How to Quiet Your Needy Inner Voice

Issue #2400

• WEALTHY: A foreign investment that has nothing to do with China (Rick Pendergraft)
• HEALTHY: 4 ways to reduce exposure to toxic chemicals (James LaValle)
• WISE: Wilfred Peterson on success

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• 3 steps to being more productive at work (Bob Cox)
• It’s okay to break a language rule you learned in school - sometimes (Don Hauptman)
• It’s Fun to Know… the origin of the expression "win hands down"
• Add "supercilious" to your vocabulary

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There Is More to Brazil Than Carnival 

By Rick Pendergraft

As the U.S. economy continues to struggle, investors are looking abroad for investment opportunities. While most of the attention is on China and its growing economy, one of the best opportunities is in the Western Hemisphere. 

I am talking about Brazil.

Brazil has the tenth-largest economy in the world and the third-largest economy in the Americas. The GDP of Brazil grew at a rate of 5.4 percent in 2007, and is predicted to grow at a rate of 5 percent in 2008. 

Though this rate of growth isn’t as high as China’s 11.4 percent, the rate of inflation is much lower in Brazil than in China. Brazil’s rate of inflation is currently running at 4.46 percent versus China’s rate of 8.7 percent. 

While China may have time before its economy overheats, Brazil’s growth rate looks much more sustainable. 

The easiest way to play the Brazilian market as a whole is to buy an exchange traded fund (ETF). The most-watched ETF for Brazil is the iShares MSCI Brazil Index Fund (EWZ). This ETF has pulled back of late, giving investors a chance to get in on a dip. The EWZ has found support at its 50-week moving average several times over the last few years, and is approaching that support level now. 

If you are looking for some exposure to the foreign markets, look to buy shares of the EWZ on this recent dip.

[Ed. Note: Don't worry about the economy - you can still make money with your investments. And it's simpler than you may think. Let investing expert Rick Pendergraft show you the secret to a better, more financially secure life.]

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Wilfred Peterson

"ID Syndrome" - How to Quiet Your Needy Inner Voice

By Bob Cox  

I need to e-mail my sister this video of dogs and cats playing. It is so cute, she will love it.

I need to check my favorite sports team website to see who has been traded and all the recent rumors surrounding our star pitcher.

I need to call Bill to set up our golf game for next week.

I need to add to my blog so my readers will be updated on my latest insights into Obama’s campaign.

I need to go online and pick out a gift for Aunt Sarah’s birthday.

I really need to think about where I’m going for lunch and what I’m going to eat.

Do any of the above sound familiar? Of course they do!

I call this "ID Syndrome" - the disease of Internal Distraction. And unless you learn how to defeat this affliction, you won’t get anywhere at work or in life.

We all have personal thoughts like these while we are working. But there’s a big difference between how high achievers deal with them and how people who never do better than the status quo deal with them. You see, high achievers recognize that these thoughts are WANTS - not NEEDS - that should be dealt with outside of the working day.

Here’s a little example of just how problematic internal distractions can become…

Let’s say you are working on a research project for your boss. While searching for the latest sales statistics, you come across an interesting quote that you "need" to send to your brother. And when e-mailing him the quote, you feel the "need" to tell him all about your barbecue last weekend. Once you send the e-mail, you get back to the research project. But, suddenly, the task that you’ve scheduled an hour for has turned into an hour and 15 minutes.

When this happens, it leaves you with one of two options for the rest of the tasks you’ve scheduled for the day.

Option A: You could reduce the time you’ve allocated for the next thing on your to-do list. (Which is all too easy to do if that task is not one of your favorites.)

Option B: You could stay an extra 15 minutes at the end of the day to complete your scheduled tasks.

These options might not sound too bad, but neither is desirable. Option A steals time from a task you have committed to and set aside time for. Option B reduces time with your family and friends - time that is important to maintain balance in your life. Plus, allowing 15 minutes to disrupt your day is one thing, but imagine what would happen if you went 15 minutes over on every task.

Internal distractions may seem innocuous. But they can completely derail your schedule and put you off track.

Fortunately, it’s pretty simple to eliminate them and be more productive during every working hour.

What you have to do is regulate your internal distractions by training your subconscious mind to honor your commitments and stay on schedule.

Here’s how:

1. Set aside time in your schedule that DOES NOT intrude upon the time you’ve allocated for specific work and goal-oriented tasks.

Use that time to do such things as searching for a new book to read, catching up on sports scores, or setting up a coffee date with your best friend. Consider using part of your lunch hour or a few minutes in the evening to take care of these personal tasks.

2. Train your subconscious mind that you have set aside specific times for your personal tasks - time that’s separate from work.

This is key! Don’t allow your personal activities to distract you from your other responsibilities.

3. When working on your personal tasks, do not let other work or goal-oriented tasks intrude.

Make sure you spend the time you’ve set aside for personal tasks ONLY on those tasks. In other words, compartmentalize your time. Set aside a specific time for each task and honor the time assigned.

When you’re tackling a personal task that you’ve scheduled, don’t let your mind wander. And when you’re doing a work task or working toward one of your long-term goals, direct your subconscious mind to stay in the moment. Say to yourself, "Stop. I am not dealing with that now. I have scheduled X time to take care of it. Right now, I need to concentrate on the task at hand."

External distractions - a broken water pipe, a sick child, a construction site setting up outside your office - are often outside of your control. Internal distractions are of your own making and, therefore, within your control. Begin to use the techniques outlined above and you will see the difference.

Staying on schedule can feel restrictive, especially if you’re not used to doing it. But it is the best way to stay productive and complete all the tasks on your to-do list.

You will find that when you use your time more productively, you’ll have more focus, and you’ll limit your level of anxiety.

[Ed. Note: It's entirely possible to accomplish every goal you set for yourself. But you don't have to do it alone. With your own "Personal Life Coach," you can get expert guidance every step of the way. And you can "hire" your own for a full year - for less than most life coaches charge per hour. Learn more here.]

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30 Days from Now…
You could start seeing a drastic change in your life.

By this time next month, you could be…

• Spending less time at the office - but still be getting your boss’s attention for the high-quality work you’ve been doing

• Eating better and exercising more - without feeling guilty for cutting into work or family time

• Spending more time with your children and spouse - and enjoying every minute of it

• Taking steady strides toward turning your longest-held dreams into reality

We’ve come up with some powerful tools to help you accomplish all these things and more. Learn the details here.

- Charlie Byrne
Associate Publisher, Early to Rise

Toxic Burden

By James B. LaValle

I’ve been talking for years about the effect of various environmental toxins on our metabolism. And now, almost every day, we read news headlines that validate what I’ve been saying about the importance of reducing our exposure to toxic chemicals.

Today, let’s focus on a biggie - perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA. This chemical is used in the manufacture of non-stick pan coatings, food wrappers, personal care products, and stain-resistant coatings on carpets and other materials. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has become concerned about PFOA because it has been found in the blood of 90 percent of Americans, as well as throughout the environment.

PFOA is persistent in the environment, meaning it doesn’t break down with water or biodegrade in other ways, and it may not be eliminated well from the body. The health problems from PFOA include diminished thyroid function, decreased immune function, liver toxicity, and higher cholesterol levels (leading to potential weight problems and heart disease).

In cooperation with an initiative by the EPA to phase out PFOA emissions by 2015, most companies that use PFOA in their products are looking for alternatives. Just how much exposure you get directly from water and oil-repelling products is not known. In the meantime, boycotting products manufactured with PFOA may help stop environmental contamination sooner. So, here’s what you can do:

• Avoid using Teflon and other non-stick coated pans, especially over high heat and/or if the coating is chipped or flaking.

• Avoid food in packages with slippery surfaces, including fast-food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, and bakery and candy support liners.

• Choose solid-surface materials for flooring instead of carpets treated with stain-resistant coatings.

• And when choosing personal care products (such as lotions, nail polish, makeup, and shaving cream), avoid those with ingredients that have "-fluoro" or "-perfluoro" in their names.

[Ed. Note: It truly is possible to improve your health just by making a few simple changes to your diet and lifestyle. James B. LaValle, RPh, ND, CCN - founder of the LaValle Metabolic Institute and a nationally recognized expert on natural therapies - can give you easy-to-understand directions for living the healthy life you've always wanted. Learn how to feel better and live longer right here.]

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The Language Perfectionist: Fragmentation Grenades

By Don Hauptman

Our grade-school teachers instructed us to write complete sentences - "complete" meaning that every sentence is supposed to contain a subject and a predicate. They admonished us to avoid incomplete sentences or "sentence fragments," such as:

• Jim showed her the painting he had just completed. Watched her reaction.

• I won’t see that film. Unless my favorite actor is in it.

In general, it makes sense to observe the complete-sentence rule. But good writers sometimes use sentence fragments deliberately for specific purposes, such as variety, emphasis, irony, and humor. Here’s an effective use of the technique by Judith Kitchen, an essayist and poet:

"Today I woke up half a century old. I am not ready. Too much yet to do. Too much everyday living. Too much left unsaid, unimagined."

In his rule-challenging usage guide Miss Thistlebottom’s Hobgoblins, Theodore M. Bernstein offered some excellent advice:

"Experienced writers… often use fragmentary sentences for rhetorical effect. … Such writers know what they are doing, they do it deliberately rather than accidentally and they do not mislead the reader into expecting a complete sentence. … [Sentence fragments] must be used purposefully. … As is true of any other writing device, they must not be overused, they must not become a mannerism."

To paraphrase the TV announcers: Try this at home only if you’re a pro!

[Ed Note: For more than three decades, Don Hauptman was an award-winning independent direct-response copywriter and creative consultant. He is author of The Versatile Freelancer, an e-book forthcoming from AWAI, that shows writers and other creative professionals how to diversify their careers into critiquing, consulting, training, and speaking.]

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It’s Fun to Know: The Origin of the Expression "Win Hands Down"

To win something "hands down" means to win easily. But where does the phrase come from?

It originated in the 19th century at English racetracks. When jockeys were so far ahead that they couldn’t lose the race, they were able to loosen their hold on the reins and drop their hands from racing position.

(Source: Phrases.org)

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Word to the Wise: Supercilious

"Supercilious" (soo-pur-SIL-ee-us) - from the Latin for "eyebrow" - means haughty or disdainfully arrogant.

Example (as used by Donald MacLeod in The Guardian): "Will I be interviewed by a supercilious [Oxford] don who will make fun of my accent?"

[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.]

Copyright ETR, LLC, 2008