<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" media="screen" href="/~d/styles/rss2enclosuresfull.xsl"?><?xml-stylesheet type="text/css" media="screen" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~d/styles/itemcontent.css"?><rss xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" version="2.0"><channel><title>Sowing Seeds of Purpose</title><link>http://seedsofpurpose.typepad.com/sowing_seeds_of_purpose/</link><description>Hosted by author and success coach Elbert West, the focus of this blog is to share the secrets others have used to achieve success, to help all who seek abundance, find it and to unlock the door within each of us, so that we may enter a universe of infinite personal power. The thoughts, stories (some humorous), news and information shared here are designed to inspire personal growth in all areas of your life.
 “The Journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”
</description><language>en</language><lastBuildDate>Mon, 21 May 2007 01:46:44 PDT</lastBuildDate><generator>TypePad http://www.typepad.com/</generator><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>Hosted by author and success coach Elbert West, the focus of this blog is to share the secrets others have used to achieve success, to help all who seek abundance, find it and to unlock the door within each of us, so that we may enter a universe of infini</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary>Hosted by author and success coach Elbert West, the focus of this blog is to share the secrets others have used to achieve success, to help all who seek abundance, find it and to unlock the door within each of us, so that we may enter a universe of infinite personal power. The thoughts, stories (some humorous), news and information shared here are designed to inspire personal growth in all areas of your life. “The Journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”</itunes:summary><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="hub" href="http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com" /><item><title>THE SMALLEST EFFORT CAN MAKE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE</title><link>http://seedsofpurpose.typepad.com/sowing_seeds_of_purpose/2007/05/the_smallest_ef.html</link><category>blogcatalog</category><category>blogging</category><category>borzack</category><category>Elbert West</category><category>emomsat home</category><category>smart money magazine</category><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Elbert West</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 21 May 2007 01:46:44 PDT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:typepad.com,2003:post-34297186</guid><content:encoded xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I spent the week-end reading online and offline, and I found the world sowing incredible seeds of purpose. I'm leaving tonight for a 5 day trip and wanted to let all of you know how proud I am of you.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">While visiting my neighborhoods and friends and neighborhoods of friends, I found a lot of you helping each other in a variety of ways. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Some of you were posting very generous financial, spiritual, and technical advice and information, while some of you took the time to promote each other in an effort to lift each other a little closer to greatness.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">If you would like to join the love-fest and lift some of your fellow bloggers, then go to the discussions page of <a href="http://www.blogcatalog.com/discuss">blogcatalog</a></span><a href="http://www.blogcatalog.com/discuss"> </a>&lt;(or click on the link) <span style="font-size: 1.2em;">and join in on the discussion on<em> </em><a href="http://www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/promoting-someone-elses-blog-for-a-change"><em>"Promoting Someone Else's Blog For A Change..."</em> </a>.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">In the discussion, you may nominate a blog you favor for the purpose of sending that blogger some visitors. I'd like to thank my friend <a href="http://healthy-lifestyle.most-effective-solution.com/">borzack</a> for nominating me. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">If you get a chance, I would also like to suggest that you pick up a copy of the June 2007 issue of <a href="http://www.smartmoney.com/">Smart Money Magazine</a>. It has a feature article titled: HOW TO MAKE $5 MILLION. There's a lot of great info in this issue, but this one article has some good energy.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I would also like to suggest that you check out the blog, <a href="http://www.emomsathome.com/blog/">eMoms at home</a> by Wendy. Great stuff! </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">While browsing, I come across a post by my friend Patrick. It looks like he's reading my book, but I was surprised to see that he has decided that he may not want to be a millionaire after all. I certainly hope he changes his mind, as I would imagine a lot of good would come from such a talented man with wealth. <a href="http://theresabloginmysoup.com/2007/05/13/life-coaching/rich/">Check in on his blog and let me know if you agree</a>.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I guess this post is a way for me to say "Thank you" for inspiring me this weekend. I love seeing the power of the blogging community grow. The little gestures we express to each other only serve to increase our influence. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Doing one little thing for one person can seem too insignificant to matter, but if all of us are doing it, then one little thing by many can surely make a big difference.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Gift: </span></p>

<p><em><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">If you want something; just ask. The worst that can happen is someone might say no.</span></em></p>

<p><em><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">God bless</span></em> </p></div><div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=l_BuM8bUQeo:_zTZhVA9uSA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=l_BuM8bUQeo:_zTZhVA9uSA:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=l_BuM8bUQeo:_zTZhVA9uSA:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?i=l_BuM8bUQeo:_zTZhVA9uSA:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=l_BuM8bUQeo:_zTZhVA9uSA:ByNYXvuKCJE"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=ByNYXvuKCJE" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=l_BuM8bUQeo:_zTZhVA9uSA:Y59mnZtVT5U"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=Y59mnZtVT5U" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=l_BuM8bUQeo:_zTZhVA9uSA:V-t1I-SPZMU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=V-t1I-SPZMU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=l_BuM8bUQeo:_zTZhVA9uSA:W9dqtTZ0I2U"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=W9dqtTZ0I2U" border="0"></img></a>
</div>]]></content:encoded><description>I spent the week-end reading online and offline, and I found the world sowing incredible seeds of purpose. I'm leaving tonight for a 5 day trip and wanted to let all of you know how proud I am of you....</description></item><item><title>"GOD NEVER GIVES US MORE THAN WE CAN HANDLE"</title><link>http://seedsofpurpose.typepad.com/sowing_seeds_of_purpose/2007/05/god_never_gives.html</link><category>blogging</category><category>Elbert West</category><category>financial wealth</category><category>Joel Olsteen</category><category>money</category><category>seeds of purpose</category><category>self-help</category><category>success</category><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Elbert West</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 19 May 2007 13:28:36 PDT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:typepad.com,2003:post-34250196</guid><content:encoded xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I know I use <a href="http://www.joelolsteen.org/">Joel Olsteen</a> as an example quite often, but he does such a fantastic job of lifting others to their potential greatness, when so many other evangelists attempt to strike the "fear of God" into people already so beaten-down by life's journey. I want to share a point-of-view from Joel's teachings that should give you something to think about.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">While I believe that we are given many tough lessons to learn, I do believe these lessons are for our growth and benefit. Whether you believe these lessons are given by God or by the universe, it makes no difference; the lessons are still for your good and not to punish or torture you.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">As a child, and even as an adult, I have heard people, in an attempt to comfort themselves or someone else, make the statement, <em>"God never gives us more than we can handle."</em> </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I agree with this statement, but most people are usually referring to <em>hard times</em> and I just happen to believe that this truth also refers to the <em>good things</em> in life as well.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">What if we are not given more <em>"good"</em> <strong>or</strong> <em>"bad"</em> than we can handle? What if becoming a multi-millionaire would be more than you can handle and that is the reason it has not been thrust upon you as quickly as you would like?</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">When we experience a failed marriage or a failed business, if we're paying attention, there are plenty of lessons to learn that will help us to make better decisions in our next attempt at marriage or business.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">What about the individual who gained financial wealth unexpectedly or at a young age, only to see it cause them misery and ruin? When this person loses the money, it doesn't necessarily mean they were not meant to be wealthy, it may have come and gone so abruptly to give the person a chance to learn some valuable lessons. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Most people I know that have had wealth at a young age or unexpectedly and lost it, usually believes that they have been blessed with a chance to learn from their losses, so that they will better handle the responsibility when they accomplish wealth again.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">If you are working to become a financially wealthy person, you need to set aside a little time to really think about what your life will be like when you do become wealthy. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">If we are not given more than we can handle, then maybe your goal of becoming financially wealthy will move along a little smoother if you will put some time and effort into making sure you are ready to handle the day-to-day responsibility of this wealth.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The same applies to marriage, a business, or anything else in life. I've heard many people who married young, only to see it fail in a short period of time, make the statement, <em>"We were too young and not yet prepared for the responsibilities of marriage and so, it just didn't work out."</em></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The next time you are questioning the validity of your goals or the speed in which they are being achieved, maybe you should stop and ask yourself, <em>"Have I fully prepared myself for the attainment of my goal?" "Am I ready for my dream to come true?"</em> </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Whether you seek true love and marriage, the ultimate business opportunity, the job of your dreams or great wealth of any kind, the question you should be asking yourself every single day is: </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">"Have I done all that I can possibly do to make sure I can handle this thing that I want? If my goal were reached today; If my dreams were to suddenly become reality; would it be more than I can handle or am I ready for success in the things and the life that I want?"</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Gift:</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">A wise man once said, <em>"Most people don't achieve the ultimate success they desire, because deep down inside, they don't feel they are ready for it, so they quietly and unconsciously sabotage themselves."</em></span> </p></div><div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=5u8uQiArHig:QEQNkF2x9Ss:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=5u8uQiArHig:QEQNkF2x9Ss:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=5u8uQiArHig:QEQNkF2x9Ss:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?i=5u8uQiArHig:QEQNkF2x9Ss:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=5u8uQiArHig:QEQNkF2x9Ss:ByNYXvuKCJE"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=ByNYXvuKCJE" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=5u8uQiArHig:QEQNkF2x9Ss:Y59mnZtVT5U"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=Y59mnZtVT5U" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=5u8uQiArHig:QEQNkF2x9Ss:V-t1I-SPZMU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=V-t1I-SPZMU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=5u8uQiArHig:QEQNkF2x9Ss:W9dqtTZ0I2U"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=W9dqtTZ0I2U" border="0"></img></a>
</div>]]></content:encoded><description>I know I use Joel Olsteen as an example quite often, but he does such a fantastic job of lifting others to their potential greatness, when so many other evangelists attempt to strike the "fear of God" into people already...</description></item><item><title>ONE SEED CLOSER TO $1 BILLION </title><link>http://seedsofpurpose.typepad.com/sowing_seeds_of_purpose/2007/05/one_seed_closer.html</link><category>Blogging, Bloggers &amp; Blogs</category><category>Money &amp; Marketing</category><category>Self-help</category><category>blogging</category><category>Elbert West</category><category>Facebook</category><category>Google</category><category>MySpace</category><category>social networking</category><category>sowing seeds of purpose</category><category>Yahoo</category><category>YouTube</category><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Elbert West</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 18 May 2007 02:39:40 PDT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:typepad.com,2003:post-34193434</guid><content:encoded xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">What do <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/115/open_features-hacker-dropout-ceo.html"><strong><em>Mark Zuckerberg</em></strong></a> (Founder of Facebook), <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2006-02-12-myspace-usat_x.htm"><strong><em>Chris DeWolfe &amp; Tom Anderson</em></strong></a> (Co-founders of MySpace), <a href="http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2009192,00.html"><strong><em>Chad Hurley, Steve Chen &amp; Jawed Karim</em></strong></a> (Co-founders of YouTube), <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_52/b3914014_mz072.htm"><em><strong>Larry Page &amp; Sergey Brin</strong></em></a> (Co-founders of Google), and <a href="http://docs.yahoo.com/info/misc/history.html"><em><strong>David Filo &amp; Jerry Yang</strong></em></a> (Co-founders of Yahoo) have in common?</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">THEY CREATED MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR COMPANIES!</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Hi family, it's good to be back! I appreciate all the e-mails with your concerns as to where I've been lately, but I just had to take a little time to work on MY "Billion Dollar Baby".</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I believe a lot of you are familiar with these words of advise; <em>"If you want to be a millionaire, get as close as you can to other millionaires and study their habits."</em></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">This is what I've been doing for quite a few years and believe me, I have most certainly absorbed a great deal of priceless information, that if put to action, will no doubt serve to carry me to the attainment of my own goals.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Since the time now is 4:17 a.m. this subject will have to be continued later in the day. I will share more on my adventures in my next post, but for now, I want you to click on the names above and read their biographies. Though most of you probably know some of their stories, I'm sure you will find the details of their successes to be quite inspiring.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Look for me to pay all my friends, contacts and neighbors a visit over the coming weekend.</span></p>

<p><em><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">God bless</span></em></p></div><div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=2q_hwGUqQcs:SmMs7D6quGQ:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=2q_hwGUqQcs:SmMs7D6quGQ:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=2q_hwGUqQcs:SmMs7D6quGQ:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?i=2q_hwGUqQcs:SmMs7D6quGQ:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=2q_hwGUqQcs:SmMs7D6quGQ:ByNYXvuKCJE"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=ByNYXvuKCJE" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=2q_hwGUqQcs:SmMs7D6quGQ:Y59mnZtVT5U"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=Y59mnZtVT5U" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=2q_hwGUqQcs:SmMs7D6quGQ:V-t1I-SPZMU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=V-t1I-SPZMU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=2q_hwGUqQcs:SmMs7D6quGQ:W9dqtTZ0I2U"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=W9dqtTZ0I2U" border="0"></img></a>
</div>]]></content:encoded><description>What do Mark Zuckerberg (Founder of Facebook), Chris DeWolfe &amp; Tom Anderson (Co-founders of MySpace), Chad Hurley, Steve Chen &amp; Jawed Karim (Co-founders of YouTube), Larry Page &amp; Sergey Brin (Co-founders of Google), and David Filo &amp; Jerry Yang (Co-founders...</description></item><item><title>HOW'S YOUR UNIVERSAL ACCOUNT BALANCE?</title><link>http://seedsofpurpose.typepad.com/sowing_seeds_of_purpose/2007/05/hows_your_unive.html</link><category>Blogging, Bloggers &amp; Blogs</category><category>Self-help</category><category>blogging</category><category>blogs</category><category>Elbert West</category><category>self-help</category><category>sowing seeds of purpose</category><category>universal account</category><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Elbert West</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 08 May 2007 22:11:13 PDT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:typepad.com,2003:post-33841682</guid><content:encoded xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[
<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">For those of you who have read my book, &quot;Sowing Seeds of Purpose&quot;, the <em>Universal Account</em> is not a strange term. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">If you believe that <em>you get what you give,</em> or <em>what goes around comes around</em>, then you will understand the meaning of the Universal Account.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">In life, we give and receive and the universe demands that we balance the two. If I receive help from someone in the form of a loan, then I have essentially made a withdrawal from the universe as well. There are two ways I must now give back in order to balance my universal account.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><strong><u>Number One</u></strong>: I must first repay the loan to the person from which I borrowed, if he or she expects me to.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><u><strong>Number Two</strong></u>: I must now become the <em>&quot;giver&quot;</em> to someone else. It doesn't matter who the receiver is. It may be the same person I just repaid the loan to. This is the most important part of the whole balancing process. For the universe to have balance, we each must be givers as well as, receivers. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">If certain people were givers all the time and the rest were receivers, then eventually, there would be nothing left to give. The receivers would have it all and the givers would eventually cease to exist. Once the receivers depleted what was given to them, they too, would cease to exist.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Try and rap your brain around this: </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">For there to be <em>hot</em>, there must be <em>cold</em>. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">How can we understand and appreciate<em> pleasure</em> if we have never experienced <em>pain</em>?</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Just ask a person who has been blind from birth, to describe the difference in day and night. They are unable to accurately describe what they have never experienced.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The list could go on forever, but let's look at this from another angle. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">If I receive help in any form at all from any one, and the person or people helping me <strong>do not</strong> expect to be repaid, then I still, have made a withdrawal from the universe and must balance my account so that it is not depleted. In other words, I must put back what has been taken, so that it is there for me to use in the future. It does not matter that the person does not want to be repaid, the account is mine and if I wish to expect assistance in the future, I must give back.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The help you receive can be anything. It can be money, advice, a place to live, moral support, a sympathetic ear, love, patience, respect, hope, etc...</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">You know when you've borrowed or taken from the universe. Just put it back, or it won't be available to you should you need it in the future.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Here's where I really love this whole concept; you don't have to just keep a level balance. You may also increase your balance! </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">In other words, you can take the initiative, as I prefer to do, and go ahead and give when your balance is fine. This way, you are way ahead of the game. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I want to suggest that you respect other people's universal accounts as much as your own. When someone wants to give in some manner without you needing or asking, it is your duty to be a gracious receiver. Remember, they have a right to balance or increase the balance of their universal account as well. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">If you are offered something you truly don't want or need, you may pass the blessing on to someone who does.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">We'll talk more about our universal accounts in the future.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">A couple of days ago, Wonder Woman ask me to sing her a song, so I'm including one of my music videos in this post. This is actually my first time posting a video, so forgive me if it doesn't go smoothly. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">It seems to work when I&nbsp; go to my site, but the player begins before you get a chance to read the entire post. I'm sure some of you could advise me on the best way to do this in the future and if so, I may share other recordings of mine.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">So, here's your song I promised Wonder Woman, and as Paul Harvey would say; <em>&quot;Now you know the rest of the story.&quot;</em></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Gift:</span> </p>

<div id="vid1" style="FONT: 13px tahoma; WIDTH: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://www.videocure.com/music-video-code/e/1364df90609fbba0d83ec2fab60336e3.html" target="_blank">Diddley Video</a></div>

<div id="lyrics" style="FONT: 10px tahoma; WIDTH: 320px; COLOR: #a9a9a9; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #000000; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a class="cink" href="http://www.elyrics.net/read/e/elbert-west-lyrics/diddley-lyrics.html" target="_blank">Diddley lyrics</a> - <a class="cink" href="http://www.elyrics.net/song/e/elbert-west-lyrics.html" target="_blank">Elbert West lyrics</a></div><embed name="MediaPlayer" pluginspage="http://www.microsoft.com/windows/mediaplayer/en/download/" src="http://www.videocure.com/music-video-code/e/16fdbb7900afc326527ed5ee59371af1.asx" width="320" height="280" type="application/x-mplayer2" autostart="1" loop="true" displaysize="4" showtracker="1" showcontrols="1" showstatusbar="0" enablecontextmenu="0" style="FILTER: xray"></embed><div id="vidcure" style="WIDTH: 320px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #000000; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a class="cink" href="http://www.videocure.com/music-videos/e/cae0e795e3ab9ea4de525127118fb117.html" target="_blank">Elbert West Music Videos</a></div>

<div id="vidcure1" style="WIDTH: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><a href="http://www.videocure.com/" target="_blank">Music Video Codes</a> by VideoCure</span></div>

<p><em><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">God bless</span></em></p></div>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=RHnpxU16O60:-lbTthr6XXE:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=RHnpxU16O60:-lbTthr6XXE:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=RHnpxU16O60:-lbTthr6XXE:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?i=RHnpxU16O60:-lbTthr6XXE:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=RHnpxU16O60:-lbTthr6XXE:ByNYXvuKCJE"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=ByNYXvuKCJE" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=RHnpxU16O60:-lbTthr6XXE:Y59mnZtVT5U"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=Y59mnZtVT5U" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=RHnpxU16O60:-lbTthr6XXE:V-t1I-SPZMU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=V-t1I-SPZMU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=RHnpxU16O60:-lbTthr6XXE:W9dqtTZ0I2U"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=W9dqtTZ0I2U" border="0"></img></a>
</div>]]></content:encoded><description>For those of you who have read my book, "Sowing Seeds of Purpose", the Universal Account is not a strange term. If you believe that you get what you give, or what goes around comes around, then you will understand...</description></item><item><title>WAKE UP AND COME TOGETHER! YOU HAVE THE POWER!</title><link>http://seedsofpurpose.typepad.com/sowing_seeds_of_purpose/2007/05/wake_up_and_com.html</link><category>Blogging, Bloggers &amp; Blogs</category><category>Self-help</category><category>Elbert West</category><category>empowerwomennow</category><category>manifesting</category><category>neighborhoods</category><category>networking</category><category>self-help</category><category>sowing seeds of purpose</category><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Elbert West</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 07 May 2007 03:12:54 PDT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:typepad.com,2003:post-33749768</guid><content:encoded xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[
<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I want to begin by thanking all of you who took time to comment, e-mail and add me to your <a href="http://www.blogcatalog.com/user/seedsofpurpose"><em>&quot;friends&quot;</em> and <em>&quot;contacts&quot;</em></a> lists!</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">It does my heart and soul good to see and hear from <em>my network</em> of friends.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Those of you that had the time to drop by, should have noticed that I have spent the weekend doing exactly what I said I would do. I visited with as many of you as I possibly could, visited some new <a href="http://www.blogcatalog.com/user/seedsofpurpose">neighborhoods</a> and made some new <a href="http://www.blogcatalog.com/user/seedsofpurpose">friends</a> and if you'll take a look to your right, you'll see that I have shown my <em>friends</em> some <strong><u>&quot;link love&quot;</u></strong>.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">After all, what's the point in calling you friends of mine and adding you to my list of friends, if I'm not going to show you off?</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I encourage all of you to go through the <em>&quot;link love&quot;</em> list and check out those blogs you may have never visited before and check in with those you may have been to previously. I like to believe that I choose my friends well, so you can expect to come across some extremely intelligent and creative bloggers within this list.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I want to make it Crystal clear, that no one on the <em>&quot;link love&quot;</em> list asked to be there! I did this because I simply wanted too.</span> </p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">This <em>is</em> what <a href="http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1419646702?">Sowing Seeds of Purpose</a> is all about. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Now that we've all had a chance to feel the <em>&quot;warm-n-fuzzy&quot;,</em> I have something on my mind.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">As most of you know, I've only been blogging for a few months to date and if I continue to do so for the next 20 years, I expect I will still have much to learn, but as I surf the blogosphere, I find something both amazing and concerning.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I find the blogosphere to be one incredible powerhouse of entrepreneurial genius and creative energy, but so many of you don't seem to realize the power each of you have at your disposal.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">In my post titled:&nbsp; <a href="http://seedsofpurpose.typepad.com/sowing_seeds_of_purpose/2007/05/manifesting_1_m.html">MANIFESTING 1 MILLION DOLLARS THE OLD FASHION WAY: NETWORKING!</a>, I invited you to join me in a sort of networking club I call, <em>The S.O.S (Seeds Of Success) Consortium</em>.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I've had the pleasure of receiving e-mails from quite a few of you, eager to participate.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The point of our coming together in this consortium, is for each of us to focus our individual power in an effort to <em>up-lift</em> the whole.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">A great example of this is an organization within my &quot;friends&quot; network called <a href="http://www.empowerwomennow.com/news-women-entrepreneurs/">&quot;EmpowerWomenNow.com&quot;</a></span>.&nbsp; </p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">My life has been one big blessing! The reason I have been so blessed, is because I have had the incredible support of so many friends and family. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">When I made my journey to Nashville to pursue my dream of being a singer and songwriter, my friends and family gave me tremendous financial (My family had very little to offer) and emotional support.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">When I had my first song recorded as a writer, all my friends and family bought as many Cd's as they could, even though I gave them free copies, just to show their support and then they made sure to spread the word so that others would do so as well.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">My friends and family have purchased and supported every CD I have written songs on, every CD I have sang on, every business I have owned, my book, this blog, etc...</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Imagine a consortium of intelligent, talented, creative and focused individuals who purposely and gladly feel obligated to blessing each other's lives.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I read some of your posts, where you are frustrated by advertisers who may be unfairly strict or penalizing. You constantly search for ways to increase your traffic and page rankings. Why? </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Do you not realize that <strong><em><u>you</u></em></strong> are the fuel that runs this machine?</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">There's an old saying in the entertainment business that goes like this: <em>&quot;You can't make a singer sing, and you can't make a writer write.&quot;</em></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">In other words; without the <u>music</u> in <em>The</em> <em>Music Business</em>, you have nothing. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">How much revenue do you think we bloggers generate for Corporate America on a daily basis by creating lists and participating in various pay-for-click ad campaigns and affiliate programs?</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The challenge we have at the moment, is that we don't come together and focus our energy. We allow ourselves to be at the mercy of the very machine that can't run without us. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Had the American Indians come together as one nation, they could never have been defeated. Instead, they chose to exist as separate tribes and to fight against each other. The same goes for the Middle East. Can you imagine what kind of fight we would have on our hands if <em>they</em> were to suddenly become one nation and focus their resources?</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Imagine what we could do if we came together and focused our energies to deliberately sow seeds of success to benefit each other.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">If I owned a company where I was faced with a choice to hire one of two <em><u><strong>equally qualified</strong></u></em> individuals and one was a &quot;friend&quot;, who do you think I would hire? That's right; the friend! With both being <strong><em><u>equally qualified</u></em></strong>, wouldn't you?</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">As a <em>whole</em>, we can influence success and greatness for each individual and in turn, each individual can continue to feed the whole.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">If one member of the network has a challenge, imagine how much more quickly that challenge could be resolved when their <em>&quot;friends&quot;</em> come together to offer their expertise, experience and resources. E-mail if you're tired of going it alone and you're ready to take it to the next level.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><u><strong>Consider this:</strong></u></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Who do you think buys more product; the man who has $1, or the man who has $1,000,000?</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Who do you think sells more product;&nbsp; a single salesman, or the man with a <strong><u>network of salesman</u></strong>?</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Gift:</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><em>&quot;It is <strong>together</strong> that we <strong><u>all</u></strong> rise.&quot;</em></span></p>

<p><em></em></p>

<p><em><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">God bless</span></em></p></div>
<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=StPbIZIe9Jk:Z1BSMs_sKeg:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=StPbIZIe9Jk:Z1BSMs_sKeg:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=StPbIZIe9Jk:Z1BSMs_sKeg:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?i=StPbIZIe9Jk:Z1BSMs_sKeg:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=StPbIZIe9Jk:Z1BSMs_sKeg:ByNYXvuKCJE"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=ByNYXvuKCJE" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=StPbIZIe9Jk:Z1BSMs_sKeg:Y59mnZtVT5U"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=Y59mnZtVT5U" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=StPbIZIe9Jk:Z1BSMs_sKeg:V-t1I-SPZMU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=V-t1I-SPZMU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=StPbIZIe9Jk:Z1BSMs_sKeg:W9dqtTZ0I2U"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=W9dqtTZ0I2U" border="0"></img></a>
</div>]]></content:encoded><description>I want to begin by thanking all of you who took time to comment, e-mail and add me to your "friends" and "contacts" lists! It does my heart and soul good to see and hear from my network of friends....</description></item><item><title>WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU TODAY?</title><link>http://seedsofpurpose.typepad.com/sowing_seeds_of_purpose/2007/05/what_can_i_do_f.html</link><category>Blogging, Bloggers &amp; Blogs</category><category>Self-help</category><category>dadlabs.com</category><category>Daryn Kagan</category><category>Elbert West</category><category>networking blogs</category><category>sowing seeds of purpose</category><category>The Three Golden Rules of Blogging</category><category>What Can I Do For You Today?</category><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Elbert West</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 05 May 2007 02:40:55 PDT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:typepad.com,2003:post-33686926</guid><content:encoded xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">It's not often that I am afforded much time to surf the <em>"neighborhoods",</em> reading the blogs of my friends and contacts, but today, and most likely this entire weekend, I'll be able to catch-up on all the wisdom and creativity that resides within the <em>Blogosphere</em>.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">While surfing, I stopped by to visit the neighborhood of my friend <a href="http://www.blogcatalog.com/blogs/blog-blond-1.html">Kuanyin</a> and found myself inspired by one of her most recent posts titled, <a href="http://blog-blond.blogspot.com/search/label/Three%20Golden%20Rules%20of%20Blogging">"The Three Golden Rules of Blogging"</a>. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I'll share a brief version of the 3 rules as a teaser, but I suggest you read her version for the true inspiration:</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="font-size: 0.8em;">Rule # I: <em>"Do Unto Other Bloggers As You Would Do To Yourself"</em></span><br><br><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="font-size: 0.8em;">This means treat other bloggers with respect, kindness, </span><span style="color: #3300cc;"><u><a href="http://www.blog-blond.blogspot.com/">LINK LOVE</a></u></span><span style="font-size: 0.8em;"> (if their link fits with your blog), and reply to their comments if you have the time.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="font-size: 0.8em;">If a fellow blogger doesn't always get around to leaving a comment on your blog, cut 'em some slack. If a blogger forgets to add your link, wait a bit, and then gently remind them, and then CUT 'EM SOME SLACK. If a blogger leaves what you perceive is a 'snarky' comment, maybe they were having a bad day...and whaddya going to do...(I want to hear you scream it out now really LOUD!):<br><br>CUT 'EM SOME SLACK!<br><br>Rule # II: <em>"Make Blogging Allies By Playing Nice"</em><br><br>There's an old cliche that you catch more flies with honey. One never knows who will suddenly be the 'hot' thing, and if you're their ally, you can catch a ride on their stream as they rocket to the top. Thus, it's wise to do your best NOT to alienate others and make enemies. However, if you do make an enemy here and there, don't worry about it too much. All this means is that you must be doing something right!<br><br>Rule # 3: <em>"Never, Ever Breathe Easy--You Can Be Sure Someone is Gaining On You!"</em><br><br>There are millions of bloggers entering the Blogosphere Playground every day, and some of these newbies are go-getters. If you (the seasoned blogger) don't keep learning new hot blogging tricks, making new blog allies, and 'up-ing' your game, soon you may find yourself eating their dust. Just like on the television show, "Dancing With The Stars", you need to put your ALL into your blog like the dancers do with their dance numbers, and if you don't, it shows--next thing ya know, you're being voted off the blogosphere. Well, I don't think it will come to that, but worse yet---you will be Left Behind!</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">This is why we <em>all</em> should make it a point to set aside some surfing time as often as we can. You never know what valuable "tid-bit" you're going to find that might enhance your business, personal relationships or maybe even your soul.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">After reading <em>"The 3 Golden Rules",</em> I'm anxious to sow some seeds of goodwill with my family of bloggers.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Beginning with <em>this</em> post, I'm going to visit as many of my friends as I can this weekend, and I'm going share what Kuanyin calls "LINK LOVE".</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">If each of us took a few minutes each day and dedicated them to sharing the "LINK LOVE" with some of our network, imagine what a <em>'blog-booster'</em> that could be.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I would like to suggest that maybe you make it a habit of contacting at least a couple people on your list of "friends" each day and just ask, <em>"What can I do for you today?"</em></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">This probably sounds a lot more time-consuming than it really is, but believe me, this is very do-able and it will go a long way in building the networks of you <em>and </em>your friends.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Don't be afraid to ask what you can do for your <em>blogger friends</em>. Most of those you talk to will be respectful of your time. A request for a focused "LINK LOVE" will probably be the most common request.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Remember, in order to get what<em> you</em> want, you must first help someone else get what <em>they</em> want.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">So, this is basically my mission for the weekend. I'm out to spread some love to my <a href="http://www.blogcatalog.com/user/seedsofpurpose">network of friends</a>. I invite you to join me. I'll know if you're listening, for I'll be looking for the "LINK LOVE" from my friends as well:)</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">After absorbing a mighty powerful dose of my friend Kuanyin, I stopped by to visit another blog that really inspired me. This blog is hosted by my very gracious friend <a href="http://www.darynkagan.com/">Daryn Kagan</a>. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I found a great <a href="http://www.darynkagan.com/business/stories/bu_070227_theylovebeingdads.html">story</a> in the business section of her site about a couple of fathers who had created an online community just for dads called, <a href="http://dadlabs.com/">dadlabs.com</a>.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Founded in 2004 by Troy Lanier, Clay Nichols and Brad Powell, dadlabs.com provides a place for fathers to share information, get advice and take advantage of some very valuable networking.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Whether you're a father or not, I suggest you pay this one a visit. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Gift:</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.4em;"><em>"What can I do for you today my friend?"</em></span> </p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><em>God bless</em></span></p></div><div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=TJyYtdvYgWk:VzF7Okdjzc0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=TJyYtdvYgWk:VzF7Okdjzc0:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=TJyYtdvYgWk:VzF7Okdjzc0:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?i=TJyYtdvYgWk:VzF7Okdjzc0:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=TJyYtdvYgWk:VzF7Okdjzc0:ByNYXvuKCJE"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=ByNYXvuKCJE" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=TJyYtdvYgWk:VzF7Okdjzc0:Y59mnZtVT5U"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=Y59mnZtVT5U" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=TJyYtdvYgWk:VzF7Okdjzc0:V-t1I-SPZMU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=V-t1I-SPZMU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?a=TJyYtdvYgWk:VzF7Okdjzc0:W9dqtTZ0I2U"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/SeedsOfPurpose?d=W9dqtTZ0I2U" border="0"></img></a>
</div>]]></content:encoded><description>It's not often that I am afforded much time to surf the "neighborhoods", reading the blogs of my friends and contacts, but today, and most likely this entire weekend, I'll be able to catch-up on all the wisdom and creativity...</description></item><item><title>MANIFESTING 1 MILLION DOLLARS THE OLD FASHION WAY: NETWORKING!</title><link>http://seedsofpurpose.typepad.com/sowing_seeds_of_purpose/2007/05/manifesting_1_m.html</link><category>Money &amp; Marketing</category><category>Self-help</category><category>blogging communities</category><category>Elbert West</category><category>manifesting</category><category>million dollar experiment</category><category>money &amp; marketing</category><category>Patrick Curl</category><category>social networking</category><category>Sowing Seeds of Purpose</category><category>speed linking</category><category>Steve Pavlina blog</category><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Elbert West</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 02 May 2007 03:04:56 PDT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:typepad.com,2003:post-33562720</guid><content:encoded xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[
<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Welcome to the first full night of <strong><em>Money &amp; Marketing</em></strong>! For those of you not aware, Tuesday and Saturday of each week is now dedicated to helping all of us to <a href="http://theresabloginmysoup.com/2007/05/01/law-of-attraction/speed-linking-million-dollar/">manifest</a> whatever our hearts desire.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I want to begin this post by introducing all of you to a resilient new friend of mine; <a href="http://www.blogcatalog.com/user/patrickcurl">Patrick Curl</a> <img class="photo" alt="member photo" src="http://static.technorati.com/progimages/photo.jpg?uid=295707" />. I want you to get used to this man's face, because he is soon to be one of America's newest millionaires.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">In fact, tonight's topic of discussion was inspired by Patrick's most recent post titled: <a href="http://theresabloginmysoup.com/2007/05/01/law-of-attraction/speed-linking-million-dollar/">Speed Linking on Steroids: Manifesting 1 Million Dollars or Making $1,000,000 by blogging.</a></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I invite all of you to join me in making sure that Patrick gets his 1 million dollars. After all, we <em>are</em> all about sowing seeds of purpose; right? If I've said it once, I've said it a million times; <em>&quot;In order to get what <strong>we</strong> want, we must first help someone else get what <strong><u>they</u></strong> want.&quot; </em>Patrick is a man who understands this truth as well as anyone I've ever known.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The statement above, is an absolute fact! Ask any successful person and you will find that they have made this belief or practice one of the most important strategies in the attainment of their goals.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">When it comes to marketing, the most powerful ingredient is networking. Though I've only known Patrick a short while, I must say that I am truly impressed with his energetic approach to networking. I encourage you to take notes when you visit his site.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Over the past few months, I have read quite a few books and articles on the power and future of &quot;social networking&quot; and how it is quickly changing the way we work and play. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Where networking is concerned, the Internet has given those of us who blog, a very powerful tool. </span><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">With little effort, we now, can reach across the globe to share ideas and absorb information person-to-person and business to business, building an army of like-minded individuals that can literally move any mountain we choose.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">You can wake up on Monday morning knowing absolutely no one in England, and by noon the same day, you can be cultivating personal or professional relationships, with 20 or 30 new associates in that country.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">With <a href="http://www.blogcatalog.com/">blogging communities</a>, we now, can build a network of what are known as, &quot;friends&quot;. We can choose our new friends by viewing the details of their profile and the profiles of the friends they already associate with. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I'm going to suggest we take our community to the &quot;next level&quot;. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">What do you think would happen if we <em>really</em> focused our networks of communities to accomplish a specific purpose?</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I have decided to invite you to participate in what I call: <strong><em>The S.O.S. (seeds of success) Consortium</em></strong>. The idea is to take our communities to a level of <em>purpose</em>.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The qualifications are as follows: </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">1) Know <em>exactly</em> what you want to accomplish and share your goals with the rest of us. The group would then offer any knowledge, personal experiences and resources to advise, guide and lift you to your desired outcome.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">2) Share <em><u>your</u></em> personal knowledge, experiences and resources with the others in the group, so that we may move more quickly to the accomplishment of our goals as well.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">It's that simple!</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">This works just like <a href="http://www.habitat.org/"><em>Habitat for Humanity</em></a>, where members of the community come together to build a house for an individual family. The entire community works to ensure success for a single member.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Just imagine what magic would happen if you shared your desired goal with a community of 10,000 individuals with varying experiences, educational backgrounds and resources, with everyone committed to helping <em>you</em>. Send me an e-mail if you're interested.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Let's begin with helping Patrick take another step forward. Go visit his <a href="http://theresabloginmysoup.com/2007/05/01/law-of-attraction/speed-linking-million-dollar/#comment-31">blog</a> and offer what ever advise, information and resources you think will truly help him achieve his goal.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Patrick did a search for <em>&quot;million dollar experiment&quot; </em>(since this is the basis for his blog), for the purpose of finding information that might take him closer to his goal of generating $1,000,000 by the time he's 30. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I'm going to include a few of the links he found, so that all of you can benefit from the information as well:</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The <a href="http://www.stevepavlina.com/">Steve Pavlina blog</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;</span></p>

<p>One of Patrick's favorite posts: <a href="http://kumikosuzuki.blogspot.com/search/label/top%205%20essential%20sites">Top 5 Essential Sites Countdown</a></p>

<p><a href="http://kumikosuzuki.blogspot.com/2007/03/top-5-countdown-of-essential-sites-1.html" set="yes">Top 5 Countdown of Essential Sites - #1</a> </p>

<p><a href="http://kumikosuzuki.blogspot.com/2007/03/top-5-countdown-of-essential-sites-2.html" set="yes">Top 5 Countdown of Essential Sites - #2</a> </p>

<p><a href="http://kumikosuzuki.blogspot.com/2007/03/top-5-countdown-of-essential-sites-3.html" set="yes">Top 5 Countdown of Essential Sites - #3</a> </p>

<p><a href="http://kumikosuzuki.blogspot.com/2007/03/top-5-countdown-of-essential-sites-4.html" set="yes">Top 5 Countdown of Essential Sites - #4</a> </p>

<p><a href="http://kumikosuzuki.blogspot.com/2007/03/top-5-essential-sites-that-new-bloggers.html" set="yes">Top 5 Countdown of Essential Sites - #5</a> </p>

<ul><li><a href="http://mikesmoneymakingmission.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mike’s Money Making Mission</a>, a successful publisher of business magazines who since retiring now has focused on earning a living from <a class="kLink" oncontextmenu="return false;" id="KonaLink4" onmouseover="adlinkMouseOver(event,this,4);" onmouseout="adlinkMouseOut(event,this,4);" href="http://theresabloginmysoup.com/2007/05/01/law-of-attraction/speed-linking-million-dollar/#" target="_top" style="POSITION: static; TEXT-DECORATION: underline! important"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; FONT-SIZE: 12px; COLOR: blue! important; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif"><span class="kLink" style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; FONT-SIZE: 12px; COLOR: blue! important; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">FREE </span><span class="kLink" style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; FONT-SIZE: 12px; COLOR: blue! important; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">Blogs</span></span></a>. His site has a plethora of information on earning money with your blog, and how to retain and build a loyal following. Check out the following three part series: <ul><li>Making Money With Free Blogs: <ol><li><a href="http://mikesmoneymakingmission.blogspot.com/2007/03/money-making-with-free-blogs-part-1.html" target="_blank">Blog content, retaining visitors</a>&nbsp; </li>

<li><a href="http://mikesmoneymakingmission.blogspot.com/2007/03/money-making-with-free-blogs-part-2.html" target="_blank">Getting Visitors</a>&nbsp; </li>

<li><a href="http://mikesmoneymakingmission.blogspot.com/2007/04/make-money-with-free-blogs-part-3.html" target="_blank">Making Money</a> </li></ol></li></ul></li></ul>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><em>God bless</em></span></p></div>
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</div>]]></content:encoded><description>Welcome to the first full night of Money &amp; Marketing! For those of you not aware, Tuesday and Saturday of each week is now dedicated to helping all of us to manifest whatever our hearts desire. I want to begin...</description></item><item><title>"JUST TAKE ONE MORE STEP!"</title><link>http://seedsofpurpose.typepad.com/sowing_seeds_of_purpose/2007/04/just_take_one_m.html</link><category>Self-help</category><category>blogging</category><category>blogs</category><category>Elbert West</category><category>faith</category><category>Ross Perot</category><category>self-doubt</category><category>self-help</category><category>Sowing Seeds of Purpose</category><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Elbert West</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:33:14 PDT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:typepad.com,2003:post-33492176</guid><content:encoded xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[
<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">You wake up to another day of, <em>&quot;Lord, what am I going to do today to get out of this mess?&quot;</em></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">You begin to question your previous decisions, today's choices and tomorrow's hope. All of a sudden, you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">You ask yourself, <em>&quot;What happened to the great opportunities? They were so clearly there yesterday!? Was I just fooling myself?&quot;</em> </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">You feel the fog of fear begin to overwhelm you. Self-doubt sets on one shoulder saying loudly in your ear, <em>&quot;Maybe we should change direction. We've made a wrong turn. This is not working!&quot;</em></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Faith sets on the other shoulder trying to speak over Self-doubt; pleading, <em>&quot;Just take one more step, you're almost out of the fog. Don't forget about the seeds we've worked so hard sowing. Just take one more step!&quot;</em></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The mail comes and you realize that you have begun falling behind. The mortgage is late, the utilities could be cut off any day now. The cell phone is already disconnected and your friends and family, most of whom you had to borrow money from, are beginning to question your choices.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Self-doubt says to you, <em>&quot;We might have a chance to save a little of what's left if we get out now! We'll try again another day, with a better idea and a better plan.&quot;</em></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">You can't easily hear him now, but if you stand real still and listen real hard, you can hear the faint voice of Faith saying,<em> &quot;Please trust me. I have as much to lose as you do if I'm wrong. I know the fog is scary, but up here, I can see better than you. Just take one more step!&quot;</em></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Your spouse is worried, because the bank just called. Your heart races as though it will jump out of your chest any moment now. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">You think to yourself, <em>&quot;Nothing has gone as planned. Maybe Self-doubt is right. Maybe I should quit now, before I stumble in this God-forsaken fog and fall into a hole from which I may never climb out!?&quot;</em></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Between the pounding in your chest, the pounding at the door, the telephone ringing and Self-doubt yelling in your ear, you can no longer hear the voice of Faith, but you know what he is saying, because he's leaving little signs all around you.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">You can't see the signs, for the fog is so thick now, you could almost cut it with a knife, but, you don't have to see them, you can feel them in your gut. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Faith is saying,&nbsp; <em>&quot;The path is clear up ahead! Just take one more step!&quot;</em></span></p>

<p><em></em></p>

<p><em><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Gift:</span></em></p>

<p><em>Most people give up just when they are about to achieve success. They quit on the one-yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game, one foot from a winning touchdown.</em></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Ross Perot</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><em>God bless</em></span></p></div>
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</div>]]></content:encoded><description>You wake up to another day of, "Lord, what am I going to do today to get out of this mess?" You begin to question your previous decisions, today's choices and tomorrow's hope. All of a sudden, you can't see...</description></item><item><title>MONEY &amp; MARKETING</title><link>http://seedsofpurpose.typepad.com/sowing_seeds_of_purpose/2007/04/money_marketing.html</link><category>Money &amp; Marketing</category><category>Self-help</category><category>blogging for business</category><category>blogs</category><category>Elbert West</category><category>free newsletters</category><category>Joe Vitale</category><category>marketing</category><category>money</category><category>self-help</category><category>Shel Holtz</category><category>Sowing Seeds of Purpose</category><category>The e Code</category><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Elbert West</dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 29 Apr 2007 00:21:59 PDT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:typepad.com,2003:post-33445514</guid><content:encoded xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[
<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Beginning today, Tuesday and Saturday of each week will be dedicated to the topics of <em><strong>money</strong></em> and <strong><em>Marketing</em></strong>.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">As a lot of you know, since retiring from the entertainment industry, I make my living as an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1419646702?tag=seedsofpurpos-20&amp;camp=14573&amp;creative=327641&amp;linkCode=as1&amp;creativeASIN=1419646702&amp;adid=11CNZDWF560S6N8S6Z7D&amp;">Author</a> (both print and online e-books), <a href="http://www.seedsofpurpose.com/servlet/StoreFront">Success Coach</a>, Sales &amp; Small Business Consultant, media trainer and Public Speaker.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The reason I've decided to dedicate a couple of our days together to these specific topics, is to satisfy a growing demand among the readership.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Of late, it seems that more and more of the e-mails I receive are requests for information or advice in these specific areas. Last week at a signing for my book, <em>&quot;Sowing Seeds of Purpose&quot;,</em> I experienced a rather slow-moving line, because a good number of the people were inquiring about marketing tips, what books or e-books I recommend for various types of information and what types of work-from-home or money-making opportunities I could suggest.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The fact is, I have spent a tremendous amount of time and money over the years to accumulate valuable knowledge in these areas, so, for at least 2 days of our week I will share with you what I've learned. This is what <em>sowing seeds of purpose</em> is all about.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Though we will cover a lot of priceless tips and information in the coming weeks and months, I do suggest that you sign up for my <a href="http://www.seedsofpurpose.com/servlet/StoreFront">free newsletter</a> for an even more in-depth connection. You will find that as a member, you will enjoy generous discounts on self-help products from the<em><a href="http://www.seedsofpurpose.com/servlet/StoreFront"> Seeds of Purpose Personal Growth Center</a></em>, as well as, occasional free downloads of audios and e-books.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">We will begin our new schedule this coming Tuesday, the first day of May, but for now, I would like to share a couple of great reads to get you started:</span></p>

<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/E-Code-Internet-Superstars-Reveal-Instantly-Using/dp/0471718556/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-1981810-0962552?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1177830349&amp;sr=1-1"><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><em><span style="color: #0000cc;">&quot;The e Code&quot;</span></em> </span>(33 Internet Superstars Reveal 43 Ways to Make Money Online Almost Instantly - Using Only E-Mail!)&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 1.2em;">By: Joe Vitale and Jo Han Mok</span></a></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blogging-Business-Everything-Need-Should/dp/1419536451/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-1981810-0962552?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1177830727&amp;sr=1-1"><em><span style="color: #0000cc;">&quot;Blogging for Business&quot;</span></em> (Everything You Need to Know and Why You Should Care)&nbsp; By: Shel Holtz and Ted Demopoulos</a></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><em>God bless</em></span></p></div>
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</div>]]></content:encoded><description>Beginning today, Tuesday and Saturday of each week will be dedicated to the topics of money and Marketing. As a lot of you know, since retiring from the entertainment industry, I make my living as an Author (both print and...</description></item><item><title>BE A LIGHT </title><link>http://seedsofpurpose.typepad.com/sowing_seeds_of_purpose/2007/04/be_a_light.html</link><category>Self-help</category><category>blogging</category><category>blogs</category><category>Elbert West</category><category>multi-level marketing</category><category>seeds of purpose</category><category>self-help</category><dc:creator xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Elbert West</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 27 Apr 2007 21:51:13 PDT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:typepad.com,2003:post-33418706</guid><content:encoded xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I received a phone call from a friend the other day whom I had not spoken with in a while. After the first 15 minutes of catching up, he began to share the exciting details of a new multi-level marketing company he has been promoting for the past 7 months.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Now, I've been exposed to a lot of MLMs over the years and was in fact, a member of 3 really good ones (not at the same time); one of which, allowed me to generate quite a substantial income.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Aware of the fact that I have an extensive list of associates, my friend began to push me to research his opportunity, suggesting that I might want to "sign-on" with the company and take advantage of my large number of contacts to build a very nice residual income for me and my family.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Though I'm not currently a member of a multi-level marketing company, I do believe that these type of businesses do offer the average person a wonderful opportunity to generate a rather large residual income for the least out-of-pocket investment.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The part of our conversation that caught my attention, was my friend's complaint, that with his extensive background in sales, he simply couldn't believe he had not had much larger success for the amount of time he had been participating.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I think I know why.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">We've all been around the individual or group who constantly pushes their ideas, beliefs or products upon us so hard, that they begin to push us away. Many times, we may agree with their beliefs or we may actually like their product, but we are so turned-off by their insistent approach, that we reject what they offer to avoid association.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I made the same suggestion to my friend that I'm going to make to you. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">If you want to attract the moth, be a light. If your product is so wonderful, don't push them to buy it, just let them try it.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">If your restaurant is so good, let them sample the food. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">If your opportunity is so wonderful and lucrative, don't push it on others, just be an example of the person they <em>could</em> be, who is living the life they <em>could</em> be living. <strong><em>Be</em></strong> <em><strong>a</strong></em> <strong><em>light!</em></strong></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">I've seen so many people with great opportunities to share, make the mistake of painting the wrong picture of what they have and who they are. Remember, whether it be a product you are offering, an opportunity you're sharing, a church you're inviting someone to attend with you or maybe you're simply trying to win support for a cause; <strong><em>you</em></strong> <strong><em><u>are</u></em></strong> the first impression!</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">If you are judgmental, condemning, unforgiving or intolerant of those around you, how many people do you think would accept an invitation from you to join your church?</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The fact is, you may not be a good representation of the majority of your church's congregation, but nonetheless, others will see you as an example of what they will be required to become.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The same goes for an MLM company that you represent. If you're pushy, needy, impatient and desperate, your prospects will assume that this is what they will experience or become should they participate.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Think about it for a moment. Put yourself in other people's shoes. Ask yourself these questions:</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">"What would make me want to buy this product?" </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">"What posture would attract me to this wonderful opportunity?"</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">"What qualities would a person need to exhibit for me to want to follow them?"</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">If you want others to follow you, then be a person <em>you</em> would follow.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">If you want others to be interested or excited about your opportunity, then glow with an energy that exudes the kind of security and sense of purpose that would make a prospect hunger for what you have.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Remember, to get what you want, you must first help someone else get what they want. This has been the core value in multi-level marketing since their beginning and it works!</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">If you want to attract others to you; be the soft, warm light of honesty, contentment, confidence, purpose, hope, strength, focus and direction. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Be the kind of light that others will want to bask in.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Gift:</span></p>

<p><em><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">To get what you want, you must first give someone else what they want.</span></em></p>

<p><em></em></p>

<p><em><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">God bless</span></em></p></div><div class="feedflare">
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