The Definition of Success - Its True Meaning

It is no coincidence that you find yourself reading this article. You were obviously in search of the true definition of success or you would not have clicked the article link. Your quest to define success, led you to the usual reference sites like dictionary.com or webster.com and found their definitions read something like this - having attained wealth, status, honors or the like or having a favorable termination of an attempt or endeavor . Now take a brief moment and ask yourself these three questions, basing your answers solely on the definitions that were previously stated.

1. Do I consider myself successful?
2. Do I have all the wealth, material possessions, status, or honors I desire?
3. Has the outcome of my endeavors been favorable?

Did you answer no to one or maybe all three questions? If so, are you (even for just a moment) thinking, "I guess I'm not a success; and If I'm not a success then I must be a failure." Yep, if that's what you're thinking, then you're absolutely right, a failure you are. However, do not get discouraged, success is still attainable even for the "failures" of this world.

First things first. Stop measuring your success by the typical definitions found online and in other reference materials. If you do not, you will forever see yourself as a failure. With that said, let's take a moment to learn and digest another definition of success, probably the best you'll ever hear. This definition of success is not found on any mainstream website or in any hardback dictionary. it comes from a man by the name of Earl Nightingale. Mr. Nightingale was a motivational speaker back in the 1950s / 60s and was known as the "Dean of Personal Development." He defined success this way - "Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal."

Wow! That's worth reading again - "Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal." Let's take a moment to break that definition down so that you can truly digest the true meaning of success.

Progressive - meaning to make efforts towards continuous progress.
Realization - turning something imagined into a reality.
Worthy ideal - something that warrants great merit and excellence.

Look at it this way - Success is the continuous effort of taking something of great value that you have imagined and working toward it until it ever becomes a reality. Is not that awesome! No matter what your ideal ideal is, you are a success as long as you are making continuous efforts to turn your dream, your goals, your desires into a reality. So, do not get caught up with the fact that you have not attained it yet, just stay focused, set daily goals, and before you know it, you will attain it.

To Your Success!

Essential Features of Devops Technology in This Cloud Era

DevOps is the evolution of traditional application development and operations roles driven by consumerization of all software and business demand for agility. DevOps facilitates the needs of today's businesses to stay relevant by constantly innovating through software.

DevOps is about people and processes as much as if not more than tools. Without cultural and process changes, technology alone cannot enable DevOps success. DEVOPS, one of first challenges is to find out what the industry really thinks "DevOps" means. DEVOPS asked experts from across the industry to define what DevOps means to them. The purpose of this list is not to come up with a one-sentence definition of DevOps to appeal to all. The goal is to show just how many varied ideas are connected with the concept of DevOps, and in the process learn a little more what DevOps is all about.

Several of the top experts in the DevOps arena made this very clear while DEVOPS was compiling this list. That being said, a variety of technologies can be critical to supporting the people and processes that drive DevOps. DEVOPS asked experts from across the industry for their recommendation on a key technology required for DevOps.

DevOps tools are designed to support those definitive aspects of DevOps: collaboration, breaking down silos, bringing Dev and Ops together, agile development, continuous delivery and automation, to name a few.

List covers performance management, monitoring and analytics.

1. APPLICATION PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT: There are clearly so many tools vital to DevOps advancement, but Application Performance Management is the one that stands out today as it has become so highly ingrained as the primary vehicle by which practitioners aggregate and share critical data.

2. MONITORING: While DevOps is most often associated with automation and continuous delivery/integration tools, I believe the single most important tool that organizations need to properly adopt and use to make a transformation to DevOps is a monitoring system. You cannot improve what you can't measure. Implementing key metrics across the business to help recognize areas that are in most need of improvement is the key to identifying the bottlenecks that prevent DevOps adoption.

3. END USER EXPERIENCE MONITORING: The parts of DevOps which turn the tide around and start exposing data from production to developers are also increasingly deployed, but the processes around these are not. For example, tools that enable exposure to the actual end user experience in production would need to become more transparent for the engineering departments instead of just operations. Even more so, many of such tools provide value to the business side as well, so a successful deployment in the user experience monitoring domain would satisfy even more stakeholders.

4. SYNTHETIC MONITORING: DevOps implies that you need to communicate between Ops and Dev in a good way. Using application/API driven synthetic monitoring will always give you the yardstick to measure your success.

5. INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT: If you are stranded on a desert island (but with a strong and reliable Internet connection) you still need to ensure your infrastructure is performing and your users are happy with their experience. What's needed is a solid and extensible Digital Infrastructure Management Platform that can collect data from every layer of your stack, analyze what's normal, what's not, and visualize the impact of anomalous behavior. This will allow you to catch issues that can affect your operations before they truly impact your business.

6. INCIDENT MANAGEMENT: Organizations must understand that tools are only one part of the answer. They must have the people, processes, and tools in place in order to successfully implement a DevOps environment. There are a number of helpful tools in the DevOps ecosystem. You want to think along the lines of productivity, repeatability, and safety when considering tools best suited to facilitate a DevOps mindset.

7. ANALYTICS: DevOps needs tools that go beyond continuous release and deploy. They need tools that provide continuous analytics in order to measure and analyze application activities against business objectives. While the focus is often on continuous release and deploy, that is not always possible in some firms due to regulatory concerns. However, the need is there for continuous monitoring, tracking and analytics. First, use monitoring to gather end-user experience data as well as infrastructure and application data. Then, track and stitch transactions together to show a timeline of what happened. Finally, create shared metrics that enable the analysis to be compared to both technical and business objectives.

8. MANAGER OF MANAGERS: The DevOps agile development model extends to its tools, and we've seen a huge proliferation of tools introduced to improve some aspect of monitoring. While each tool solves a specific problem, the proliferation has inadvertently fostered silos of expertise, domain-specific views and massive data volumes generated in various formats. As application count and architectural complexity increases, the must-have tool to scale production support is an analytics-driven Manager of Managers. It has to ingest all of this operational event data and apply machine learning to automate the noise reduction and alert correlation. This gives DevOps teams earlier warning of unfolding issues, better collaboration, visibility into root cause - ultimately reducing the impact of production outages and incidents.

Why Writing Copy for Your Own Business Can Backfire

Copywriting is essential for all business. While copywriting alone will not determine your success, the lack of that can certainly spell your early demise. The problem for most is that while copywriting is a phrase most business professionals have heard, not all really know what it means. So, let us first define copywriting. I went to the font of all knowledge on the internet, known by its layman name of Wikipedia, and saw that the definition of copywriting is "written content conveyed through online or print materials. This type of written material is often to persuade a person or a group as well as to raise brand awareness. "

Now that we know what copywriting is, we can list several of the ways that it is used in business. We have information appearing on websites, sales brochures, career opportunity announcements, press releases, scripts for videos, statements by high level employees, and white papers that are sent to inform others in the same industry about changes and innovations. All of these things are available services that a copywriter may offer.

But why should not the CEO write these things. Surely he or she knows a great deal about the industry and could write fantastic material about it, right? Well, not really. First off, knowledge of a subject does not automatically grant you the ability to convey that knowledge to others. Just because you understand a topic perfectly does not mean you can help others to do the same. But, even if our imagination CEO can talk about the subject or even write about it, they still should avoid using their time to do the copywriting. You see, copywriting is a time-consuming process. You need to create a basic structure of what you are going to write which can change depending on the type of medium you are writing on. Also, you need to have your work checked by another set of eyes. Many time a mistake will only be done by having someone else look it over. So, after taking the time to have all of this done, and doing a final rewrite, you will finally have a piece that can be released to the public to generate whatever reaction you were going for. That is simply too much time for the most skilled and knowledgeable people at a company to spend on something that is quite easy to find a pro to do for you.

The most important reason a CEO or other high level employee should avoid writing their own company's copy is that they are simply too important to do so. In order for a company to be truly successful, they must make sure that every employee is doing what they excel at. The marketers must be marketing, the product creators must be creating, etc. A CEO's job is to run a whole company. Whether that is a few employees, or a few thousand, they must take on the responsibility and focus on that alone to ensure the greatest level of success. Beside, successful executives know the power of assigning tasks, so why not assign this one to someone who is more suited to the task at hand than you are?

Big corporations have money to burn and can easily pay for top end copwriters to write everything for them. But, what about the small business owner? There are still great, affordable options out there on freelance sites where you can find the type of writer you need, and can do it on a budget. Do not be afraid to try them out. The small investment you make now may end up paying huge dividends in the future. Not only by having your copy written by a professional, but by being able to spend your time doing things that are grow your business the most. When done right, everyone wins in the end.

How to Make Email Marketing Works for Your Business

Topic 1 ~ Your Email Subject Lines ~

How To Write A Good E-mail Subject Lines That Works?

Here are the 5 tips:

1. Ask a question. One of the best ways to get a reader's attention is to ask a question. But like a trial lawyer questioning a witness on the stand, make sure it 'll get you the response you're looking for. "What's the best way to grow your business?" is a great subject line for business owners. After all, what business owner would not want to grow his or her business? Or let's say you run a health club. An e-mail with the subject line, "How can you lose 5 pounds in one month?" would certainly be compelling. It's important your question to be relevant to your audience.

2. Be a tease. A clever subject line can be enticing. When it's done right, reader curiosity is piqued. They want to know more - and they'll open your e-mail. Writing a teaser-style subject line requires some creativity, and your content needs to deliver. A company that sells high-definition TVs could use the subject line, "You're not going to believe your eyes" as a teaser to introduce a new addition to their product line.

3. Tell it like it is. Often, what works best is to say exactly what you want your reader to know. Examples of this straightforward approach are, "Sale on all sweaters this weekend," "Master jazz pianist plays live this Friday" and "The seven secrets of a profitable business." This just-the-facts approach works especially well when you can appeal directly to your audience's interests. It's also the best approach to use when you send a newsletter.

4. Remember "WIIFM". When a person gets your e-mail, the first thing they consider is "what's in it for me?" They have a decision to make. Do they open your e-mail, leave it for later or delete it? If there is not something about the subject line that lets them know why it's worth their precious time to see what's inside, then the choice will be clear. Keep WIIFM in mind when creating every aspect of your e-mails, including the offer, content, images - and most definitely the subject line. It's all about them. They know that; just make sure you know it, too.

5. Get personal. The more you can make each contact feel you're speaking directly to them, the more effective your communication will be. Whatever style of subject line you use, you can make it personal by using the word "you." Professional copywriters know the secret of using this powerful little word. Just look at the advertisements, mail and e-mail you receive. A few examples are, "Find the right swimsuit for you," "You can save 50 percent on travel," and "You're look phenomenal in a custom-tailored suit." "You" is ideal, but "your" works too.

6. Not sure which approach is right for you? Try them all, and then show a friend or colleague to get their feedback. Pick the one you believe will be most effective for your audience. Whichever approach you choose, it's always worth spending the time and effort to write a great subject line. Because if your readers do not open your e-mail, they'll never have the chance to read the important message you've created for them inside.

Topic 2 ~ Increase Click-Through Rate (CTR) ~

How to Increases Click-Through Rate (CTR)?

Here are some guidelines:

1. Include a feature, a benefit, and an advantage in the opening. This needs to be used in a subtle way, but in the opening you're really doing a small marketing job for this issue of your email newsletter. Highlight an article or two that are important, explain what you're providing the readers that they will not get elsewhere, and tell them what the benefit will be. A great example is something like "Nokia and Sprint announced second quarter earnings today. Learn what our Wireless Week experts say about the results, and what effect you can expect them to have on the industry at large."

2. Put the email newsletter in the context of your readers' day. This goes hand in hand with the last point. Your readers are busy, and if you can make a compelling case for why they should stop what they are doing and take a few minutes now to read your email newsletter, you'll get them in. We recommend editors reference important events, upcoming trade shows, or other things that say to the reader "You will find it worthwhile to stop and read this email newsletter now, because the information in it will help you stay on top of your business."

3. Keep it fresh. Do not craft a "perfect paragraph" and use it issue after issue after issue. One of the keys to success is to keep the copy fresh and highlight items in that issue of the email newsletter. If you use the same generic language repeatedly, people will stop reading it and it'll be a waste of your time.

4. Keep it short. This is critical. We recommend no more than two to three sentences - just enough to get them interested and pull them in to read the rest of your email newsletter.

Try it out and see the results! This is just one of the simple things you can do to engage your reader and optimize your CTR.

Topic 3 ~ Killer Email Sales Letter ~

How to Write Killer Email Sales Letter That Get Results?

Here are what we've found works best. Use these tips correctly and your results will skyrocket.

1. Your email "from" sender line should be your brand name or company name and stay consistent. Use your own personal name only if that is your brand image.

2. Send emails only when you have something to say that will benefit the reader. No fluff. No filler. You must be relevant. If you can not be, do not send an email until you have something beneficial to say.

3. Start your emails with the specific benefit the reader can get from your message. You have no more than 3 seconds to pass the crucial "what's in it for me?" test.

4. The copywriting tone and language should be personal and conversational, instead of stuffy and "corporate".

5. Make a specific offer to the reader and, if possible, include a short deadline by which he must respond to get it.

6. Use as much copy as is needed to fully pile on all the benefits the reader will get by ordering, answer objections, create urgency, and close the sale.

7. Test your subject lines and offers on small segments of your list before you send the email to your entire list.

8. Include "Email this to a friend" service in all your communications for pass along and viral marketing.

Topic 4 ~ Good Call-to-Action ~

Get More Clicks With a Good Call-to-Action!

The call-to-action is a determining factor of your click-through rate. It is an important component of your email copy because it answers three important questions for the recipient. They are:

1. What you want them to do

2. Why they should do it, and

3. How to take that next step.

Whatever action you want your recipients to take, you can make it happen more often with a good call-to-action. First, decide what you want them to do:

1. Buy something

2. Sign up for a service

3. Fill out a form

4. Read an article or get more information

5. Visit your website or store

6. Make an appointment

Etc ...

Then, make sure you incorporate these 6 characteristics to get the results you're looking for. Make your call-to action:

1. Visible - People read, react, make decisions and take action differently. Some make decisions right away ("You had me at hello.") And some need more details ("I'm from Missouri."). Place call-to-action links in the beginning, middle and end of the email so that recipients can click whenever they are ready.

2. Clear - Stick to simple words, short phrases, bulleted benefits and paragraphs of 1-3 short sentences. Include appropriate graphics and cut the clutter by making effective use of white space.

3. Compelling - Use action-oriented verbs and phrases: "buy now," "call today," "save" and so on.

4. Rewarding - Offer an incentive or reward for action. For example, "Act now and also receives ...," or "the First 100 responders will be entered into a raffle to win ..." The giveaway, or prize, you choose should be closely related to your product or service. That way, you will be targeting customers who are interested in what you have to offer, not just the latest gadget.

5. Urgent - The longer an email sits in an inbox, the less likely it is to be acted on. Create a sense of urgency to get a more immediate response. Try limiting the offer to a specific time period, to the "first 50 customers," "while supplies last," etc.

6. Direct - Your call-to-action links should go to the appropriate page on your website with more details on the specific product or service you're promoting. If you do not have a website, the call-to-action might be store locations to visit or a number to call for an appointment.

Keep in mind that, in addition to repeating your call-to-action, you can vary your call-to-action to appeal to different types of buyers (and to fit your sales cycle). For example: "Click here to buy now" will naturally work better with loyal customers. The softer, "Click here to learn more" may be better for newer prospects.

Topic 5 ~ Avoid Common Pitfalls ~

Read Your Email Message Backwards to Avoid Common Pitfalls

Here are some common problems to look out for:

1. Misspelled words - It's a good idea to spell-check a document, but it's not enough. A spell checker will not catch every error.

2. Wrong word used - This is why a spell checker is not enough. A spell checker will only flag words it does not recognize. It can not tell if a legitimate word is used incorrectly. Some words commonly confused: accept, except; your, you're; then, than; there, their, they're; cite, site, sight; lay, lie; loose, loosen, lose. Also, look out for missing "r" in the word "your." It's easy to overlook a sentence such as "Visit our Web site now to receive you free copy."

3. Grammar error - Again, if you know you're not a good writer, have someone else look your writing for grammatical errors. Mistakes make you look bad.

4. Punctuation error - This is another area where you'll benefit from a review by someone who knows their stuff. If you're determined to do it yourself, purchase a good grammar or style book. One of the most common punctuation problems: Too many stupid commas!

5. Vague or confusing statement - Make sure every sentence is crystal-clear. You do not want your promotional message to raise more questions than it answers.

6. Ilogical statement - Read over what you have written slowly. At the end of each paragraph, ask yourself: "Did that make sense?" Rewrite so that it does.

Topic 6 ~ Frequency of Sending Emails ~

How Often (Frequency) Should You Send Email?

There's no quick answer to the frequency question. It depends on the goals for your email and the type of content you send. Some rough guidelines:

1. Mail at least once a month. Mail less often than this, and you risk being forgotten by recipients. Monthly is the bare minimum if you want to keep your brand or company name top of mind (a common email goal).

2. Let content be your guide. Look at what you provide readers and you'll get a feel for proper frequency. Analyze how often the information changes and how quickly readers must receive it to act on it.

3. Work within your resources. A daily email requires many more resources than a monthly. Better a well-done monthly email than shoddy weekly or daily. It's recommended to start with a monthly. Once that's going smoothly, they can think about moving to weekly. You need to walk before you can run!

4. Watch for trends. Declining response, open, and click-through rates can be signs of list fatigue. Although some decrease is normal, watch carefully and cut back frequency if you see a problem. Do not assume if the unsubscribe rate is stable you're OK. Many people prefer to forward email directly to their delete folder rather than unsubscribe.

Topic 7 ~ Understanding Spam Filters ~

Understanding Spam Filters to Avoid Your Emails Get Junked!

If you send email campaigns long enough, you will inevitably run into spam filter issues. On average, you can expect 10-20% of your emails to just get lost in cyberspace, mostly due to overzealous spam filters. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix. If you want to avoid getting your emails junked by spam filters, you have to understand how they work.

Generally speaking, spam filters look at a long list of criteria to judge whether or not your email is junk. For example, they might look for spammy phrases like "CLICK HERE!" Egypt "FREE! BUY NOW!". They'll assign points each time they see one of those phrases. Certain criteria get more points than others. Here's a sample of criteria from Spam Assassin, one of the most popular spam filters out there:

o Talks about lots of money (.93 points)

o Describes some sort of breach (.32 points)

o Looks like mortgage pitch (.297 points)

o Contains urgent matter (.288 points)

o Money back guarantee (2.051 points)

o Why Pay More? (1.249 points)

It's easy to use "spammy" keywords in your email without even knowing it. Here are some common ways marketers unwittingly trigger spam filters with their campaigns:

1. Using spammy phrases, like "Click here!" Egypt "Once in a lifetime opportunity!" too many times in your email. Sometimes, you can not avoid phrases like "FREE SHIPPING!" but use them sparingly, and do not do anything else risky.

2. Going crazy with exclamation points !!!!!!

3. USING ALL CAPS, WHICH IS LIKE YELLING IN EMAIL

4. Coloring their fonts bright red, or green

5. Coding sloppy HTML (such as converting a Microsoft Word file to HTML)

6. Creating an HTML email that's nothing but one big image, with no text (since spam filters can not read images, they assume you're a spammer that's trying to trick 'em)

7. Using the word "Test" in the subject line (agencies run into this all the time, when sending drafts to clients for approval)

Topic 8 ~ Why Email Marketing Does not Work? ~

If Your Email Marketing Does not Work, Think Again Why?

Before you arrive at the faulty conclusion that email marketing does not work, let's look at this from a different perspective for a moment that would make your emails ineffective.

First there's what you are writing in the body of the email. If this is your first attempt to get in touch with a prospect, what are you putting in the email? A dissertation? If it's longer than one or two paragraphs, it's too long. Look at your emails like an initial cold call. You need to laser in and deliver a compelling opening statement that's going to grab their interest and stimulate a conversation. Because there's no one to cut you off in an email or stop you from persistent pontification, people have a tendency to ramble on and on in an email, giving the prospect the life story of the product or service they want them to consider. Keep it short and focus on the one or two benefits, opening up the opportunity to have a dialogue. That's it.

Second, are you sending attachments in the first email? No attachments! It's hard enough sending an unsolicited email to a prospect. Now you're adding more barriers and increasing the opportunities of your email winding up in their spam box or junk email folder. Some people have filters on their email that if an attachment is sent it automatically gets deleted. No attachment until that information in the attachment is solicited by the person.

Third, html or text? Once again, with all the email filters people use today, you will increase your odds by sending a text message only rather than trying to get fancy with formatting, graphics and pictures. The prospect really does not care about how beautiful your email looks; they care about the core message. Beside, they will never even get a chance to see your beautiful masterpiece in an html email if it's winding up in the trash.

Finally, you are using way too many spam words. As mentioned, the largest enemy to email marketing or selling via email is the additional security that companies and individuals have on their network or computer. As such, the specific words you are using in the body of the email can be the culprit who is sending your email directly into the trash or spam box. In other words, you are using words that are often identified is spam and in turn, you email is getting flagged and deleted. Not even eye contact! The prospect is not getting a chance to, at the very least, see your email let alone read it and have a chance to respond accordingly.

Ending ~ Please Forward ~

Jesus Taught the Law of Attraction - Part 1

The Law of Attraction is a popular phenomenon that promotes the theory that you can attract anything you want into your life by thinking about it. Now, this is a 30,000 foot view of the Law of Attraction, because upon closer inspection, there are many other factors that are needed to insure success for manifesting what you want into your life. Religious fundamentalists have criticized the Law of Attraction because of its emphasis on seeking material possessions and because it looks like the Law of Attraction places the power of creation solely upon the individual, as opposed to God, which is not a concept embroidered in fundamentalist religious ideology .

The Law of Attraction gained its popularity by the huge success of the book and movie, "The Secret". If you use only "The Secret" as an argument against the Law of Attraction due to the movie / books simplicity of LOA (Law of Attraction) principles and the hedonistic tone of the movie, I may have to agree. But, the true value of "The Secret" was the mass exposure the book / movie provided to the general public about the concept of LOA. Before the "The Secret" was produced, the idea itself of being a participant in your own life design was totally alien. There is no doubt that the prevailing attitude of our current culture, whether you're religious or not, is that we are all victims in a tough world, and I thank "The Secret" for opening the door of opportunity to see the world differently .

The initial first look at the principles of the Law of Attraction in "The Secret" was a good introduction, but ironically the true principles of the Law of Attraction have been around for over 2000 years, in fact, they were taught to us by Jesus . The Law of Attraction, when studied deeply and from a metaphysical level, is really an opportunity to live our lives the way that Jesus taught us to do, infinitely and abundantly.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)

At first glance, Jesus words above might simply that we have a huge task to fulfill before we can get to the good part for us, (things added until you). But although the above words from Jesus holds more to it than we thought possible before.

Many traditional religions teach that life is successful, happy, fulfilling, etc., or not, by the manner in which we conduct ourselves according to the religious rules / principles, and by doing so, we create a positive or negative flow into our lives . (seek the Kingdom of God first THEN the you will be rewarded accordingly). Yet, a devoutly religious person may do everything their religion says they should do, and yet still experience great hardships and suffering in their lives. This is sometimes attributed to being the will of God or part of a plan that God has for you. Or, these hardships may be because you clearly have not been "seeking the Kingdom of God first". While there may be some spiritual sanction in the text for these traditional religious beliefs, the precept that you are not a participant in your own life design, other than to live by the rules mandated in order to receive your blessings in this life or the next , is highly subjective and clearly interpretive. Religious themes leave out the fact that as a child and image of God, that you, yourself, have amazing power as well. The find God principle taught in almost all religious belief systems, is what I call the top down approach to spiritual connection. God is above and we are below and it is our responsibility to reach out to God by following these rules and opening our hearts and then all should be pretty good for us in the here and after after. In the approach, we start with a baseline of separateness and use religion and ideology as a way to connect to God. In other words, we do not go to church to learn about our power because of our inseparable relationship with God, instead we learn what God has done for us already, separately from us, to encourage us to connect to a relationship with God.

The notion of learning about God, and I mean connecting to God in a serious intimate and powerful way, comes by first looking inside ourselves and therein finding God. This is what I call the bottom up approach to connecting to God. In this approach, our baseline starts with us being ALREADY connected and using our own Divine power within to discover and awaken to God and the Divine Universe, which includes the LOA principles. It is in this approach to spiritual connection and personal empowerment that true LOA processes begin.

So another interpretation of our earlier Bible verse that may more closely align with our innate power and divine inheritance is:

"But seek ( discover, obtain ) ye first the kingdom of God, ( the divine power of God manifested in you ) and his righteousness; ( God's qualities, such as worth, value, abundance, and joy that is already within you ) and all these things ( human and spiritual wants and needs related to what you find within you ) will be added to you. " (Matthew 6:33)

And to support the kingdom of God verbiage (because without the following words from Jesus, the kingdom of God could be construed to be some faraway or unknown place), Jesus clarifies for us where the kingdom of God is located.

"Either shall say, Lo here! Or, lo there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21)

The Law of Attraction also teaches that in order to manifest the things that we want to see realized into our lives, we must go within as well. The greatest LOA teachers will equate the powerful visualization and certainty of our strongest desires to a heartfelt calling from your inner divine being. Manifesting a new trinket for pure pleasure may be possible by the power of a strong energetic will, but this parlor trick is not a true Law of Attraction principle. LOA principals operate from a fundamental covenant that God and man, cooperatively manifest from the infinite possibilities available within each one of us (kingdom of God within).

The exact Law of Attraction definition simply states that "like contracts like", which is another way of saying that we live within our true beliefs. So, the best start for a successful LOA practice is to think and act from our existing beliefs (go within). Certainly it is possible with a strong belief, and an undeniable firm conviction, to manifest just about anything. But for those only looking for a new distractions and material possessions to manifest for the purposes of status, ego gratification, or neediness, then you have missed the true power of the Law of Attraction. You may be able to apply LOA principles to get what you want, but then next day, the want will still be there. The bottom line is you can think and attract all you want, but the core element of practicing a successful and strongly beneficial Law of Attraction practice is first starting within to manifest from a divine and authentic belief system. Know where your power comes from, which is from the kingdom of God within you. Applying the LOA principles from a position of divine strength, by going within, to see the enfoldment of all the "things" that will be added to you (through our beliefs), is the Law of Attraction being practiced as Jesus taught.

Now, the next steps in a successful Law of Attraction practice were also taught by Jesus in many different examples in the Bible. We will address the next fundamental step of LOA principles, which is your belief in the power of manifestation and what you are manifesting, in Part 2 of this article. For this article, the main concept to consider is this: The Law of Attraction is a process of living a life of unlimited potential within your own Divine authority (kingdom of God within). We all have the ability to do this, but the reasons we are unsuccessful at it are: we ask and desire from an inauthentic mindset (our desires do not match a true need that wants to be met), we do not really believe in the process or in the thing that we are asking for, and we do not "live" within the Divine authority to create the life we ​​want. All of these problems with the LOA process will be addressed in the next segment of this article and additional teachings of Jesus will be referred to demonstrate how Jesus also taught the Law of Attraction.

Summary

Law of Attraction - Like Attract Like

Step One - Before you go manifesting things like, days off from work, cars, money, or for your ex-husband to get the crabs, you MUST identify what you really want and where the want comes from. Want that comes from neediness, resentment, revenge, unworthiness, fear, and lack, are inauthentic wants (meaning they come from the ego and not from the divine higher self), and you may succeed in manifesting some of your wants but they will never satisfy the authentic need. This does not mean you can not manifest material "things", it just means that your manifestation must come from "within" to be a true Law of Attraction principle in action. This is why Jesus instructs us to find the kingdom of God (within) before the things are added to us. Know where your power comes from and understand what your true wants are.

Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vision, the people perish."

Evaluating Stocks: Fundamentals and Technical Analysis

Certainly, a "complete" course on security analysis is well beyond the scope of this text. There are many excellent books devoted to the subject of how to analyze the value of securities - both from a fundamental as well as a technical standpoint. The goal here is simply to provide a basic understanding of the methods and theories behind each type of stock analysis.

It should be pointed out early on that Fundamental Analysis and Technical Analysis of securities are two fairly radically different approaches to determining the correct [or fair] value of a company's stock. Let's start with a general overview of each method and then look into the specifics of each area. Again, for a more detailed examination of each type of analysis, we suggest you refer to our book list and / or the books specifically mentioned throughout this document.

The definitive work on Fundamental Analysis is broadly considered to be the classic book "Security Analysis" by Benjamin Graham and David Dodd. This book, which was first published in 1934, is considered by most on Wall Street to be the 'Bible' of security analysis.
In fact, it was Benjamin Graham that Warren Buffett studied under when he first started in the stock market. Much of Berkshire Hathaway's success can likely be traced back to the information and ideas provided in the book Security Analysis and by the teachings of Benjamin Graham (although, it's widely acknowledged that Warren Buffett put his own spin on things over the years as well).

Fundamental Analysis is just as it sounds. It is based on examining the fundamental pieces of a business and its operation. There are no exotic formulas used. You do not need to be a mathematician. Anyone with a simple calculator and some basic information about a business should be able to employ Fundamental Analysis quite effectively.
The basic idea is if you put a dollar into the business (in the form of buying the stock) how much of a return can you expect. How much yield will you likely see and / or how much growth will you experience based on the operation, markets, competitors and costs of the business. Obviously, not all aspects of these fundamentals can be quantified. Such such as "good will" or changes in the economy or the consumer can be difficult to nearly impossible to calculate. However, to a large degree Fundamental Analysis throws these items out as concerns and simply looks at the cold hard facts which you do have available to you. Things such as costs of goods sold, margins, tangible assets, expenses, etc.

Armed with these basic and tangible numbers, one should rather easily be able to calculate the value and profitability of any business (given the numbers available and / or provided are accurate of course). Once a valuation is arrived at, the person performing the valuation can decide whether or not the market place (in this case the stock market) is applying what could be considered a fair market value to the stock. Certainly, when trying to make a profit on Wall Street, it is advisable to search out stocks which are (or at least appear are) being improperly or undervalued by the market. For the Fundamental Analyst, once an undervalued security is found, it's simply a matter of buying the stock and waiting for the market to realize the "more accurate" value of the security (assuming of course he / she is correct in their assumptions).
Find a cheap security, buy it and become rich. If only it was that simple. Or maybe it is? Just ask Mr. Buffett.

If the definitive work on Fundamental Analysis is provided by Graham and Dodd, then perhaps the definitive work on Technical Analysis is provided by Martin J. Pring in his book "Technical Analysis Explained". To quote this well regarded book on the definition of Technical Analysis:
"The technical approach to investing is essentially a reflection of the idea that prices move in trends which are determined by the changing attitudes of investors towards a variety of economic, monetary, political, and psychological forces. is an art - is to identify trend changes at an early stage and to maintain an investment post until the weight of the evidence indicates that the trend has reversed. "

Technical Analysis is nothing new. It has been used in one form or another for as long as stocks have been traded. In fact, the star character in one of my all favorite favorite books ("How I made $ 2,000,000 dollars in the stock market" by Nicholas Darvas) used mainly Technical Analysis principles in his investing - whether he knew it or not. However, "Charting" also commonly called "Chart Reading", which Technical Analysis is also referred to as, has become much more popular and broadly used inhaps only the last 20 to 30 years on Wall Street. This may be a large due in part to its more wide spread teaching and acceptance in colleges in more recent years.
If, based on my own experience and knowledge of this method of analyzing securities, I had to summarize all of the technical analysis down into one central idea, I would put it like this:

The corner stone of Technical Analysis is the concept that no single individual can ever hope to know as much about a security as the whole of Wall Street does at any given time. Because "Wall Street" is made up of everyone who is invested in - or may invest in - the stock market, their collective knowledge about any specific stock and / or the market is such that this mass of people and combined knowledge (ie Wall Street ) can valuate securities nearly instantaneously and far more accurately than any single individual.

As such, in the mind of the Technician, it follows that there must be no need to use something as "archaic" as Fundamental Analysis to value a stock, when everything known about the stock (and this includes the business fundamentals) is almost instantly reflected in the stock's price. In this situation, it would make much more sense to use the recent and historical trends and movements of the stock price to deduce not only the current fair market value of the stock, but where the price "may move" in the future. This future price movement is large extrapolated based on historical chart patterns and how the stock has recently expired in relation to support and resistance levels. Any Technical Analysis book worth its salt will quickly introduce you to chart patterns such as "double tops", "trend lines", etc. It is these patterns which are the core of Technical Analysis.

However, the question of whether or not these patterns on charts can always accurately predict future price movements of a stock is (and probably always will be) up for debate between Fundamental and Technical Analysts. If there is one fundamental (again no pun intended) flaw to Technical Analysis, it is that over the years Technical Analysis has been [incorrectly] extrapolated to mean that the market will "always perfectly" evaluate a security based on all information known by the markets. Unfortunately, that is not "always" the case.
This leads to mind a funny joke I once ran across in a book (I believe the book was by or about Warren Buffett) regarding how technical Analysis has been elevated to levels beyond its true capabilities:

A Technical Analyst and his friend were walking across the street. His friend noticed a $ 10 bill laying in the middle of the road and exclaimed, "Look, there is a $ 10 bill in the road". At which point the Technical Analyst said "If it were really a $ 10 bill, it would not be laying in the road".
This joke underscores the idea that Technical Analysis may not always evaluate the market without error. However, as long as you keep this point in mind, then Technical Analysis and chart reading can be a helpful tool in both investing and trading.

Finally, we should point out that the term "Quantitative Analysis" on Wall Street simply refers to someone (also sometimes referred to as a "Quant") who employs a mixture of both Fundamental and Technical Analysis in trying to properly evaluate stocks.

Good luck in the markets!

No permission is needed to reproduce an unedited copy of this article as long the About Author tag is left in tact and hot links included. Questions and comments can be sent to Ray at articles@daytraders.com .

Rhetorical Devices in the Inaugural Address of John F. Kennedy

It is according to Aristotle that a speaker or writer has three ways to persuade his audience: The first kind depends on the personal character of the speaker; the second is on putting the audience into a certain frame of mind; the third is on the proof, or apparent proof, provided by the words of the speech itself.

One of the most influential people who made a memorable speech for the past century is President John F. Kennedy, a famous public speaker who wrote an inaugural address that contains a power to persuade a lot of people.

His well-known speech shows how his method of using the art of persuasive written or spoken discourse (Rhetoric) that an author or speaker uses to convey a meaning to the listener or reader contributions to the purpose or theme of his message for his countrymen.

Definition of Terms:

1. Alliteration : Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words that are close to one another.

2. Allusion : A brief or indirect reference to a person, place, event, or passage in a work of literature or the Bible is supposed to be adequately well known to be recognized by the reader.

3. Amplification : An expansion of detail to clarify a point.

4. Analogy : A comparison between two things in which the more complex is explained in terms of the more simple.

5. Anaphora : Repetition of one or more words at the head of executive phrases, clauses, or sentences.

6. Anastrophe : Inversion of word order to mark emphasis.

7. Antimetabole : Reverasal or repeated words or phrases for effect.

8. Antithesis : Contrast within parallel phrases (not to be confused with the ordinary use of the word to mean "extreme opposite").

9. Assonance : Repetition of vowel sounds between different consonants.

10. Asyndeton : Absence of conjunctions.

11. Chiasmus : The reversal of grammatical order from one phrase to the next.

12. Climax : Consists of arranging words, clauses, or sentences in the order of increasing importance, weight, or emphasis.

13. Conduplication : Resembles anadiplosis in the repetition of a precedent word, but it repeats a key word (not just the last word) from a precedenting phrase, clause, or sentence, at the beginning of the next.

14. Consonance : Repetition of identical consonant sounds within two or more words in close proximacy.

15. Ellipsis : Any omitted part of speech that is easily understood in context.

16. Ethos : Makes use of what an audience values ​​and believes to be good or true.

17. Hyperbole : Deliberate exaggeration in order to create humor or emphasis.

18. Imagery : Lively descriptions which impress the images of things upon the mind using one or more of the five senses.

19. Logos : appealing to reason in a measured, logical way.

20. Metanoia : The qualification of a statement to either diminish or strengthen its tone.

21. Metaphor : Meaning or identity ascribed to one subject by way of another.

22. Oxymoron : Contraditory terms or ideas are combined.

23. Parallelism : The technique of arranging words, phrases, clauses, or larger structures by placing them side by side and making them similar in form.

24. Paradox : A statement that appears to contradict itself but that turns out to have a rational meaning.

25. Pathos : Appealing to the emotions.

26. Personification : The attribution of human qualities to a nonhuman or inanimate object.

27. Polysyndeton : Insertion of conjunctions before each word in a list.

28. Repetition : Word or phrase used two or more times in close proximacy.

29. Rhetorical Question : A question asked for rhethorical effect to emphasize a point, no answer being expected.

30. Sententia : The punctuation of a point with an aphorism.

31. Syntax : The grammatical structure of a sentence; the arrangement of words in a sentence.

32. Tricolon : A series of parallel words, phrases, clauses, or statements.

33. Zeugma : Includes several similar rhetorical devices, all involving a grammatically correct linkage (or yoking together) of two or more parts of speech by another part of speech.

Rhetorical Devices That Are Present In The Inaugural Address of John F. Kennedy:

* Alliteration

• "same solemn" (2nd sentence of the 2nd paragraph)

• "man holds in his mortal hands" (1st sentence of the 3rd paragraph)

• "for which our forebears fought" (2nd sentence of 3rd paragraph)

• "to friend and foe alike" (4th paragraph)

• "Whether it wants us well or ill" (5th paragraph)

• "Pay any price, bear any burden ..." (5th paragraph)

• "the survival and the success of liberty" (5th paragraph)

• "faithful friends" (1st sentence of the 7th paragraph)

• "colonial control" (1st sentence of the 8th paragraph)

• "Strongly supporting" (2nd sentence of the 8th paragraph)

• "break the bonds of mass misery" (9th paragraph)

• "sovereign states" (11th paragraph)

• "its writ may run" (11th paragraph)

• "the dark powers of destruction" (12th paragraph)

• "steady spread" (14th paragraph)

• "sincerity is always subject" (15th paragraph)

• "peace preserved" (9th to the last paragraph)

• "bear the burden" (6th to the last paragraph)

• "a grand and global alliance" (5th to the last paragraph)

• "high standards of strength and sacrifice" (1st sentence of the last paragraph)

• "Let us go forth to lead the land we love ..." (2nd sentence of the last paragraph)

* Allusion

• "I have sworn before you and Almighty God." (2nd sentence of the 2nd paragraph)

• "those who foolishly bought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside" (last sentence of the 8th paragraph)

* Amplification

• "Let both sides ... Let both sides ... Let both sides ... Let both sides (Paragraphs 16 to 19)

* Analogy

• "those who foolishly bought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside" (3rd sentence of the 8th paragraph)

* Anaphora

• "all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life" (1st sentence of the 3rd paragraph)

• "not because the communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but because it is right" (1st sentence of the 9th paragraph)

• "To those old allies ... To those new states ... To those people ... To our sister ... To that world ... to those nations ..." (Paragraphs 7 to 12)

• "We shall not always expect to find them supporting our view. But we shall always hope to find them strongly supporting their own freedom" (2nd and 3rd sentences of the 8th paragraph)

• "both sides overburdened by the cost of modern weapons, both really alarmed by the steady spread of the deadly atom, yet both racing to alter that uncertain balance of terror that holds the hand of mankind's final war" (14th paragraph)

• "Let both sides ... Let both sides ... Let both sides ... Let both sides" (Paragraphs 16 to 19)

• "Not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need - not as a call to battle, though embattled we are - but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out" (6th to the last paragraph)

• "the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even sometimes in our lifetime on this planet" (8th to the last paragraph)

* Anastrophe

• "Dare not" (1st sentence of the 4th paragraph and 13th paragraph & 3rd sentence of the 7th paragraph)

• "This much we pledge" (6th paragraph)

• "Ask not" (26th paragraph)

* Antimetabole

• "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." (3rd to the last paragraph)

• "Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate." (2nd sentence of the 15th paragraph)

* Antithesis

• "We observes today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom - symbolizing an end as well as a beginning signifying renewal as well as change." (1st sentence of the 2nd paragraph)

• "... not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God." (2nd sentence of the 3rd paragraph)

• "Support any friend, oppose any foe ..." (5th paragraph)

• "United there is little we can not do in a host of cooperative ventures." Divided there is little we can do ... "(2nd sentence of the 7th paragraph)

• "Not because ... not because ... but because ..." (1st sentence of the 9th paragraph)

• "Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate." (2nd sentence of the 15th paragraph)

• "Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us." (16th paragraph)

• "not a new balance of power, but a new world of law" (20th paragraph)

• "Not as a call to bear arms ... not as a call to battle .. but a call to bear the burden ..." (23rd paragraph)

• "I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it." (2nd sentence of the 25th paragraph)

• "... ask not what you country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." (26th paragraph)

• "ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man" (2nd to the last paragraph)

* Assonance

• "... the steady spread of the deadly atom." (14th paragraph)

* Asyndeton

• "We will pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe ..." (5th paragraph)

• "explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths" (2nd sentence of the 18th paragraph)

• "The energy, the faith, the devotion" (4th to the last paragraph)

* Chiasmus

• "Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate." (2nd sentence of the 15th paragraph)

• "ask not what country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country" (3rd to the last paragraph)

* Climax

• "All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even sometimes in our lifetime on this planet." (8th to the last paragraph)

* Conduplication

• "to help them help themselves" (1st sentence of the 9th paragraph)

• "good words into good deeds" (1st sentence of the 10th paragraph)

• "free men and free governments" (1st sentence of the 10th paragraph)

• "the instruments of war have far outpaced the instruments of peace" (11th paragraph)

• "absolute power ... absolute control ..." (17th paragraph)

* Consonance

• "Whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall ..." (5th paragraph)

* Ellipsis

• "This much we pledge - and more." (6th paragraph)

* Ethos

• "Vice President Johnson, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chief Justice, President Eisenhower, Vice President Nixon, President Truman, Reverend Clergy, fellow citizens: We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom - symbolizing an end as well as a beginning - signaling renewal as well as change. " (Paragraphs 1 & 2)

• "In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. (4th to the last paragraph)

• "With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must really be our own. " (last sentence of the last paragraph)

* Hyperbole

• "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burdens, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to secure the survival and the success of liberty." (5th paragraph)

* Imagery

• "The torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans." (4th paragraph)

* Logos

• "old allies which cultural and spiritual origins we share" (1st sentence of the 7th paragraph)

• "new states whom we welcome to the ranks of the free" (1st sentence of the 8th paragraph)

• "people in the huts and villages of half the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery" (1st sentence of the 9th paragraph)

• "that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations" (11th paragraph)

• "nations who would make themselves our adversary" (12th paragraph)

* Metanoia

• "Now the trumpet summons us again - not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need - not as a call to battle, though embattled we are - but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation" - a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease and war itself. " (6th to the last paragraph)

* Metaphor

• "We are the heirs of the first revolution." (1st sentence of the 4th paragraph)

• "Let the word go forward from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans ..." (2nd sentence of the 4th paragraph)

• "riding the back of the tiger" (3rd sentence of the 8th paragraph)

• "the bonds of mass misery" (9th paragraph)

• "the chains of poverty" (1st sentence of the 10th paragraph)

• "evolution of hope" (2nd sentence of the 10th paragraph)

• "master of its own house" (last sentence of the 10th paragraph)

• "balance of terror" (14th paragraph)

• "And if a beachhead of cooperation may push back the jungle of suspicion ..." (20th paragraph)

• "The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it - and the glow from that fire can truly light the world." (4th to the last paragraph)

Oxymoron

• "But this peaceful revolution." (2nd sentence of the 10th paragraph)

* Parallelism

• "We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom - symbolizing an end as well as a beginning signifying renewal as well as change." (1st sentence of the 2nd paragraph)

• "born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage" (2nd sentence of the 4th paragraph)

• "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burdens, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to secure the survival and the success of liberty." (5th paragraph)

• "Let both sides explore what problems unite us ... Let both sides, for the first time, formulate serious and precise proposals for the inspection and control of arms ... Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science ... Let both sides unite ... "(Paragraphs 6 to 9)

• "United there is little we can not do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided there is little we can do ..." (2nd and 3rd sentences of the 7th paragraph)

• "If a free society can not help the many who are poor, it can not save the few who are rich." (2nd sentence of the 9th paragraph)

• "sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond" (2nd sentence of the 13th paragraph)

* Paradox

• "Only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed." (2nd sentence of the 13th paragraph)

* Pathos

• "To those people in the huts and villages of half the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery ..." (1st sentence of the 9th paragraph)

• "he graves of young Americans who answered the call toservice surround the globe" (7th to the last paragraph)

• "The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it - and the glow from that fire can truly light the world." (4th to the last paragraph)

* Personification

• "With history the final judge of our deeds" (2nd sentence of the last paragraph)

* Polysyndeton

• "where the strong are just and the weak secure and the peace preserved" (9th to the last paragraph)

* Repetition

• "For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life." (1st sentence of the 3rd paragraph)

* Rhetorical Question

• "Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind? Will you join in that historic effort?" (5th to the last paragraph)

* Sententia

• "undo the heavy burdens ... (and) let the oppressed go free" (19th paragraph)

* Syntax

• "My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." (2nd to the last paragraph)

* Tricolon

• "We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom - symbolizing an end as well as a beginning signifying renewal as well as change." (1st sentence of the 2nd paragraph)

• "Not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need - not as a call to battle, though embattled we are - but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out" (6th to the last paragraph)

* Zeugma

• "Now the trumpet summons us again - not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need - not as a call to battle, though embattled we are - but a call to bear the burden ..." (6th to the last paragraph)

Encapsulation of Findings:

John F. Kennedy used 33 different types of rhetorical devices in his inaugural speech. The most dominant rhetorical device that he used was the usage of alliteration.

Conclusion:

Through intensive analysis, it can be seen that it is evident that he has a goal of obtaining the audience's attention to listen and to understand his points in a meaningful way in the fields of writing and speaking.