Issue #2629
- WEALTHY: Are you afraid to advertise your business? (Jason Holland)
- HEALTHY: Dolly for dinner? (Kelley Herring)
- WISE: Sam Snead on being a consistently effective golfer
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- Take control of your happiness with my “ED” technique (Michael Masterson)
- Cutting a big task into bite-sized chunks (Brian Tracy)
- It’s Good to Know… about a possible cure for peanut allergies
- Add “Lucullan” to your vocabulary
== Highly Recommended ==
A Recession Days Underdog That Can Churn Out Steady Cash
Where oh where can you make money these days?
Don’t look at the stock market. The Dow’s all over the map. May be up one day – but is that real or the dreaded “sucker rally”?
Don’t look at your boss. According to a survey by Watson Wyatt Worldwide, 42 percent of employers have instituted a salary freeze – and 14% of those who haven’t, plan to do so.
Don’t look at the government. They have other worries.
BusinessWeek suggests you look at an old standby: the e-mail newsletter.
It’s not fancy or high-tech. But it can bring in serious ad revenues – even today. Better yet, it can help attract investors looking for safer places than the stock market to stow their money.
Look at DailyCandy.com, which sold to ComCast for $125 million just last fall. Then there’s Thrillist, which is making profits on $5 to $10 million a year.
And ETR itself shot up from a little “amateur start-up” to a $25 million company in the past few years!
Start your own Internet business, set up an e-mail newsletter, and you could make $50,000 to $5 million starting this year.
Get the exact blueprint for doing so right now.
Halfway Marketing
By Jason Holland It was possibly the worst sales pitch I’d ever heard – a National Public Radio commercial for a touring company coming to South Florida.
“If you see one Broadway show this year… you might want to see Les Miserables.”
It’s like saying, “Hey, the show is so-so. You might want to go to a movie instead.”
Are you engaging in this sort of halfway marketing with your business? Are you hesitant to make strong claims and scared to “sell” – sending out lukewarm sales messages instead?
You shouldn’t be. If you’re in business, you believe in the quality and value of your products. You think they will help people. Make sure they do – and be proud to sell them. Tell your prospects that your products are the best ones out there. Enthusiastically urge them to buy.
Review your marketing efforts. Get rid of half-measures. Adopt this model and your sales will skyrocket.
[Ed. Note: For more straightforward business-building and marketing advice, check out Michael Masterson's Wall Street Journal bestseller, Ready, Fire, Aim: Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat. It's full of wisdom, techniques, and insider "secrets" that Michael has learned in his 40-year career. Get your copy today. ]
“To be consistently effective, you must put a certain distance between yourself and what happens to you on the golf course. This is not indifference, it’s detachment.”
Sam Snead
Emotional Detachment and the Zen of Golf
By Michael Masterson About a month ago, I played golf for the first time with Number Three Son (N3S). I was looking forward to a pleasant afternoon. I imagined fresh air, healthy sunshine, and that father-son banter that women who don’t understand men categorize as superficial.
The afternoon started off as hoped for. The sun was shining. The course was green. We prepared by eating hotdogs and lighting up cigars. But on the very first tee, things started going badly. At least for N3S.
N3S is a novice golfer. He’s played less than half a dozen games. He was focused on long drives and good chips and accurate putting. When he didn’t hit the ball well – which was most of the time – he was angry with himself.
Though he may not have been hitting the ball the way he wanted, he was hitting it. I was impressed and told him so. “You are doing a lot better than I was at your stage of the game.”
That didn’t mollify him. By the ninth hole, he was emotionally exhausted. He didn’t want to play anymore. “It’s no use,” he said morosely. “I stink.”
N3S’s frustration with his poor performance and his subsequent depression reminded me of myself until just a few years ago. It scared me to think that he might go through what I went through for 40 years. On the way home, I talked to him about one of the ways I’ve overcome my own tendency to get depressed. Today, I’m going to share that same strategy with you.
When you’re happy, you can move mountains. When you’re angry or depressed, your energy drops, your focus blurs, and your productivity lapses.
Depression can blunt your work skills. It can damage your reputation. It can separate you from your income and your possessions. It can affect your relationships with your spouse, your children and family – even lifelong friends. Depression will rob you of all the beautiful little moments that make life worth living – like a day on the golf course with Dad.
It steals your fun. It steals your time. It leaves you with nothing.
Last week, in my article “Defeating Depression Before It Defeats You,” I told you two stories about friends of mine who fell into deep depressions when they lost their jobs and their income.
Both of them had based their self-worth on their ability to make money – a mistake that many entrepreneurs make. And when, through no fault of their own, they suffered a serious financial setback, they felt like failures. I suggested that the way to avoid falling into that trap is to base your self-worth on things that really matter – on personal values that have nothing to do with your income.
There’s another common mistake that leads many to despair. The mistake that N3S was making during our golf game. I have to warn you that the solution to this one is a bit harder to understand and practice. But stick with me while I explain it. Because once you “get it,” you’ll have no trouble maintaining a positive outlook… even under the most difficult circumstances.
I am talking about developing the skill of emotional detachment. More specifically, developing the ability to set and pursue goals without caring whether you actually achieve them.
I learned how to do this only six or eight years ago, and have been practicing it in fits and starts. As each year passes, I get better at it. I feel happier and more in control of my life. Most important, I think it has helped me pass along some of my newfound happiness to others.
When most people hear the phrase emotional detachment, they think it means indifference or even heartlessness. Nothing could be further from the truth. Emotional detachment frees you from neurotic attachments and lets you focus your energies on other people, other things, and the here and now.
The best example I can give you is the natural love that a mother has for her child. When the child is happy, the mother is happy. When the child is unhappy, the mother instinctively wants to find the cause of the unhappiness and end it, if she can.
When the mother discovers that the child is unhappy because of some physical discomfort, she tries to relieve it. When the cause is an emotional conflict, she does her best to teach the child how to handle it. The mother’s goal is always to prepare the child to become independent. She works consistently to gradually free the child from his natural dependence on her so that he can go out into the world and live a happy and productive life.
When an 11-year-old tells his mother that he “hates” her because she’s imposed some restriction on him, the (mentally healthy) mother does not feel hurt, even though a hurtful thing has been said. She loves the child and doesn’t take his statement to heart. She remains calm. She reminds him that she loves him. And she explains that the restriction will not be removed simply because he “hates” it or her.
In other words, she is emotionally detached from the child’s expressions of anger.
If you are a parent, you understand what I mean. Most parents, most of the time, practice this sort of emotional detachment with their children. But there are some who can’t do it, because they are emotionally attached to their children’s approval of them. These are the parents who want to be “best friends” with their children. They break their own rules the moment their children object to them. Sometimes they go so far as to tolerate risky behavior.
The skill of emotional detachment can be applied to all relationships. It can work with your boss and colleagues at work. It can work with your spouse or parents at home. Detachment can also be applied to almost any challenge or problem. And the result will always be greater calmness and clarity.
This gets us back to my story about N3S…
When I started golfing, I approached the game very much the way my son approached it. That is, I was concerned about the outcome of my shots. When hitting the ball off the tee, I cared about how far it would go. When I putted, I cared about how close the ball would get to the hole.
This made the game very frustrating. Being a beginner, the outcome of most of my shots was disappointing.
But it didn’t take me long to realize that I was my own worst enemy. By allowing myself to be disappointed four shots out of five, I was setting myself up for failure. (How can you learn to play golf well if you are swearing when you are swinging the club?) The trick, I soon figured out, was to detach myself emotionally from the intended outcome (where the ball goes) and focus instead on the experience of the swing.
My goal, when I play golf these days, is to have a good swing. I don’t care where the ball goes. All I care about is whether I achieve my intention of swinging the club properly.
This has made a remarkable difference in my game. In several short months, I have brought down my handicap by about 30 strokes. Before, I was shooting about 130 and hating the game. Now, I am hovering at 100 and liking it, even when the ball lands in a sand trap or rolls over the green.
Anything we do in life – any goal we set, any relationship we engage in – can be done better and more happily by applying emotional detachment.
Let me give you a few more examples.
Emotional Attachment: You want to go on a picnic Saturday afternoon. It rains. You are disappointed.
Emotional Detachment. You intend to have a picnic on Saturday. But, knowing you can never predict the weather, you consciously detach yourself from the hope that the sun will shine. You create Plan B – going to the movies instead. So when it rains, you move happily from Plan A to Plan B without getting upset or upsetting those with you. You are the Zen Master of your Saturday afternoon. You help others feel better by your good example. And that, in turn, increases your happiness.
Emotional Attachment. You want to get a raise. You don’t get one. You are disappointed.
Emotional Detachment. You intend to get a raise. But, knowing you can’t control the outcome of your next performance review, you come up with a Plan B that involves starting your own side business. You make a good presentation at the review, but your boss doesn’t give you the raise. You aren’t disappointed. In fact, you are excited… because now you can initiate Plan B.
Emotional Attachment: You want to marry your college sweetheart. You propose to her. She refuses you. You are crushed.
Emotional Detachment. You intend to marry your college sweetheart. But, recognizing that you cannot control her feelings, you detach yourself from that outcome and settle on Plan B, which is to enjoy the relationship for some months longer while you begin to look for a new one. You propose to her and are turned down. You aren’t sad. You don’t pout. You put Plan B into action. She notices your detachment and likes you better for it. Now it is up to you to continue the relationship or move on.
As I said earlier, the skill of emotional detachment is hard to understood and practice. But if you can master it, you will enjoy a life of unlimited wealth, health, and happiness.
Before N3S and I went golfing for the second time, I had him take a lesson with Larry, the pro I learned from. (Larry understands the Zen of golf. He, like Ben Hogan, understands that the true purpose of golf is not to achieve a specific score but to experience the serenity and pleasure that come with developing a consistently good swing.)
When we hit the golf course this time, I reminded N3S to focus his mind not on where the ball goes but on executing his swing. We played all 18 holes in perfect harmony. And though we didn’t care about our scores, they were better than they had been the time before.
[Ed. Note: One of the best ways to feel better about yourself, to feel as though you have purpose in your life, is to pursue something you're passionate about. And there's no better way to pursue your passion than to start a business related to it. Get a step-by-step guide to starting and growing an Internet business right here.
Get more of Michael's surefire strategies for getting ahead in business in True Path to Profits: A Master Entrepreneur's Guide to Business Success. Find out more (including how you can get a bonus subscription to Michael's VIP newsletter, Ready Fire Aim) here. ]
Are You Embarrassed of What You Do for a Living – or Just Tired of Doing It?
One woman was both, and while her “acquaintances” at a dinner party snickered and poked fun, she had the last laugh. In as little as two weeks she started a new business for less than $99, soon had to hire additional employees to handle the work, and now lives a life without money worries of any kind.
Here’s how you can do the same, even easier and faster than she did.
Reader Feedback: “Thank you for being a source of hope and inspiration”
“I want to thank you for Michael Masterson’s piece on dealing with rough times. t was uplifting. Thank you for being a source of hope and inspiration (and information) for your readers.”
Jim Young
Los Altos, CA
Slice and Dice the Task to Sidestep Procrastination
By Brian Tracy A major reason for procrastinating on important tasks is that they appear to be so formidable when you approach them.
One way to cut a big task down to size is with the “salami slice” technique. With this method, you lay out the task in detail, and then resolve to do just one piece of the job for the time being – like eating a roll of salami, one slice at a time.
Psychologically, you will find it easier to start on a single, small piece of a large project than to start on the whole job. And once you have completed that small piece, you will feel like doing just one more “slice.” Before you know it, the entire job will be done.
[Ed. Note: Time is valuable, and learning how to use it to your advantage is a vital skill that every top achiever should master. Learn how to zero in on the critical tasks, organize each day, get more done faster, and get the right things done with Brian Tracy's book, Eat That Frog. .
For dozens of strategies that can help you accomplish your dreams faster, sign up for ETR's Total Success Achievement Program. Success mentor Bob Cox will provide you with all the tools you need to succeed in 2009 and beyond.]
Attack of the Clones
If the thought of eating cloned meat doesn’t appeal to you, make sure you’re buying only pasture-raised meats.
In January of this year, the USDA officially defined “naturally raised” livestock as being raised:
- without growth promotants (including growth hormones)
- without animal byproducts in feed
- without antibiotics (except for parasite-reducing ionophores)While these three prohibitions are important, the USDA’s definition doesn’t address whether the animal came from cloned or genetically engineered stock, the environment in which it was raised (pastured or confined), or the type of feed it received (pesticide-free or pesticide-ridden grain).
Protect yourself by looking for “pasture-raised” and “grass-fed” and “organic.” Visit the EatWild website for a directory of companies you can trust (e.g., U.S. Wellness Meats).
[Ed. Note: Eating right goes a long way toward helping you stay healthy and live longer. Pick up a copy of nutrition expert Kelley Herring's collection of recipes for dozens of delicious and guilt-free desserts today. .
For more advice on which foods you should - and shouldn't - be eating to stay in top health, sign up for ETR's free natural health newsletter. ]
It’s Good to Know: A Possible Cure for Peanut Allergies
Peanut allergy sufferers take heart! You could one day be free from scanning ingredient lists.
Doctors at the Duke University Medical Center and Arkansas Children’s Hospital have successfully tested a treatment for the allergy. But they caution that more testing is needed, and that no one should be tempted to try it at home.
Children with moderate peanut allergies were given microscopic doses of peanuts daily, and then were monitored for allergic symptoms. The doses were gradually increased over a two-year period. Eventually, some of the patients were able to eat 13 to 15 peanuts without having a negative reaction.
Widespread use of this treatment is not expected for several years. The doctors hope to broaden its scope to include other food allergies.
(Source: Reuters)
== Highly Recommended ==
Wall Street to Baby Boomers: “Drop Dead!”
So, turns out the brokers and bankers have been robbing us blind behind our backs for years. But now it’s time to extract sweet revenge on the fat-cat scoundrels with your own profitable (and ethical) “Off-Wall Street” retirement recovery plan.
But first, the crooks need to stand trial for their sins…
Charges: Burglary of Our Portfolios; Grand Theft of Our Livelihoods; Aggravated
Assault Upon the American Dream.
Verdict: Guilty on all counts.
Our Revenge: Our best revenge is going to be living well!
That’s right… The best revenge we could get out of this mess will be to end up living the good life… sort of the way these robbers did for so many years.
Except instead of stealing our way back to prosperity with lies and deception… we’re going to earn it back fair and square. And that’s what I want to help you do today.
If you are rethinking your investments… and who isn’t… now there’s a better way. Come join over 1,000 of your fellow Early to Risers in a new society we’ve dubbed “The Liberty Street League.”
Word to the Wise: Lucullan
“Lucullan” (loo-KUHL-un) – from the name of a Roman general famous for his banquets – means rich, magnificent and luxurious.
Example (as used by Jeanne Molli in The New York Times): “When literary groups meet in Paris, they also tend to eat, and during the November rite of book awards, luncheons may reach a Lucullan level.”
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2009
Similar Articles:
- Emotional Detachment and the Zen of Golf – About a month ago, I played golf for the first time with Number Three Son (N3S). I was looking forwa…
- What Do Golf and Trading Have in Common? – Last week was Masters week, and I’ve got golf on the brain. This got me thinking about the similarit…
- 5 Simple Steps to Staying Focused on Your Goals – About eight years ago, I started noticing that other people seemed to be having more fun than I was….
- The Tiger Woods Secret – Even if you’re not a golf fan (and I’m not really), you have to admire Tiger Woods. He’s usually per…
- How to Make Room for What’s Important With a Simple 5-Second Exercise – It’s easier to accomplish any goal when you make it your top priority. That often means focusing les…
- Golfers – It Is a Sport… Sort Of – Golfers have always had to defend themselves: Is golf a sport, or is it simply laid-back recreation?…
- How to (Finally!) Get That 6-Pack – You’ve been working on those 6-pack abs for as long as you can remember… and nothing seems to help. …