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Taking a pause.  What would life be like if we never took one? 

Maddening I would say.

I had a deepened realization of this as I was Twittering this morning at twitter.com/ebizmom.  I had been feeling disoriented for the past few weeks, but especially after some minor day surgery a week ago.

"Feels like I lost footing and can't remember what I was doing",  and I wrote that  "Sometimes, it's important to just breathe deeply and relax when things are cloudy and even a little 'out of order'. Letting the dust settle", and  "The most important symbol in music is the PAUSE, and pausing when speaking is THE most powerful strategy to use. And so it is with life."

As I ate my mid-morning snack, I couldn't stop thinking about the Pause and it's importance in our lives, even for all life, and how we unconsciously use the pause every day.   We would go insane without taking a pause every now and then, so in this sense, the Pause is the most important word in the dictionary, and the most important thing, the one thing we all need to learn how to purposely use in our lives. Even in software development, a breakpoint is an intentional stopping or pausing place in a program, put in place for debugging purposes, according to Wikipedia.

In my humble opinion, the Pause can be used to attain fantastic goals, like Peace of Mind, Love, Friendship, and Financial Freedom.

We take pauses every day.  But a lot of the pauses that we take are unconscious; they have become automatic.

We need to learn to take conscious pauses when we breathe, eat, play and work.

A great speaker takes pauses in strategic places to emphasize a point, and so do the greatest of salespersons.

The music that moves us the most uses pauses very effectively. 

It's called Fermata.  This word is very similar to ferment: to stir up or seethe with excitment.

We become more exciting and build expectation when we take a pause, even though the taking of the pause itself is relaxing.

We need to rest. Give ourselves a chance to release the past and heal. To become whole.

In poetry it's called Prosody; the study of poetic metre and the art of versification.

Without the Pause, there is no Beauty. There is no Music. There is no poetry.

Prosody is also the patterns of stress and intonation in a language.

To take a pause means to take a short break; a temporary stop.

Taking a pause lets the dust settle, but it also helps build momentum and excitement.

Taking a few deep breathes clears my muddled thoughts and helps me focus better. 

In this sense, the Pause is meditation.

To stop.  To reflect. To consider. To remember what's important.

To breathe.

It only takes a few moments. Just a few breathes, and we can change our lives.

Go in a new direction. Or decide to continue on a chosen path with new-found direction and purpose.

So, take a conscious Pause, and breathe.

Angela Wickenberg

 

Dear Friends,

I once heard someone say:  Make it a regular practice to offer to help people out without expecting immediate compensation.  If you do this every week, you'll soon find yourself wealthy with appreciative genuine friends that want to help you. 

One of the best ways you can not only make yourself feel good, but benefit yourself in the future is to offer to help other people out with no immediate expectation of compensation.

Every human society has a value system that includes reciprocity.  That is, a system where one party does something for another and then the favor is returned at a future date. 

Reciprocity is one of the critical elements that has allowed humans to prosper.  So, it's a very powerful ingrained force in people.  Think about it.  When someone does something to help you out, don't you feel a strong urge to return the favor?

And this goes the other way.  Because in today's cut-throat world there seems to be less and less people willing to help others out without immediate compensation, when you do offer to help someone out, it's highly appreciated.

So, you not only get to do a good deed where you can feel a glow inside because you did something nice, but it's quite likely that someday that favor will be returned.  Quite often, it's returned with much more interest than you ever expected the favor deposit to earn.

Naturally, you need to use common sense.  You don't loan someone you hardly know your life savings since they had a tough day.  But, you might offer to give someone a ride when their car is in the shop, or help your elderly neighbor fix something in their house.  Other ideas are to be a father to the fatherless child, bring along a less fortunate child to the movies or to your weekly family dinner at the restaurant, help someone without a car and sufficient funds buy groceries, sit and watch tv with a lonely old person.  One day you will be old too.

Remember however, it may not always be the person you gave the favor to that will return the favor.  I believe that somehow "the universe" returns the favor or favors in big and/or small ways, but not from the exact same kind of situation or person.

Last night, I received three emails with the same content. Stephen Pierce has taken the initiative to raise enough money to feed one million children.  Armand Morin and John Reese were the other two to send messages, as well.

Here's the message.  It's about feeding 1,000,000 starving children in the world.

Please read this IMPORTANT MESSAGE.
http://www.ForAGreaterCause.org

Feeling hungry?

My guess is yes. Chances are, you'll be running to the
snack machine to grab a candy bar soon. Or hitting the
drive through for a combo meal. Or possibly sitting
down to a nice dinner at home with the family.

Whatever it is, you have the capacity to quiet your
hunger pains with very little effort, correct?

Great. Now hang on to that thought for a moment…

Because right now, there's more than 850 million people
hungry in the world. Right now. This very second.

850 million That's 100 times the population of New York
City, folks.

And I don't mean "Boy I sure got the munchies" hungry.
This is "I haven't eaten one bite of food in days"
hungry. The type you and I have never, ever
experienced.

Not even CLOSE.

Think that's shocking? What 'til you hear this…

Before morning, 16,000 kids around the world will drop
dead from starvation.

Newborns. Babies. Toddlers. Grade schoolers. Teenagers.
All fresh, young faces looking for a chance to make
their mark in the world.

But they won't. Because after weeks of pain, weakness,
and suffering, they'll finally succumb to the slow,
horrible death of starvation.

And here's the worst part–that's just TODAY.

Tomorrow, there will be another 16,000 dead children to
take their place.

And the next day.

And the next day.

And the next.

Am I getting through to you yet?

http://www.ForAGreaterCause.org

From now until Tuesday, May 29, my goal is to put food
in the bellies of 1,000,000 children around the world.

Don't worry–I'm not going to go all Sally Struthers on
you here. I'm not asking for anything except a few
seconds of your time.

In fact, I'm going to give YOU something fre, just for
helping out. Here's how it works:

Step 1: Go to http://www.ForAGreaterCause.org
Step 2: Download my fre success report called The
Power Of The Third Influence
Step 3: I'll donate a plate of food to Feed The
Children on your behalf.

That's it. You download. I donate. Simple as that.
And with your few seconds of effort, a little child
will go to bed with a full stomach.

How can you pass that up?

http://www.ForAGreaterCause.org

Inside this success report you'll discover…

    * How Stephen went from having 2-cents to my name to
    earning millions of dollars online.


    * How to turn around your life with a simple shift
    of association.


    * How to double your productivity and get more of
    the right things done.

And much more.

It's all yours–fr*e for the taking. Just go to the
website, download it, and I put another plate of food
in front of a hungry little face.

All because of you.

http://www.ForAGreaterCause.org

4 days. 1 million kids fed. We can do it–but you gotta
help me.

This is your chance to really make a difference. As a
parent…a grandparent…a brother…a sister…a
friend.

All I'm asking is for one simple download, and I'll do
the rest. In fact, I don't even care if you read my
report.

Will The Power Of The Third Influence inspire you?
Sure.

Will it make you think? Absolutely.

Will you be closer to achieving personal success after
reading it? I believe so.

But the real power behind this report is not in what it
will do for you, but what it will do for a million
hungry kids.

All I'm asking is that you take 10 seconds to download
it. 10 seconds and a hungry child gets to eat.

Isn't that worth 10 seconds of your time?

http://www.ForAGreaterCause.org

Right this minute, there's 16,000 kids that won't live
to see tomorrow morning…unless something changes.

We might not be able to save them all. But with God's
help–and yours–we'll save a bunch of them.

Can I count on you? Or more to the point…

Can they?

Now it’s your turn. Visit:

www.foragreatercause.org

and Stephen will donate a plate of food for a starving child on your behalf.

Stephen is giving away a free report that will teach you about building wealth. (Stephen has gone from having 2 cents to his name to making millions of dollars online.)

This report is yours free.

Pick up your free report and help a starving child.

Go to www.foragreatercause.org

Take care,

Angela Wickenberg

A few of weeks ago, I wrote that I will be performing a test on the various spying tools that have come out on the market.  I have three of them, which are in various price ranges. These tools take time to test; at least 30 days. I had already tested Google Cash Detective for a time but needed  to re-test it with the better knowledge I had about PPC and these tools.  However, before I could get any results I received a free tool that promised to protect your ad campaigns from these very tools.  I published  the link.  This turn of events made me re-evaluate my test.  My initial response to my failure in using the tool I had tested profitably was that I didn't know enough about how to apply PPC properly, or that there was something wrong with my landing pages and websites.  This may still be the case, but there may also be another explanation.
 
Well this morning, when I opened my email, I found a link to the report (link below), which is all about those PPC Spying tools. It's got some great info about the tools and about PPC marketing in general and relates also to the tools that protect the ad campaigns.

It's a free download and is very informative.   This is a viral report, which the author encourages to forward to three people you know.  When you have done this you also get free access to instructional videos on how to apply negative keywords to your PPC campaigns.  I wished I had received this information over a year ago, even six months ago.  It took me at lot longer to learn and made me bleed…

Here is the link: http://www.affiliateradar.com/report.php?arid=&usid=&invite_code=7336299872

I will include the information in this report and publish my results, but only after I have revamped the website and updated this blog.  Look for this in 6-8 weeks, perhaps before.

Best,

Angela

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is a movie that I saw at the age of five. The year was 1961.  My mom used to bring us kids to the movies every Sunday.  We saw every movie that came to our local theatre, But the theme song in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, Henry Mancini’s “Moon River”, has stayed with me all through the years. To this very day, I am still haunted my the melody with Andy Williams singing.

Based on Truman Capote's novel, this is the story of a young, jet-setting woman in New York City who meets a young man when he moves into her apartment building. He is being kept by a wealthy, older woman, but wants to be a writer. She is working as a high-priced escort and searching for a rich, older man to marry. The opening scene has her window-shopping at Tiffany's at six in the morning, after being up all night on a date.  More

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pre>A short time ago, I discovered a series of strategies that
regularly bring in the cash for many of the most renowned
celebrity entrepreneurs in the world. These strategies
were developed and perfected by a woman I'd like you
to meet. More

Hello Friends,

I was searching for a graphics designer for my site and found one yesterday evening.  When I finally checked my email late last night, I saw an email from Michel Fortin, the famous copywriter.  His subject line was a heart-stopper:  "To Stop Her From Going Online, He Broke Her Hands"!

He wrote about this woman, whose name I will not write in this post, who is one of his web designers who formats his copy.

He writes that she's designed many web pages for him and formatted his copy
for his clients, and some of his own. And she has a knack for
designing response-driven web pages. She's a hard worker and
a person he admires and supports.  He goes on to tell the story:

Here's the rest of the email:

Right now, she's in dire need — she's fleeing an abusive
relationship and is currently without a home, alone with her
four kids, with apparently only the clothes on their back.

We're not asking for charity, but to help her out in a
different way. My friend Jason Moffatt made a blog post and
recorded a video explaining the situation:

http://www.jasonmoffatt.com/dir/239

There's also a thread on my Copywriters Discussion Board
about it, if you want to know more:

http://www.copywritersboard.com/off-topic-discussion/6086-one-our-copywritersboard-sisters-needs-help.html

I don't ask for help often.

But when I do, it's because it means something important to
me personally. Whether it's breast cancer or abuse, and if
you know my story, then you know these issues touch me VERY
deeply and I want to do whatever I can to help.

Won't you help? Thanks in advance.

Here's the link again:

http://www.jasonmoffatt.com/dir/239

That was the email from Michel Fortin.
*****

Then I saw an email early this morning from the graphic designer that I just found last night!


"This is going to be a little long (as usual) and a bit emotional. 
There are things in life that happen to people, bad things. 
I've been there. I'm sure you have too.  While I was in one of my
favorite forums today, I ran across a post that sickened and angered
me.  I'm no stranger to seeing abuse, and I do my best to stop it
when I see it.  Or I do what I can to help where it's called for.
I'm not one to send these kind of emails, but this one is true, real,
and I actually know this person.

This nice woman is a fellow moderator in a forum that I also moderate.
She has been badly abused, and finally scooped up her kids and ran.
This wonderful lady actually had her hands broke by this sick
dog of a man, so she couldn't get on the internet to do her work.
Among other things.

I can't tell you how mad that makes me. 

If YOU or someone in YOUR family is being abused, you speak up to
someone.  Or speak up FOR someone, and you get out. NOW. Not next
week, not a month from now… as soon as you can sneak out - you go.

Or help another get out.  Please, no matter how hard you think
it might be just go.  Someone will appear to help you.  Do this
for you own sake or for the sake of another victim.  Especially where
children are subject to see, or suffer from abuse.

 If you can find it in your heart to
help this single mom, and her 4 kids - any small donation will help.

$5.00 bucks will buy two happy meals for two of the kids, think of
it that way. 

There has been a major driving force of fellow internet workers who
have donated enough to get her out - and I mean out of the
State she was living in.  Combined efforts have accomplished getting
her away from her tormentor - and she is now as safe as she can be
for now.

But it's not over yet.

It's almost school time, so the kids will need to get clothes and
supplies.  They took off with just the stuff they could carry.
They will need to get a roof over their heads, and have
enough money for other things like beds, cooking supplies etc.
until she can get back on her feet.

No, this is not a scam - the money will go directly to this woman, and I'm
going to give you the links you can use right now.

http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?8_9QLAN_8SOw1DV0.gUTaA is the link that a man named
Jason put up to help this woman.  Yes, I know, he's a bit freaky - but his
heart is good.  You can buy her product that she has worked hard on
from that page as a donation. 

Or you can donate even 5 bucks through paypal by using her paypal
address, which is (removed to protect her identity).

Nobody is taking the money for her, it goes directly to her.

I just caught the thread today at:
http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?dv.lbHtcx1qST8_t0Y0ENw
so I've been scrambling myself to get a few bucks together to give.
(account was a bit dry)

This is a hard working stay-at-home mom of 4, I know her, she's not
a scammer, and she really does need help.

If you don't have any money, please send a prayer and best wishes.

AND - if you or someone you know is being abused… get help, get
out, help out if you can, you get the picture.  No relationship is
worth getting beat, verbally downgraded, emotionally abused or
anything else.  If you live in fear, it's time to reevaluate your
situation.  Do that for yourself, or help another if you see abuse
happening.  Don't stand by and watch while someone is hurt.

Thanks!
Michelle Brouse
www.ecoverfx.com
www.graphicfreebie.com
15351 Hametown Rd., Doylestown, OH 44230, USA"

*  *   *   *   *

This information comes from three different sources who I believe would not try to earn a fast buck in this way.  I have done what I could.  Can you do something too?  I was just reading on the Forum Michel Fortin mentioned in his email and the whole time I was wondering  why the big marketers who are making so much money can't just purchase her services in a big way, or just give a big donation?  I am glad I heard the story but it must be terrible for this woman to have this story told with her name written all over the place, which is why I removed her name.  I read in the forum that the product she created is a "no-brainer".  So that might be the best route - you guys with the big lists can do this abused woman and four children a big favor - all show all the rest of us that it's not all hot air.

Best regards,

Angela Wickenberg

Hi - found this great article in Early To Rise - read and get wise!

By Tim Ferriss

I just landed back in CA from a long overdue mini-retirement through London, Scotland, Sardinia, Slovak Republic, Austria, Amsterdam, and Japan.

Some unpleasant surprises awaited me when I checked in on the evil e-mail inbox. Why?

I let them happen.

I always do.

Here are just a few of the goodies that awaited me this time:

• One of our fulfillment companies has been shut down due to the president's death, causing a 20%+ loss in monthly orders and requiring an emergency shift of all Web design and order processing.

• Missed radio and magazine appearances and upset would-be interviewers.

• More than a dozen lost joint-venture partnership opportunities.

It's not that I go out of my way to irritate people - not at all - but I recognize one critical fact: Oftentimes, in order to do the big things, you have to let the small bad things happen. This is a skill we want to cultivate.

What did I get in exchange for temporarily putting on blinders and taking a few glancing blows?

• I followed the Rugby World Cup in Europe and was able to watch the New Zealand All Blacks live, a dream I've had for the last 5 years.

• I was able to shoot every gun I've ever dreamed of firing since brainwashing myself with Commando. Bless the Slovak Republic and their paramilitaries.

• I was able to film a television series pilot in Japan, a lifelong dream and the most fun I've had in months, if not years.

• I met with my Japanese publisher, Seishisha (Tel: 03-5574-8511) and had media interviews in Tokyo, where The 4-Hour Workweek is now #1 in several of the largest chains.

• I took a complete 10-day media fast and felt like I'd had a two-year vacation from computers.

• I attended the Tokyo International Film Festival and hung out with one of my heroes, the producer of the Planet Earth television series.

Once you realize that you can turn off the noise without the world ending, you're liberated in a way that few people ever know.

Just remember: If you don't have attention, you don't have time. Did I have time to check e-mail and voicemail? Sure. It might take 10 minutes. Did I have the attention to risk fishing for crises in those 10 minutes? Not at all.

As tempting as it is to "just check e-mail for one minute," I didn't do it. I know from experience that any problem found in the inbox will linger on the brain for hours or days after you shut down the computer, rendering "free time" useless with preoccupation. It's the worst of states, where you experience neither relaxation nor productivity. Be focused on work or focused on something else, never in between.

Time without attention is worthless, so value attention over time.

Here are a few questions that can help you put on the productivity blinders and put things in perspective. Even when you're not traveling the world, develop the habit of letting small bad things happen. If you don't, you'll never find time for the life-changing big things, whether important tasks or true peak experiences. If you do force the time but puncture it with distractions, you won't have the attention to appreciate it.

• What is the one goal, if completed, that could change everything?

• What is the most urgent thing right now that you feel you "must" or "should" do?

• Can you let the urgent "fail" - even for a day - to get to the next milestone with your potential life-changing tasks?

• What's been on your "to-do" list the longest? Start it first thing in the morning and don't allow interruptions or lunch until you finish.

Will "bad" things happen? Small problems will crop up, yes. A few people will complain and quickly get over it. BUT, the bigger picture items you complete will let you see these for what they are - minutiae and repairable hiccups.

Make this trade a habit. Let the small bad things happen and make the big good things happen.

[Ed. Note: Timothy Ferriss is author of the #1 New York Times best-seller, The 4-Hour Workweek. He is the world's top lifestyle blogger - more than 20 million hits per month - at www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog, which details all of his latest experiments and how-to case studies.]