A Christmas Present…Make That 12 of Them
Issue #2233
- WEALTHY: ETR’s 12 Days of Christmas Give-Away Bonanza (Michael Masterson)
- HEALTHY: 3 simple tips to savor the holiday spread without guilt (Kelley Herring)
- * WISE: Winston Churchill on getting and giving
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- 3 things to remember before you open your gifts (Bob Cox)
- 10 little things Suzanne loves about the holidays
- It’s Good to Know… about the 12 days of Christmas
- Add "wassail" to your vocabulary
When the CAR gets stuck in a rut you can call AAA - But who do you call when YOU get in a rut?
Feeling like your life has stalled? Wondering where all the excitement has gone? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. All of us get dragged down in a rut now and then.
But you’ll get back out on the highway of life a LOT faster if you have a friendly “towing service” looking out for you 24×7.
So put on your seat belts, rev up those engines… and let’s get going with our motivational kick-in-the-pants program.
- Charlie Byrne
"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
Winston Churchill
A Christmas Present… Make That 12 of Them
Are you ready for Christmas?
I’m almost ready. I have one more thing to do. Write two Christmas messages for you - this one for today, and one for tomorrow.
I wanted this year’s Christmas messages to be different from those I’ve written before. But looking back on the seven Christmas messages I’ve written since 2000, a new idea doesn’t jump out and present itself. I have said just about everything I have to say about Christmas.
So what could I do this year that would be new?
Hmmm.
Can’t think of a thing. Maybe it’s the Christmas music. It’s been playing non-stop all morning. I like Christmas music, but the lyrics are sometimes distracting.
"On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…"
Hey! There’s a thought. How would you like to get a Christmas present from Early to Rise? Something fun and useful?
And then another gift tomorrow? And a gift the day after that? And so on… for 12 days? Would that be cool or what?
How could we do that? How would we be able to afford it? It’s crazy. And yet I like the idea.
Don’t you?
In fact, I’ve already asked MaryEllen to do that for you. We called in Charlie Byrne and Patrick Coffey and Suzanne Richardson and Wendy Montes de Oca and Jedd Canty… That’s a lot of brainpower. And, sure enough, they came up with 12 stellar gifts to give you over the next 12 days.
We’re calling it ETR’s 12 Days of Christmas Give-Away Bonanza!
Every day, starting today, the folks at ETR will give you a present that will help you become healthier, wealthier, or wiser in the days and months to come.
Of course, as with everything you find in our daily e-letter or in our product line, you won’t get anything out of these gifts unless you ACT on the advice. But I’m certain that if you do put these gifts to work, you’ll find yourself feeling stronger and healthier… increasing your sales… feeling motivated to accomplish your wildest dreams… finally starting that side business… and much more.
To get your special 12 Days of Christmas gift each day, make sure you read ETR. We’ll include the details about how you can pick up that day’s gift in each issue.
Today’s gift is sure to put you in the Christmas spirit. Click here to pick up your copy.
Okay now. "Silent Night" is playing. Time for me to stop working!
[Ed. Note: Get Michael Masterson’s insights into becoming successful in your business and personal life, achieving financial independence, and accomplishing all your goals on his new website. You’ll find updates on all of Michael’s books, news on upcoming ETR events, Michael’s blog, and room to send in your comments and questions. Check it out today.]
Start 2008 With The Most Powerful Investing Strategies For Today’s Market
The media’s been pummeling the real estate market all year, but you don’t hear top investors complaining. They’re doing 6- and 7-figure deals every month, and thanks to the headlines they won’t have as much competition as usual in the coming year.
What’s their secret? They know the right way to buy and sell in today’s market. They’ve seen it all before, and know how to profit from the current storm. In fact, many of them made their initial fortunes in a market just like this one!
With the New Year approaching, there’s never been a better time for you to duplicate their success… even if you have nothing to invest or lousy credit. That’s partly because the biggest buyer’s market in 15 years is just getting under way. But it’s also because it’s time for our annual end-of-the-year closeout, where we blow out these investors’ most popular training products at bargain basement prices!
Click here to discover the secrets they’re using to make millions right now… and save up $2,165 with this exclusive, year-end deal!
Reader Feedback: "I’ve built a fine reference library with tips and advice from ETR."
"I’ve been receiving ETR for some time now, and I’d like to thank you so much for it. Thanks for sharing all your wisdom. I’ve been enjoying your personal notes about your trip to India. It shows that you are a warm, caring person, not ‘just a businessman’ who’s only interested in making more money.
"I read every issue of ETR, and when there is an article or a word of advice that appeals to me in a special way, most of the times being some kind of advice on how to handle a situation or what to do to be better, I copy and paste it to a text file in Notepad (takes very little memory) and save the file on my PDA/cellphone so I can find it when I need it.
"Over time, I’ve built a fine reference library on my PDA, with tips and advice from ETR that I regularly read and use. For instance, I filed an article about ‘how to handle bullies’ in a folder that I call ‘obstacles,’ where I file tips and advice about how to deal with certain obstacles that come between me and my goals. I’ve also got folders on ‘communication,’ ‘office politics’ (’how to ask for a raise,’ ‘how to deal with your boss,’ etc.), ‘communication skills,’ ‘motivation,’ and so on.
"Whenever I find myself dealing with some motivational problems, I take out my PDA, open the ‘motivation’ folder, read the motivational texts that I filed there, and wham! I’m back in the race, fully inspired.
"Once again, thank you so much!"
Jerome Louis
Rotterdam, Netherlands
[Ed. Note: How has reading ETR helped you - maybe even changed your life? Send your comments to ReaderFeedback@gmail.com. Include your name and hometown… and we may print your e-mail in a future issue.]
It’s the Thought That Counts, but…
By Bob Cox
No matter how good their intentions, sometimes friends and family give you presents you don’t want. Maybe the jacket Aunt Jill gives you isn’t your style. Maybe it doesn’t fit right. Or maybe you just don’t like it. So right now, even though you’re anticipating getting many gifts that you’re going to love, you’re probably also dreading the hassle of having to return one or two of them.
To make returns easy on yourself, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- After taking off the holiday gift wrap, go no further if you think you will return the item. This is especially important with electronics. If you don’t stop yourself from tearing into the packaging, you may have to pay a restocking fee.
- Return the gift right away. If you return something without a receipt, you will likely receive the value of the lowest price it sold for within the past 30 days. A $125 jacket may be heavily discounted post-season to $55.
- If possible, exchange the gift for something else. Maybe you don’t like the scarf Uncle Hal gave you, but you can preserve the spirit in which it was given by exchanging it for a scarf or hat that you do like. Many stores will give you store credit. That way, you can wait a few weeks or months before "spending" it.
[Ed. Note: Bob Cox is the creator of The Billionaire Way and the voice of ETR’s Total Success Achievement Program. Members get weekly motivational Power Surge Messages packed with advice on how to accomplish their goals… twice-monthly teleseminars with Bob and Patrick Coffey… and personal coaching calls. Click here to learn how you can achieve all your goals in 2008.]
Serving Up Healthier Traditions
Holiday traditions connect us to our past and evoke a sense of nostalgia, comfort, and security. We begin to anticipate the flavors of traditional dishes long before the holiday arrives.
Yet, as we become more aware of our health and well-being, many of the dishes we previously savored with pure enjoyment become bittersweet. Three heaping cups of sugar in Aunt Sarah’s Rum Cake. Twelve grams of trans-fat in every serving of Mom’s Double Crust Mincemeat Pie. With your newfound awareness of healthy eating, you can either omit these foods from the buffet line… or prepare and serve them with a side of guilt.
But you can also "healthy up" many of your old family favorites - eliminating sugars and trans-fats by making some simple substitutions. Here are a few ideas to add more goodness to your holiday spread while eliminating the guilt.
- Pie Crusts: Unless you’re a devout pie maker, you almost certainly use pre-made pie shells. For a healthier, ready-bake pie crust, try the Wholly Wholesome brand. Find it at your local health food store in whole wheat and spelt (gluten-free).
- Sugar: You can reduce or eliminate the sugar in your recipes by using all-natural erythritol. It acts just like sugar but has a glycemic index of zero, so it’s safe for diabetics. Look for a product called ZSweet.
- Shortening: Can the Crisco. While it claims to have no trans-fats "per serving," it still contains partially hydrogenated oil… which is a trans-fat. Instead, try Spectrum Organic Non-Hydrogenated Vegetable Shortening. You will be delighted with the delicious and healthful results.
[Ed. Note: Kelley Herring is the founder and CEO of Healing Gourmet and the author of the new e-book, Guilt-Free Desserts: 20 All-Natural, Fail-Proof, Low-Glycemic Desserts Just in Time for the Holidays
Discover how simple lifestyle choices can improve your health by reading ETR’s free natural health e-letter.]
10 Little Things I Love About the Holidays
By Suzanne Richardson, ETR’s Managing Editor
1. The sharp, wintry scent of fires burning in people’s hearths
2. "Season’s Eatings" on the Food Network (Watching Paula Deen deep-fry a turkey is a sight to behold.)
3. Writing Christmas cards (I set aside a Saturday afternoon, crank up the carols, and write ’til my wrist hurts.)
4. My mom’s homemade Mulligatawny soup (It’s our family’s traditional Christmas Eve dinner.)
5. The fact that my fiance is much better at wrapping presents than I am
6. Making chocolate truffles with my dad
7. Writing and decoding little clues on our family Christmas presents (My grandma’s invariably said "What’s inside will match your eyes.")
8. Creamy glasses of half eggnog, half milk, with a sprinkle of nutmeg on top
9. Making a mountain of used wrapping paper, boxes, and ribbon for the cat to hide in (He provides the Christmas morning entertainment.)
10. Warm memories of my family’s Christmas rituals… and the opportunity to share those traditions - and create new ones - with my future in-laws.
It’s Good to Know: The 12 Days of Christmas
You’ve probably heard of the 12 Days of Christmas (also known as Christmastide). But you may not know that it refers to the 12 days between Christ’s birth on December 25 and the coming of the Three Wise Men on January 6 (the Epiphany).
Although modern-day celebrations of the 12 Days in the United States seem to be limited to department store sales, in the Middle Ages the nearly two-week period was a time of nonstop feasting and fun, with influences from pagan festivals. Other countries around the world, especially those with large Roman Catholic populations, continue to celebrate the 12 Days with various traditions, usually centering on the Epiphany. For example, in France a special tart is prepared with a bean or small Christ-child figurine baked inside. The one who finds it in their portion becomes king for the day.
(Source: Snopes and Wikipedia)
A Top Business Breakthrough Known Only by a Handful of Insiders Turns Out to Be One of the Best New Ways to Make a Bundle…
Plenty of people make tons of money every day in Real Estate and on Wall Street. But if you’re looking for something different… and if you don’t have $100,000 to invest or even $10,000…
Well, we’ve found it…
Till now, only a handful of insiders even knew about this almost secret powerful business.
What is it? All I can tell you is that more than half of the world’s billionaires have made their money this way. You’ll have to read on to learn more about it.
Finally the cat’s out of the bag… Click here to read more…
Word to the Wise: Wassail
"Wassail" (WAH-sul) is an English beverage enjoyed on festive occasions, especially Christmas. It is made of ale or wine flavored with spices, sugar, roasted apples, etc.
Example (as used by Gore Vidal in The Smithsonian Institution): "But have you ever tried to spear a buffalo after a hard night at the old wassail bowl?"
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker … build your self-confidence and intellect … increase your attractiveness to others … just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR’s new Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Michael Masterson
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2007