LoyalFreedom

Kidney Stone Prevention! 10 Free Tips to Prevent Kidney Stones

2009-03-26T16:24:00.002+08:00

Five people out of every 100 develop a kidney stone sometime in their life. If you are or have been one of those five people, you will know that kidney stones can be a living nightmare. In fact, numerous women characterize the pain worse than childbirth. If you currently have a kidney stone, there is good new because kidney stones can be passed naturally without drugs or surgery (Read last paragraph)! And if you are worried about future kidney stones, know that kidney stone prevention is as easy as changing a few simple lifestyle habits.

10 Tips to Prevent Kidney Stones
1. Drink Water! Kidney Stones are caused by dehydration (not enough water) over a long period of time. Therefore, you need to drink at least 8 glasses of water per day! A good rule would be to always keep your urine clear.

2. Distilled Water! If you have the option of drinking distilled water, do it! Distilled water is water without any bacteria, viruses, heavy metals or impurities. Drinking 'pure' water will help prevent kidney stones while flushing out your system.

3. Lemons! This citrus fruit is easy to eat. Simply squeeze a couple slices in each glass of water and you will be eating two lemons a day! Tip: You can make free lemonade at a restaurant by mixing water, a few slices of lemon and some sweetener to your glass!

4. Exercise! If you haven't jumped on the health train yet you better finally do it! Exercise has literally thousands of benefits including preventing kidney stones! Find activities that you enjoy and go out and do them! You should make a goal of 30 minutes of exercise for 3-4 days a week!

5. Find a step-o-meter! A step-o-meter shows you how many steps you took during the day. Step-o-meters became extremely popular years ago when McDonalds gave them out! You should make a goal for 10,000 steps per day.

6. Sleep! Most Americans either get too little or get too much! You should try to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep each night. Your body has a natural clock so it is recommended to always go to bed and get up at the same times.

7. Cranberry Juice from concentrate! Cranberry Juice will help maintain your urinary tract which will help prevent kidney stone formation.

8. Get Citrates! Citrates reduce the build up of uric acid and eliminate the build-up of calcium salts (causing kidney stones). Drink plenty of fruit and vegetable juices such at carrot, grape, and orange juices.

9. Say good-bye to soda! Many people believe that kidney stones are caused by drinking too much soda. To some extent that is true because a variety of reasons. Don't drink soda because of high levels of phosphorous which causes kidney stones. (Stay away from carbonated drinks in general.)

10. Stay away from high sugars! High sugar intake is associated with increased risk of kidney stones. You can cut hundreds of calories and prevent future kidney stones by staying away from sugary drinks and foods.

More Prevention and a Natural Remedy for Passing Kidney Stones

Benefits of a Colon Cleanse

2008-12-23T16:51:00.002+08:00

With the ever popularity of colon cleansing, one just has to ask is it really worth it? It's amazing that we regularly take a shower, brush our teeth, and even change the oil in our car. But how often do we take the time to clean our colons? Below you'll find the top ten benefits of cleaning your colon and just maybe convince yourself to give it a try!

1. Relief from constipation and diarrhea.
When our colons have a lot of build-up, it makes it very difficult to have healthy regular bowel movements, often causing constipation or diarrhea. When your colon is clean, this is a non-issue, a healthy individual should have a bowel movement after each meal.

2. No more gas or bloating.
Some of the fecal matter can sit days, months, even years in our colon releasing toxins and poisons. Gas and bloating is just a side effect of this condition. Eliminate the toxins equals no more bloating.

3. Reduce excess weight and feel lighter.
It has been said that the average individual may have anywhere from 5-15 pounds of fecal build-up lining the colon walls. I've read testimonial after testimonial how people have lost weight and feel much lighter after a cleanse.

4. No more stomach cramping or abdominal pains.
This is just the colons reaction to when there is too much waste clogging the colon. Believe me, if you have 5-10 pounds of fecal matter stuck to your colon, you will experience occasional cramping and pains.

5. Increase energy levels and vitality.
After a thorough colon cleanse, you will experience a new boost in energy and no longer feel tired and lethargic.

6. Better absorption of nutrients.
The body absorbs nutrients from food through the intestines and it gets its last chance when it reaches the colon. Here the nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream through the colon walls. When the colon is clogged, absorption can be extremely low maybe just 10-20%. A colon cleanse, flushes out this excess buildup allowing maximum absorption for the body.

7. Flatter stomach and waist line.
With no more bloating, gas, and excess weight, you will definitely see a flatter stomach. This is not to mention a thinner waist line! This is just a bonus!

8. Improved concentration.
This is connected to benefit #6, when the colon is clean, the body is able to absorb nutrients and vitamins and at much higher efficiency and retention. This aids in a sharper mind, the ability to focus, and improved concentration.

9. Clearer skin and healthy hair.
Do you suffer from acne? After you rid yourself of the toxins, your body will not have to fight these excess pollutants. This will give you a cleaner, healthier complexion.

10. Overall healthier lifestyle!
Let's face it, the above list should make it clear that a clean colon = healthy individual! You have nothing to lose (except maybe excess weight) and a lot to gain by a regular colon cleansing. Of all the products out there Bowtrol offers a safe, natural, effective way to gently cleanse your insides. Because Bowtrol is all-natural made from a herbal blend, there are no adverse side effects.

Safe Colon Cleansing: Your Good Health Guide

The Natural Way to Heal Cancer

2008-12-17T16:15:00.002+08:00

Is it possible to control and influence rate at which injuries, wounds and even cancer heal? That’s the question a group of researchers from the Ohio State University asked when they decided to observe wound healing rates in a group of exercising older adults in comparison to that of a non-exercising control group.

This three-month study looked at the effects of exercise on wound healing among healthy older adults. All participants had not exercised regularly for six months, so the 28 participants who were encouraged to exercise were given one month to acclimatize to a new exercise program that included 30 minutes of pedaling on a stationary bike, 15 minutes jogging or brisk walking on a treadmill, and 15 minutes of strength training. Fifteen participants acted as controls by not changing their level of physical activity. All then underwent a small puncture wound about half a centimeter across and deep on the back of the upper arm. Individual wounds were measured three times a week until fully healed. Regular exercisers took only 29 days to heal, while non-exercisers took up to 10 days longer to recover. From these results, researchers have speculated that exercise may speed wound healing by enhancing neuron-endocrine function, meaning that stronger individuals have a higher body function that helps the body heal wounds and cancer faster.

The point of this study is not that exercise is important. It is now acknowledged as an important factor in maintaining health. The main point is that even moderate exercise can improve the time to recover in wound and cancer healing.

In the case of a cancer diagnostic, the body and its recovery system: the immune system, are stressed by the attack of the disease on the body. Even a moderate level of exercise can improve your condition. Your breathing rate increases, bringing more oxygen to your cells. Your heart rate increases as well, pumping and circulating that oxygen to all parts of the body.

The immune system contains some of the fastest replicating cells in the human body. You must remember that self healing does occur for people with cancer. It doesn’t yet happen as often or as fast as it does with the cold or with the flu, but it can. The main strategy to improving the self-healing capacity of the body is obvious: increase the strength of the immune system. Strengthening the immune system is probably the most significant thing you can do for yourself to heal cancer and wounds quicker, and as a happy side-effect, many other life improvements come along with an improved immune system.

One very simple improvement is a modification in breathing. Far too often, we take quick and shallow breaths. This can lead to a higher blood pressure, as it constricts the blood vessels. That constriction slows our circulation, which also reduce the speed with which our immune system can respond to a problem.

Everything going on in your body is dependant upon a steady and regular circulation of blood. Anything that interferes with that circulation is unhealthy and needs to be resolved immediately. It can slow down healing and promote cancer.

The solution to this problem is really rather simple: commit five minutes, three times a day, to breathe deeply. You can do this while working, reading, driving, etc. You’ll probably find it most beneficial if you start your day and end your day with one of these five minute breathing exercises. To learn more ways to remain cancer-free, read Cancer Free For Life. Dr Magne has written in it the results of extensive studies and research that demonstrate the cancer can be healed without chemotherapy or surgery.

In close conjunction with the concept of deeper and more thorough breathing is the practice of relaxation with breathing exercises. This focuses solely on the action of breathing while you do it. Obviously, then, this requires that you not be driving or reading a book. Instead you simply find a comfortable place to sit, put yourself into the most comfortable sitting posture, and focus on your breathing.

To really focus on breathing during this time, you should focus your attention on your belly, as if you have a balloon in your stomach. Inhale, slowly, to fill the balloon and focus on the expansion happening in your stomach area. Hold the breath for a comfortable amount of time and exhale slowly, depleting the balloon in your stomach.

You’ll probably find out almost immediately that you feel a lot better…even if you didn’t realize you could! In the process, you are also strengthening your immune system, providing it with the necessary support to speed healing of cancer and wounds.

Cancer treatments can cause serious damage to the immune system. This damage opens you up to a wide-range of infections and diseases. If you are diagnosed with cancer, it’s important that you listen to what your physician tells you with an open mind. Don’t operate under the assumption that your doctor will know everything there is to know. Research all your other options, learn everything you can and take control of your own recovery. Your doctor doesn’t have the time to get to know you. Often the prognostic you receive is only the result of statistics and probabilities, but doesn’t take into account your own ability to recover and your will to live.

Even moderate exercise and deep breathing can save your life from cancer by speeding up your healing.

Millions Now Living Need Never Die Of Cancer

Acne Fact and Fiction! Do Stress, Facials and Concealer's Help to Promote or Reduce Acne Breakouts?

2008-12-06T14:18:00.002+08:00

What is Acne? People have differing opinions as to what acne really is. So, what exactly is acne? Do a couple of occasional but recurring zits qualify as a case of acne or do you have to have a lot of zits?

Believe it or not, the answer is that occasional pimples or zits do not constitute a true case of acne. Although zits do seem to have the ability to appear almost instantaneously and at the most inopportune times like picture day, prom night, spelling bees, sporting events, dates, and special award ceremonies, they are not a true acne outbreak.

The dictionary defines acne as "an inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands, characterized by comedones and pimples, especially on the face, back, chest, and, in severe cases, by cysts and nodules resulting in scarring."

The anatomical definition of sebaceous glands is: "small subcutaneous glands usually connected with hair follicles. The follicles secrete an oily semi-fluid matter, composed in great part of fat, which softens and lubricates the hair and skin."

Real acne outbreaks are actually a disease of the skin. However, the great news is that acne is treatable. Although it can be very embarrassing, cause great emotional distress, and lower your personal self-esteem for a period of time, acne is not fatal.

There are new and effective treatments being sought by researchers and great advances have been made in the treatment of acne in the last few years. Years ago, when a person had acne, they were pretty much stuck with the problem. There were very few treatments available and the medical profession didn't even consider acne a disease.

It was long thought that acne was the direct result of a diet that was too high in fat and/or sweets. That is no longer the case. Acne is most often associated with puberty and the onset of pre-teen and teenage years but it can and does develop in adults as well. When acne does finally heal, there can be permanent scars left (from picking and popping) that are unsightly and cause patients to suffer long term emotional distress and low self- esteem.

New and very effective skin resurfacing treatments have been developed over the last several years that have, if not completely removed acne scars, at least diminished their appearance and severity.

Acne Fact or Fiction:
You can hear a lot of tall tales about acne today, so let's take a look at the fact or fiction of acne. It is always better to be well armed with factual information so that you don't get fooled by the fictional facts that surround acne.

Fictional Fact #1: Acne is caused by a lack of sexual activity.
Factual Fact: Acne and sexual activity are two entirely separate issues. One has no bearing on the other. Hormones secreted during puberty and young adulthood does have a bearing on acne. They also have a bearing on sexual arousal and activity. However, acne has no bearing on sexual activity nor does sexual activity have any bearing on acne.

Fictional Fact #2: People have acne because they are dirty.
Factual Fact: Dirt has no part in acne. Dirt is dirt. Acne is acne. One has nothing to do with the other. Acne is a build up of oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria. Dirt isn't involved. Keeping the face clean can and will help to prevent clogged pores but dirt does not cause acne.

Fictional Fact #3: Dermatologists can cure acne.
Factual Fact: Dermatologists can TREAT acne. They can help to alleviate the symptoms and help to clear up the pimples, black-heads, and white heads. They can prescribe antibiotics and topical ointments, lotions, and creams that will help but there is no cure at this time for acne.

Fictional Fact #4: Acne is simply a skin problem.
Factual Fact: It's true that acne affects the skin but it can also affect the way a person sees himself or herself. Acne and the scarring it can leave behind may cause a sufferer to become depressed and develop low self-esteem, both of which can lead to larger and more complex life socialization problems. Acne sufferers need the loving support and reassurance from their family and friends.

Acne and Stress:
Can stress actually cause acne? There is ample evidence available to suggest that stress can most assuredly cause an acne breakout or make an existing breakout worse. Our bodies are highly developed chemical laboratories that produce all sorts of stuff.

At puberty, our body begins to produce an abundance of male hormones and this happens in both boys and girls. This overproduction of male hormones can happen at other times in life besides puberty; for example, when a girl or woman starting or stops taking birth control pills.

These male hormones cause the bodies sebaceous glands to shift into overdrive and begin producing sebum. The sebum then travels up hair follicles, clogs the pores and begins the acne development cycle. However, male hormones are not the only cause for the sebaceous glands to begin producing an overabundance of sebum. When we become extremely stressed or overly emotional, our bodies react by causing the adrenal glands to produce a substance known as Cortisol, which is released directly into the bloodstream. Then the chemical chain reaction continues as the sebaceous glands release sebum, the sebum travels up the same hair follicles, clogs the pores and acne develops.

The physical changes in the body can cause exactly the same chemical chain reaction as the emotional changes in the mind. The mind/body connection is very real. Maybe some of it really IS in your head. If that's the case, there is help available to help people deal with the acne that is caused by stress. Reducing stress will just naturally reduce sebum production by the sebaceous glands and reducing sebum production will help to alleviate an acne breakout. Therefore, when you learn to reduce and control you stress levels, this part of the chemical chain reaction is minimized.

It really it isn't any different than restoring a hormonal balance to your body that reduces sebum production. So, in the final analysis, both factors that cause excessive sebum production should be addressed. Solving one problem might help; however, solving both problems could eliminate acne altogether.

Acne Facials:
If you are part of the 95 of the population who suffer from acne, you have more than likely seen TV or print media advertisements for acne facials. Have you ever wondered if there is anything to the claims that their manufacturers make?

In general, the answer is yes! Most acne facials are very effective, pretty much worth the price, and can be used in conjunction with your usual acne fighting regime. They won't necessarily replace any part of what you are already doing; but, rather enhance the overall effects.

You can find acne facials in most health stores, at many cosmetic counters, and online. As a matter of fact, you can probably complete a better comparison of available products online than you can anywhere else.

Most of these acne facial products provide for a three-step program. The first step is a complete facial cleansing. The next step is a steam massage. The final step is a facial mask. The first two steps are designed to prepare the face. The steam massage softens the black heads and the white heads to remove toxins from your skin. The facial mask serves to remove the dead skin cells from the face and to moisturize it as well. The overall effect of the acne facial is a very relaxing, calming, and cleansing experience. It just plain feels good. Anything that helps to calm and sooth your stress can't be bad because we all know that acne is aggravated by high stress levels. Acne facial masks can be used in addition to other parts of your acne prevention and treatment regime or you may find that the facial can, in fact, actually replace some things that you are currently doing.

Acne Concealer's:
One of Newton's laws of physics laws says that, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." That law of physics spills over into a lot of our life situations. For example: A young woman gets a zit and wants to cover it up. The cosmetics industry has a multitude of products designed to do just that. Okay, that's a little far out there but you get my point.

The acne pimples, whether they are white heads or black heads should never be picked at or popped. If they are popped or picked, it can and normally does result is a scar that is much harder to get rid of than the actual pimple, black head or white head. Popping a pimple is not going to make it go away. In fact, popping a pimple is only going to make the acne worse.

Still when you get a zit, you have to go out and face the world so you are looking for ways to make your skin look clear. You want to disguise the zit and make it as unnoticeable as possible. Here is where the cosmetic industry can help. There are a multitude of products designed to make a zit less noticeable. You don't want to use a product that just adds to the problem by adding additional oil to already oily skin. So, you do need to remember, that when you use a cover product to make the zit less noticeable, you need to totally clean the product from your skin immediately when you return home.

Some of the better known as well as more effective cosmetic concealer's on the market today are:

1. Dermablend Smooth Indulgence Concealer: This product produces a smooth matte appearance and was designed specifically for covering acne blemishes as well as for covering Rosacea and dark circles under the eyes.
2. Flawless Skin by Prescriptives: This product will not aggravate acne but will supply a medium to full coverage and it contains SPF 25 for protection from the sun.
Don't let acne control you; but rather, become smart and learn how to control the negative influences in your life that create a positive situation for acne to develop!

The Definite Guide To Acne Free Skin

8 Proven Points To Make A Home Business Website Profitable

2008-12-03T18:42:00.002+08:00

It is a miracle how the most successful home business websites have so much in common, despite of the fact that they look so different. This cannot be a co-incident.
One common feature is that these successful sites are likable and somehow easy to use. Everything looks so clear, so it is easy to judge whether you like it or not.
They look so simple, that I often ask, what special they have and how they have become so successful? It seems that the simpler and the more user friendly the site is, the better chances it has to create big sales.
Very clearly one big success factor is that the finetuning work should concentrate to take away all the unnecessary elements and non-selling links.

1. Winning Element: Attention Grabbing Title.
The title is absolutely the most important element of the site. It should contain the promise and to describe the content of the site.
A Great Title informs in a catchy way that this website includes the benefits about this topic.
The headline should be written well and it should stand out from the rest of the copy. It also should be the first element, which catches the visitor attention in seconds, because if it does not do that, the visitor continues the surfing.

2. Winning Element: Well Written Copy.
The Internet is the information highway, so the role of the copy is very important, this is the world of the words. The copy should draw the readers attention immediately to the benefits your offer give to him.
The style is important and the target is to build up the trust from the first contact. The copy should make the reader enthusiastic about the benefits but it should not use hype style overpromises, because they will destroy the trust.

3. Winning Element: Easy Site Navigation.
This is the technical must, because nothing drives the visitors away faster than the bad navigation. The site structure should be clear and logical, so that the visitor knows all the time, where he is and to where he could go from here.
The menu should be the same on every page and clearly accessible and also easy to understand. The terms should be clear, despite of the fact that you may want to use internet home business keyphrases.

4. Winning Element: Call To Action.
After the copy has presented the main benefits it is the time to call the reader into action. The clearnes is important. The visitor hates the situation, when he does not know, what to do next so it is better to call him to action and not to leave him guessing? Action is everything and we have to call the reader to do that.
One good way is to lower the bar, i.e. to offer a cheap or free trial opportunity for some weeks, before the reader will buy the product. The efficiency is the better, the more often you call the reader into action.

5. Winning Element: Images.
One picture tells more than thousand words. You should include photos of every product you sell, because they make the products more real, than the copy alone.
To make the navigation easier, you can use thumbnails instead of big images, which link to larger images. This speed up the page loadings.

6. Winning Element: Optin Form.
Most of the internet home business visitors needs at least five contacts before they will buy. It is important to get the website visitor`s name and email address in the early stage, because otherwise they can leave the site and you will never see them again.
In this process you have to give them a gift, an email course, a free e-book or something like that, which again will sell your offer later on. Now you can send them messages during a long period of time, which clearly makes the process more productive.

7. Winning Element: About Us Section.
The idea of every internet home business site is to build trust over a long period of time. This requires that you tell enough about yourself and give your contact information for further questions.
All big home business brands are build by stories, so can you also do. The idea of the story is to give enough information about you and to show that there is a real person working for the customers. This shows people that there is a real people behind the business.

8. Winning Element: Site Freshness.
People and search engines love unique, fresh information. A successful home business website goes through regular changes and additions. The visitor sees immediately that it is up to date.
It is useful to look the competing sites in your internet home business niche, because they are a great source of new ideas. Another idea is to make sure your site can stand out from the crowd.
The marketing is very important but the key is still the quality of your internet home business site. It makes the people to come back and it is the real place, where they can reach you and your offers.

Ewen Chia`s Auto Pilot Profits

2008-11-17T13:12:00.002+08:00

Creating Your Vision : by Ivan Campuzano

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one" Albert Einstein

I feel that one of the most important ingredients in your formula for success is having a clearly defined and vivid vision of where you want to be. At first the “how” is not that important, you need to create a vision that gets you so excited that you develop the mentality that you will stop at nothing to get what you want. Many people first focus on the how than very quickly find themselves overwhelmed with too many details and just as quickly talk them selves out of pursuing their goals. You have to take a leap of faith and trust that the how will be shown to you as you go along. Do you remember the days as a kid with dreams of epic proportions? What happened those dreams? You got older and domesticated by a society that says that having those dreams is foolish. That’s nonsense, why wouldn’t you want to accomplish the things that even as a kid you knew would make you happy. I encourage you to dream like you once used to.

“Shoot for the moon…even if you miss you’ll still be amongst them stars”- Beanie Sigel(rap artist)

One way I keep myself motivated and keep my vision alive is through my picture book. In my book I have everything that I want and every morning I look at it to remind me what I want in life. Go right now and get some magazines and cut out every picture of the things you want and places you want to visit, don’t be thinking if you can actually get those things now, dare to dream. Remember your mind thinks in pictures, look at your picture book until in becomes as vivid as possible in the theater of your mind. Your mind cant tell the difference between something you remember or something you experience in real time.

Visualization Exercises(meditation)
You can think of meditation as conscious sleeping. Just as you sleep to gain energy for your daily functioning, meditation is conscious sleeping that gives you all the energy(creative abilities) you need for what you intend to accomplish.

I also use lucid dreaming as another way to increase creativity, I will soon write a hub on lucid dreaming.(Lucid dreaming is when you actually become aware in your dream that you are dreaming, once properly trained you can control your dreams)

Use the power of meditation to help you achieve your goals. Strive to everyday meditate one minute for each year of your current age. I am 24, so everyday I try and meditate at least 24 minutes. If you are new to meditation check out this website on transcendental meditation .There are many techniques find something that feels good to you.

Quantum Mind Power

Daily Routine:

1. Pick a nice comfortable place where to meditate. Have an intention on what you plan to meditate on before hand. Ex. A destination you want to visit.
2. Find a comfortable position to sit. Sitting on a chair or on the floor, does not really matter as long as it is comfortable for you.
3. Cross your legs, clasp your hands together.(this helps make your own energy circuit and gives stability)
4.Close your eyes, than stop inner and outer chatter.
5. Relax, begin thinking that your whole body is becoming extremely relaxed.
6. Eyes should be closed.
7. You will notice that your mind is full of many thoughts. Your mind will than begin to ask questions to those thoughts and try and come up with answers whether they are known or unknown. This is why your mind(ego) can be your enemy if it mostly thinks in negative terms.
8. You will need to transcend your mind and thoughts in order to meditate. Your mind and thoughts are what separate you from your higher self, you can also think of your higher self as your subconscious mind don't worry about the labels.
9. You transcend your mind by simply observing your breath. Don't inhale/exhale consciously just observe your natural breathing. Don't go behind your thoughts, if you catch your self drifting just always come back to your breathing. Slowly the amount of thoughts reduces and your breathing becomes thinner and shorter. If you are able to keep all your focus on your breath, you will get to the point of no thought and no breath. This state of no thought is your connection to your divine being and energy body. The more you meditate the more benefits and energy that you will receive. Your own self awareness and consciousness will also expand.
10. You will feel a very pleasurable feeling meditating. If you feel any discomfort in your body these can be possible areas of disease or illness. If you meditate everyday you will heal your body naturally.
11. Now that you are in a state of no thought and total relaxation. Begin to think only on your intention. Remember whatever you think now is in a state that will be impregnated directly into your subconscious. It is incredibly important that you don't color any of your thoughts with any lack,limitation,dis belief or doubt. This is why almost all self help material does not produce the results people expect. Wishing for more money(or anything else) never works, the thought of wanting more money also has the thought of doubt attached to it. Ask your self how many thoughts that you think about have been modified in a way that is not beneficial to you. You just never realize that you are programming your sub conscious all day. This is why meditation is so powerful. You are able to make suggestions to your subconscious where the thought is not modified in any way shape or form. So if you want to make things happen fast you need to get rid of the concept of attaching time to yourthoughts. You have to remember that everything you get in your life comes based on the conditions that you set up and time is usually one condition that cuases the most frustration with people. Just as a computer programmer gives a computer instructions to complete a task, you program the most powerful computer you have which is your subconscious. Your conscious mind acts as the gate keeper as to what thoughts you let in. Now that you know this choose to become more aware and conscious about what you think all day long. Learn to see the world in a non linear way, remove time from your consiousness and watch how things show up in your life faster than you ever thought. Thoughts = feelings = actions = results (just like that you can begin to shape your life)
12. Mentally rehearse every moment of it with all your senses. Dare to be like Peter Pan :)
13. Visualize in vivid detail, your intention as established fact. Also make sure you meditate only on days you feel good. Remember you want your thoughts to be as pure as possible. This also means that you really find out what you want, make sure its not something you want solely for ego purposes. Thoughts that involve the ego are usually always colored with negativity.
14. With time you will begin to be able to hold vivid pictures of anything(you will develop you third eye). The more you are able to hold onto an image in your mind the more power you give it.
15. Get up and go have a great day :) notice how much energy you have the rest of the day. As you advance in your discipline, you will have a lot of fun basically creating your day before it starts.

Beliefs

To start making that vision a reality you will have to change some of your beliefs and adopt beliefs that will help you reach your goals. Because if you have this great vision of you retiring on your own private beach but deep down you don’t believe you can do it, you have already sabotaged yourself. Your desire and your belief are in conflict with each other and therefore you will not manifest what it is that you want into your life. If you want to be a good leader one day but you currently have the belief that you are a shy person, it will not happen. You need to truly make a decision to adopt the belief that you are really outgoing. When you truly decide to do something you will find a way to do it.

“Nothing happens unless first a dream” – Carl Sandburg

Some Ways to shape your beliefs

1. Always think Success- as soon as you think about failure forget about it and don’t let anymore negative thoughts snowball. The more attention you give a thought the more powerful it will become than you will make it harder for yourself to get back to a productive mind state. The only way to change how you feel is to think about something else. Whenever you feel doubt, fear, and failure creeping into your mind have a default thought that you can use to avoid giving attention to mental poison. As soon as I feel I am entertaining thoughts of negativity I immediately begin to think about relaxing on a beach and affirm to myself that “I attract abundance to all areas of my life”. The more I try and have the feelings of being on the beach with no worries and remind myself that I am in complete control of how I feel, I immediately feel the negativity begin to melt away as I begin to focus on my new positive thought.

2. Develop the belief that you are better than you currently feel- don’t look at your weaknesses as a burden but as an opportunity to improve your self. When I find something I don’t like about my personality I don’t get down on myself for it, I just realize that now I have something I can work on to make myself better. Most importantly love and accept who you are, not who you will or should be.

3. Believe that sky’s the limit- if you have little goals you will have little success, the bigger your dreams the more potential for your possible success. Even If you think your dream is too big, strive to reach that dream, because you will end up at a better place than if you would have set your sights on a smaller goal. The trick is to really believe you can do it, this just isn’t wishful thinking. Wishful thinking never got anyone anything, you need to find out what you want and get out there and get it. If you really want that house on the beach your mind will come up with ways to help you get it.(develop faith in your self)

How to remove junk beliefs

1. Meditate on your old belief and tell the truth about it. Now replace it with a belief that will better serve you. Meditate on it until you feel you have changed that belief.

Now when you accept these beliefs it means you will have to raise your standards and develop a strategy that will put you on the road to accomplish what you set forth. Do whatever you have to do. Read any books that will spark your interest or help you discover any distinctions that will point you in the right direction. Find a role model, a person who has already accomplished what you want. Find out what some of their beliefs, interests, body language, image, etc. is and adopt them as your own. Your role model can serve as a blue print, the goal is to cut down on the trial and error so you can get where you want faster than you ever thought possible. You can take all the qualities from all the people you admire and add your own personal touch. Just think of if it as if you are trying to build the person you want and know you can be. Thomas Edison is one of the greatest inventors in history, he was able to elaborate, modify and adapt on other peoples ideas. You don’t have torecreate the wheel just constantly be aware of any success ingredients you come across and make them part of your identity. Think of your mind as a warehouse the more you learn and store will eventually serve as an inventory for future reference, which will breed new ideas and perspectives.

Consistency is key we are all creatures of patterns and habits. In order to become the person you desire to be, start by changing your patterns. Think of all the quality traits you must possess, make a pattern which uses those traits efficiently than strive to be consistent. Consistency will develop into habits and this is key because if you fail to be consistent with your actions you will not be consistent with who you desire to be. This lack of confusion between your actions and what your mind knows you are capable of leads to tremendous amounts of stress, confusion, and even depression. Many other consequences also come from a lack of consistency.

This is why awareness of self is critical; you need to be constantly evaluating your self. Decide if the persona you are currently displaying is the reality that you want for yourself,because with enough time thats what your reality will become.

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Give Up On Life But Not On Yourself!

2008-10-12T17:43:00.002+08:00

Not too long ago when an ex colleague of mine called me and asked me how I was doing, I replied that I have given up on life but not on myself.

As of today, I have not closed any deals in the last 3 months as a property agent, which would mean that I will not be getting any money 4 months down the road. I am living on whatever savings I have now.

It has been more than a year since I was betrayed by that bitch who told me that I could trust her in return for helping her get rid of her closest rival in power. Today, she sits pretty as a director of the company and continues to draw a generous salary while I am living with extreme anxiety almost everyday.

It is not easy living with the thought that while your money is running out on a monthly basis while knowing that no money is coming in for next few months is a nightmare. Well, I have been living like that since July 2007. Things do not seem to fall in place for me at all. In fact, more bad things seem to happen to me rather than good things. It is like the odds are always stacked against me. This has led me or taught me to adopt a new view of life. That is one may give up on life but never give up on yourself.

Now that Singapore is in recession and retrenchment is looming in the extremely near future, I hope many would adopt a similar attitude to life. Believe me, it is not easy coping with the high cost of living and the prospect of not getting another job. For myself? Well I tried applying for a job but only 1 pathetic company called me for an interview and it wasn`t successful. I have been zealously distributing my flyers offering my services as a real estate agent but not many respond to my flyers. And I just get very upset when other agents get listings while I am not rewarded for all my hard work.

With such huge odds to go against, I simply told myself to fight till I drop dead. What else can I do? I have done all I possibly can to earn a decent living but shit keeps happening to me.

I have to admit that Robert Kiyosaki`s books have helped me to cultivate this pattern of thinking. Essentially, what I have learnt from him is that one must never ever give up if one wants to succeed in life and be rich. There is no short cut to riches.

Well, it is my sincere hope that those who are already in a shitty situation or who are going to be in a shitty situation of going into financial hardship, you may give up on life but never ever give up on yourself. Because when you come out of the storm and made it in life, you can look back and be really proud of yourself. It will definitely build strength in your character and it will come in handy when you need to weather another storm in life.

Is It Possible To Live Life With Ethics & Principles?

2008-09-13T15:19:00.004+08:00

The above question certainly reveals the kind of person we are inside and certainly dictates that we be extremely honest with ourselves.

Well, Johnny Boy said that to me after he grudgingly gave me a `generous` raise. He said that no one can live by principles. I guess what he was trying to get at was that if you want to get rich, you most definitely have to be a sneaky bastard. Or, the other alternative is to marry a rich person.

Well, Johnny Boy is the latter. He married a well to do Vietnamese divorcee. His marriage is a buy one get two free type. In other words, he got two teenage daughters from his wife`s previous failed marriage. His wife is a rather prominent person in Vietnam`s business world. That explains why he kept his job despite blowing half a million dollars of the company`s fund on a software that was never used.

Well, after the company was closed and he declined to take up their offer in the new set up, thus leaving that bitch to take over his post, he concentrated on other matters. His wife started building 2 hotels in Vietnam and he simply conveniently helped his wife in the business. Wait a minute, does that not make him a gigolo?

Well, now we can all understand why he said what he said to me. Simply because he cannot live his life within the boundaries of morally upright ethics and principles.

On a personal note, I am of the opinion that whether we want to live an upright life or not, is all a matter of choice. No one can FORCE you to denounce what you stand for. But the big question is, are you prepared for the consequences this course brings? I can virtually guarantee that it will be a tough life. It can especially be mentally and emotionally draining, thus leading one into depression even. But you know what? You would be able to lift your head up high with pride and tell your kids and grand kids that you have lived your life with integrity.

So Johnny Boy, yes you must be enjoying life staying in a private condominium and driving a ill-gotten beemer for now. Do enjoy it while you can. There will come a time when retribution knocks on your door to pay you back in kind you spineless coward!

Johnny Boy - Part 1

2007-11-19T15:13:00.000+08:00

I was told that Johnny Boy was a gang member in his younger days. I confirmed this when I spotted the small tattooed dot on his forehead. Though gang members may not be the kind of people we would normally be comfortable with, I personally respect them for one thing. That is, they have a code of conduct or ethics to be admired for. They are a bunch of people who hold highly to loyalty. Unfortunately, Johnny Boy has brought nothing but dishonor and shame to this code of conduct or ethics. He is basically a very very petty person whereby he would keep accounts of what others have done to him and he takes things very very personal. At least that is what my dealings with him have proved.

When I joined the company, the first year, there was no annual increment. The second year, he only gave the managers an increment but not the the rest of the staff. Here is where I just cannot tolerate this practise. The staff make the managers look good. Without the staff, can the managers hold their heads up high?

On the third year, he sort of caved in to peer pressure. He originally did not intend to give us any raise. But Eric spread the news around the office that Johnny Boy got the head office to buy him a personal car. It was a continental car at that. When he felt the unhappiness of the staff, he took steps to try to calm everybody. He gave everyone a raise. But it was really really pathetic.

Among the staff, the amounts ranged from $10 to $50. Well I got a generous raise of $50 after 3 years of service to the company. I pondered about this and came to a decision.

I decided to return his kind gesture. So I walked into his office and spoke to him. I was very respectful towards him throughout the whole conversation. I started off by telling him that I am not making any personal attack on him but that it was a matter of principle. I told him that I would like to return the $50 raise he has given me. I explained to him that ever since I started generating reports, I know for a fact that the company`s sales has improved over the last 3 years, hence, to give me a $50 raise is just unacceptable.

He then asked me how much I wanted. I replied that it is not wise for him to ask me how much I wanted because the management has to put a value to that and not for the staff to make demands. He assured me that he wants to know what I have in mind rather than having to put in another figure and I may be disappointed with the figure again. I thought about it and said that $200 over 3 years would be reasonable to me. He then said that he will have to put in this request to the head office and that he would let me know.

He then started telling me that he is aware of the staff`s unhappiness about him getting the head office to buy him a car on the company`s account. I replied that I was not using that as an excuse to get a better raise and that I am not making him feel guilty about it. He confirmed his understanding.

I then asked him about career advancement in the company. I told him that I was concerned about it. I cited Hokkien Peng`s example. He has been in the company for 7 years and yet he isn`t moving up. If he doesn`t move up, I won`t get to move up. From his very own mouth, he told me that the company always gives internal staff the top priority when it comes to career advancement. I thought I could trust him. But as it turned out, he took this incident very personally.

Some of my colleagues told me that my career has gone kaput because Johnny Boy is a very very petty person and that he will remember this for as long as I am around.

What resulted was that I got a better raise and they gave Hokkien Peng a promotion. What the hell man. I was putting my neck on the guillotine and someone else got a better deal.

Anyway, when Johnny Boy gave me the good news, he told me this which I remember till this day. He said that in life, we cannot insist on living by principles, otherwise, life will be unlivable. This is the talk of a spineless coward. He has got no back bone of his own which is why he has to sell his soul to the devil.

Keep a lookout for part 2.

www.freeyourselfpackage.com

Jenny - The Grand Finale

2007-11-12T16:00:00.000+08:00

I guess what Jenny eventually did would speak volume about her power mad cum hungry character. She is also a person who does not play by the rules at all. Indeed, as some of my colleagues would say, she is a person with a thousand faces.

This year, the announcement for retrenchment was made some time in April. It was announced that due to restructuring issues, head office decided to close the Singapore office and that the agency would be transferred to another company. This company turned out to be an affiliate company of the head office. It was made known that the reason for downsizing was because the head office decided to pull out one service which meant that the work load would be halved. This turned out to be a fabrication and a lie. So for those of you wants to work with the Vietnamese, just make sure you are not being made their carrot head.

But during May & June, Jenny was secretly conducting interviews for people to replace me & Hokkien Peng. This is outright wickedness on Jenny`s part. There is not a chance in hell that Jenny can explain her way out of it. However, I do hope that she has the ability to bear the consequences of her wicked deeds when her day of retribution comes.

Does Jenny have what it takes to be in management? Well, read on and you judge for yourselves.

Basically, the whole office knew that the name list was drawn up by Jenny alone. But, Johnny Boy insisted that it was himself, Jenny and the Vietnamese rep were involved in this decision making. In the marketing department, there was the new Assistant Trade Manager who was newly employed just to take care of existing clients, no need to bring in new clients. There was Hokkien Peng who can`t write a proper sentence to save his life if it depended on it and myself, the diploma holder who was doing reports for the department. Bear in mind that Johnny Boy publicly declared that his old staff would be the priority. How did they fare as management? Well, I thought that in such situations, they would retain people who could multi task. But their decision reflects how they took matters very personal and used this opportunity to get back at others. Well, no surprises here then. They retained the Assistant Trade Manager and Hokkien Peng, and got rid of poor old me.

Jenny Jenny, how to be a Assistant GM like that? Already a grown up and yet behave like a kid. As for Johnny Boy, he claims to be a man of integrity, so how can he justify and condone Jenny`s secretly conducting interviews with the intention of replacing me & Hokkien Peng?

I do hope that the piece of thread on Jenny`s wrist is meant to ward off evil. If not, then she is only shaming and dishonoring what the thread is supposed to represent and symbolize.

Till date, Jenny firmly believes that she did not betray me. However, she does not deny that I did help her to get rid of Eric. So she still owes me a favor but looks like she does not intend to make good for it.

I guess in office politics, power can make one do very silly and shameless things. Jenny is of a mature age but she has such a dark and sinister side to her character.

As the saying goes, you will reap what you have sown.

Reactions So Far

2007-11-07T22:34:00.000+08:00

So far, I have had mixed reactions. Before I proceed, I have to say that I appreciate feedback, be it negative or positive.

Some have said that my blog is brutally honest and yet others can sense anger and unhappiness in my blogs. Firstly, who enjoys being taken for a ride by others? Secondly, I believe or at least hope that my writing style can capture the essence of the reality of life.

I guess some may say that what I have gone through is like a drama serial seen on TV. Perhaps some script writers from Mediacorp can incorporate this script in their up and coming drama?

I also have to state that I am not trying to gain sympathy from anyone. I believe that there are people who may be depressed by the injustice they are experiencing or they may be wondering why bad things keep happening to them. By my experience, I sincerely hope that my blogs can convey to them that life MUST go on. Living life may be a matter of battling alot of negativity but all is not lost. Even if there are 5 wicked people around you, there are 5 or more good and sincere people out there.

Dear readers, if you have taken a tumble, pick yourself up and continue walking. And whatever harm people do to you, don`t go all out to mete out your justice to them. They are just not worth it. They WILL have their retribution in due time. Perhaps not this year, not next year or even for the next 10 years. But they WILL have their retribution.

Must read!
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_174031.html

Jenny - Part 3

2007-11-06T13:22:00.000+08:00

Jenny seems to have a `flair` for marketing. Again, judge for yourself.

As with all sales people, Jenny had her own favourite client. But the way she took care of them was a tad bit strange.

In our industry, each booking should translate to one set of BL. At that time, the BL fee was $50 per set. So Jenny executed her marketing plan this way. She told her client that if they were to give her at least 10 bookings on each vessel, she will give them a one off discount on their already cheap rates. The best part was, they had to put it in one BL even if they have 10 separate bookings with us. That was really `smart` thinking on her part. Logically speaking, if her client booked 10 separate shipments with us, that would have translated to $500 in earnings from BL fee for the company. But based on her `brilliant` marketing plan, the company was making only $50 but more work to service her client.

However, after bringing this matter up to Johnny Boy, her client`s support dwindled immediately. Gee, I wonder why.

Whether she was benefiting from the arrangement we do not know. But who is the soap salesman now?

Jenny - Part 2

2007-11-06T11:28:00.000+08:00

When Jenny was frustrated that Hokkien Peng and me were beyond her control, she started making life extremely hard for us. It was especially me because Hokkien Peng would only rant about her behind her back but would not speak freely when in front of her.

There was one time when she tried trapping me but her sinister plan did not bring her the desired result she wanted. In Vietnam, there are a multitude of ports, each being operated by different owners. Our vessels were calling at one particular port, port A. We also had a partner`s vessel that called at port B. We were accepting bookings to both ports but for port B, we could not accept bookings on our own vessels. So one day, I had a client who wanted to book a shipment on our vessel but to port B, which wasn`t allowed. For my part, I have already informed my client that if they wanted to book to Port B, they have to book on our partner`s vessel which was a later vessel. While I was out for sales, Jenny called me and clarified with me if I have clarified with my client regarding this and I dutifully told her that I have explained things crystal clear to my client. But lo & behold, she actually allowed my client to book to port B on our own vessel. In actual fact, the transfer from Port A to port B does not cost the company a single cent. So I thought that Jenny made an exception for my client. A few days later, Jenny shot and e-mail to me and said that because I have not done my job dutifully, an additional cost has been incurred to transfer the shipment from port A to port B. But she will write to the head office to appeal for a waiver for me.

I replied her e-mail with cc to Johnny Boy. I refuted her accusations with facts and I told her that there is no need to appeal for a waiver for me, I will just bear the cost on my own and asked her to take it from my salary. No reply from her.

Next day, Johnny Boy called me for a private chat. He felt that I was personalizing the whole matter and that it wasn`t good for the working environment. So I just explained to him that I could not understand why he arrived at that conclusion as in my e-mail reply, I clearly indicated that I want to close the case and move on. Johnny Boy said that he knows me well enough and he isn`t making a big deal out of it. He said that mistakes are made so that we learn from them and help them refine the work process. Then he began dissecting the whole situation. I felt so compelled to scream the answer to him. But thank goodness on this occasion, he was smart enough to conclude that the customer service should have been the first line of defense in preventing such things from happening. Case closed.

Well, what Jenny did or planned on this occasion, what would you call it? Sinister? Her intentions were rather obvious don`t you think so?

Jenny - Part 1

2007-11-04T16:23:00.000+08:00

Firstly, allow me to set the record straight. As mentioned in my previous post, I did help Jenny to get rid of Eric, as such, as a matter of principle, she owes me a favor right? I mean, if anyone out there has a different opinion about it, please let me hear your reasoning.

After Eric left the company, Jenny sort of had mixed emotions. I still remember that the evening that Eric left, Jenny called me from the office and broke the news to me. She was crying and I asked her this simple question. Why was she crying when she was expecting this result? She explained that she felt bad in view of the many years they had been working together. Crocodile tears.

Anyway, after Eric`s departure, I never at any point, asked Jenny to put me up for promotion. I just asked her a simple question, `Will they be hiring a replacement for Eric`s post or will they give internal staff the priority`? She assured me that they will not be hiring anyone outside for Eric`s post. But strangely enough, she said to me that I had to play catch up, hinting very softly that I wasn`t good enough. She said that I was like a soap salesman as I did not have any anchor client. How to when Eric was poaching my clients? Moreover, they prefer to continue selling at high rates while existing clients were still getting low rates. Oh my, I think her degree, if she has one at all, is made in Vietnam one.

The situation then was like this, on one hand, I had a diploma and was churning out fairly good reports. In fact, I was the only one doing their monthly marketing report. On the other hand, there was Hokkien Peng, who though was the senior staff, could not speak or write proper English. I am not running Hokkien Peng down but that was the actual fact.

It is true that Hokkien Peng did his more than fair share for the company. But show me an employer today who would continue to increase your salary annually based on past merits while nothing new was being accomplished at the current situation? Hokkien Peng`s clients no doubt gave good support but they too were enjoying low rates. To me, a good sales person is one whose clients are willing to stick with you despite being able to get a slightly cheaper rate from another competitor. If your clients can still make a profit based on existing rates and still chooses to stick with you despite being able to get cheaper rates elsewhere, I take my hats off to you. But the last I heard, his clients migrated to their competitors because of cheaper rates.

Back to Jenny. After my confidential chat with her, I started hearing rumours that the company would be putting out an ad for the post of Asst. Sales Manager. But I still gave Jenny the benefit of the doubt. However, Jenny did not breathe a word to me about this. At this point, I have to say that as a matter of principle or out of courtesy, Jenny should have informed me about it. I did not believe those rumours until I saw the ad myself in the papers. From that point, I felt betrayed. As such, there was nothing to talk about anymore.

Me and Hokkien Peng started to give her the cold shoulder and I just did sub-standard work. She could not take it lah. So she cried to Johnny Boy. The next day, Johnny Boy called me and Hokkien Peng into his office. He admitted that it was his original intention to get a outside replacement for Eric`s post. But now, he has decided to give us a chance to `prove ourselves`. I thought to myself, either this guy is constantly high on drugs or he just isn`t bothered about what`s going on in the office. So I just asked Johnny Boy a question, in what have Hokkien Peng and me not done to prove ourselves? His reply? I don`t want to talk about the past. I want to move forward. What can you say to that?

Anyway, the coming months since then, Jenny would come to reveal her true management style. She wants dogs to work for her. Some might say a dictatorship? She wants to be the smartest one and the one who is indispensable to the company.

Do wait for my next post and you judge for yourself if she is an ethical person or not.

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Eric

2007-11-03T13:45:00.000+08:00

I was retrenched from the company in July 2007. I was with the company for almost 6 years. This company was a cesspool of office politics.

In this story, the main characters are Jenny the Sales & Marketing Manager, Eric the Sales Manager, Johnny Boy the locally appointed director and Hokkien Peng the Uncle salesman.

This is a `fictional` story hor.

I had a chance meeting with Eric at the mechanic`s workshop. It was then that I found my new job. Before I started work for the company, a close associate warned me never ever step on Jenny`s tail.

Jenny was overall in charge of our department and Eric was supposed to report to her. Both of them had a love-hate relationship. Unfortunately, we the soldiers were always used as pawns in their office politicking. Jenny would always paint a picture of herself as the persecuted one by Eric.

I really think that Eric was a very insecure person. He is a compulsive liar and anyone who did not know him well enough will definitely be victimised by him as I was. His strategy was to make his victims feel very bad and inadequate about themselves and he would portray himself as God. At least that was what Hokkien Peng told me.

In my first few months with the company, he started to work on me. He told me that he got feedback from other colleagues that they did not like me and said that I was a free loader, always going around to ask for treats from others. When it came to my confirmation, he said that he was trying very hard to convince Johnny Boy to confirm me. He said that he even quarrelled with Johnny Boy to give me a $150 increment upon confirmation. I did get my confirmation with a $50 increment. Eric told me that me that he tried his best.

In my first year alone, Eric actually threatened to sack me 3 times. Hence, I decided to take a company sponsored diploma course. This meant that upon successful completion of the course, I would be bonded to the company for an additional 1 year. Upon completion of my diploma in Sales & Marketing Management, I presented my diploma to Johnny Boy. That was it. No increment whatsoever.

One day, Eric had gone too far in running me down and I confronted him about it. I told him the reason I took the company sponsored course was because he threatened to sack me 3 times. Stunned, he denied that he ever did that and that maybe I heard him wrongly.

Because of Eric`s poor written English, he `delegated` the job of writing reports to me. I was also asked to churn up various types of reports for analysis. Obviously, Hokkien Peng doesn`t know how to do it. So apart from bringing in high paying clients, I had to do reports as well.

Eric was closely associated with one particular client, a freight forwarder, which Hokkien Peng also knew. In the shipping industry, we have freight forwarders and direct manufacturers as our clients. Direct manufacturers would go to freight forwarders because manufacturers can get credit terms from them and not from shipping lines. Eric`s client always gets the lowest rates for obvious reasons. Firstly, it does not make sense for a freight forwarder to book with another freight forwarder. But I noticed that Eric`s client was taking bookings from the company`s list of clients. I wonder why?? I brought this issue up to Eric`s attention but his genius marketing brain explained to me that it`s because his client has the volume to justify getting low rates and that this is how they get their volume. How to beat such reasoning?

I also noticed that within one month of my getting a new client for the company, my client would book with Eric`s client. Gee, I wonder how Eric`s client got that info??

Eric only allowed me to sell at high rates. Rates that are way higher than our competitors. Each time I proposed a lower rate for my client, Eric would run me down, commenting on my inability. What can you say to that?

Personally, I have no problems with people who do such things. Let`s be candid, corruption exists everywhere no matter how developed a country is. The problem was, Eric went beyond the boundaries by running down his staff.

One day, an incident led to Eric`s `resignation`.

We had a trader as our client but Eric forwarded me an e-mail and asked me to apply for special rates from the head office for another client of his. The e-mail originated from his client and Eric just forwarded it to me without keeping Jenny in copy. The e-mail contained the trader`s details. So I just did what I was told. Then, I forwarded the e-mail to Jenny.

Then I got that fateful call from Jenny. She asked me about the e-mail that I sent. She could no longer deny what was going on about Eric. I threw the idea to her that if she is going to allow Eric to go on like this, then there would be no point for me to acquire new clients because it would just disappear to Eric`s client. I urged her to talk to Johnny Boy about it since she was in management. She act ignorant and asked me how she should go about doing it. I gave her some pointers and I gave her my word of honour that I will back her up all the way and that I will testify to Johnny Boy if it was necessarry. I also asked her if I could trust her. She too gave me her worthless word.

A couple of weeks later, Eric `resigned`.

My First Sales Job

2007-11-03T00:58:00.000+08:00

My first sales job was with a local shipping company. This is perhaps the best job that I had. The boss is good and I was treated with dignity by my manager. I was with the company for about one and a half years. I parted with them on good terms.

Unfortunately, the competition was so fierce that we basically lost out to our competitors which resulted in having to scale down operations. Although I wasn`t retrenched or anything, I knew I had to look elsewhere just in case.

A chance meeting with Eric at my mechanic`s workshop led me to my next job with a Vietnamese shipping company. He told me to go for an interview as there was an opening for a sales executive due to expansion.

The Italian Job

2007-11-02T16:49:00.000+08:00

The second company I joined was a Italian owned shipping company. I joined the company as an executive. I was with the company for about one and a half years.

At that time, it was a relatively newly set up company. I joined the transshipment department as they were expanding. I was basically an outsider to this company as the then existing staff were considered the pioneers of the company. I could get along rather well with my fellow colleagues. But for some reason, the operations manager and the general manager just did not like me. Some of my colleagues just explained that it was just their nature. Anyway, I just did what was expected of me.

My department manager resigned as she was migrating and I got along pretty well with the replacement manager. I would say that he is a pretty loyal person.

The reason I left was very simple. I was being discriminated against by the operations manager and the general manager. When the time came for our variable bonus, everybody else got 2 months bonus while I got 1.25 months. I was the only one who got 1.25 months. My colleagues just could not understand why. To the 2 jerks, if you are reading this, I dare you to post your comments to refute me. Do not even dream of calling me a petty person. I say to you, do not, I repeat, do not give an excuse for your undignified behaviour.

My department manager could only sympathise with me as he was relatively new to the company back then and he just could not do anything for me. From that time onward, I dropped from 5th gear to 1st gear. Every working day, without fail, I would just walk out of the office and just go for a tea break. The GM did not confront me about it at all.

I started looking for another job and joined a local shipping company as a sales executive.

My First Job

2007-11-01T20:40:00.000+08:00

My first job was in a Taiwanese shipping company. I worked there for about 6 and a half years. It was a clerical job and I was a total greenhorn when I started work there. Looking back, I now appreciate and understand what it means to experience a learning curve. As I improved and understood my work better, I felt a genuine sense of pride. Even now, at 36, I am on a learning curve to better understand Internet Marketing.

During my time with this company, the company rewarded my progress which contributed to my productivity for the company. I was given a promotion to the next level annually during my time there. Just imagine, I started off as a grade 3 clerk and eventually made it to executive level.

However, I realized that that was the end of the ladder for me. I mean, the only way to move further up was to either wait for someone to quit or for someone to kick the bucket. But they were already in their comfort zone with no clear intentions of moving to greener pastures and they were in rather good health at that time.

Well I could have just stayed on and just banked on the annual increment. But the problem was that the manager who trained me was transferred to another department which was rather incompetent. His staff were taking turns to take medical leave which really was a disruption to the work process. The work process was such that I had to deal and correspond with them and you can just imagine the disruptions I faced back then. What`s more, his staff were rather sloppy and regularly made mistakes. As such, it turned out that I was having problems getting them to do their part. Call me stubborn but I think that one must be disciplined & pro-active enough to be productive. I certainly did not want to be held back in my work because of someone else`s lack of professionalism. This resulted in my exposing his staff`s inadequacies and he wasn`t too happy with it. This resulted in protecting his staff and making trouble for me. I just can`t understand such a mentality.

Looking back, I can only say that he was behaving in an immature way given his senior position. But what to do, it takes all sorts of people to make the world an interesting place to live in.

My second job was with an Italian shipping company.

For those who are in the shipping industry, I was a transshipment executive.

Welcome

2007-11-01T16:10:00.000+08:00

Wow. I actually have my own blog! I do hope that visitors would enjoy reading my blog. Not to sound brash but I really think that you would enjoy reading my blog about what I have been through and what my experience has thought me. Especially the bitter ones.

Firstly, why did I choose to name my blog `loyalfreedom`?

Both are tied to what I am doing right now, that is, I am earning my own money on my own merits to care for my family. Or, as some might say, I am self-employed.

I have worked in the shipping industry for about 15 years. I will be posting about my years in working for the various companies in another folder. And I guarantee you that it will be an interesting read. But early on in my working years, I have always wanted to start and have my own business. And this is out of loyalty to my family and myself. In what way?

Think about it. Why do employees always look out for greener pastures, looking for jobs that would pay them better than their existing job? Is it not so that they can give, not only themselves but their family a better life? Is that not loyalty in motion? Today, can anyone show me a employer`s appointment letter that says your job is safe until you retire? Yes my friends, employers are not, and perhaps never will be loyal to employees. In every company, the profits are what matters most. If a company is in the red, either they have to cut your salary or they have to retrench you. Businesses cannot run on charity. Does anyone have a alternative logic to that reasoning?

In the corporate world, your loyalty is always for sale to the highest bidder! As an employee, you owe it to yourself and to your family to move on to greener pastures! Yes my friends, loyalty is one of the motivating reasons for me to start my own business.

How about freedom? Well, to be specific, I am talking about financial freedom. I think most of you would agree with me that most of us are enslaved to debt. Home owners would have to service their home loans. That requires money. Car owners too have to service car loans. Unless you are getting a car allowance from your company, that would be an additional burden. Averagely speaking , I think the majority of home owners are taking at least a 10 year loan period. Some others would take a 15 to 30 years loan period. As such, are we not enslaved to debt?

Unfortunately, being born in this part of the world, this is our lot in life. By the time we actually get to enjoy the fruits of our long years of labour, we would be in our 60s if things turn out smoothly for us.

So what is my personal take on financial freedom? To be debt free and to have either a very sizable savings account or a regular stream of income.

Those are the 2 main reasons for wanting to have my own business. I am a real estate agent now, hence if you do require the services of a real estate agent, do drop me an e-mail. I am also into Internet Marketing. Do have a look at my folders that contain various work-at-home business opportunities. This is something that you should seriously think about if you want an additional source of income.