they will not be afraid to take the idea up the corporate ladder to be heard.

Successful companies must find ways to harness the new employee's talents, integrate them into the company and turn ideas into a competitive advantage. Progressive companies understand that learning is a two-way street. Generation Y employees will revolutionize internal and external communications. Companies have a lot to teach the Gen Y's, but they have a lot to learn from them also. That will be difficult in rigid, highly structured companies.

Jack Welsh, former CEO of General Electric, stated that "... ebusiness knowledge is usually inversely proportional to age and rank." Hiring, challenging and retaining good employees have always been the hallmark of successful companies.

Successful companies today must develop a culture of learning, sharing and embracing change. They will employ two-way mentoring, blogging, new training platforms, and new ways of hiring and promoting people.

Training Generation Y employees will change. Boring, all-day seminars will become less frequent. Generation Y employees will text message their friends during those seminars. They need the information in the seminar, but companies will have the training available in different platforms and in smaller "bite-sized" portions. These training modules will be downloadable to an employees' Blackberry, iPod or computer. The employee will view the sessions at home, or on a plane or listen to them in the car driving to an appointment.

This is an exciting and dynamic time for business! Change will be constant, rapid and revolutionary.

Generation Y employees will change how we look at hiring, turnover, mentoring, performance reviews, employee orientation, retention issues, and how we communicate with our employees and customers. Are your managers ready for this new employee?

Questions for Discussion:

1. A new employee takes approximately six months to "learn the routes," and they will probably leave the company within four years. How will your managers take full advantage of the Generation Y employee's creative energies?

1. What systems within your company need to be reviewed to take advantage of these upcoming changes?

1. How can you dramatically change the way you communicate with your customers and your employees?