* Highly
Recommended *
The
Early to Rise 2006 End-of-Year Blowout Sale
What
are your resolutions for 2007?
To
increase your salary by $15,000? To finally start your own
profitable online side-business? To locate an incredible real
estate deal?
Whatever
your dreams, hopes and aspirations may be… ETR is here
to help!
As
2006 comes to a close, we’ve compiled a dozen of our
best success programs into a year-end blowout sale with our
lowest prices ever… so there’s no better time
for you to start making your dreams come true in 2007 than
right now.
This
offer ends when the New Year begins, so don’t put it
off and risk paying more a few days from now. Act today and
you’ll get the best deal we’ve ever offered, guaranteed.
Stop
by our ETR 2006 End-of-Year Blowout Sale now.
-
MaryEllen Tribby
Notes
From Michael Masterson's Blog: Real Estate Negotiations
Yesterday,
my neighbor Brian and I argued over a little piece of oceanfront
land he wants to sell. I'd made an offer of $1.4 million a
week or so ago, which he'd accepted. But yesterday he decided
he could sell it for a higher price - and when K and I wouldn't
raise our offer, he backed out.
When
I went outside this morning, Brian was seated on his porch.
"I
have an offer now. A firm offer of $1.5 million," he
informed me.
"Like
hell you do," I thought. What I said was, "You know,
Brian, when our offer fell through and you told me you wanted
$1.8 million for the property - well, it upset me. Because
I ran all the numbers, and I'm sure $1.4 million is right.
"If
you build a 5,500-square-foot house on this property, even
at $200 a square foot - which is very cheap for a beachfront
house - you'd be at $2.5 million. Right now, I think that's
more than the current market will bear. If things improve in
a few years, it will be a good price. But it's not a good price
now.
"1.4
million is the right price. It's good for me. And it's good
for you."
[Ed.
Note: Read the rest of this article on Michael
Masterson's blog.]
"A
positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts,
events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary
results."
-
Wade Boggs
Living
on the Positive Tip
By
Paul Lawrence
DM
was in a foul mood. To be fair, his bad mood was understandable.
You see, he'd been in a car accident about six months before.
He was stopped at a red light when another driver plowed into
his car from behind at 60 miles an hour.
Amazingly,
although DM's car was destroyed, he was not killed. But his
back was wrenched so severely that he could barely get out
of bed the next morning. To make matters worse, his doctor
wasn't optimistic about the injury improving without risky
surgery. DM consulted two other doctors, but they had the same
diagnosis.
DM's
frustration grew when he met with some lawyers. They all agreed
that he had a legitimate case for damages, but that he would
be unlikely to collect more than $30,000. Considering DM had
a business that made him about $200,000 a year, this amount
of money seemed outrageously small.
Now,
don't get me wrong. DM knew he was lucky not to be in a wheelchair
... or dead. But he was still unhappy. He'd always been an
athletic guy - lifting weights, wrestling, jogging, swimming.
He really missed being able to do those things ... probably
forever.
I
sympathized with DM. I had a similarly life-changing experience
about 13 years ago, when the cartilage in both of my big toe
joints was destroyed. In the blink of an eye, I became almost
crippled. To make matters worse, ballroom dancing was my sole
means of earning a living at the time. Not only was I in pain,
I was facing a career disaster.
Fortunately,
I found a way to get over this major hurdle.
You
may have heard the expression "living on a positive tip." It
means having an extremely positive outlook on life. Well, I
borrowed this term and redefined it to apply to a practical
system for positive living.
After
my injury, like DM, I told myself that at least I wasn't in
a wheelchair ... or blind ... or dead. But, as DM discovered,
that didn't help much. Because it's one thing to say that you'll
look at the positive side of things ... have your glass half
full rather than half empty. But it's another thing to truly
feel that way.
What
did help was a process that I labeled with the acronym A.P.E.
(Accept, Plan, Execute). By implementing it, I was able to
start developing a new life based on my new circumstances.
Here are the steps I took:
1.
Accept
I
not only accepted that something bad had happened to me and
that life isn't always fair, I also accepted that it was okay
for me to be upset about it. Sure, my luck could've been worse
- but this was still lousy luck, and being sad about it didn't
make me weak or selfish.
2.
Plan
Once
I'd gotten past acceptance, I needed to figure out how to overcome
my problem and continue to thrive. I took a two-pronged approach.
Part one of my plan was to continue to seek out the best possible
medical attention. This included doing research and locating
specialized sports physicians. Part two of my plan was to develop
a career as a writer ... a career that I could pursue even
if my feet never improved.
3.
Execute
Once
I had a plan, I was invigorated and full of hope. I relentlessly
sought out medical treatment - almost every type of therapy
you can think of, from ice packs to acupuncture to anti-inflammatory
medicines. Eventually, I underwent several surgeries. Although
that didn't cure the problem, it improved to the point where
I was able to resume a light dance instruction schedule. All
the while, I continued to work on becoming a writer - both
a copywriter and a screenplay author.
When
I told DM about my A.P.E. strategy, his eyes lit up. He started
thinking about things he could do - even with his bad back
- to resume enjoying his life. He decided to buy a new sports
car ... get involved in a few charities that he believed in
... and spend more time building his art and coin collections.
The
A.P.E. strategy worked for LB, too.
LB
had been working as a freelancer in the legal field for 20
years. While she wasn't getting rich from her job, she was
financially comfortable. By shrewdly saving and investing her
money, she was well on her way to being able to enjoy a secure
retirement in only a few short years.
Then
LB's main client had a turn of fortune. Business plummeted
- and they were doling out fewer assignments. LB suddenly found
herself in quite a predicament.
Now,
through no fault of her own, she had reason to worry about
her retirement. Sure, she could dip into her savings to help
pay some bills in the short term ... but she needed to add
to those funds, not deplete them. Yes, she was lucky that she
had been smart enough to put that money away. But that didn't
change the fact that she was nervous about her future.
Like
DM, LB used the A.P.E. system to dig herself out of this hole
of negativity.
First,
she accepted her rotten luck as just that - rotten luck. She
accepted her situation and faced the responsibility of dealing
with it.
Next,
LB put together a plan to work as much as she could for her
current main client ... and, at the same time, approach other
people she'd worked with throughout the years to pick up additional
assignments.
With
this plan in hand, she moved on to its execution. And it was
easier than she expected. The work started rolling in.
It's
been a couple of years since LB overcame her career obstacle
... and she's only one year away from retiring the way she
wants to. She'll have met all her financial goals, and will
never have to worry about paying the bills. She has already
moved into a very nice community that has many amenities she
will continue to enjoy in retirement - and she will soon have
plenty of time for international travel (which is her passion).
As
DM and LB learned, when you find yourself in a bad situation, "positive
thinking" doesn't get you out of it. Telling yourself
you're lucky it wasn't worse isn't a practical solution. But
the A.P.E. strategy - which calls for adopting a positive outlook
AND a specific action plan - is.
[Ed.
Note: Learn about Paul's A.P.E. system - and the other strategies
in his "Positive Tip" program - on
his website.]
* Highly
Recommended *
Lightning-Fast
Profits in the Hottest ETFs
With
Exchange Traded Funds you get the money-making power of stocks
combined with the diversification of mutual funds. Now, let
me show you how to use ETFs to make 100% profits in a short
period of time with just a small amount of capital.
The
gains are already pouring in -- 304%... 130%... 107%...
82%... 67%... 81% -- but the best is yet to come! Click
here to learn more.
Reader
Feedback: "A terrific way to start my day ..."
"Reading Early
to Rise is a priority for me every morning. It is informative
and positive - a terrific way to start my day. Thanks so
much for all your work in putting it together."
-
Cynthia Jones
Parma, ID
Iron
Deficiency and Bone Loss
By
Al Sears, MD
Aside
from the misguided notion that cholesterol causes heart disease,
the most common myth I debunk with my patients is the calcium/osteoporosis
connection. In Message
#1881, I showed you why calcium supplements
may actually work against you. But there's more to the osteoporosis
problem. New evidence reveals that an iron deficiency - common
here in the U.S. - contributes to bone loss.
Researchers
in Japan tested this theory by feeding one group of mice a
control diet, and another group of mice an iron-deficient diet.
After just four weeks, the mice with an iron-deficient diet
showed:
- loss
of bone mineral content
- loss
of mechanical strength in their bones
One
reason for our chronic iron deficiency has been the result
of a change in our food supply. Industrial fertilizers, herbicides,
and insecticides have sterilized the soil used to grow our
vegetables. As a result, the plants don't have the microbial
help to absorb minerals - like iron - that they would have
under more natural circumstances. To give you an idea of how
bad it's become, you'd have to eat 40 bowls of today's spinach
to get the same amount of iron as you would have gotten from
just one bowl 60 years ago.
So
should you take an iron supplement? For most people, the answer
is no. Iron supplements are an incomplete fix, cause constipation
and bad breath, are inconvenient, and may interfere with other
minerals you need.
To
boost your iron intake, switch to organic veggies - especially
broccoli, green beans, and leafy greens. Their mineral content
is higher. And the very best source of iron is still red meat,
especially organ meats. If you choose this option, go the extra
mile and search out grass-fed meat or wild game.
[Ed.
Note: Dr. Sears, a practicing physician and the author of The
Doctor's Heart Cure and 12
Secrets to Virility, is a leading authority
on longevity, physical fitness, and heart health.]
It's
Good to Know: The Difference Between Plagiarism and Copyright
Infringement
By
Matt Turner
Yesterday,
Michael Masterson asked me if I could answer some questions
about plagiarism - an issue that's especially of concern for
those of you who are making a career of copywriting: "What's
the difference between plagiarism and copyright infringement?" "How
much can I 'borrow'?" "As a copywriter, what do I
need to know to protect myself?"
Believe
it or not, plagiarism is not illegal. Your high school English
teacher may have been able to fail you if you plagiarized something,
but a judge cannot hold you legally accountable. Copyright
infringement, though, is illegal.
What's
the difference? Simple.
You
are guilty of copyright infringement if you use the EXACT WORDS
(or enough of the exact words) of another author. On the other
hand, plagiarism is essentially when you take an IDEA from
another author and re-work his actual words to express the
same idea. So long as you rework his idea with your own original
words, you are not liable for copyright infringement. And since
plagiarism is a state law concept and the federal 1976 Copyright
Act pre-empts all state law, plagiarism is no longer a legal
action. You're free and clear to re-work another author's ideas
into your own words. Ideas are owned by no one.
Now,
if you wish to actually quote from another author's work, that's
a little different. Quoting too much can make you liable for
copyright infringement. However, we also have the doctrine
of "fair use." This means that it's okay for you
to take a little from another author's big work and put it
in your medium-to-big work. But you can't take another author's
big work and put it in your little work - because that makes
your work a lot of their work.
Get
it? If not, re-read what I just said ... very slowly. That's
the best way I can put it. If I were to quote the law, I would
confuse you even more.
You
also need to know that when you use research in sales letters,
you are operating in the "commercial speech" world.
(Sales letters = commercial speech, and editorial = non-commercial
speech.) This distinction is important, because the commercial
speech world gets less First Amendment protection and gets
away with a lot less. (For example, in commercial speech the "fair
use" doctrine [see above] can be used but not as much
as in non-commercial speech.)
By
the way, this brings up another, more subtle, point ...
Copywriters
often like to quote their sources in such a way that it almost
implies an endorsement. For example, "And even The
Wall Street Journal agrees, as they wrote ..." Be
careful! There is no hard and fast rule here - and each case
is looked at on its facts. But don't leave yourself open to
a claim that your sales letter is "trading off" the
reputation of another entity. Citing an authoritative source
is fine, but using the source's material and reputation in
a manner that is too glaring can be risky.
[Ed.
Note: Attorney Matt Turner is Agora's in-house counsel.]
* Highly
Recommended*
How
Much Money Can YOU Make By Copying This "Mistake"?
How
did Vicki Smith accidentally ‘hotwire’ the Internet
and turn it into the goose that laid the golden egg?
Well,
imagine a huge fortress with steep, heavily defended walls
and a great big, drawbridge to get through. Inside that fortress
is the huge pile of wealth there is to be made on the Internet.
Now imagine trying to scale those walls with no equipment and
never having done anything like it before. That is what many
people try to do...
But
what did Vicki do? By mistake, she got ‘lost’ and
wandered around the back of that fortress and found a ‘hidden’ door
which lead straight in. A solid gold door which opened up a
gateway to riches…
It’s
an opportunity which really does work, that anyone can follow
and put into practice quickly in just an hour of your spare
time from home.
Read
about Vicki’s good fortune...
-
Patrick Coffey
Word
to the Wise: Panache
"Panache" (puh-NASH)
- a French word derived from the Latin for "feather" -
is a flamboyant manner or style.
Example
(as used by Eric Asimov in The New York Times): "Dessert
included a marvelous bread pudding and a fair bananas Foster,
the old-time New Orleans dish, which was prepared with great
panache tableside, complete with a flambe moment."
