Motivation, Success, Profits | 90 Percent Attitude!

90 Percent Attitude Blog Has A New Home

2006-10-19T11:38:00.000-05:00

WE'VE MOVED! Please visit our blog at this new address: http://Success.90PercentAttitude.com

And be sure and bookmark it.... Have Fun & Fortune! Stephanie

Seek and Give Support To Those You Care About

2006-08-26T22:48:00.000-05:00

One of the key components of a relationship is the support that two people provide for each other, yet it is typically one of the most overlooked aspects of choosing the perfect mate. A relationship that is built upon mutual support will overcome just about any obstacles that two individuals encounter along the way. Support can take on many forms, but in the broadest sense, it is the willingness of two people in a relationship to lift and encourage each other to be the best that they can be. It is also the willingness for each of the individuals to be there for each other through both good and bad times. Lack of support in a relationship can surface in many ways. It can be something as simple as a failure to be sympathetic when a mate has had a bad day at work, to the major support that is required when embarking on a new business endeavor or during life changing events. Either way, if support is missing from a relationship in the early stages, chances are it will only get worse through the years. And at some point, it can escalate to the point of no return when much needed support is being sought after and no where to be found. The reason support is so critical to a healthy relationship lies within the concepts of success and achievement. For two people to build a life together, it is critical for each of them to maintain their own identities while at the same time work together toward common goals and aspirations. When considering the aspect of maintaining your own identity, it is perfectly normal that two people will not share identical interests in everything they do. One person may be an avid sports fan while the other doesn't know a racquet from a club -- and very well, may never care to learn. This doesn't mean, however, that the sports challenged mate must forever remain unsupportive of their partner. To the contrary, this is a perfect opportunity to give your partner the freedom to retain their own interests while still being supportive. If you cringe at the thought of sitting through a sporting event that makes no sense to you, take game day as your opportunity to pursue something that piques your interest. In doing so, you are not only furthering your own separate identities, you are also imposing no feelings of guilt when you each pursue your own interests. In essence, you are supporting each other through extending the freedom to pursue individual passions. The other area where couples often falter is in matters that involve each working toward a common goal. While maintaining your own identity is critical, it is equally vital to utilize a balanced amount of time and energy in joint endeavors. These might be business matters, financial goals, home improvement projects, and any number of activities that require both individuals working together as a team. When identifying and implementing plans for an activity that requires the talent and focus of both people, it is critical to identify ultimate goal, create a plan to achieve it, set a timeline for its completion and outline each person's role in the process. By addressing these things, a clear picture will be formed of the expectations you will place upon each other and you will have given yourselves a means of measuring success. You will also be able to identify any areas of weakness that will enable you to assist each other along the way. The couple that can effectively master these concepts will likely be the couple that will stand the test of time. No matter what the subject or the endeavor, these same principles will apply and are the key component for the successful outcome of any major joint endeavor. The amount of support that is present in a relationship, or the lack thereof, will ultimately have a direct correlation to the success of that same relationship. You may recognize this fact in your own relationship or you may see it when you look around at the relationships of others. Either way, when you become aware of the vital role that support plays in a relationship, it will forever change your approach. And thus, this discovery may ultimately be the turning point in your life that yields the success and achievement you are seeking.

Amusement Park Roller Coaster Thrill Rides From a Pint Sized Perspective

2006-07-25T16:41:00.000-05:00

When you are five years old and 43 inches tall, there are only four rides in all of Hershey Park. According to the good folks at Hershey, there are over 60 rides and attractions, but according to our daughter there are only four: The Comet, Superdooperlooper, Trailblazer and Roller Soaker. If you guessed that these four rides are roller coasters, you probably also guessed that we have a five year old thrill seeker in the family. I am sorry, make that a 43 inch tall five year old. We must keep the facts straight. After all, she did not make me check her height twice a week all winter for nothing. This child has been measured more than a Weight Watchers convention! I guess it all started last year when she rode the Jack Rabbit at Kennywood for the first time, and then again, and again; six times in all that day if memory serves. And mind you, we did not just ride, we waited extra time to sit in front and then extra time to sit in back and I even got a lecture on how to properly raise my hands above my head. White knuckled adults were shaking their heads in amazement, but she just could not get enough. She talked about it so much over the winter that to tide her over until summer arrived, I even created a screen saver collection called Roller Coaster Mania -- try it and see what you think: http://store.eSellerate.net/90percent/rcm ; I put this on my computer and all winter as we ticked off her progress on the growth chart, she grilled me about which one of the coasters in these gorgeous photos she would be able to ride. By the first signs of spring, I have to admit, I was pretty eager to get on the rides too! So when considering our vacation destination for the summer of 2006, the primary objective was to find a park that had roller coasters that met the height requirement and a good selection of kiddie rides for our younger daughter who thinks her sister is nuts, regardless of how tall she is. Since most parks put a 48 inch minimum on what our daughter calls real roller coasters, I had to do a little searching on the Internet before finally deciding upon Hershey Park in Pennsylvania which fit the bill. Of their 10 coasters, four are set at the 42 inch minimum with the greatest excitement of it all being the fact that one even does a loop dee loop, as she calls them. We nestled in to a cozy cabin at a nearby campground, saw some other sites in Amish Country, visited the Crayola Factory, attended a beautiful festival in Kutztown, and then it was off to the park for the day. Of course, to our five year old, the park was the whole purpose for the trip, not just one of the many family activities we had planned. Our youngest was just in it for the chocolate and also delighted in boinking the Hershey Bar character on the nose. So we all have our vices I guess. At dawn on the big day, I found myself being tapped on the shoulder several hours before I had planned to be out of bed. Can you measure me one more time, just to make sure, she said, as she waived a measuring tape over my head. Even before my first cup of coffee, this was one of those moments you will never forget. Not only did she sneak a measuring tape into the suitcases, she also brought along her high healed sandals just for good measure. I could not quite explain that after passing the 42 inch mark, it did not matter how tall she was until she reached the next 48 inch plateau. She insisted on the added insurance that the sandals provided, so they were the footwear of choice; at least until after the first hour or so when I pulled out the backup pair. I absolutely love riding roller coasters but let me go on record as saying that for a mother, it is a little unsettling to see your baby being strapped into a seat beside you; she just looked so tiny sitting there! So I did what any quick thinking mom would do and when the ride started, I proceeded to reach over with my arm and pin her against the back of the seat, brace her head from moving, and make sure she didn’t fall out. After all, the ride operator DID say to secure, my belongings. Out of the gate, around a corner and down an incline we were thrust into a loop and a milestone was reached. She had experienced her first loop dee loop laughing and wide eyed every step of the way. This was her shining moment. When the ride was over, we hugged, jumped up a down a few times and then ran down to Daddy and her sister. More hugs, more excitement and then of course, Can we go again?! But Daddy, this time can you tell mommy to let go of me? I did some sheepish explaining and then we repeated our ride. In fact, we repeated the scenario 16 times (yes, she counted) in all that day spread amongst her four coasters. And as the day went on, I did manage to let go, and that made it much easier for her to thrust her hands in the air on every one we rode. While we proceeded to have a coaster marathon, Daddy and younger sister reported that there were actually a great deal of other fun things to do in the park too. There must have been, because I saw the tell tale signs of chocolate, but no one was admitting to anything. Maybe next time, I will figure it out! Then again, it is very likely that this winter we will reach that 48 inch mark on the wall, so I may never ride anything but a roller coaster again. Oh well, we all make sacrifices for our children now, do we not?

Time Management Tips, Techniques and Tools

2006-06-20T17:40:00.000-05:00

There is a famous story in business articles and productivity books. It's often attributed to different people and the exact dollar figure that the consultant was paid is always different. But the story goes something like this: A man was concerned that he wasn't being very productive. So he asked a consultant for a suggestion. That consultant made a profound suggestion that worked! He told the man to do the following: before leaving work at the end of the day, list the top three things he wanted to accomplish the following day. Then, when he got into work the next day, he should tackle them in order, not starting one until the one before it was complete. He was to keep working until he finished all three. Then he could be done for the day. This story has taken on a life of its own and it is retold in every productivity book, but it never grows old. That's because the truth of this tale, no matter how fictional the story itself is, is universal. If you want to be successful in business - whether your business is online or offline - you need to know what you want to accomplish and prioritize it. Now, the story itself was clearly written in an era when the owner of a business had a plush office and a company car and could come and go as he or she pleased. Nowadays, most online business owners work out of their homes (and sometimes have another job until their small business grows) so the story needs to be tweaked and updated for the modern entrepreneur. The new moral of the story might be this: Prioritize everything! Rather than listing the top three items to be done, list everything and assign a number (from 1 to infinity... and for most entrepreneurs, the list seems that long!). Then, get to work. Start at one and begin working down. Periodically you'll have to re-prioritize as changes occur in your business. Task management programs such as Microsoft Outlook can help with prioritization. Even just a Microsoft Word document with an auto-numbering feature is better than nothing. If you start working on the first one and keep going until you cannot work any more on it, then move to the next point on your list, you'll see two things happen: First, your productivity will increase dramatically because you'll have started to hone in on doing what needs to be done. And, second, you will work far more efficiently because you know the most important thing to do and you're doing it first, before everything else. Click here for more articles on: Time Management and Productivity

Free Linking Strategies That Boost Traffic, Indexing, and SEO Marketing Goals

2006-05-26T22:39:00.000-05:00

Reciprocal linking, one way linking, inbound links, outbound links... where to go, what to do? There has been so much talk lately about what is in and what is out when it comes to linking and the best methods of generating traffic to websites, and there are as many theories as there are rumors. I've been getting a lot of questions along these lines from subscribers, and in response, I put my R & D department to work. (By the way, my R & D department consists of my husband who loves details, numbers, stats, and analysis tools! He's also got a Treasure Hunting Blog that he joins with our Internet Marketing ventures as well! Check it out and see how Lost Treasure and SEO and Internet Marketing merge!) And thanks to the exhaustive efforts of R & D, an exclusive 6 Day Free Mini Course on Explosive Linking Strategies has been developed and you can get the Linking Secrets here. This course uncovers little known and under utilized strategies that will skyrocket your spidering and ranking efforts. It is amazing what is sitting right in front of you and how effective it can be when implemented properly -- yet few people are even talking about these things, let alone implementing them. I think you will really be amazed at how simple these techniques are how effective they will be in boosting your traffic. We have seen tremendous results with our own sites and are excited to share them with you as well! Don't miss out on this Free Linking Strategies Course -- it's the best time you'll spend all week! Have Fun & Fortune! Stephanie

Adding Google Sitemap to blogger.com Blog Account

2006-05-06T12:19:00.000-05:00

Google sitemaps are an excellent tool and if you aren't using them, well... you should be! What many people do not know is that you can also add a sitemap to your blogger.com Blog account - even if it is the version that is hosted by Blogger.com. For both our Camping Tips and RV Camping Blog as well as our Treasure Hunting Gold Blog we use a blogger account hosted on our own servers. However, the 90PercentAttitude Motivation Blog is hosted on Blogger.com. But this does not mean that we cannot take advantage of Google sitemaps. We do! If you are not familiar with how to do this, check out Adding Google Sitemaps to Blogger and you will find an excellent step-by-step guide that will walk you through everything you need. If you have a Google Blogger account hosted at blogger.com, you owe it to yourself to learn this valuable technique. If you do nothing else today, go check it out and give yourself this edge. Think positive today! Stephanie

Website Design, Article Submissions, SEO Techniques All Part of Internet Marketing Traffic Pie

2006-05-02T07:26:00.000-05:00

There is a critical element of thought that many Internet Marketers are missing about SEO techniques and getting websites ranked high in the search engines. And it all goes back to the elementary principle of the "whole" being the sum total of all of its parts. This simple, yet often forgotten principle is alive and well in Internet Marketing and search engine dominance. These techniques are so subtle, so easy to implement and so minute in the bigger picture, that many people feel they are not worth doing simply because they seem so insignificant. Seemingly, if it is that easy, it cannot also be that powerful. And yet, each of these really simple techniques, when added together creates a commanding website structure that will result in search engine dominance. These traffic generating SEO techniques are enumerated over and over again in articles, eBooks, teleseminars, and email marketing newsletters and ezines everyday. So much so, that many people have the tendency to overlook their effectiveness - even though they are some of the most critical and successful methods of structuring a website that will rank high in the search engines. These techniques include, but are not limited to the following: 1. Keywords in title tags and descriptions. 2. File and directory naming conventions that include keywords. 3. H1 headline tags that contain keywords. 4. Keywords appearing as the first and last text on a page. 5. Internal links that are keyword rich. 6. Adding robot.txt and sitemap.xml files to a site. 7. Article submissions providing critical inbound links. 8. Blogging and RSS feed broadcasting. How many times has an SEO expert shared one of the above tips or techniques and made the claim that it is a little known secret, or the one thing that made all the difference in getting indexed faster? And for as many times as it's been written about, there are that many people and more who simply ignore the advice! It just seems too easy. It appears to be too insignificant to make a difference. And yet, it is exactly these easy and insignificant things that do indeed distinguish one person's success from another person's failure. In pursuit of finding the magic bullet, Internet Marketing entrepreneurs frequently trample past these little gems as they are forging a path to finding the next big thing that will make all the difference in search engine dominance. Please listen carefully... it is the sum total of all of these little things that IS the bigger picture! The answer is staring you right in the face - do not ignore it and continue searching for something bigger and better. It simply does not get any bigger than this! There are, at most, ten to 15 little pieces of the SEO pie that will combine to form the whole of a powerful search engine friendly website. Use them. Embrace them. Get excited and diligent about them. Do not pass them off as being too insignificant to matter. They are of paramount importance and if given the weight they deserve, will yield results that will remain elusive to the majority of the Internet Marketing population who simply discount them on the basis of their simplicity. Heed this advice and you will suddenly see the amazing results they profess to achieve. Good Luck & Prosper, Stephanie MulacSites Internet Marketing Resources

Resources on Traffic Building, Designing Websites, WAHM, Marketing Tools and More Added to Motivation Site

2006-04-30T13:41:00.000-05:00

My 90PercentAttitude.com Motivational Website now boasts over 1000 new free articles, tips and resources on all aspects of Internet Marketing, Website Design, Traffic Building tips, WAHM resources, Adsense and PLR Website Building information, and so much more that I barely have time to cover it all! You need to just go see for yourself what I am talking about! I listened to what my subscribers wanted, I promised and I delivered! The biggest response I have had from my Motivation Newsletter subscribers is that they are looking for good quality and varied content to keep them inspired and heading toward their business and Internet Marketing goals. The responses I got also gave me a great deal of insight into the categories of material they were interested in and that is how I organized the new material. To this end, I did a mini makeover of the original site and at the top of each page, there is a heading titled Article Emporium. The links to the right of that column are as follows:

Website Traffic
Website Design
Make Adsense Money
Internet Marketing Tools
Niche Marketing
Marketing for Beginners
Work at Home Moms
Creating Info Products
PLR and Affiliate Programs,
And more...

Each of these has hundreds of articles, resources, and free tips, advice and other valuable links and resources to assist everyone in just about any aspect of their online business ventures.

In addition, if you are not already a subscriber, I have put together an unbelievable Kickstart Success Pak, filled with a huge assortment of free courses, ebooks and motivational material as a free bonus when you subscribe to my newsletter. I am no where near done tinkering with the site, so please feel free to keep your comments and requests coming. I listen to each and every one of you and work hard to provide a resource that provides you with exactly what you want!

Customizing Your PLR Content 101

2006-04-19T11:09:00.000-05:00

There are many ways to build content sites, the web offers a good amount of tools and software that enable you to quickly and easily create keyword rich content site. With the growing popularity of Private Label Rights (PLR) membership sites, webmaster and internet marketers alike, are finding these PLR sites a valuable tool to boost their growth of their business in 2006. The fundamental idea of the internet is to provide content to its users. Thus, PLR sites that provide quality royalty free, and copyright free content can drastically fill the void for website owners who need quality content but are too busy running their own business online. In this article, we will review the various ways to easily customize PLR content in order to have unique content to use and build with your own content sites. For those who are fairly new to the game of internet marketing this is intended for you to help sort out from easy to difficult in terms of using PLR content. Those who are more advanced may find some parts of this article a review. But it’s a good overall review for anyone looking for use PLR content in their online marketing and presence. Here are a couple of ways to make your PLR content unique: 1- 5 scale Easy to Difficult: --Use synonym finder in word and find and replace -1- --Use the MyOwnArticles Rewriter (2) --Write an Introduction and conclusion (3) --Reorder some paragraphs or sentences (3) --Cut down and summarize the article (2) --Manually rewrite the whole article - (2 to 4) depending on % of rewrite --Start a fresh article without PLR content (5) For 1000 New unpublished PLR articles Check this Out! SYNONYM - If you’ve used Word before, this synonym finder is a great tool to edit and change words around, without losing the meaning of your sentences. This is very easy to do, just highlight the work you wish to replace and select synonym. Word will give you a list of alternative words. Just choose the best one that fits in your PLR content. Then find and replace that word(s) to customize your content. SOFTWARE - There are many software titles to choose from in terms of taking PLR content and have a machine regenerate the text with alternative words and keyword phrase. MyOwnArticles.com offers, in addition to its service of 1000 PLR articles each month, its own Rewriter Software to customize any PLR content in text format. Based on the "SYNONYM" method, it regenerates the PLR content with only a few clicks. ARTICLE WRAPPING - Article wrapping is the method of injecting an introduction and conclusion to another article. Although it’s merely, adjusting total keyword and keyword density, some have found it useful in terms or quickly and easily adding some customization to content. In addition, you can also add some text in the middle of the article to add more content of your own. Personally, we find it more effective if your introduction and conclusion are more specific to the article content and NOT some generic useless fluff. SHUFFLING - Shuffling is a great way to emphasize and give new meaning to PLR content. The basic idea is to reorder your content or paragraphs to emphasize and refocus your content from a different angle. For example, this article could have be approached as "The Lazy Way to Solve Writers Block", and written it in terms of editing the PLR content to make it your own without stumbling trying to write your first sentence. Here, we could have just taken 3 out of the 6 ways to customize PLR content to tighten up the article. CUTTING THE FAT - Without getting into too many details, you can basically boil down any content into a shortened version. Have you ever read an article and say, "Geez, get to the point?" Well, cutting down paragraph and summarizing content can easily make your content unique. Just as there are million ways to skin a cat? ( bad example), cutting and editing down content is a method that works great. But back to the point, you can just boil your content into smaller segment without bloating the total word count and increasing keyword density. REWRITING - This method is an obvious choice, but not the first choice for many since it can lead to fear and frustration to get started without a baseline. The good thing is that pre-written PLR content, provides a backbone to your rewrite, which you would other wise have to research and find on your own. With PLR content, you can simple read, absorb and well rewrite it with your own ideas flowing from the content you just read. Plus, you can add and inject your own personality to your content and you can basically do what you like with the PLR content, since you own the rights to it. NEW - By far, depending on your own knowledge, can be quite daunting. This perhaps can be the most time consuming, but can yield the most unique content since you are basically starting from the ground up. However, as your own knowledge and comfort level increases by utilizing any of the methods above, you will find it rewarding to know that its not as troublesome as you may think. Being confident in your own voice will not only enable you to customize your PLR content with ease, but perhaps find yourself an expert in that particular niche. Remember, the great thing about PLR content, is that you can use it over and over and over again - with a little care, you can starting expanding you online business with an army of content rich sites. It just takes some action. So start today and try out some of the methods laid out to get you started on building you own unique content to use in your online business. For the most robust PLR content site, including 1000's of articles, reports, graphics, templates, ebook, software and more, click here!

Traditions Inspire, Motivate and Keep Spirit Alive

2006-04-15T22:10:00.000-05:00

Right before Christmas I wrote a message for my Motivation Newsletter subscribers about the value of traditions. I will dig the entire piece out of my archives and post it here soon, but in the meantime and in the spirit of the Easter Holiday that is upon many of us, I wanted to reinforce the importance of tradition in our lives. Every holiday I am reminded of my dear mother who passed on last year; but memories are what keeps her alive and well within my own family. It is the memory of coloring Easter Eggs, baking cookies, and the Easter basket that was always filled to the brim on Easter morning that makes it seem as if it was only yesterday that the Easter Bunny was hopping around my backyard. And as I pass these and many more traditions down to my own children, I see the delight in their eyes when we embark on activities that they will one day do with their own children. At their young ages, they don't look much further beyond these activities than the excitement of the moment, but I see a much bigger picture and know the value they too will one day come to place on all these special times we share together. Without tradition, in whatever form it takes, there is no legacy, no passage of time that marks our existence. No matter who you share your special time with, start a tradition today! Even if it is a small token or gesture; or a special event, trip or activity. It is your bookmark in time and your opportunity to leave a part of your special and unique style in this world. And you never know who is taking notice and what they are filing away... As I was cleaning up the egg coloring cups today, my 5 year old asked if she could keep the left over stickers; when I asked her what she was going to do with them, she replied, "I want to save them so I can use them with my little girl when I dye eggs with her...." And just when you think no one is watching!

How to Setup a Website - Step by Step Guide for Novices

2006-04-06T23:57:00.000-05:00

Is having your own website the only thing standing between you and your Internet Marketing goals? Are you overwhelmed and overloaded with all the options that you find and not sure which way to turn? If you are a complete novice looking for a step-by-step guide to walk you through finding ideas for a good domain name, checking availability, registering and setting up hosting for your domain then this valuable resource is for you! Click here to check it out. And after everything is setup, you will also have every conceivable script and software at your disposal to create whatever type of website you desire -- including a choice of two turnkey site building programs with all the elements you need to make a fortune online. Get Yours Today!

Spring Cleaning - Internet Marketing Style

2006-04-02T21:25:00.000-05:00

As signs of Spring start to rise all around us and that Spring Cleaning bug hits, I have to admit I have been caught up in the frenzie too. Unfortunately for the rest of my family though, it isn't the house that's commanding my attention. MY Spring Cleaning is of a different nature -- I am on a mission to clean, organize, backup and weed out my computer and Internet Marketing material. Yes, that's right, LET'S GET ORGANIZED! In a typical day, I get ezines, affiliate marketing newsletters, reciprocal link requests, RSS feed notifications, and more; not to mention the vast amount of valuable information I run across through random searching - I find templates, .pdf files I can't live without, ebooks and more and as we all can relate there's never enough time in the day to properly review it all. But I have found that the key is organization and I wanted to share some of my tips with you. Feel free to comment and share yours as well.

Backup software that you have downloaded and installed already and burn it to a CD. Once it is installed, you don't need the original sitting on your computer taking up space.
I know it's scary, but go to that wonderful directory called "My Pictures." Yes, you can do it! Burn these to a CD too and get them off your computer -- especially the ones from Aunt Millie who doesn't know how to resize her files and sends you a picture of her pooch that is 12MB. We all love Aunt Millie, but her and her pooch don't need to be taking up valuable hard drive space!! And if you label your CDs well, it is just as easy to pop in a CD to retrieve a photo as it is to have it sitting on your hard drive.
Now that you are feeling empowered, go to your "My Favorites," in your browser. Yes, just do it! Now take a look at all those links... if you spend about 5 minutes with a sheet of paper nearby, you will discover that most of what you save can be broken up into about 7-10 logical categories. Make master folders and slide the favorites into each of them. Along the way, try a few out and if they are no longer working -- just get rid of them!
Since you are on a roll, just burn a CD with everything in your My Documents folder; if your machine ever crashes & burns, you will be glad you did!
Take a deep breath and go to your email. Now let's think about this... do you REALLY need every document you have sent since the '90's in your Sent Items folder? Conversely, if you've deleted something, do you still need to keep it in your Deleted Items folder "just in case?" Empty it!
Like your Favorites organization, take a look at your email and decide on some logical categories; chief among which should be a Links or Registrations folder. Put every membership, registration confirmation and password verification in this folder. The next time you go to a site that you don't visit that often, you will thank me when you can simply go to this folder and find your login info.
Now, let's talk about these ezines and newsletters. If you haven't read it in the past six months, chances are it is outdate, no longer an active link or the offer has long since passed. Get rid of it!
And next decide on which newsletters you don't even read any more. Instead of just deleting them every day when they arrive, take the time to go and unsubscribe. This one activity alone with cut your daily email in half.
For the newsletters that you do value and read, create a newsletter folder with subfolders that are labeled for each newsletter. This way, when they arrive, you can simply group them accordingly for easy retrieval when you are ready to read them.
And last but not least, ahem, can you describe your desktop as a sea of icons or a blank slate? If you've got the whole deal going that you have to remove an icon from your desktop just to add a new one without it falling off the edge of your screen, then it's time for change! Even if you don't view and review each of them right away, create some logical folders and sort them accordingly. Then as soon as time allows, you can go back and easily tackle the process of weeding them out.

OK, it's time to Go Forth and Conquer! And if that spring "house cleaning" bug has hit you as well, be sure and check out this site - LET'S GET ORGANIZED!

Saying Thank You Has Its Own Rewards

2006-03-24T18:29:00.000-05:00

Several weeks ago I wrote a thank you letter to an organization that had performed a variety of services for me. This wasn't an Internet Marketing testimonial letter as we all think about so frequently, but an actual letter that was sent to a private sector community organization. My experience with this fine group of people was so impressive that I felt it would be wrong not to share my satisfation with the director of the organization. So I proceeded to compose a letter detailing not only the individual staff members that I had direct contact with, but I also referenced several other people that I knew to be an integral part of their organization. I underscored how much I knew their jobs were sometimes thankless ones and that I really wanted to make it a point to let them hear praise where it was due. My guess is like so many professions, the only time they hear from someone is when there is a problem and that complaints are louder than compliments. I pretty much figured that the director would share it with her immediate staff and the two main individuals I mentioned by name, and that would be the extent of it. I was completely satisfied in knowing that it brightened the day of a few people when it arrived, and once it had been sent, I didn't give it a second thought. Yesterday, however, I got a wonderful phone call. One of the people I mentioned in the letter called to thank me, but in doing so, she also put a whole new twist on what I viewed as a simple, well-deserved "thank you." My letter it seems was circulated a bit further than I had anticipated. Not only did the director share it with the entire local organization, it was also sent to the regional and state offices. Excepts were posted in their statewide newsletter and it has become part of a funding request that will allow many people to benefit in untold ways from this point forward. The impact of the letter was such that while the staff occasionally gets thank you notes and the like, it is rare for the entire organization to be singled out with such direct praise. And in several ways, this praise is being used to support future funding and an opportunity to have far reaching effects on others. The bonus for me? I have a great deal of satisfaction in knowing that a simple, heartfelt "Thank You" will touch so many lives and the results that one letter will yeild. It took only a negligible fraction of my day to put my praise into words and in return I have the gratification of know what a difference those few minutes made! Is there someone in your life that deserves thanks? Take time now to let them know, the rewards will be plentiful I assure you.

Go Sit In A Corner - Self Imposed "Time Outs"

2006-03-18T13:23:00.000-05:00

When I want to "get away from it all," I have a corner that I go sit in. My corner is not the "nose to the wall, don't look around or talk to anyone" kind of place -- although symbolically it could amount to that. And it is certainly not a punishment. To the contrary, it is my space that I've created to step back and take a break. I have decorated my space with things that are particularly meaningful to me. There are candles (my passion) and there is a photo of my family, some magazines and books for me to browse, and a few other things that pamper me while I am sitting in my corner taking my "time out." Up until a few months ago, when I'd take a break I might end up just about anywhere in the house that was quiet at the moment. Maybe the back porch, a den, the living room, even the bathroom for that matter LOL! But then it occured to me that because I moved from one place to another when I needed a break, that these spots were really not all that special and they certainly weren't Mine and mine alone. So I set about creating my special spot. At first, I didn't even think there was room anywhere to designate such a spot, but with a little creativity, I was able to come up with the perfect solution. Once created, it was explained to the other members of the family that this was my retreat and when I was in my "spot" I was not to be interrupted. And in my case, I also explained to my children that this was not to be filled with coloring books, sticky fingers, and the like. And aside from getting a few strange stares, no one has violated my "space" and it has remained to be the shrine I intended. The benefits of all this have been numerous. It is a treat to go to my corner, it forces me to clear my mind, it gives me an opportunity to focus and collect my thoughts in the middle of hectic days filled with typical distractions, and it enables me to enjoy my candles and catch up on reading without interruption. I might spend 15 minutes there or an hour; but the amount of time is far less important that the rejuvenation that I feel afterward. It is very easy to become so caught up in our day to day lives and never take a break or schedule time for ourselves. And ultimately, even though everyone's threshold is different, sooner or later it will spell Burnout with a capital "B." So start thinking about it and look around. Find the spot that will work for you and think about what decor would suit your taste. Then lay the ground rules with any friends or family and begin your regimine of putting yourself in a Time Out! If you have such a space, or when you create such a space; please feel free to return here and share the details with us, so we can all learn and prosper! Take a break today, Stephanie

Dealing With Difficult People - Less Is More

2006-03-14T06:21:00.000-05:00

I am a big proponent of talking things out and candid communication. In fact, in most instances this is the best approach to any aspect of our lives. However, there are some instances where I find the less said the better. And often this can be even more productive in the long run. You might know the type of person I'm speaking of... The one you can never win with. Too often, this type of person is in their own little world, they hear nothing that's said anyway and even if they "hear" it, they don't think its applicable to them. These are the instances wherein I say to myself, "words are going to be wasted here, bide your time and pick your battles." Otherwise, I am spinning my wheels and simply frustrating myself because any attempt at communication goes unrewarded. Now, understand, if you have one of these types of people in your life I am not suggesting that you never confront them. I am simply wanting you to take note, that the times and methods of confrontation should be carefully chosen and well constructed. Simply because these types of people require "special communication" methods. Often they are controlling and manipulative and their actions are decidedly crafted to gain the upper hand; other times, they are just simply in a world of their own. In either instance, in order for you to be effective, you have to give some thought to your approach and that is usually better accomplished on at least one night's sleep. So take a deep breath, be the bigger person and file it away for a later date. Then, spend some time thinking about the best approach and resume your mission when well armed. You will be much happier with the results! If you have a specific example of a "tough" person you are dealing with, feel free to leave your comments and I will give you practical tips for dealing with your unique situation. Remember - no names please! Have a great day! Stephanie

Marketing, Adsense and Website Design Material Available

2006-03-12T14:32:00.000-05:00

Exciting New Changes are underway!! (i.e., more succes, more profits, more resources!) My http://www.90PercentAttitude.com website is in the process of undergoing some major revisions! It's already got a new look, but in addition to that, I have posted some new articles that will enhance your online Internet Marketing efforts whether you are a newbie or an experienced adsense, affiliate, SEO, or other expert marketer. The first is on Website Design Basics and it details ways to boost your image and increase your click throughs. Another one is a thought provoking article on Focus which gives you practical, no-nonsense advice on how to grow your Internet Marketing empire! There are also several more, so go check it out! The smattering of articles is not the only change underfoot though. I've got two more things up my sleeve: 1.) I am compiling a huge assortment of inspirational and marketing material that will soon be available through the website; and 2.) I am in the process of designing and testing several new programs that combine for killer adsense fortunes and as soon as testing is complete, I will be revealing what I believe is the hottest process for adsense income that I've seen in quite a while. You won't want to miss this one! Succeed and Prosper, Stephanie

Practical "Think Positive" Exercise

2006-03-12T11:52:00.000-05:00

Here is a practical exercise that I often suggest which will start putting you in a mode to apply the priciples of Positive Thinking in your daily lives: No matter how hard we try, negative thoughts will always creep into our minds at any given time throughout the day, sometimes even before we know it. It may be an “Oh, great, that’s just what I needed, more work” when you accidentally knock over a cup of coffee or it might be more significant like losing a customer when you least expect it. The difference lies within how you react to each event and how effective you are at turning it around. In today’s exercise, you will make a point of stopping negative thoughts in their tracks. For the next several hours, stay aware of any negative energy that comes your way and if it does, stop yourself and insist upon finding something positive in it. For example, let’s say you lose a client and your first reaction is fear, worry, anger, etc. Stop yourself and say: This might be the best thing that could have happened, because now I can devote some extra time to pursuing a larger project that will make me even more money! And instead of crying over your “spilled coffee,” while you are wiping it up, look around the room and use the towel to clean a spot that you’ve been meaning to cleanup for awhile, but never get around to. Get the idea? Now, I challenge you to make sure that each and every little thing that happens over the next several hours, you will find SOMETHING good in it. Be it large or small, find one positive outcome. Tomorrow, try the same thing. When the alarm goes off, don’t groan and roll back over. Be excited that you had a restful night’s sleep and now have the opportunity to accomplish something today! Once you start readjusting your mind to the way you react to things it will become second nature. It will take some practice, and you may have to come back to this blog post as a reminder, but before you know it, your negative thoughts will be replaced by positive ones and you will notice a world of difference in the energy you have. Rest assured, in a few days, I will be checking back in as a virtual reminder to see if you are still doing your homework! Afterall, that's what a positive support system of friends is all about!

The Power of Positive Thinking in My Life

2006-03-12T10:50:00.000-05:00

Overall, I really haven't had a difficult life - no major tragedy or devastating illnesses to conquer - but I have had my share of challenges. I've had financial obstacles, marital discord, family dysfunction, and the like; and yet, I am where I am today is due in large part to how I handled each of these events in my life. While in the midst of these various annoyances (which is as much credit as I will give them) many outsiders commented that they didn't know how I managed to stay so upbeat and positive when for all intents and purposes, the world as I knew it was crumbling around me - at least from their perspective! Me, on the other hand, I have just always seen these things as opportunities... times to begin anew, moments to seize as a lesson to be learned, events that opened new doors. And I have always been of the belief that nothing in life happens to us without a reason. So if I have to endure a particular experience, I might as well turn it into a positive, instead of getting bogged down in the negative. Afterall, when I'm smack in the middle of something that isn't all that desirable, moaning and complaining certainly isn't going to change it. In fact, it will only make it worse because that is what I have chosen to dwell on. Instead, I take a deep breath and repeat to myself, "This too shall pass..." And you know what? It always does! And once I have moved through the "crisis du jour," I always discover that I have come out further ahead - either from a new experience, a new idea, or a new opportunity that wasn't present before the upheaval. This retrospect is great, but it is the period of time that we are experiencing the turmoil which is the tricky part. I know that, and I acknowledge to you that if you are in the middle of something challenging right now as you read this, that what I am suggesting you do is asking a lot. If you were just laid off and don't know where your next meal is coming from, my cheerful admonishing to "think positive" doesn't do much to inspire you - let alone quell the hungar. In fact, it may make you want to gag! But life is full of solutions and if you focus on how bad things are, you won't ever see the opportunity that is right in front of you. Your negativity will cloud the picture and obscure brighter paths that will let you rise above your current situation. My next post will be an exercise that will start helping you to put these concepts into play in your own life and in real time. ... All you have to do is want it!

Were You Born Walking?

2005-11-10T08:21:00.000-05:00

Wow, I heard it again today, "I'm not stupid, really I'm not!" This was a comment from a Newbie who was expressing her frustration with the mountain of concepts and skills she was facing while trying to get started in Internet Marketing. And what does she currently do for a living? She's a biologist! Yes, a biologist with accreditations a mile long and she felt the need to "convince" me she was not 'stupid?' Her statement would have surprised me if it weren't for the fact that I've heard it hundreds times over my 15 year career in the computer industry. There is something about computers and technology that reduces the best and the brightest to their knees. They somehow feel that because technology is all around them, that they are inept if they haven't absorbed it all by osmosis. And yet, as I have posed the question over and over, did they feel "stupid" the first time they got behind the wheel of a car because they couldn't drive immediately? Could someone who had never seen a cockpit, jump in the seat and fly high into the sky? And yes, were ANY of us born walking? At one point or another in all of our lives there was a task or a skill that we knew nothing about. And likewise, after learning, studying, practicing. we now perform that skill without a second thought. So why then should the Internet be any different? Why should registering a domain name or building a website be considered a skill we were born with? It is all about learning and taking little steps. It is about starting somewhere and building a foundation from that point forward. But most importantly, no one should ever make you feel like a second class citizen because you don't know the proper html coding to create a hyperlink - in fact, you're not even "stupid" if you didn't understand the first part of this sentence! It is critical that you develop a mindset that you are embarking on a new and exciting adventure in whatever you are in the process of pursuing. It is a grand and glorious time of learning! Each day you will add to your bank of knowledge and accomplish something that you previously may not have even known existed. And the learning never stops! Because, yes, it becomes addictive. Once you take that first step, you want to take another, and another and pretty soon, much like the infant learning to walk you are exploring the whole room. And no sooner than you make it across the room, you realize there is another room adjacent to the first. Then there is the outside world to explore - what great excitement THAT will be. And so on and so on. This, my dear friends is how you should approach each day and each new task that is facing you on your journey to Internet success and marketing fortunes (or any other endeavors you are pursuing for that matter!) Like the little child who is exploring new territory for the first time, you too should bring that same enthusiasm into your world. And when you fall? Don't think you're the first and get your head right that it won't be the last! Embrace the mistakes that you make along the way, because in reality, it is from the mistakes that you will learn the most. What is revealed to you through the course of faltering is a greater education about something new. Even the noted Marketing Guru's have words for it that place a positive spin on the whole concept: They "test" their copy, and they "sample" their audience. They don't call it "trial and error," but in essence that's exactly what it is and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Because what works today might not work tomorrow, and what is a hot seller this week may be outdated by technological advances that are already in the works around the world before you get up in the morning. And through it all, you will be better for the experience, so embrace it. Mistakes are NOT fatal! They are stepping stones to new avenues! So the next time you hear someone say, "I'm not stupid." or the next time you start to utter those words yourself, stop dead in your tracks and picture this in your mind's eye: A little child pulls himself up and takes his first step, then takes a shaky second step and plops to the ground. He looks up at the expectant adults holding cameras nearby and says, "I'm not stupid, really, I'm not!" Hold this picture in your mind and you will never again feel compelled to apologize for your lack of knowledge in an area that you have never experienced before, I promise!

Who are the Crabs in Your Life?

2005-11-05T06:57:00.000-05:00

Going through my photo album the other day, I ran across one of those types of pictures that take you immediately back to a place and time so clearly you relive it. You know the ones, where you can feel the crisp air, smell the aroma, embrace the warmth of a thought or an emotion. This was one of those photos. My wide-eyed daughter was experiencing her first trip to the beach, complete with shovels and buckets and lathered in suntan lotion so her tender skin didn't burn. I can still remember the aroma of the coconut scent as I reflect on the observations of her tiny, but all too astute mind. She had discovered sand crabs that day, and to her delight they were everywhere for the taking. Bucket in hand, she was delighted every time she saw the telltale signs of the air bubbles popping up from beneath the sand. Periodically, she would come over to me and introduce me to each of her new friends by name. You see, she was hosting a party and as she walked up and down the beach, she would add one of her new found friends to the bucket so that they would be all assembled and ready when the party was to commence. After observing this routine for quite some time, I began to notice that every so often she would stare into the bucket and wrinkle her nose in that special way that warms a mother's heart. As she stared into the bucket it looked to me like she would carefully pick one of the crabs up, leave it in the sand and then walk away. I was very curious to hear the reasoning behind this process, but was nowhere near ready for the impact of her explanation. The next time she returned to introduce me to more of her new friends, I told her I noticed that she was taking some of the crabs out of her bucket and asked her why. "Well, mommy, I don't want those ones at my party," she exclaimed quickly. Figuring this was going to be one of those life lessons I keep an eye out for, I prepared to tell her that it was important to include all of her friends in her party. But instead, it was I who received the lesson. She went on to explain that some of the crabs were trying to crawl out of the bucket and other crabs were reaching up and pulling them back down. At this point, I figured that the ones who were trying to crawl away were the one that she was removing. But to my surprise she exclaimed, "No, silly, the ones that are trying to crawl out of the bucket are just really excited to get to my party first. I am getting rid of the ones that are pulling them down. THEY are the ones that don't get to come to my party because they are not excited enough... How many "crabs" are there in your life that don't share your enthusiasm for getting to the party first? Odds are, there are at least a few. You know, the ones who are always trying to pull you back down to the bottom of the bucket? And do any of us have the child-like wisdom to "discard" those crabs and press on toward filling our bucket with new ones? Now of course, unlike my daughter's crabs, we can't simply toss our crabs aside and walk away. That will be a lesson for her to learn another day. But for the rest of us, we need to get a second bucket for these "special" crabs that don't share our enthusiasm and understand that they don't share the same space with those who motivate, inspire and encourage us to do our very best! Cherish and cultivate the bucket which contains positive people in your life and never overlook an opportunity to fill that bucket to the brim! The heavier it gets and the more it overflows you will begin to notice great things coming your way. I promise! I'm glad I've added you to MY bucket! And I hope I will soon occupy a special place in yours!

Motivation, Inspiration and Your Success! - Welcome Message

2005-11-04T12:22:00.000-05:00

I am excited to announce the addition of my new Blog to http://www.90PercentAttitude.com. I developed 90 Percent Attitude on the premise that Internet Marketers and Home Business Entrepreneurs can succeed if, and only if, they have a strong support system in place to motivate and inspire them toward reaching their goals. All too often, when people aspire to enhance their lives, those around them are either skeptical of their plans or do not have the same business knowledge about the Internet and the vast amount of marketing and business opportunities that exist. As a result, these naysayers don't support their friends and loved ones toward their lofty and realistic goals. But now, YOU have a place to go when you need the motivation and inspiration to tackle the next Adsense project, Affiliate Marketing Website or any other of the multi-billion dollar opportunities that the Internet presents. I encourage posts and welcome input. This site is FOR you and About YOU! Together, we can encourage and inspire each other in our pursuits toward Making Money On the Internet!