Zen Garden > Monthorama - November 2005 Entries

Here you will find some occasional notes from me about matters pertaining to this website, its development, personal observations and whatever springs to mind that I feel needs to be recorded.

The most recent posts are first. If you want to follow the thread it might be better to scan upwards from the bottom.

November 25, 2005 - A couple of years ago when I was running the "old" website I instituted a competition which became quite popular. I have been so busy adding content since this new site went live in August this year that I all but forgot about how well the competitions were received. OK. Here is how it works:

THE COMPETITION:

Each time the competition runs (at my discretion) but approximately once per month, I will give one lucky Zenspiration member the opportunity to win one of my e-books. It is a true competition with "no strings attached." Every person who enters will have an EQUAL opportunity of winning.

The PRIZE, first up, will be a copy of my highly praised wealth creation book called: "How to Save $1000's and Increase Your Personal NET Wealth." But next time it could be something different. I am adding more books later so there is sure to be something that interests you.

This book will change the way you think about money and show you how you can massively IMPROVE your financial future. One Accountant who purchased the book was so impressed that he and his wife completely re-assessed and re-organised their wealth strategy. And he is an Accountant! Do you think that it might be able to help you?

This book retails for US$27.97 but it could be yours completely FREE! Sound good?

The rules are very simple and are as follows:

1 You HAVE to be a Zenspirational Thoughts International member.

Most pages at this website will allow you to do this.

2 Just send ONE email at COMPETITION ENTRY HERE marked "ENTRY" followed by ONE letter and THREE numbers of your choice. See below for examples...

3 The competition will run until 7 December 2005 and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter on this page for all to see. Somebody WILL win it.

You can get all your friends to join to be in the competition, if you want. Just let them know about it. You can copy this website address and send it to them to let them know.

Here are some examples of the type of letters and numbers that you could use: B309, Z621, X995. Get the idea? That's it. Simple huh?

So, in the subject line of your email entry all you have to put is something like this: ENTRY P331. Pick ANY letter and ANY number combination. But please put the word "ENTRY" first so that I can pick the entries out quickly from the 100's of emails that I receive. They will all be stored in a competition folder until the draw date then deleted.

Oh, you might like to know how I select the letter and number combination. I have 26 letters and 10 numbers. I draw the letter first (out of a box) and then three numbers. Each time a number is drawn it goes back into the box, so it is possible for any number to be drawn none, one, two or all three times.

If nobody gets the combination exactly correct then it will go to the nearest guesser. If two or more people are closest then EACH person will receive a book. So, for example, if 5 people are closest then 5 books will be awarded.

Now remember, only one entry per person who MUST be a member of "Zenspirational Thoughts." If you are just a visitor reading this then the ONLY way you can participate is to become a member of this site first.

Like I said somebody WILL win. Why not submit an entry and make that somebody you. This book will DEFINITELY help you to make money! It's EASY to understand and you can start using the strategies immediately.

This will be the first of many competitions where you will be able to win valuable prizes that can help your future growth. So spread the word.

Oh, you might like to check this page from time to time to see what I am up to. I have lots of news to tell and I am always doing something.

Go to it. Talk to you later. Gary. .............................................................................................................................................

November 23, 2005 - Can you believe it? Christmas is just one month away. Where has this year gone? What have you done? Have you gone forward or have you gone backwards? Because it will be one or the other.

What have I been doing? Hmm. First some trivial stuff. Last week I went to see "Flight Plan" starring Jodie Foster. It was quite an interesting movie about a mom who loses her child on a giant airplane. There were some moments that I thought were not really all that credible AND I did expect Hannibal Lecter to jump out of a coffin in one scene but all in all, quite enjoyable. My score? Hmm. 7 out of 10.

Since I made my last entry I have read one book and am half finished another - both fiction. I've become tired of reading non-fiction. My head is crammed full of it so I needed some escape.

First book - Mathew Reilly's latest offering "The Seven Ancient Wonders." Don't bother. It was pure unadulterated junk. Full of unbelievable characters with the most stupid nicknames involving themselves in the most fantasmagorical plots. Score? A real struggle to award it 1 out of 10.

I am presently reading John Grisham's "The Last Juror." It's a bit slow to get started and I am still only 2/3rds through but it is enjoyable. Mind you ANYTHING would be enjoyable when compared to Reilly's formulaic nonsense.

I have been a bit tardy with the website for a couple of weeks because I have spent a lot of time posting to a forum trying to help a friend establish a reputation there. Boy can I get people prickly. I've been insulted several times and told to "Get a LIFE!" Heh. But overall I think I have made some very detailed and informative posts. I guess some people have personal issues and don't like being told the truth. It takes all kinds.

Regarding the website I recently loaded more than a dozen new articles on the Zen Garden page and I am soon to load another dozen or so. I am trying to cover as many life issues as I can with these articles so there will be something for everybody.

The weather in Perth, Western Australia has certainly turned. We are now having very sunny days and warm balmy nights. Summer has virtually arrived. No longer do I have to light the fire in the evening.

I haven't mentioned this before but... for the last five months I have been recovering from major surgery as a result of a pretty nasty accident where I fell from a ladder. Now read this carefully... my recovery was sped up by the fact that I had the discipline to complete 315,000 repetitions of exercises that involved FIVE sets per day. I NEVER missed a single set on a single day. That is how you achieve, my friends. I put in a massive effort and am now almost fully recovered.

I am planning on making a more concerted effort to the website over the next few weeks. Lots of new information will be added. To do that I intend on pulling back from forum posting. I think I have stirred people up just about enough.

If you haven't already signed up for Zenspirational Thoughts please consider doing so. It will give you a little burst of positivity once a week. Try it. You can always unsubscribe if you don't like it AND you get my life-changing e-book "The Power of Choice." Talk to you later. Gary. .............................................................................................................................................

November 1, 2005 - Today, I took my wife to lunch. That in itself is hardly any news at all. However, what should have been a lovely celebration of something personal turned out to be pretty lousy. Here's what happened...

We went to a local marina where there is a selection of restaurants. We strolled along the marina just to have a look at what was on offer. The first restaurant we walked into was about one-third full. I stood at the front desk and waited... and waited... and waited.

There were three people behind the counter busying themselves with all sorts of menial tasks. I eventually managed to get the attention of a young lady. She stood directly in front of me and looked at me. Not a word did she speak. No "hello." No "welcome to our restaurant." Nothing.

She just stood and looked. Eventually, I said: "Excuse me. What should we do? Do we order here or take a seat and wait for somebody?"

The young lady sighed and mumbled something that sounded like: "do whatever you want." Not being one to suffer rudeness, inattentiveness or sarcasm too well when I am the paying customer I simply turned to my wife and we walked out.

We selected a second restaurant a bit further along the boardwalk. In we went. We paid up front then were told to sit at table seven. There was no table seven so, while my wife waited I went back and enquired. The young waiter pointed to a table in the corner. He didn't say anything either. Just raised his arm in a gesture and pointed with a dumb look on his face. He just pointed like some sort of mute zombie. Oh boy! I didn't need a conversationalist but what is it with these kids? Have they lost the art of polite communication?

I was shown to a table marked four. That, apparently was table seven. Hmm... interesting concept. The table was filthy, covered in salt, greasy fingerprints and bits of lettuce everywhere. So, off I go again. I asked the same young man if he would clean the table for us. Oh-oh! That must have been outside his job requirements. You would have thought I had asked him for a pint of his blood.

In his own good time - several minutes later - over he came with a squirter and a cloth. Squirt, squirt, squirt then swoosh - all the crap on the table went into my lap. I just sat there seething. My wife asked me to remain calm as I was about to get up yet again and ask for the manager.

After about twenty minutes out came the food - mine a massive plate of the most tasteless calamari I have ever suffered. It was horrible. I left most of it on the plate. The only saving grace was my wife's meal. She told me that her fish dish was very nice. I had a taste and yes it was.

The point is this - I will NEVER enter either of these lousy joints again. Furthermore, I'll let all my friends know not to go there too. What is happening to pleasantness, manners and service with a smile? Most of those things now seem like "old world" values. To top it off the meal was expensive too.

The sooner I get my new book - "Profit is a Beautiful Word" up for sale the better. It deals with business etiquette and the lost art of treating customers like valuable assets to the business. Honestly, the way that many businesses and their bad-tempered, bad-attitude employees behave these days it is little wonder that 95% of them are out of business in under three years. No wonder at all. Today's two experiences were prime examples.

Not a real good way to start the month, was it? Talk to you later. Gary. .............................................................................................................................................

Gary Simpson is a 7th Dan karate master who teaches self defense, motivation, self help and wealth building to students around the world through home study courses. You may reprint this article as you include this author credit and an active link to his web site. Finance - Self Help - Motivation - Self Defense - Personal Growth MotivationSelfEsteem.com