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Make
An Investment In Yourself...
Today,
I'd like to tell you about the easiest
way to immediately advance your career--no matter
what field you work in.
In
fact, you could add anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000
to even $100,000 a year to your salary right now - and
it wouldn't involve changing careers, starting a business
or going back to school.
At
the same time, you'd also be joining the ranks of a prestigious
organization of professionals that earn executive-level
salaries every year without ever asking for a raise,
without ever having to count on that elusive 'big promotion'
to boost their incomes.
Sound
crazy? I might have thought so too... except I
have a friend that did exactly that.
-
Patrick Coffey
The
Safest Way to Play the Coming Market Rebound
By
Andrew Gordon
A
soft market has a habit of shaking out the weaker companies
from the rest. As a stock investor, you have to be just as
unforgiving with your stocks as the market is. If you are,
chances are very good that your portfolio will continue to
churn out profits for you.
So if your stocks fell during the recent market correction,
take the following steps:
1.
Get rid of those stocks that dropped below your stop-loss
sell points.
2.
Remember (if you can) the reasons you bought each of your
stocks ... and make sure those reasons still apply. For
example, if you loved a company's fat margins, have they
deteriorated? If they did, you probably want to get out
of the stock before you suffer further losses.
3.
If you bought the stock because you liked the sector it
was in, reassess the outlook for the sector and compare
the sector's price performance to the company's.
If
you feel you still have a strong company in a strong sector,
hold your position. When the sector rebounds, so should the
stock.
But
what if the company is lagging behind a sector that you still
like?
There's
a way to lower your risk while still participating in the
future gains of the sector. If the company did more than
5 percent worse than the index covering the sector it's in,
sell at least half of your position. With the proceeds, buy
an Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) that tracks the same sector.
If it did more than 10 percent worse, don't take any chances.
Sell off your entire position before moving into the ETF.
[Ed.
Note: In our new elite service - The ETF Advantage -
Andrew Gordon, ETR's financial expert, will explain exactly
how to use ETFs to wring gains out of strong sectors with
minimal costs. The ETF Advantage is so new that it
hasn't been launched yet. But if you'd like to be one of
the first to learn about it, send an e-mail to ETFAdvantage@etrfeedback.com with "ETF
Advantage" in the subject line. We'll send you information
about this new service as soon as it's available.]
"It
is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task
which, more than anything else, will affect its successful
outcome."
-William
James
Notes
from Paris: How to Maintain the Right Attitude When Challenged
By
Michael Masterson
Well,
here we are in Paris.
On
the plane, one of the things I thought about was the fact
that, when I travel overseas, I am often less able to solve
problems. I attribute that to two things:
1.
An increase in my sensitivity to trouble
2. A decrease in my willingness to ask for help
I
suppose it's natural. Foreign environments cast dubious shadows.
Problems that would seem ordinary back home (I can't get
my wireless working) feel critical here (the French will
never become modernized!).
In
past issues of ETR, I've admitted that I suffer from that
stereotypically male problem of hating to ask strangers for
help. Asking in a foreign language - even one I'm modestly
fluent in - makes my anxiety much worse.
The
combination - timidity and sensitivity - can be debilitating.
Case
in point: This afternoon, rushing to meet K at the
cathedral at St. Sulpice in Paris, I couldn't figure out
how to buy a Metro ticket from the automatic vending machine.
I fumbled, trying this and that. Meanwhile, a line of busy
French commuters were fidgeting behind me. Finally, I gave
up and left.
I
was halfway up the staircase, on my way to getting a taxi,
when I stopped and took a deep breath. "What are you
worried about?" I thought. "If this happened to
you in NYC or Chicago, would you rush out in a panic?"
I
instructed my rational mind to think like I would in the
States. I told my heart to do what my rational mind said.
When
I got back to the machine, there was one person in front
of me. Instead of fumbling around again, I asked him, "How
do I use this thing?"
He
gave me a quick explanation and moved away. It wasn't enough,
but it was something. And the young lady behind me, having
heard the exchange, then guided me through the relatively
simple process. (I had been misinterpreting a word.)
Stepping
on the Metro, I promised myself that in the future, when
traveling, I would expect such problems and maintain a better
attitude about resolving them.
This
is true of all such situations. If you are mentally prepared
to deal with them, you will. If you have the wrong attitude,
you risk ruining a potentially wonderful experience.
The
trick I used to overcome my Metro problem is the same trick
you can use to get over virtually every barrier in your life,
large or small. The trick has two simple parts, one of which
I've never acknowledged before.
One
part is this: Take action. As Robert Ringer says in his great
book, Action!
Nothing Happens Until Something Moves
"I
am absolutely convinced that neither success nor happiness
is possible without action. ... Ideas can be precious commodities
that can change the world. Sound preparation is invaluable
and knowledge and wisdom are essential when it comes to giving
one an edge in the pursuit of great achievements. But ideas,
preparation, knowledge, and wisdom are all but useless without
action because action is the starting point of all progress.
In other words, an idea of and by itself has no intrinsic
value. It must be accompanied by action. It is action that
cuts the umbilical cord and brings an idea out of the womb."
The
other part, the part I haven't admitted to yet, is this:
Change the way you are thinking.
I've
always resisted the idea that how you think determines the
success or failure of a goal, because I find most positive-thinking
theories to be stupid and ineffectual. Most of the people
I know who focus on getting their heads right are losers
who never achieve anything in life. The most successful people
I know are doers ... achievers.
My
argument-in-a-nutshell, to date, has been this: Don't worry
about what is going on in your mind. If you want to accomplish
something, just focus on the specific behavior that will
get you there. Find out the exact actions that others have
taken to achieve a similar objective, and imitate those actions,
step by step.
I
still believe this approach is essentially sound. But I have
to admit, it's sometimes very difficult to take that first
step until you have cleaned out the negative stuff in your
head and replaced it with "can-do" thinking.
That's
what I did in the Metro. And, now that I think about it,
that's what I have done a thousand times in business when
I knew I had to change my mind about something or lose out
on an opportunity.
In
a recent posting on his blog, Matt
Furey Uncensored Group Name: ETRgoalsetting, Matt had
this to say on the subject:
"Whatever
you are doing with your words, pictures, and feelings in
the present moment - these are YOUR FUTURE. Your future is
a result of how you think about your life right now.
"Let me give you a fitness-related example. Suppose you
believe you need to work out today - but you're not looking
forward to it. You're even dreading it a bit. As a result of
this, do you think you will be more or less likely to procrastinate
on your workout? Do you think you will be more or less likely
to have a good workout?
"All right, now change your thought to something like,
'I love how good I feel when I'm done exercising. Exercise
always makes me feel so good. I love to exercise - especially
on the days I don't want to. Those are the days that exercise
does me the most good.'
"Now - as you think this thought - imagine seeing yourself
working out. And as you imagine that scene, see yourself smiling,
relaxed, and happy. Remove any trace of a frown from your face.
See yourself laughing and having a good time - internally.
"Okay - now answer the same questions I asked earlier.
Do you think you will be more or less likely to procrastinate
on your workout? Do you think you will be more or less likely
to have a good workout?
"My friend, it all boils down to your 'want' muscle. If
you WANT to do something, especially if you want to do it because
you LOVE doing it - well, look out. NO-thing will stand in
your way. NO-thing can stop you. Not even YOU.
"Read your own mind. As impressive as it may appear to
be able to pick up on another's thoughts - your focus should
be on your own thoughts MOST of the time. See what you're thinking
and make sure you keep it focused on what truly matters to
you."
So,
apologies to all those who have for many years argued with
me about the importance of positive thinking. Yes, I admit,
it is a very important part of success. It can help you get
over your fears, toughen up, and take action.
Unless
you take action, nothing else will happen. So if it helps
to start by clearing out the bad thoughts and replacing them
with good ones, do it. Then - as Matt Furey says - you will
be able to kick butt and take names!
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Green
Tea May Protect Women From Cancer
By
Jon Herring
Not
only is green tea a great source of powerful antioxidants,
new research suggests it is one of your strongest allies
in the fight against cancer.
According
to the International Journal of Cancer, Chinese researchers
- led by Dr. Ann W. Hsing - found that women who drank at
least one cup per day for at least six months lowered their
risk of bile stones by 27 percent, gallbladder cancer by
44 percent, and bile duct cancer by 35 percent. In her report,
Dr. Hsing explained that green tea contains certain chemicals
that may prevent cells from growing abnormally (which is
how cancer cells form).
For
best results, brew green tea yourself and avoid store-bought
brands, which may contain added sugar or high fructose corn
syrup. If you don't care for the taste (which some people
characterize as bitter), you can take green tea extract in
supplement form.
Reader
Feedback: "I feel like I've found my place in the
world."
"When I read Harry Madray's letter in Message
#1737 - asking if he could make a go of copywriting without
having the 'killer instinct' - I thought about writing in to
give my opinion. And then when I read Joshua's letter about
the AWAI copywriting program, I thought ... what the hell,
I'll do it.
"I am a full-time copywriter. I started my business in
April, after attending an AWAI Bootcamp in October. Before
becoming a copywriter, I worked as a financial controller for
13 years, and in office management and bookkeeping before that.
Although I was always really good at that work, I never LOVED
it. I just made great money doing it.
"But now, corny as it sounds, I feel like I've found my
place in the world - and I'm making more money already in my
first few months of full-time copywriting than I ever did as
a controller.
"When you buy the AWAI program, you are told that it gives
you everything you need to succeed, and it does. There is nothing
you could possibly need that they couldn't help with. Even
if you had the most oddball question in the world, I know you
could ask and AWAI would find an answer and get back to you.
"And, Harry, I don't have the 'killer instinct' that your
friends feel you are missing. I feel like the luckiest person
in the world, because I get to HELP people for a living. I
get to help businesses earn more, towns get more tourism, college
students learn more easily and manage their money. My projects
are varied and exciting, and I absolutely love my clients.
But what I enjoy most is helping. Copywriting is incredibly
fulfilling work!
"Although I live in Ireland and most of my clients are
in the U.S., I always end up developing very close working
relationships with them. There is no killer instinct needed,
if you don't want to use one. An attitude of helpfulness and
understanding will do: How many ways can you help your client?
How many ways can you understand their customers?
"Go for it, Harry. Your age will only work FOR you, because
you've had more time to understand people. You can absolutely
do this."
Sidney Pogatchnik
Killarney, Ireland
It's
Good to Know: Getting There On Time
By
Suzanne Richardson
Websites
are popping up all over the place to help make traveling
easier. There's SeatGuru.com, which helps you pick the best
seat on an airplane. And there are tons of sites, from Expedia
to Orbitz, that can help you save money. But now there's
a site that can help you save time: FlightStats.com.
FlightStats.com
tracks the departure and arrival times of various airlines,
as well as cancellations, delays, and diverted flights. For
instance, if you're flying from Detroit or to New
York City, you might want to avoid Northwest Airlines. Why?
Your chances of departing or arriving on time with that airline
are between 50 and 65 percent. (By the way, Northwest flights
to and from Minneapolis are punctual about 80 percent of
the time.)
You
get statistics on everything from individual carriers to
how many minutes it can take to get through your airport's
security checkpoint - information that eliminates much of
the frustration involved in air travel.
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Word
to the Wise: Velleity
"Velleity" (veh-LEE-uh-tee)
is the lowest degree of desire; a slight wish or inclination.
The word is derived from the Latin for "to will, to
be willing, to wish."
Example
(as used by Thomas Savage in The
Sheep Queen: "The ease of her words, the control
of them, was meant to convey to Compton that her wish to
know of her real parents was hardly more than a velleity,
a thought that would come to one while watering a plant or
peeling an orange."
