Issue #2436

• WEALTHY: 3 ways to keep your property manager honest (Julie Broad)
• HEALTHY: The evils of your office chair, your couch, and your car seat (Ben Rifkin)
• WISE: Maya Angelou on laughing

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• 5 tips to power up your sunny side (Bob Cox)
• Avoid this trendy and misleading word (Don Hauptman)
• It’s Fun to Know… about spotting art forgeries
• Add “nonpareil” to your vocabulary

== Highly Recommended ==

Five days more valuable than a four-year college degree in marketing?  Really?

After attending the Five Days in July event recently, Bobbi Snider of Denver, CO was emphatic:

“More valuable than my four-year college degree in marketing… covered more aspects of the reality we’re facing today.”

A pretty strong statement – but it seems to be backed up by most everybody we spoke to after the five full days of instruction – where the “ETR / Agora Model” was detailed in step-by-step – easy-to-follow fashion.

“A lot of misconceptions about Google AdWords and keywords have been corrected.”

-Jim Rose, Melbourne, Australia

“I’ve never met anybody who brings more knowledgeable people to their conferences, and I’ve been several others before. From search engine optimization all the way to the software, XSitePro, it’s the best.”

-Michael Uohara, Hilo, HI  

“Even as a real beginner, the coaches taught me how to put together a real website that will make money…”

-Shirley Shaw, San Francisco, CA  

Discover what over 90 aspiring entrepreneurs – ranging in age from 16 to 76 – discovered –the “ETR / Agora Model” makes starting your own Internet money-making businesses easy…

Click here to get started today…

An Easy-to-Prevent Scam

By Julie Broad

When you’re just starting out in the real estate business, take advantage of what others have already learned through experience… without sacrificing your own time and money. Here, for example, is a scam that you can sidestep by learning from my own mistake.

When my husband and I moved into a triplex we own in Toronto, we dismissed our property manager and started collecting rent from the other tenants directly. Imagine our surprise when the checks were for $100 more than we expected! The property manager had lied to us about the amount of rent we were getting, and he had been pocketing the difference. We figure he stole at least $2,000 from us in that one year. The worst part is that his scam was easily preventable.

Make sure this doesn’t happen to you by asking for copies of every lease agreement. And ask for photocopies of the checks. If the tenant pays by cash or some other method (we use a lot of e-mail money transfers with our tenants), get a printout of the transfer or get copies of the receipts given to the tenants for cash payments. It’s good to have this documentation for tax purposes… and it will help prevent your property manager from taking an extra cut off the top.

[Ed. Note: You may be a beginner - but other people have been there before you. Learn from their mistakes, and you'll build your wealth much faster. Take advantage of proven money-making strategies from some of the world's leading wealth builders right here.  

And be sure to check out the website of Internet Money Club member and real estate investor Julie Broad. In eight years, Julie and her husband have built a multimillion-dollar real estate portfolio in their spare time with minimal cash resources. They publish a free monthly newsletter to help other rookie real estate investors achieve their investment goals. Check it out here.]

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“I am serious, so I laugh a lot. You need to laugh. You don’t laugh enough. I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t laugh.”

Maya Angelou

How to Find the Lighter Side of Life

By Bob Cox

Whether you are trying to build a business… lose 20 pounds… learn French… or get that promotion you’ve been eyeing, you’re working hard to achieve something meaningful to you. You take that goal very seriously. And you should. You should work hard and be diligent.

But there’s one other thing you need to do: You need to lighten up. So today, I’m going to help you do that.

I’m not suggesting that you should laugh and shrug off any problems that come up. I’m just saying that you should be a little more flexible in the way you deal with them. You see, it is far too easy to become rigid in our thinking and the way we approach any challenge. Maintaining a sense of humor helps us get beyond that rigidity.

The value of humor is almost a “no brainer” when you think about it. It can help you get out of a tough spot… reduce tension… and put you in a more relaxed frame of mind. Simply put, when you learn to lighten up, the achievement of almost any goal will go more smoothly.

For way too long I was too rigid in pursuing my goals. I didn’t see it at the time, but this actually affected my ability to achieve them – the exact opposite of what I intended by being so serious.

A few years ago, for instance, I got caught up in my desire to complete a particular project on time and on budget. The accomplishment of that mission dominated my mind to such an extent that my team members did not enjoy working with me – and the project wasn’t getting done.

After enough negative feedback on my obsessiveness, I realized that I was the problem. I recognized that I wasn’t saving the planet or doing brain surgery… so I needed to step back and lighten up.

Once I did, we all started to enjoy the work. The lighter side of me brought tons of creative input and ideas to the table. And when the project was completed, there was an abundance of smiles and high-fives.

My sense of accomplishment was sweeter because of the camaraderie. And things kept getting better after that initial success. The entire team was on board and looking forward to our next goal to tackle, because the experience of working together had been so rewarding.

It’s a surprising and powerful revelation: You can make any process more productive and enjoyable when you lighten up on yourself and others.

If you find that you have a hard time giving up your serious side, even after you give it a good try, I’ve come up with five tips to help you.

Lighten Up Strategy #1: Don’t take everything so seriously.

Yes, life is serious. But in most cases, it’s only as serious as you want to make it.

When, for example, you are in a meeting where everyone around the table is offering ideas… don’t automatically shoot down any that seem silly or trivial. Be generous in your response, and really listen to everyone’s input. The team member who didn’t have a good idea in the morning may come back with a great one in the afternoon. And you don’t want to discourage them from voicing that great idea later by cutting them off earlier in the day.

Lighten Up Strategy #2: Let go of your need for control.

Nobody can – or should – be in control of everything all the time. Allow yourself to be open to new ideas. If you open up to all the ideas and input that comes to you from others (like the example I gave in Strategy #1), you stand a greater chance of finding the best way to achieve your goal.

It could feel risky at first, but stay with it and watch your progress and productivity grow.

Lighten Up Strategy #3: Be more spontaneous.

Becoming more spontaneous can be challenging if, like me, you enjoy the comfort of routines. Yet I have learned that spontaneity allows for moments of real joy and creativity.

I am much more spontaneous in person than in the written word. It is far easier for me to have a one-on-one conversation or give a speech than to write. However, writing for Early to Rise has helped me open up my “spontaneity gene” – and this has helped me grow.

I start with a blank page and a basic theme for my message. Then I just write. If I get too caught up in “This article must be fabulous” mode, I start to freeze. So I force myself to keep going, knowing that I can go back later and revamp or make changes.

Lighten Up Strategy #4: Smile every chance you get.

This concept is huge!

You always want to make a positive impression on people… and the easiest way to do that is to smile at them. Smile at the grocery clerk when you are checking out. Smile at the waiter or waitress taking your order. Smile at the toll booth operator taking your quarters. And smile at friends, family, co-workers, supervisors, and everybody else you encounter.

Smile even when you’re on the phone. If you are calling someone… start your smile the moment you begin dialing. If you are taking a call… start your smile even before you flip open your cellphone or pick up the receiver. Believe me, that smile will come across in your voice to the other person on the line.

Lighten Up Strategy #5: Don’t forget to play.

You never outgrow your need to play – in order to maintain your sense of humor and, by extension, a full and balanced life. Yet, too often, it is forgotten.

To play is to have fun, be delighted, and experience joy. Play time can be a solo effort or involve others. You might tell jokes, play a board game, have a paper airplane contest… anything that releases tension and gets your positive energy flowing. If you incorporate at least a couple of hours of play time into your weekly schedule, you will find yourself enjoying every part of your life even more.

All five of the above strategies will “power up” your sense of humor and help you embrace your sunnier side while you’re working toward your goals. And once you start enjoying the process, you’ll reach success that much faster. There really is time for humor and fun along the way.

[Ed. Note: Take a tip from Bob Cox: Relax and let go a little bit, even when it comes to your most important goals. Bob's a career goal setter - and he's even helped four men become billionaires. You can get his expert advice and strategies for making your longest-held dreams come true. Learn how right here.]

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== Highly Recommedned ==

What’s Keeping You From the Success You Deserve?

It’s easy to say, “I didn’t achieve such-and-such because I was swamped at work.”

But let’s face it – we’re ALL busy.

Yet some people manage to make massive progress toward their goals – whether they want to become bodybuilders or marketing masters or billionaires.

The same world of opportunity to succeed is open to you.

So what’s the difference between you and the ultra-successful?

Read on to find out.

Reader Feedback: “Bob has taken the time to guide me through the decision process.”

“I am an experienced small-business entrepreneur, with both failures and successes in my past. I am also in my mid-sixties, and was facing some difficult decisions concerning my financial future. When I joined the ETR Total Success Achievement Program, my motives were threefold: I knew I needed a jumpstart to get me back in the game in today’s business world, I wanted an effective goal-setting system that I felt comfortable with, and, most important, I needed some objective direction from someone I respected and whom I felt could relate to my circumstances.

“Enter Bob and Karin Cox.

“To my astonishment, Bob responded immediately to my coaching request, and has taken the time (his time – and his vast experience with people, business, and personal growth) to guide me through an extremely delicate decision process. The result is that I am now able to purchase a small business… when I was concerned that I might have to work for someone else (a fate worse than death to me). Bob patiently spent a total of about eight hours with me, and allowed me to see those aspects of myself that were keeping me from moving forward. In addition, speaking with Bob instilled a real sense of confidence in my ability to make a good decision, one that I am committed to stay with in order to actualize my future goals.

“Bob says that my business came to me as a gift. I believe that is true, but that was only a part of the gift. The other part was Bob’s presence and guidance toward recognizing and embracing the value that it presented.”

Richard Houser
Ojai, CA

[Ed. Note: What's the best way to get more of the information and advice you want the most? Let us know what you need! Write to ETR at ReaderFeedback@gmail.com and tell us what's helped you, what you love, and what you want to see more of.]

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An Exercise-Free Method of Reducing Back Pain

By Ben Rifkin

Today, I’m going to let you in on a secret for reducing your back pain without doing any strenuous exercise. In fact, the only thing you have to do is eliminate a harmful habit that’s destroying your body – and you don’t even know it.

I’m talking about sitting in a chair.

Yes. You read that correctly. It doesn’t matter if you’re at the office, using a computer, driving a car, or watching a movie. Sitting in any seat is one of the worst kinds of abuse you can put your body through.

Here’s why. A chair allows virtually all your major muscle groups to relax. Now you might think this is a good thing – but when you totally relax in a seated position, you start to slouch. And when that happens, you overstretch – for hours on end - the muscles in your neck, shoulders, and lower back.

You can easily spot someone in a permanent hunch from long-term slouching. To reverse this and eliminate your back pain, perform this simple exercise:

Stand with your back to a wall. If you feel the two sharp points of your shoulder blades against the wall… you are slouching. Your goal is for your shoulder blades to rest flat against the wall without tension. Use the wall to gently guide them down as you press your chest up and draw your shoulders back. At the same time, use your abs to press your lower back against the wall.

This exercise can and should be done any time you have been or are going to be seated for a long period of time. Don’t be surprised if the effect is instantaneous and you feel much more energized and pain-free. But even if you don’t feel that way at first, keep practicing your good posture – and back pain caused by sitting will become a thing of the past.

[Ed. Note: You can have a massive impact on your health just by making simple, small changes to your lifestyle. Learn more easy-to-follow techniques for feeling better and getting healthier right here.

And be sure to get a free copy of health and fitness expert Ben Rifkin's e-book, 5 Minutes to Total Body Fitness.]

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The Language Perfectionist: This Tip Isn’t Arguable

By Don Hauptman

Below, three passages I found via an online search:

• “Days of Darkness is arguably Arcand’s most depressing film.”
• “John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty… is arguably the most important statement of liberal political philosophy of the last two centuries.”
• “Arguably the best value digital camera. A review by…”

The word arguably is routinely misused and overused. But the usage and style guides I consulted don’t say much about it. More than 20 years ago, language guru William Safire devoted a column to the word, but he didn’t disapprove of its use, which even then some of his readers described as a “craze.”

One problem is that the meaning is ambiguous. As an adjective, arguable is negative; it means debatable, open to doubt or question. Yet when people use arguably as an adverb, the intended sense is often positive. For example, the headline of an ad for an expensive foreign automobile boasted, “Arguably the most comfortable car in existence today.”

Furthermore, some use arguably as a qualifier that betrays uncertainty or a lack of confidence. It’s a confession that the writer or speaker doesn’t really know for sure. As one online commentator shrewdly observed, saying “X is arguably the best” absolves the writer of responsibility. Instead of taking the firm position that X really is the best, he or she cops out by deferring to a hypothetical person who might disagree.

For all these reasons, I recommend that you eschew arguably. Aside from the ambiguity and the wimpiness factor, it’s a “vogue word” that borders on cliche. Where possible, express your views with conviction and without qualifications. But if a qualifier is unavoidable, try these alternatives: perhaps, possibly, probably.

[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 speaking, consulting, training, and critiquing.]

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It’s Fun to Know: Spot the Fake

So you’ve inherited a Van Gogh from your great uncle Frank. But you’re pretty sure it’s a fake. Now there’s a new way to tell.

Painstaking research and examination by an art expert has been the standard for detecting forgeries. But a technique developed by scientists at Penn State uses technology to scan an artist’s known paintings and break down their unique brushstrokes – in essence, their “handwriting” – into digital information. The information is then stored in a database, where it can be compared to possible fakes. The technology is still in the testing phase, but its creators hope to make it available to art historians in the near future.

(Source: Popular Science)

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How to “Unscrew” Yourself from Life’s Little Frustrations
(and the Big Ones, Too!)

When you get stuck in a royal mess – and we all do sometimes – here’s how to get out of it looking squeaky clean and grinning like a Cheshire cat…

Got a speeding ticket and afraid your insurance premiums are about to skyrocket?  Don’t sweat it.  I’ll show you the smartest way to legally beat the ticket – without hiring an expensive lawyer to plead your case.

Hate jury duty?  Let me show you how to escape it – even if the court clerk refuses to grant you an exemption.  Frustrated with airport waiting times due to tightened security?  I’ll reveal how to cut your airport waiting time in half!

Listen:  No matter which of life’s frustrations come your way, there are clever ways to easily get out of most of them.  I’m even willing to share them all with you – FREE!  Click here to learn why.

Word to the Wise: Nonpareil

Something that’s “nonpareil” (non-puh-REL) – from the French – has no equal.

Example (as used by Simon Barnes in The [London] Times): “Steve Redgrave won his third gold medal at his third successive Olympic Games and we hymned the man as if he were the greatest athlete we had ever seen: a superman, a nonpareil, a demigod walking the earth.”

[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

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This entry was posted on Saturday, August 16th, 2008 at 5:10 am and is filed under Daily Issues .