Millions and millions of people all over the world are mourning the passing of musical and dancing genius Michael Jackson.

I must admit, when I heard the news I was shocked and I felt a profound sadness at the passing of yet another icon of the music industry. I felt the same way when I heard the news of Elvis Presley’s untimely passing and the shocking execution murder of John Lennon all those years ago.

Most of us never get to meet these people (though I have worked for one very big name in the entertainment industry) and yet we all “feel” as though we know them through their gifts to the world, in this case, music. We marvel at their drive and passion to succeed in their chosen fields and we all sing along, dance, hum, whistle and tap out a beat in unison with their music. And it isn’t just musician’s who make us feel close to them…

Let’s spare a moment of thought for Farrah Fawcett too. Her death, after an awful period of pain and suffering, was almost put in the shadows by Michael Jackson’s sudden and unexpected death on the same day. Her iconic 1969 pin-up poster sold more than 12 million copies and she was a HUGE televison star (Charlies’ Angels) in the 1970’s!

Unlike Jackson, Farrah Fawcett was expected to pass away. Jackson’s death came out-of-the-blue! And I think that was why Michael Jackson’s passing was so much of a complete shock for everybody.

Before I mention what I believe YOU have in common with Michael Jackson let’s just do a quick run-down of his massive achievements in a life cut far too short and indelibly marked by inner turmoil and anguish.

Five of his solo albums – “HIStory,” “Thriller” (the BIGGEST selling album in music history), “Off the Wall,” “Bad” and “Dangerous” are among the best selling albums of all time. Collectively, they have sold an estimated 750 million units. He was inducted TWICE into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and had no fewer than 13 number ONE singles. He was the winner of 13 Grammy Awards and won the American Music Award’s Artist of the Century Award.

THAT is SERIOUS talent by anyone’s measurement!

But despite all his MASSIVE achievements he was flawed. He had “issues” with his self-esteem. I’ve read with interest in so many publications that he detested his appearance and only felt truly comfortable with himself when he was on-stage performing. And, as a boy, it was alleged by him and others that he was abused. (Sadly, how many times do we hear that these days?)

Most people have self-esteem issues and see themselves as FAR less than what they really are. Most of us believe we are too fat, too skinny, not good-looking enough, not happy enough, not successful enough, not talented enough and a whole range of other “lack” issues.

Sure the Michael Jackson’s of the world come along very seldom. He had precocious talent. But he still had demons that he wrestled with on a daily basis - just like you invariably do!

We can all do more and be more and achieve more. Mostly, it is self-doubt that holds us back.

I’m presently writing an e-book to address this self doubt gremlin that so many people from all over the world and from all walks of life have. But in the meantime, if you would like to learn more about how you can do more and ACHIEVE more then I’d like to direct you to another one of my e-books - “Power of Choice”. I won’t bung on about it here other than to say that it has been downloaded 1000’s of times into over 40 countries of the world. If you want, you can read about it over there on the left of the page (see cover art at top LHS of this page) . And, again if you want, you can get a copy by visiting this link: Get your own FREE life-changing POWER OF CHOICE e-book

We will continue to mourn those who shared their lives and talents with us but the most mournful thing of all will be the fact that they can no longer share their genius with us. Can you imagine the joy that Michael Jackson and John Lennon and Elvis Presley and others could have brought to the world had they lived on?

YOU have greatness locked within you. When are you going to release it and share it with us?

You see, you are going to pass on one day too. We’re all gonna do that. But here is a question I’d like you to ponder…

What legacy will YOU leave behind to show us all that you walked on this earth? When are you going to leave your mark?

RIP Michael Jackson - August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009
RIP Farrah Fawcett - February 2, 1947 – June 25, 2009

Feel free to make any comments below…

PS: Sorry, but I can’t reveal any details about who the “big star” was in my opening paragraph other than “he was a he” and he knew Michael Jackson well. And yes, this guy had “issues” too.

Hi,

I’ve just finished reading Alex Jeffreys latest e-book called “Newbies Nightmare - the Advanced Strategies They DON’T Want You to Know!” It’s a short e-book of some 45 pages with a fair few pictures. I managed to read it all in about 15-20 minutes. [You can see a pic of the cover of Newbies Nightmare in the lower LHS column of this page - just scroll down to view.]

Written in an easy-to-read style, the Newbies Nightmare explains why 99% of people trying to make money online FAIL! I gotta admit… the stuff that Alex wrote about hit home with me too.

I signed on for Alex’s first coaching course and many of the pages on this blog are dedicated to what was taught.

If you are considering finding a MENTOR on the Internet to help you with your marketing and selling then I can personally recommend Alex Jeffreys to you. He over-delivered on his first course and I know ABSOLUTELY that with Garry Parkes now taking on the role of Operations Manager that Alex’s new course will be EVEN BETTER!

As I said, troll through this blog and see for yourself the type of information that Alex teaches and the sorts of things that you will learn.

If you want to read the Newbies Nightmare then you can get it by clicking here —> NEWBIES NIGHTMARE

PS:1 I have personally met Alex Jeffreys and Garry Parkes and many other Alex Jeffreys students at the Internet Marketing seminars in Las Vegas in May/June 2009. You can read about all the fun we had in the previous post on this blog. Just scroll down.

PS:2 Having studied lots of information on Internet Marketing (just look at the size of this massive blog!) there are TWO basic themes that keep being said by all the BIG money-makers on-line - FREE tip coming…

… here it is…

1 - Get a MENTOR
2 - Build a list

You can begin to achieve part 1 of that right here, right now. Just download the Newbies’ Nightmare to see what you are facing if you are trying to go it alone. Then read what Alex Jeffreys can do for you. It’s 100% free so you’d be crazy not to. (Remember, you can post any question below and with my experience I will try to answer it. But hurry. This EXCLUSIVE ALEX JEFFREYS MENTORING COURSE will open and close VERY quickly! Last time it was OVER-SUBSCRIBED the people who were late were simply left out. Numbers are restricted.)

I’m finally back home in Oz after attending the Internet Marketing Seminars in Las Vegas in May and June 2009.

I have to say that I met some of the most wonderful and postive people at these seminars. I will be adding more names and details later but some of the people who I interacted with were:

Now I know I have missed some people out. Please don’t be offended. I am SO jet-lagged and only just had 8 hours sleep after arriving home from Las Vegas to Los Angeles (a 1.5 hour flight with a 4 hour stop over) then LAX to Brisbane, Australia (a 14.5 hour flight with a 2 hour stopover) then Brisbane to Perth (a 5 hour flight). Then my kids insisted on coming over to see me so I had to stay awake for another 4 hours talking (semi-consciously) to them. When you add all this up (including waking up in the morning to pack, leave the hotel and get to McCarran airport in Vegas the wait for the flight to LA - 12 hours) it comes to 43 hours awake. I can’t sleep on planes.

Ugh! Just on that… sorry to say this but I sat next to a lady from LA to Oz who must have been the world champion pie-eater, or something. She didn’t even fit in HER bloody seat! Her “extra bits” were rolling into my seat and she frikken SNORED while sharing her considerable self with me. GOD! Also, I had a rugby player on the other side of me and well, I ain’t exactly small myself. Then, there was this little sh*t in front of my seat who must have had ADHD and who was using his seat as a trampoline and who CONTINUALLY hung over his seat to annoy me and the rugby player and the Michelin tire pin-up girl. Oh, and then there was the guy behind me who kept kicking my seat. Yeah… it was FUN!

Anyway, enough of that! The seminars, meetings…

Oh, before I launch into them - Theresa Mayhew… what a lovely lady! “Trees” posted me a big box of gingerbread cookies to share with the folks at the seminar. I have to admit that I ate about 6 of them before they even got to the seminar. I put them right by the coffee machine in the meeting room and invited people to fang into them. Now I KNOW that Lance reckons he didn’t get any but…

… Lance, seriously, how could you NOT know they were there? Especially since me and Parkesy and Paula Brett and Nikki Stephens arrived fashionably late (thanks girls!) and we caused such a disruption (sorry Alex!) to the meeting while we introduced ourselves around.

A little aside here too - those LOVELY folks at the Luxor Hotel Casino charged me $7.00 to pick those cookies up! Jeez, as if they didn’t make a sh*tload off me for the hotel accommodation and the “resort fee” - whatever that is and the food and the drinks and the internet connection and all the other charges and taxes!

The meetings… hmm, they all seem a bit of a blur right now (as does everything) but I do have my notes - somewhere! And… I have looked and I can’t find them at the moment. Duh! I KNOW they are here somewhere!

The BEST part of all of this was MEETING the people. Finally meeting all of the people that I have been interacting with over the internet was a real blessing. And not only have I made so many friends - I am doing (or will be doing) business with quite a few of them!

But let me back the truck up for a moment…

I think I was the first one to arrive in Las Vegas - just ahead of Dean Holland and Dan Briffa. Dean and Dan were booked into the New York, New York Casino Hotel, as were most of the others. I booked into the (luxury) Luxor (the pyramid shaped one with the laser beam at the apex - which supposedly shoots 10 miles into the night sky - attracting aliens, no doubt) coz I have stayed there before and I liked it - plus I knew my way through the labyrinth of hotel floors and walkways between them all.

Anyway, I walked over several times to see if the boys had arrived and after the third attempt they finally did arrive and we got together. Well, what a madcap few hours we had after that. I was so jet-lagged and hmm… I guess I just went a “bit” silly. Dean and Dan and I made a lot of videos of the crazy times we had. They will all end up on you tube and the blogs soon but, watch out for scenes including:

Oh dear! These were just a few of the madcap moments that Dean and Dan and I captured on video the first day.

Oh, back to work, I also managed to make about 15 short videos on Internet Marketing at the various casino locations. Some of them are actually quite good and they give decent Internet Marketing tips. But some of them are just more madness. As Marshall Sylver (the hypnotist) at Mike Filsaime’s seminars said: “Funny is money.” So, I’ll just wait for it all to start rolling in.

Anyway, I will have a LOT more to say soon. And I will be uploading a lot of those videos and photos for you all to see. I am facing a LOT of work here (including having to take over a $100,000 pa franchise that one of my franchisees decided to walk away from while I was in the US - don’t ask. There is a world recession on - apparently - and one of my guys decides that he doesn’t want this money).

More to come…

PS: Check out those banner ads to Omar Martin’s “Internet Selling For Newbies” course that I have splattered all over my blog (see above). I met Omar via Paula (Pauls) Brett and talked with him extensively over a few days both at the Alex Jeffreys seminars and also at Mike Filsaime’s (held at the exotic new “M” Resort Casino complex just outside Las Vegas). Based on what I have seen (and I have seen a fair bit) I believe that Omar has the MOST COMPREHENSIVE introduction to Internet Selling that you will find anywhere. Click on any of those banners and get involved with Omar! He is one of Mike Filsaime’s right hand men and he is VERY knowledgeable. This product is SO explanatory. Omar goes into great detail and I am supporting him 100% with this product because i think it will benefit so many people trying to unravel the mysteries and vagaries of INTERNET MARKETING!

The Secret is a phenomenal book and video created by Rhonda Byrne featuring some of the best motivators and authors today. I speak of people such as Bob Proctor, Dr Denis Waitley, Dr John Gray and Jack Canfield to name just a few who feature strongly in “The Secret.” All are world famous motivational speakers and authors in their own rights.

So, what EXACTLY is “The Secret” all about?

The “secret” - which is really NO secret at all - is that in order for something to manifest itself in your life you FIRST have to “attract” it by thought.

Henry Ford said:

“Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right.”

But… is it enough just to THINK positive, empowering thoughts? Will that alone assure your success? I think NOT and here is why…

Here’s just one comment that I have received - Ryan Price said to me on Twitter:

RyanSPrice@TheGazzMan Been using your action planner http://tinyurl.com/d955vj Thanks to you Gary Im on my way to a super productive month!!!
3:40 PM May 15th from TweetDeck in reply to TheGazzMan

Thanks Ryan! Glad to know it is helping you achieve your goals. I love getting feedback like that.

PS: Here is another link where you can get your free “Time-in-Motion” ACTION Planner —> GET YOUR ACTION PLANNER

Sit down my friend and get comfortable coz this will either delight or disgust you - depending of course on whether you have a positive outlook on life and want to make friends OR you have a negative outlook on life and want to ATTACK people over trivial matters. After you read this you will probably feel inspired to add a comment of your own.

I want to talk today about interacting with other people on social media websites. Principally I want to talk about the latest phenomenon, Twitter.

For the uninitiated, Twitter is an interactive site where people from all over the world can comment back and forth with each other 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But the comments, known as “Tweets,” are only allowed to be up 140 characters in length. So, you have to be concise.

SO MANY WONDERFUL PEOPLE ON TWITTER:

I want to go on record as saying that I have met some of the most WONDERFUL people on Twitter. These people come from all over the world. They all have several things in common. They are positive, outgoing, happy, progressive, endearing and they want to make a difference in the lives of others.

Let me name a few of these people by using their Twitter ID’s. I’m sure they won’t mind. In no particular order other than those who I have Tweeted with most recently…

http://twitter.com/Candan76
http://twitter.com/GarryParkes
http://twitter.com/Stephen_Bray
http://twitter.com/woofette30
http://twitter.com/thomswartwood
http://twitter.com/JoanneRK
http://twitter.com/RobinGrantham
http://twitter.com/EdEntrepreneur
http://twitter.com/CaroleCross
http://twitter.com/PaulaBrett
http://twitter.com/ChristineRabel
http://twitter.com/HeARTwork
http://twitter.com/AlariaSun
http://twitter.com/LeeAnnHolmberg
http://twitter.com/minxywitch
http://twitter.com/Nadia_Mercelis
http://twitter.com/LexGable
http://twitter.com/juliebmack
http://twitter.com/DanBriffa
http://twitter.com/KellMorgan

And there are MANY others too. I just haven’t interacted with them in the last couple of days and I can’t possibly name everybody or the list would extend to a ridiculous length.

AND THEN THERE ARE ER… “OTHER” PEOPLE ON TWITTER:

But… every now and then along comes some negative, miserable, nasty person who just chooses to say something very mean-spirited for NO GOOD reason at all. Whether it is a mis-interpretation of something that is said, jealously or just being plain evil, these people are out there. PREDATORS!

Now, here’s the interesting thing… and I sent a message out about this just today (copy below). These people are EXPOSING themselves as people completely unworthy of being followed by others.

A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF PURE UNNECESSARY NASTINESS ON TWITTER:

A few weeks ago I was talking to my friend Garry Parkes on the phone and Garry was bewildered that some person on Twitter attacked him in a very nasty way for him (Garry) donating money to a kid’s cancer fund and then repeating (RT’ing) the link with a message for others to do so. I too was astounded that ANYONE would be upset, annoyed, offended or critical towards him for doing such a thing. But Garry gave me the link and I read it for myself. It didn’t take long for me to determine that this particular individual had a very mean-streak about himself. Like a predator, this guy appeared to be actually hunting for people to attack.

IS IT MIS-UNDERSTANDING OR JUST INHERENT NASTINESS?

A week or so later I too came under fire from somebody who completely misunderstood something I said and then decided to take it PERSONALLY - even though the comment was NOT directed at him - and then chose to attack me in a personal, unfair and nasty manner.

What gives with these people? Are they leading such horrendously miserable lives that they just feel the need to upset others. Well, we all know misery loves company. Are they trying to attract other miserable, negative people to form a pity posse?

TWO MORE (PERSONAL) EXAMPLES:

Here are a couple of recent examples (direct copies) of things that have been said to me for NO GOOD reason whatsoever. From the person I just mentioned above (let’s call him “Richard”):

@TheGazzMan Do you even know what 1% of your new 12000 followers do? Big Deal. What are u gonna try to sell me now? Get real Dude.

Huh? I had to read that three or four times coz I just couldn’t believe it and, to be honest, I initially had NO IDEA what he was prattling on about!

So, perplexed at why anyone would send me an unsolicited comment like that, I sent this comment asking him to explain himself:

“Richard, I was wondering why you had to be so rude in the way that you said it. Have I offended you in some way?”

And here is his reply:

“@TheGazzMan Im referring to your claim of 12000 new followers in 85 days. It is all smoke and mirrors. And making$ from it. Oh well.”

Apparently this guy was shitty with me for using the TweetCounter service to send this pre-worded message:

“@Thegazzman gained 12,271 followers in 85 days and 354 since yesterday: http://twittercounter.com/ from TwitterCounter”

Now, here’s the kicker. I wonder if Richard can POSSIBLY see that his barbed comment to me is EQUALLY true of him, albeit at a much lower level of activity as he has FAR less followers than me! Further, he says in his bio: “Im a professional salesman.” Hmm. Really? Does he PRESENT himself as professional? He also claims, “I help business owners increase sales thru enhanced Internet Marketing, Intensive Social Media Marketing… blah, blah, blah.” He’s not a great working example of his claims, is he?

Unfortunately, TweetCounter seems to bring out an element of nastiness and jealousy in some people. Here is another particularly nasty response sent to me - again for NO GOOD reason:

“@TheGazzman Countmysorryass.com says that you have lost 4567 Tweets because you are a conceited jerk.”

Nice huh? Thanks “Mary.” having a NICE life, are you? She called me a “conceited jerk.” How utterly stupid. She doesn’t even KNOW me! How can anyone possibly glean such a vision into my nature from a pre-written Tweet delivered automatically from TweetCounter?

For a start, what this person said was complete rubbish. A lie! “Countmysorryass.com” does not even exist. And as for 4567 Tweets! - total fabricated rubbish just to try to convince people that she knew something negative about me that they were unaware of. Can you see the venom behind such rubbish? How puerile.

I asked Mary why she chose to say this to me and here is her equally ridiculous response:

“@TheGazzMan Anybody that has a special program to announce the number of their followers has issues. IMHO.”

WTF? So what? Yes, her opinion IS indeed humble. So humble, in fact, that it is patently pathetic.

Now, what I do when I come across this sort of thing (not too often - thank God!) is look at the person’s “general” comments to others rather than just ONE mis-guided, mis-informed, idiotic comment in isolation. Here is an example of one of “Mary’s” other comments to people (not me by the way):

“[identity of recipient removed] When your future employer looks you up on Twitter and finds you are a drunken bigot she’ll say next!!!!!!”

Nasty huh? And it shows the disposition of a very mean-spirited individual. Mary has a pattern of being nasty. I blocked her on Twitter by the way. I don’t see any point in discussing anything with a person like this. Unfortunately, Mary is lost in a sea of nasty negativity towards others.

WHY DO THEY CHOOSE TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS?

I am at a loss to understand why these people feel the need to ATTACK people like this. But I think my friend Thom Swartwood hit the nail on the head when he said, simply, “JEALOUSY.” I agree.

LET’S LOOK AT THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THIS FOR A MOMENT:

… The followers that these people had at the time of their nasty comments were 1641 for Richard and 187 for Mary. At the time I had over 12,000. I now have over 13,000. Both of these individuals are STILL struggling for followers and have similar numbers as they did when they sent their comments. What does this tell you?

It tells me that they are shooting themselves in the foot. They are EXPOSING themselves in the worst possible way - announcing to everyone that they are NOT WORTHY of following! Why are they even ON Twitter?

Here’s a Re-Tweet from Garry Parkes of something that I sent out today to try to “educate” these mean-spirited people (this is the comment that I mentioned above):

“GarryParkesRT @TheGazzMan Just remember, those who attack others on Twitter are showing MORE about themselves than those who they are attacking.”

I think that pretty much sums it up.

HAVE YOU COME UNDER ATTACK BY MIS-GUIDED PEOPLE?

Have you been subjected to an unwarranted attack by somebody on a social networking site like Twitter? I invite your comments below. You can give examples of people who EXPOSE their nastiness for all the world to see if you wish. Just don’t identify them in a manner that enables others to find them, please. First names are OK, like I have used above.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

When somebody feels the need to make some totally unwarranted, off-the-planet, evil or nasty remark to you then you can send them here just to show them what they are REALLY doing to their own credibility when they engage in this trash.

PRAISING THOSE WHO ARE GIVING AND ADDING VALUE ON TWITTER:

Alternatively, if you want to PRAISE somebody on Twitter then you can do that here too. I am sure that those people would appreciate you saying such a thing so, by all means, include their Twitter ID if you want.

Let’s praise the wonderful people on Twitter and “TRY” to educate the others. They probably wont “get it” but we can try! The ATTACK DOGS are certainly out there. It’s best not to “engage” them in jousting. That is what they want. Deny them their perverted pleasure. If you ignore them then hopefully they will crawl back under their rock to sulk and leave you alone.

IF YOU WANT TO DIRECT PEOPLE TO THIS BLOG POST:

Finally, if you would like people to come to this blog post then you can copy this tinyurl link (shortened from 92 characters to just 25 characters) - http://tinyurl.com/pd9uh2 and construct your own (positive) comment, OR…

… If you like, you may wish just to copy the following comment and link and send it to somebody who you believe has attacked you unfairly (and hopefully make them see some sense!):

Because of your comment, perhaps you need to read this: http://tinyurl.com/pd9uh2

PS1: How are YOU presenting yourself on Twitter?

PS2: Keep an eye out for my new FREE Twitter e-book - “How to Get NOTICED on Twitter” - to be released soon. (Read this, apply the techniques and you will certainly get noticed for all the RIGHT reasons). Watch this blog post for details.

Alex Jeffreys (apprentice GOO-ROO, not GNU Mr Garry Parkes) is off on a well-earned vacation in sunny Florida, USA while the rest of us are here still hard at it building our blogs and loading them with content anxiously awaiting his return. Well, some of us are.

You see, I have noticed something, something rather normal actually. While the cat’s away most of the mice … do bugger all. I see it in business all the time. When the boss or supervisor vacates the premises, most of the staff slacken off. Well, let me tell you something here. This is YOUR business. YOU are the boss.

I have been my own boss now for almost 20 years and I know that the face you see in the mirror every morning can be the hardest boss of all time (very rare - as in workaholics - eg the person typing all this up for you) or the easiest boss of all time (yeah, I think I’ll go and have a surf, play golf, hang out at the club, blah, blah, blah…)

Well, if you build your business to the level that Alex Jeffreys has, or Rich Scheffren has or Newt Skobernacker has or Mike Filsaime has or Michael Cheney has then yeah, maybe it will run largely on auto-pilot without a lot of your presence. But in the early days YOU should be hussling.

So, I have compiled a little check-list for you to look over. This is just to let you think about how you might like to go about things and what is gonna separate the winners from the losers. Sorry to use that term folks but there are always gonna be winners and, unfortunately, losers in every endeavour in life.

I think there is a lot of learning to be had here in this 20 point check list that I have constructed for you. So here is my 20 point list that discerns the difference between winners and losers. You can learn very quickly here why winners win and losers lose just by checking this list…

1. Winners have dogged determination. Losers lack the ability to see any project through to a satisfactory conclusion.
   

2. Winners never give up, give in or surrender. Losers quit the moment things get the slightest bit difficult.
   

3. Winners make exceptional use of available time. Losers waste time engaging in useless activities.
   

4. Winners plan and map their route to success. Losers consider plans belong to builders and maps belong in glove-boxes.
   

5. Winners take responsibility for all outcomes. Losers shun responsibility and prefer to place blame on others.
   

6. Winners commence a task at the earliest opportunity. Losers procrastinate, delay and run out of time.
   

7. Winners learn from their own mistakes and the experience of others. Losers make the same mistakes over and over again.
   

8. Winners are committed to projects. Losers display whimsical interest.
   

9. Winners make things happen. Losers watch things happen.
   

10. Winners are pro-active. Losers are re-active.
    

11. Winners have vision and imagination. Losers are backward looking and lack initiative.
    

12. Winners encourage and inspire others. Losers criticize and ridicule others.
    

13. Winners are methodical and organized. Losers are haphazard and slipshod.
    

14. Winners seek information and embrace new knowledge. Losers ignore better methods, concepts and ideas.
    

15. Winners ask: “How can I do that?” Losers state: “How do you expect me to do that?”
    

16. Winners invest in income producing assets. Losers waste money on depreciating consumer goods.
    

17. Winners develop 5, 10, 20, 30 years of experience. Losers repeat one year of experience 5, 10, 20, 30 times.
    

18. Winners continually push existing limits and boundaries. Losers feel comfortable operating below their self-imposed ceilings.
    

19. Winners take calculated risks. Losers take hazardous gambles.
    

20. Winners are inspired to do more to be more. Losers conspire to do less and not be noticed.

Now, if you want you can print the Gazz-Man’s check-list, take a pen and give yourself a tick or a cross against each of the 20 points above. There is only ONE requirement - be honest. That is another characteristic of winners - they are honest with themselves.

I welcome any discussion on any of the twenty points listed above. But, can we just stick to one or two coz if you address EVERY point or even every second point this is gonna get horrendously large and messy very quickly. In fact, it may be wise just to pick ONE point and give it a darn good hammering!

Maybe, without naming names, you might work with someone who displays a characteristic listed above. Wanna get it off your chest?

Or, maybe you would like to discuss some of the principles that Alex Jeffreys has been teaching in his Internet Marketing course.

You can even RANT if you want. Come on. Who wants to have a red hot crack? I won’t censor anything so long as it doesn’t hurt an individual.

Hello everyone,

Well the time has finally arrived…

… I want you to meet the creative genius behind the Gazz-Man’s most amazing blog. You are about to meet “Q.” But first, why did I name this person Q? (There is ALWAYS a “but first,” isn’t there?)…

If you have been watching over the last week or so and reading my blog then maybe you know that I chose Q because, indeed, Q is the code name of James Bond’s technical boffin in the movie series. I thought that was pretty cool. However, Q also stands for question. So, in the way that I think, having two alternate meanings was rather delightful. You will notice that quite often I operate on several levels at once rather than just the obvious.

All along my aim was to take the focus off the person’s identity and put the focus squarely onto the WORK that was being done. This was deliberate on my part. You see, this would allow you to see the incredible transformation that has literally taken place right before your very eyes at this blog…

Yes, the changes have been rapid, extensive, very visual and well, in a word… STUNNING. But that is my friend Q. Everything that Q does is the same. Q also stands for QUALITY. And if you are clever enough to get Q to work with YOU (shades of Alex Jeffreys there!), then you will experience exactly the same thing. It is quite an experience to know that you have such a reliable EXPERT in your corner with you.

Already there have been several “EXPRESSIONS of INTEREST” that have been made by some people (saw yours too Ed on the old thread - hmm, a little rhyme - and it will be registered) and identified in the blog as such. Q has been monitoring these. But it is still not too late to hire the creative genius of my friend.

I want to tell you that design work of this quality is VERY rare. In fact, you just WON’T get it anywhere else. Why? Because NOBODY in this caper (coding and designing) has the brilliant mind of this person. The cost elsewhere can run up to around $2,000 with all the technical gagetry that I now have on board here. I am not paying anywhere near that figure. Further, I have negotiated a FANTASTIC rate with Q for members of the F500 if you want some of this wonderful work done yourself.

No. Just to set minds at ease, I am NOT receiving a cut, commission or anything else for doing this. That is NOT how the Gazz-Man operates. The Gazz-Man would not do that without telling you up-front coz that is the sort of person I am. Unlike some people who have NO HONOUR and will do anything for even small amounts of money I would NEVER do such a thing. My self respect s too good for that and I indeed have a conscience, unlike some.

To that end, many of the members of the F500 know that I have already given of myself - freely, willingly and without riders, favours or expectation of ANY BS “I owe-you-one” type conditions. Nobody owes me anything for anything that I have done to help them here. It has been my gift and gifts do not come with conditions attached - at least NOT from me they don’t.

So, here is the deal (take it or leave it)…

… as soon as the comments here reach the magic number of 100 (as in 100/100) which is how I rate my friend’s work then - and only then - you will meet Q!

Now, I will not be counting any comments deliberately designed to bump the comment count up. If I detect that (and I can assure you - the Gazz-Man, like his friend Q - has powers of perception) then I will discount that comment.

So, what can you comment about? Well, what do you like about this blog? The design, the feel, the name, its transformation, the colours? Or, maybe you would like to comment on the other side of what makes this blog work - ie what I write about, my style of doing things blah… blah… You see, I am very proud to say it is now the total package. This has very much been the result of a symbiotic relationship (JV) of two minds coming together to create something that NEITHER mind by itself could achieve. If you go back to one of the early comments I made about draft horses (LOL!) a couple of threads back then that is what I was strongly hinting at there (I’ll get it and drop it in the comments area below a bit later).

So, you can comment on pretty much anything. It’s up to you.

Over to you.

PS: If you think my occasional swearing - masked as it is - or my references to, er, “other matters” from time to time is a bit over the top then here is your opportunity to rap me over the knuckles. Whether I take any notice of you, of course, is entirely another matter. LOL!

PS2: You may also register an “EXPRESSION of INTEREST” in this thread if you wish. (That is all you have to do - just say “EXPRESSION of INTEREST.” As before it is only an expression. You will not be held accountable if you change your mind after talking to Q. But please, Q is avery dear friend of mine and has been for many years. I would really appreciate that you do not mess around with Q’s time as it is most valuable. As good a friend as the Gazz-Man can be he can also be rather capable in an adversarial manner. And he is very loyal and protective of his friends (and Q is a very dear friend)… if you get my drift. The BEST bit about all that is that YOU get to choose! Good-Gary or Bad-Gary. I know both of these guys really well (DUH!) and I can tell you who I would MUCH rather deal with - LOL!

Hi,

Well, after the last week of frenetic activity on my part to draw all the elements together for the budding tigresses here on this blog, I am gonna change tack. I want to do something light and frivolous for once. I just wanna have some fun!

But, even having said that, there is a strong undercurrent in my message here to you today. And if you “get it” you will be able to motivate and inspire yourself to levels that you never thought possible. I do this regularly. So, what do I do?

Quite simply, I use music to inspire me.

“Oh yeah Gary, I do that too! You ain’t telling me nothing new here buddy!”

Really?

Well, let me ask you this. Have you ever been through your entire CD or record (sorry kids) collection and catalogued the VERY songs that “do it” to you? Have you? I will bet not. I have.

In my exasperatingly large collection - I have some 500-600 albums - some are total lemons but I have them because there is ONE track on some albums that gets me rockin’ and rollin’ like you wouldn’t believe. I’m talking about putting it on and then “watch out!” type stuff. The “zone” as I sometimes talk about.

So, what I have done is this. I have taken those individual songs, instrumentals, anthems, whatever and made a Gazz-Man compilation album. In fact, I have taken it a step further (you probably might figure that I would, huh?) and I have separate compilation CD’s that I use to evoke different feelings in my body chemistry. And let me tell you this – if you do this it is powerful, powerful stuff!

But it takes time and it takes effort and it is a real pain sifting through all the crap to get the gold and diamonds (sound like a familiar theme?). And I already know that most of you will think, “yeah, great idea but I don’t have time” or whatever excuse you will have. (Um, go back to the PPP#2 and re-read all about EXCUSIOLOGY!) To that, I say this… “That is precisely why you never WILL have time.” Because you are not delevoping the very thing that God gave you TOTAL control over.

You see the mind is a powerful thing – a gift, a very great gift. But it is a gift that is massively under-utilised. It needs to be prompted, inspired, cajoled into action. And a great catalyst for this is music.

Now we all have songs etc that we HATE. And when we hear them we get annoyed, agitated, angry, resentful and a whole range of other negative emotions. Why? Because they are either highly irritating to us or the singer is a pencil-neck dweeb or THAT song or piece of music reminds us of a dark time in our past. Mostly it is the last reason stated. And, if I may be so bold, you are probably thinking of one such tune right now… You damn well HATE it don’t you? I know, I know…

You already recognize that. But there are two sides to every coin, so to speak.

Let me give you an example. Most people seem to react quite positively to Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger.” Why? Because at THAT part of the Rocky movie when boxer Rocky Balboa says to his inner-self that he isn’t gonna be a bum any more and MAKES THE DECISION to be the heavyweight boxing champion of the world, we hear that music. It is a powerful psychological motivator in the movie.

But what about you? What is the powerful motivating music in YOUR movie – and I’m NOT talking about playing around with videos here. No. I am talking about THE most important movie of all. The one that YOU are the STAR of. The movie of YOUR LIFE!

You see, it is all very well to love Rocky music. But what you are really doing “associating” yourself with that is cheating yourself. You are living Rocky’s life and YOU are NOT Rocky! So, most people are falsely “in love” with that piece. Do you understand what I am saying here? Sure, I LIKE “Eye of the Tiger” too. But it doesn’t rattle my cage. OK. It does nudge it slightly. But I need more. Much more. I need a personal cage RATTLER! One for ME!

What I am looking for here from you is YOUR music. What piece inspires you SO much that it seems to have been written just for YOU! Hey, I don’t mind saying that I believe that Emerson, Lake and Palmer wrote “Fanfare For the Common Man” for me. If I ever feel down then just a few bars of the opening of that piece will have me so fired up that I am ready to take on the entire rest of the world. That is how powerfully it inspires me.

But I have many other personally inspiring tracks that I also use. It depends what I want at the time. I actually have three CD’s that have around 15 to 20 songs or instrumentals on them that I can target for what I want. Yeah I know you can put 10,000 songs on an iPod. But all that does is confuse you with an endless array and most of it will be JUNK! Do NOT dilute your concentration.

What I am talking about here is narrowing all those songs down to a fine selection of “mood music” and yes, I have those sorts of songs on one as well, though I am never normally in need of too much inspiration in that regard, being a member of THAT half of the human race that is fortunate enough (or UNfortunate enough!) to have TWO “brain centres” that most often work very independently of one another. Ladies, you really don’t know how much of a damn disadvantage that can be. Maybe I will talk about that later. Then again – maybe not. Who knows… ?

Back to the real subject of this material…

WHAT piece of music gets you SO inspired and motivated and jumping out of your skin that YOU feel you can take on anyone or anything? And, more importantly, do you know WHY it does that? When you know WHY you can then consciously move to new levels using this powerful technique as a catalyst. So, over to you…

Tell me.

PS: Yes, I know some of you find it a chore to read long copy. It is an ENDLESS ongoing debate that is never gonna go away. I could write shorter stuff but then you just wouldn’t get the detail. But, I am always willing to listen. So, under your name just write (too long) or (about right) or (too short). I am also considering the use of headings. But tell me. What do you like?

A very good friend of mine just emailed me something that DEMANDED my attention. He is a guy who places no limits on himself or his ability. He is a pretty incredible fellow whose talent in karate has to be seen to be believed. In fact, the word “devastating” comes to mind. Anyway…

… he knows I am “into” this motivational stuff as well and we regularly email back and forth and talk even though he lives some 2,000 miles away on the other side of this vast continent of Australia. But what he sent me today SHOCKED me and I just had to stop what I was doing - on the spot - IMMEDIATELY - and share it with you.

It’s all about having NO limits.

You see, I hear people say things like “I could NEVER do that” or “I’m just not lucky” or “I’m not smart enough” or blah… blah… blah… Excuses, excuses, excuses!

Some of you will know that I wrote a pretty hard-hitting article on EXCUSIOLOGY in Garry Parkes‘ second newsletter for the Profit Pulling Project.

So, you know I don’t like excuses - even when they are dressed up as “reasons.” It’s the SAME dog, just a different leg action.

Excuses limit people.

In fact, I have a very near and dear relative who says “I can’t” before virtually EVERYTHING they say. And every time I hear it I wince and say “Yes, you can!” To which this person immediately retorts, “No, I can’t.” And then we go yes, no, yes, no, yes, no. But it always ends with a big fat NO! Sadly, this beloved person is always BEATEN and cowed before they even start - not that they ever will. Coz this person convinces themself that it is a WASTE of time even trying. Jeez. That CRAP NON-THINKING makes my blood boil!

I HATE this garbage because this is a person who I dearly love. This person was totally devoted to me as a kid growing up. And that may help to explain why I am like I am. So, there’s a hint to the identity of this person.

But it’s not just within my family. I hear people say it everywhere. All the time. And that is why most people FAIL. Coz, they never even start. And if you never start how can you ever win?

OK. Now you know what I am on about here… so I wanna ask you something…

Are you LIMITING yourself? What does that little voice inside your head say most often? Does it say…

Well, what is it? Coz you KNOW, don’t you? That little voice is already talking, isn’t it? You KNOW whether you are a “can do” person or a “can’t do” person. And I know you know. OK…

Watch this short video of this most amazing and inspiring man - Nick Vujicic.

NOW tell me you can’t do something! Go on. Tell me! WHAT can’t you do? WHAT?

You really have NO limits! Only the FALSE ones that you put on yourself.

So, get out there and bloody-well do the thing you fear! Do it and overcome it and you will GROW. And the experience you get will allow you to do it again, and again. And you will become a stronger, more capable and better person.

The world is full of lilly-livered weak people who can’t even make simple decisions. Don’t be one. Overcome your fears and phobias. You really have NO limits! You only have to prove it to yourself.

PS: And if Nick Vujicic doesn’t shake you to your very soul then you are not human. This brought a tear to my eye. What a human being!

Internet Marketing can be confounding, confusing, annoying and downright bloody frustrating at times.

Now this is gonna be short and sweet - something that the Gazz-Man is NOT noted for.

I’m gonna give everyone the opportunity to tell me - and anyone else who cares - what your biggest issues are in Internet Marketing.

I am giving you the chance to LET RIP. I will censor nothing - providing it isn’t defamatory or hurtful to an individual. You can even swear a bit if you want. I don’t care. Rant. Vent. Spill. Get it off your chest, out of your head. Here’s your opportunity. You’ll feel better.

Spray the “methods” of the so-called gurus if you want. Give ‘em a big Goran Ivanicevic serve.

Tell us all what you really think about Internet Marketing.

Over to YOU. Let RIP!

The Gazz-Man Shares 25 Things That You May Not Know About Him. Yeah, and maybe DON’T wanna know about him. But you’re getting them anyway. Too bad!

I was at the blog of Michel Fortin the other day and saw a really interesting idea he had about listing 25 strange, weird or bizarre things about yourself that OTHER people may find amusing or interesting. He said somebody had started this on Facebook or somewhere and had “tagged” him. I kinda made an association of this with Garry Parkes’ brilliant thread on overcoming challenges and thought I’d give it a go.

The so-called “rules” state that you also have to tag 5 people to get them to follow suit. I really liked the idea. According to others, I’m a strange, weird and bizarre person, so I thought I would give it a try. Here goes:

1 – I am a control freak. Freak being the operative word. Yep. It’s my way or the highway. Why? Because I have systems and controls for everything and I record everything and unless you have a better way – which I sincerely doubt – then you do it my way.

2 – My favourite TV serial show was Dallas. Oh, I just used to love it when Pamela Ewing (Victoria Principal) would look with those big almond shaped eyes at her husband Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) and say, “Oh… Bobby, I love you Bobby!” Only my hearing wasn’t all that flash. Instead of “Bobby” I heard “Gary”. And I would drool and have these amazing dreams and I think I’ll stop right about there…

3 – Since I am on the subject of women – I have always adored the screen presence of Catherine Bell and when she was in that show JAG, I just used to marvel at how that tight shirt she wore fitted every contour of that marvelous body. I would always say, “That CANNOT be an off the rack (pun intended) shirt. It has to be custom made.” Whew! I also think that Australian, former Miss Universe, Jennifer Hawkins is one of the most naturally beautiful looking women in the world. I do admire the female form. (sleaze comments)

4 – I am incredibly pedantic. I have mentioned several times in my blog posts that I am a perfectionist and that it is one of my greatest strengths but, on the other side of the coin, one of my greatest weaknesses. This sits hand in hand with point 1 above and it is a dangerous combination for any person to have. You wouldn’t want me for a boss. Hell, I don’t even like me as a boss. I have been self-employed for many years. No-one else can handle me anyway.

5 – Speaking of danger. This is something that I am normally loathe to speak of for fear of the chronic reactions it usually gets. I am a karate black belt. Not only that, I am a very senior karate black belt of some 40 years training. I train EVERY day – without fail – and I have reached the lofty level of 7th Dan black belt. I have also been awarded the title of Kyoshi (pronounced “Key-oshi,”) which means Master of Masters. Pretty much, in layman’s terms, that means I am a serious ass-kicker (see PS below - no further correspondence entered into. That’s it. I said it.).

6 – Moving on from that, I was once the body-guard of Tom Jones for his Perth performances. But that was way back in 1985. I have also performed body-guard services for other international, national and local performers. But I don’t or, more correctly, won’t do it anymore. It’s crap.

7 – I love my puppalitos – my dogs. Every morning I lay on the floor and cuddle them and let them lick the sides of my face and ears. That’s pretty gross considering they have probably spent half the night licking their asses and wee-wee’s. Hmm, maybe I should stop this. But I love them too much. They are my little buddies and they sit under both my office desks and follow me everywhere. Incidentally, they are females. I think that makes it marginally better, but not much.

8 – I have the weirdest sense of humour. I have word association problems that nobody else even understands. So I can rattle off half a dozen puns or jokes that nobody else laughs at coz they just don’t “get it” – even when I explain it – and then they don’t give a crap anyway and I think that is even funnier. Bizzare.

9 – I am prone to amazing, fantasmagorical, rants and when I am on one people just sigh and find reasons to go somewhere else until I settle down. This sometimes erupts in my writing where I can micro-rant, mini-rant, completely rant, sermonize or even pontificate if I feel strongly enough about something I am passionate about. Or angry about.

10 - I love to read books and usually devour a couple of novels per week, though not lately – LOL! I have a massive library that contains not only novels but also hundreds and hundreds of technical books and motivational books. Back to pendantic for a second. I initial the last page of every novel, date it and assign it a score from 1 to 10, according to how much I liked it. I know… anal.

11 – I have also written many books. I have over a dozen e-books and manuals that I have written. Plus many more partially completed. I have also completed a 200,000 word crime thriller, as yet unpublished.

12 – I like chocolate. I also like eggs but I don’t like beetroot. And you can beat an egg but… ( I am so naughty!)

13 – I am an absolute exercise nut and like nothing better than to sweat like a pig during and after aerobic and weights training.

14 – I once met Chuck Norris at a karate studio. He is a lot smaller than me but that’s not too difficult as I stand at just under six feet and weigh around 265 pounds. I should be in the WWE.

15 – Speaking of which… I love watching the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) events and the madcap gimmicks that these incredibly talented people get up to. This is a fantastic study in branding. If you want a lesson in branding your material then go there. My favourite “personality” wrestler is, or was, “The Rock.” He is a laugh a second that guy. So bloody funny. My favourite “technical” wrestler is Bret “the Hit-Man” Hart.

16 – I hate text messaging and only just tolerate Twitter, which I think is one of the dopiest names ever invented. Twitter! DUH! In fact double duh!

17 – I have never used an Automatic Teller Machine and never will. I think they are crap too.

18 – My best friend, my first sensei (karate teacher), Warren King, was killed in a motor cycle crash in 1980. At that time, he and I were having a blazing disagreement over something really stupid and I told him to go and “get effed.” I have never forgiven myself for that coz I never got to tell him how sorry I was for saying it. Even almost 30 years on, I think of him all the time and hope that his spirit is soaring. His teaching lives on in me. When I die, the first thing I’m gonna do is find him and tell him how sorry I am.

19 – I am a terrible practical joker. I hide things on people and then, when they have been driven crazy with frustration looking for them, I replace them while they are not looking. I also change people’s book marks – all that sort of sh*t. I know it is childish but I love doing it.

20 – I value true friendship above all else.

21 - I am rarely motivated by money alone. There needs to be another carrot to get me interested. In many ways I am a lone-wolf. Although my favourite animal, without doubt, is the tiger.

22 – I am a complete bastard to engage in word debates (Or maths debates, for that matter). I can pull words out of my arse that most people have never even heard of. I also contort and conjoin words and generally murder the English language if it suits my purpose to do so. But most times I try to write very correctly and in good syntax. When I am on a roll, I can easily produce 5,000 to 10,000 words in one sitting. My ACTION Planner e-book was written in 5 hours flat. That is 72 pages.

23 – I am relentlessly ruthless when I am chasing something that I want. For instance, after major surgery to correct an injury I performed 330,000 specific exercises to strengthen the limb and yes – I charted and documented every one of them.

24 - I was a weakling as a kid – a real milksop “Mummy’s boy” who used to get the snot and sh*t beaten out of him on a regular basis coz I was small and a late developer. My family wasn’t wealthy so I made a set of weights out of some old jam tins filled with rocks and cement, with a metal bar running through the middle. As I got bigger and stronger I used to wire bricks to each side for extra weight. When guys would hit me they would hurt themselves. Then it was my turn. LOL!

25 – I am a collector of samurai swords and ancient Japanese and Okinawan weapons of war. Collectors of this weird stuff are called hoplologists. So, I guess I am a hoplologist.

26 - I think the best rock group the world has ever seen is Slade and, IMHO, Noddy Holder (lead singer) has the greatest rock voice of all time. I also like Wizzard, CCR, ELP, ELO, Carolyn Mas, Judith Durham, Yanni, and, of course, the old hound dog himself, Elvis. I have visited Graceland and stood at the foot of the grave of the great man. Then I went mad and spent about $400 on trinkets and mementos. Lisa Marie Presley must love me. I also like many other bands and singers – too numerous to list here. Oh, and I adore Phyllis Nelson’s version of “Move Closer” (see my music and lyrics thread)

I know I said it was 25 but I break the rules on everything. Think of it as a “bonus,” or maybe further torture – LOL!

My tags are Mark (Mr Smarty-Pants) Austin, Thom Swartwood, Denis Caron, Nikki Stephens (I can hardly wait for this!), Garry Parkes, Renee Olsen, Hilary Dickinson, Harry (Hazzard) Harris, Paul Hamilton and (she will hate me for this – but I don’t care - tee-hee) Linda Caroll.

Yeah, I can’t count either. I know the rules said five but, remember, I break the rules on everything. Go to it folks – whang your list of 25 on your blog then come back here and tell us when you have done it. If you don’t wanna do it then that’s OK… Scaredy-bear.

PS: If anyone wants to ask me about any of this then I’m happy to talk about anything except number 5 and if anyone uses that title (it is only relevant in the circles in which I move) then I’ll let Bad-Gary loose. The only reason I even included it was because those bloody RSS feeders are displaying me all over the bloody place and I have no way of getting the damn pictures and info back. Curse those damn things! That is as much as I will say on the matter.

PPS: Just for the record, various family members and a close friend helped me compose this stupid list in about five minutes. They could have gone on to 50 because of my quirkiness in so many things but we let it drop at 30 and I cut it back to what you see here. If you wanna do a list then try that.

MISSION COMPLETE FOR:

1. Linda Caroll
2. Hilary Dickinson
3. Renee Olson
4. Paull Hamilton
5. Nikki Stephens

Another three hour session has come and gone. Alex Jeffreys delivered his Module #6 Coaching Webinar (this morning for me but evening for most folks) in inimitable style and then stayed on for another hour answering questions. And then, lo and behold, there he was on Twitter engaging in Tweets with Nit-Twits like me. He really does go the “extra” three or four miles.

I managed to take 12 solid pages of notes. So, “Triple Threat Affiliate” - what was it all about?

Well, obviously, he said a heck of a lot more than what I am gonna precis here but I have picked the eyes out of the main body of information and here they are - in point form:

FIRST HOUR:

1. - Concentrate on BUILDING THE LIST - the list comes BEFORE the money,
2. - Work in 90 minute blocks (without interruption) eg 4 x 90 minute blocks = 6 hours,
3. - If you are LIKEABLE and KNOWLEDGEABLE people will talk about you and then maybe even write about you. (web 2.0 marketing),
4. - Set up the list and then reap the benefits FOREVER,
5. - Look at the 80/20 rule - where are your best RESULTS coming from - focus there,
6. - Don’t become a busy FOOL! Focus on ONE thing and become great at it,
7. - List building and email marketing should come high in your priorities,
8. - Write an e-book to use to build a list,
9. - Business is easy, people make it hard,
10. - The two sides of business - RESULTS and EXCUSES,
11. - Check the FREE information on Aweber,
12. - You can be SO close to success and yet NOT see how close you really are,
13. - Relax and move forward - TAKE YOUR TIME - don’t get FRUSTRATED or ANNOYED,
14. - Making mistakes is PART of the process.

SECOND HOUR:

1. - When you are “with” yourself every day you don’t realise how much you are progressing and growing,
2. - Your journal shows how much you are growing (are you even keeping one - tsk, tsk),
3. - You already know more about on-line marketing right NOW than most people on-line know,
4. - Fail forward fast,
5. - People who can see past failure will be successful,
6. - Focus on giving value to your traffic, squeeze that traffic onto a list, build a relationship with the people on the list & then you can “sell” to those people,
7. - Understand the difference between the Autoresponder “follow-up” series and a general “broadcast”,
8. - Don’t use the autoresponder to “hard” sell. Use the “soft” sell approach,
9. - The broadcast is generally where the money is made.

THIRD HOUR:

The third hour consisted mainly on Alex Jeffreys’ explanation of how he separates all his email lists into three categories (ie the “triple threat”). Broadly the three categories are:

1. - the unopened email (email ignored)
2. - the opened email - without link click (partially ignored)
3. - the opened email - with link click (full notice taken)

Alex then went on to explain how he deals with each category of email recipient. The goal, of course is to get every email recipient to move to category 3 - ie to open the email and click on the link, as these are where sales can ultimately be made. A very basic method is to ask those in categories 1 and 2 why they didn’t do what those in category 3 did. Pretty simple, but how many people do it, or will do it? Alex calls this “drilling down into the list.”

You should be able to achieve a 20% open rate and a 10% click-through. This is where your sales will come from.

General information:

1. - Find out what people want and then… GIVE it to them!
2. - Take pride in your work,
3. - Give people value,
4. - The number ONE thing is to TELL your story!
5. - Create your best subject lines so that people actually OPEN your emails as there in just so much competition for attention.

Alex then went on to demonstrate how he does this but I have neither the time nor the space to even begin to replicate that. Just go to the Member’s Area and watch for yourself.

The reason that I have broken this webinar into the three hourly segments above is to allow those who need to watch the training retrospectively to know what was discussed and where to expect it. This precis of the event can only highlight where you will find these things.

Thanks again Alex for yet another informative webinar.

PS: If you are having “negative” feelings towards other people because they are “seemingly” moving ahead at super-sonic speed then, IMHO, you are totally missing the point. Focus on what YOU need to be doing. Go and listen to the words of the Desiderata for there will always be greater and lesser people than you - NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE! In fact, just go and listen to Les Crane’s 1971 musical rendition of Max Ehrmann’s time honoured 1952 poem anyway. It is powerful stuff!(NB: Desiderata is Latin for “desired things.”)

NOTE: I am still to proof read and tidy this post up. It may include typographical and spelling errors at this stage. Will come back later. Regards Gary

Hi everybody,

I have a VERY SPECIAL TREAT for you today.

Linda has a message for anybody who is despondent and/or frustrated with their own “results” or more importantly, perceived lack thereof at this point in time.

Linda’s message was inspired by what she read at Nigel Yip’s blog. As some of you will know, Nigel has decided to quit.

Anyway, have a listen and please post a comment about her message. What are YOUR thoughts on this? Do YOU want to make an affirmation to YOUR success here? Are you gonna quit or has this just re-doubled your resolve to succeed?

Click to listen [time: 5 min 29 sec]

PS: When you read this Nigel - as I know you will, eventually - I want to thank you for all the help that you have given the F500 students with their video production. Your knowledge and assistance in that is first class and it is a pity that you didn’t push past your doubts that you could succeed in this area. There are a lot of people who have benefitted from what you have done to help them. They will go on, of course and you will forever be a part of their success. I sure hope you will one day find what you are looking for. And I say that sincerely to you.

Hello,

Well, I finally got it done…

Amid a flurry of mis-haps - dogs barking, phones ringing, jet aeroplanes roaring overhead, batteries running out, interruptions, troubles editing and rendering the video on my computer - I have FINALLY completed a video.

Here is my Motivational Moment Video #1. I have planned a series of 52 of these short Motivational Moment videos. Hopefully, now that I have done the first one, they will get easier to do.

I haven’t uploaded it to You Tube yet. I’ll get around to that. I just wanted to get it up here first before I go to the gym. Click the link below (2 min 25 sec):

OR just watch the short video directly below:

I hope you like it. Watch for my little “surprise” at the end. I was gonna delete it then I thought… nah, my friends are so used to me doing this thing…

PS1: My thanks to Paull Hamilton who gave me some good advice via email and on his instructional video - which I watched about a dozen times, pausing at appropriate places along the way. Thanks Paull - you video king you! LOL.

PS2: You will probably have to let it buffer before viewing it.

Hi there!

There is something special to me in creating a thing so wonderful that it will outlast your own mortality. I refer to people like Shakespeare and the great painters like Renoir, Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Co and the great musicians like Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Bach and so many others. Then we have the great actors - John Wayne, Greta Garbo, Paul Newman, Vanessa Redgrave, Audrey Hepburn etc, etc. And all the wonderful authors and sculptors and other artisans throughout history.

These people are immortal. Their memory lives on long after they have gone.

I talk about the lady in this You-Tube clip a lot. I believe she has a most angelic and haunting voice.

[WARNING - ADULT CONTENT: The Gazz-Man becomes rather amorous and canoodling when this song is played... heh, heh I had to self-censor and delete the bit that I had written after that. I do have SOME decorum, not a LOT, but some - LOL! I know that kids are now reading my "stuff" so I gotta be a bit circumspect. Darn!]

The truth is - I JUST WANTED this great song and film clip on my blog! And I have now conjured up a way to do it. (I love it when I can do that!) IMHO it is one of the greatest love songs of all time, and I understand Phyllis Nelson also wrote it too. Pretty special, huh? This is what can happen when a person taps into a power beyond the reach of most. She only did it ONCE - with this song - but ONCE was enough!

Anyway, check out Phyllis Nelson singing “Move Closer”…

I was so sad to learn of her death in 1998. BUT… her beautiful song lives on. Do YOU see what I am getting at? If you are interested, here is some more info on this lady: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllis_Nelson

Now, the point of this post - you KNEW I would get to it sooner or later, didn’t you? - is to ask you who YOU admire and why. It doesn’t have to be a singer or a painter or a composer or an author - and they haven’t had to have croaked it either - it can be anyone.

So, WHO stirs your emotions and why?

PS: I should let you know that this mortality-immortality thing is leading somewhere. I am just LAYING A FOUNDATION HERE. Everyone who comments on this thread is gonna get something very special from the Gazz-Man… COMPLETELY FREE! [not immediately but when the thread that I have planned goes up - I just need to pick an appropriate time in between everything else that is going on]

Today Alex Jeffreys interviewed Andrew Fox in the (bonus) Webinar conducted for students of the Alex Jeffreys Internet Marketing Coaching programme.

In the two hour interview I managed to take approximately seven pages of notes. Here is a series of points covered in that interview:

These were the main points of the two hour interview. I hope this smorGAZZboard helps those who were unable to attend.

Alex Jeffreys concluded his coaching programme today for the initial intake of some 500 students. How many are left still standing is unknown. Some never started, some fell by the wayside, some found it “too tough” and some just decided that Alex Jeffreys wasn’t the mentor or coach for them. I can’t say I feel particularly sorry for those who didn’t emerge into the sunshine from this Alex Jeffreys course. They made their decision - for whatever reason. They certainly had the same opportunity as those who finished did.

I guess it is like a University course, in some respects… some finish, some don’t. In life some people win while others lose. Anyway, I don’t want to focus on any of that too much longer. You can go to my thread on winners and losers if you are interested enough in the REASONS for this.

Some students were unable to make this last webinar for work reasons or family committments, so this summary is for them - and for any lurkers who come here wanting to avail themselves of free information.

OK. Get a cup of tea or that poison that some of you drink called coffee and settle in coz the Gazz-Man is gonna end this Alex Jeffrey’s coaching course with a BIG banging post. I haven’t done that for a while and now seems like an appropriate time. I might slap some people around a bit too coz I’m a bit frustrated with the attitude of some. So, click away now if you are a precious flower who only blooms at midnight when there is nobody around to see you.

Here we go…

Alex Jeffreys was asked before the session started (by Theresa Mayhew, I think) of what the MOST important thing was that HE had learned. Alex said, “The most important thing I have learned is to take action and step out of my comfort zone.” Then he also went on to say how he has also learned to sleep less. That was amusing. I think we have all had lessons in this. I know that there have been some days where I have had as little as 2 and 3 hours sleep just trying to get everything done as quickly as possible, and I work fast anyway. The massive size and complexity of this blog is proof of that.

Just on that point - realise this… you are gonna be dead for a bloody long time. Get all your “lost” sleep caught up with then. Seriously, only really lazy people with little ambition waste time getting too much sleep. It’s OVER-rated folks! Try doing with an hour less. It’s p155 easy when you try.

Most people seem to prefer my summaries in point form so here is a synopsis of the key points, in chronological order of presentation:

Well, here it is - my Motivational Moment Video #2 [4 min 40 sec]. So, what is it about?

In short, I discuss a tremendous piece of wisdom from the world’s most successful investor - I figure he probably knows a thing or two or three…

I am sitting in my GAZZebo on the level just above my swimming pool. You can see and hear the water cascading into the pool from the two gargoyles that sit on top of a structure (to the left in the video). You can see the endless greenery of my tropical garden too - I mean, why the hell would I want to go to any tropical resort when I have built one of my very own. Huh?

The shade kinda darkens my face a bit but the audio is fine. There are other things to see in the video too. Can you see the bottle of plonk hanging up behind me? When I partake of a nice red wine I like to lynch it up and hang it from a prominent position as a trophy. That was a Pepperjack Shiraz, a nice little drop if I do say so myself.

You will also see “Lonely Street” - another little trophy that I brought back from Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee. That is just ONE of many dozens of trophies I brought back. Like I said before Lisa-Marie Presley probably loves dills like me - LOL! “Thank ya verra march Gazz-Man!” … as she walks down Rodeo Drive, Beverley Hills, looking for a pair of shoes costing more than my entire FN GAZZebo.

Also in the video is a little something for our friend the Purple Minxy Witch aka Her Royal Purpleness aka Nixster - aka Nix - aka the Purple Blog Queen - aka (as James Woodfield decreed) Her Royal Magentasty - unfortunately it is not of the desired colour but, hey, I was thinking of her.

What a day it was - sun shining, birds singing, a light breeze (with a gust of wind at the end) - ahh, so nice! The exact opposite of what my friends in the Northern Hemisphere have been experiencing - snow, rain, freezing temperatures - LOL! (*suffer* - the Gazz-Man is SO thinking of you…)

Finally, a little message at the end for Lizzie ‘the Lizzard” Dickinson, daughter of Hilary (Hils) Dickinson. Just wait little one - the Gazz-Man gets revenge!

Hope you like this.

PS: Now the obvious question that you might be thinking - IF you have seen Motivational Moment Video #1 is… “OMG, is he gonna do that flex thing again?” Well Paula Brett, what do you think? You seemed to be rather amused by it? And Paull Hamilton (thanks for your video tuition over at your video intructional website), you even referred to weasels or, was it, Hammo-sters? And Lizzie Dickinson - the LIZZARD - will the Gazz-Man perform those gymnastics or pretend to read a book again? There are two sections that you may like to watch rather closely. I can see Linda Caroll going *sigh*! But, what happens? Well Garry “Parkesy” Parkes gave the Gazz-Man a bit of “advice” on that. I am just SO good at taking advice - NOT! Watch and find out! LOL!

Hello,

It is with a very heavy heart that I write this post today. It is completely unintended as I had something else that I wanted to offer concerning a follow up to my post on the issue of mortality/immortality. But that can wait a bit longer.

Something immediately important has intervened. I must also admit that the subject of this matter has been weighing on my mind for quite some time. I have mentioned it via email to a few. Plus, I have just received an email from a friend who has been threatened with the sack for what that person (the friend who will NOT be identified) wrote on their website. The information that was posted by that person is now being used against them by somebody in the same employment - VERY unfairly, in my opinion. But this is happening nevertheless.

WARNING:

I IMPLORE you all to be VERY CAREFUL about what you say online both in posts and comments and ALSO in emails. These can be and are PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. I will have more to say about emails in the commentry of this post if people want to engage me in this important matter. (But I could understand why many will be reluctant to do that once they read this).

Before going on with this - coz I am in big time RANT mode over it and I can feel it brewing (just warning you if you want to bug out now - LOL) - I want to tell you what happened when I took my pupsters for their walk yesterday. I want to do this because something in my mind is telling me that the two issues are connected.

WHAT HAPPENED TO MY PUPPIES YESTERDAY:

This really upset me yesterday…

My beautiful, innocent, defenceless, peace loving puppies were attacked by this big, vicious, unrestrained dog - a Rhodesian Ridgeback, I think. This vicious effen thing just bolted at my oldest girl with hackles up, fangs bared and saliva dribbling off its ugly mouth. It lunged hideously and snapped at her and I had to place myself in the way of this bloody ugly, vicious, mongrel bitch of a thing. I literally screamed at the owner (who was standing nearby) to control his beast and, fortunately, for ALL concerned, something really nasty was averted. At least he had the sense to call his dog off and drag it away.

That attack dog could have torn both my girls to pieces. I was so fearful and angry at what happened. You see I had visions of both my girls being ripped and torn and broken and bleeding and panting with their eyes bulging, frightened beyond belief. And if that had have happened then I would have exploded.

PROTECTING YOURSELF ONLINE:

And here is my segue. I have been thinking about that, a LOT. I am very guarded in walking past that house now. But my point is this - people are NO different. We have people who love peace, social interaction, sharing and being nice to others and we have people who madly want aggravation, victimisation, conflict and war.

Getting back to my opening comments…

PERFECT EXAMPLE OF ONLINE VICTIMISATION:

My friend has now decided to take his/her comments down. You see, my friend is now being threatened with the sack for putting a point of view. And here is the kicker - at NO stage did my friend name the company concerned. This proves to me that this friend of mine was being monitored. In other words, it was KNOWN that this person had a blog and that this particular blog was being monitored and watched like a hawk for information that could be used in a vindictive manner to cause trouble.

MY WARNING FOR YOU:

Folks, your blogs and comments can be monitored. They are public documents. As soon as you hit that publish button they are out there - for the entire WORLD to see. If you say that your job is boring, unchallenging, you hate it or anything else then be careful. Somebody may decide to use your comments against you.

The law (I am not a lawyer BTW but I have a pretty fair appreciation, from many years of business, of the way that things are viewed in a legal sense) does not make a distinction on the ephemeral nature of what is published - only that it HAS been published. Remember, even if you publish something for a short time there is still the cache and there is also a thing called the “Way Back Machine” that can store screen captures for months.

A PERSONAL EXAMPLE:

Recently, I had the occasion to warn a certain person who made completely false, misleading and defamatory remarks about a member of an Association that I am involved in. His public criticism of this person, who he named indirectly (but EVERYONE knew absolutely who it was), was ongoing and unrelenting and very hurtful to this guy - basically because it was a pack of lies.

What the “attacker” was doing, in this instance, was publishing a pile of SH*T, making a big joke of it then taking it down the next day to publish more SH*T. He thought he was so clever and entertaining. He also thought that by putting his comments there and then taking them down fairly quickly that he was pretty safe.

Eventually I got sick of seeing this very unprofessional jealousy so I stepped in on behalf of the victim who, incidentally, is a very nice 73 year old man.

I warned the aggressor that he faced damages for slander. He scoffed at that so I asked him for PROOF of what he was saying. His reply was that it was his opinion. To which I replied that his “opinion” was completely false, baseless and defamatory, not to mention VERY embarrasing and hurtful to his victim. I also said to him that the member was considering taking it to a lawyer. That was when he had a big “re-think” and promised to take down ALL remaining references quickly and discontinue his stupidity.

His “understanding” was that since it was ONLY a web document and that he could publish and remove material at his whim that it wasn’t actionable. I told him to think again (re the cache, plus the fact that several members were copying his rubbish into word documents as proof). I then mentioned to him that a slanderous newspaper article lasted only for a day but the fact was that it was published, could be seen by millions of people and could be tendered as proof. I also mentioned that many very heavy financial penalties have been inflicted against newspapers and magazines for this very sort of thing.

The penny finally dropped for this guy. He made an UNRESERVED apology on his website and we all let the matter go at that. BIG lesson for him. It could have gotten very nasty if indeed we had decided to pursue it in the same manner that he was publishing his daily garbage.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR YOU IF YOU ARE AN EMPLOYEE:

… if you are an employee and you are using a business computer to post or comment or do whatever in your work time then KNOW this:

Hi,

I was wanting to introduce this after my post on Immortality, which you can read here: http://motivationselfesteem.com/talk/766/immortality.htm but a couple of things intervened, so I have had to delay it. Until now…

I think about these things a lot. Hence, much of my work here is focussed on helping others, like YOU, to become the very best that you can be while you still have the GIFT OF LIFE. And it is a gift. Your life or the lives of your friends or loved ones can be taken from you in an INSTANT in any one of a thousand ways. None of us are going to live much past 70 or 80 years, unless some massive breakthrough is made in medical science. Therefore, our time on this planet is so very short.

My question to YOU is this - are you using your GIFT wisely or are you doing what so many do, are you wasting it?

Are you using your God-given talents or are you afraid to for fear of ridicule or abuse or failure? Is your life a magnificent obsession or are you simply wanting to tip-toe through to the other side hoping not to be noticed by anybody?

When my wonderful friend Marina Gillett died unexpectedly at age 40 my life was thrown into turmoil for the second time because of the loss of somebody close to me who died far too young. I kept asking myself over and over again, how could somebody so beautiful and so wonderful and so incredibly talented and so loving be taken from her family and friends at such a young age? WHY? Marina died in her sleep of an undiagnosed and very rare heart condition.

Marina and I shared a special bond in that we were so alike in the things that we held precious and important. She had so much more to give but she was never given the chance. Her life was cut far too short. I won’t go on too much here but this lady was a very special person to me and I miss her deeply.

This started me thinking about life in general and the legacies that we leave behind.

What can I, and indeed others, do to make our marks in this world and be remembered for something good? Far too many people are remembered for bad deeds and heinous crimes but there really is overwhelming good in this world. [For isntance, there are many wonderful people who visit this blog of mine and I am very proud to have met them and been given the opportunity to interact with them.]

I kept thinking about this whole mortality/immortality issue and one day, in 2003, I was inspired to write a short story called, “The Power of Choice.” Here is the cover.

The Power of Choice - Gary Simpson

I believe it to be my very best piece of written expression (to date). I also believe that I had a power working through me when I penned this story. I am not religious but I have deep spiritual beliefs. So let me tell you just a little bit about it and how it came to be…

I have to say that when I wrote “The Power of Choice” it almost wrote itself. I often think that something divine coursed through me that day. I had no idea where the story was coming from. The words just assembled in my head and virtually demanded to be written. Within a couple of hours it was done, virtually as you will see it when you click on the link below. This story just kept coming and coming. And when I finished writing it (by hand) I was mentally exhausted. I put it down for a few hours and rested before I came back to read it. And when I did, I wondered, “WOW! Did I just write that?” I couldn’t believe it. I still can’t!

Yes, I know I can write. I have a talent for it and I have worked very hard to polish this talent for many, many years. But plain writing and story-telling are two COMPLETELY DIFFERENT things. The Power of Choice is story-telling.

Over the years, this story has been downloaded hundreds and hundreds of times into over 40 countries. I stopped counting years ago. I have had dozens and dozens of wonderful emails telling me how what I have written has transformed lives. Can you believe that? Me! I have had a hand in doing that. Wow (again)!

So many people have emailed me telling me all sorts of very personal reactions they had after reading it. Some quotes are included in the e-book but I have so many more. In fact, they would almost fill an e-book themselves (or double the size of PoC). Most people have told me that they have cried their eyes out. Anyway…

… I would like to offer it to YOU. There is no opt-in or any messing around here. I think it is just too important. I simply want to get the message to you. It only takes about 15 minutes to read. It is very moving and you may want to print it out and read it in private. I also believe that if you take this story into your heart you will never look back.

For any students of the Alex Jeffreys Internet Marketing Course who are wavering, not sure whether they will push on and take ACTION or slip back into inertia and do nothing (or just keep looking for that elusive “Holy Grail” of success) then I URGE you to read the “Power of Choice.”

Just below is the direct download - my very precious gift to YOU…

I give you THE POWER OF CHOICE - http://www.motivationselfesteem.com/power.pdf

PS: I would be most interested in your comments after you read it. Thank you.

Hello,

I have been thinking - ever since the Alex Jeffreys Internet Marketing coaching course has finished - about the tremendous amount of information that everybody has been exposed to. This has also been obvious on Alex Jeffreys own blog where hundreds of people have been making all sorts of observations and comments in the last couple of days at his invitation for feedback.

Now, I don’t mind saying that I am a pretty well organised individual and I am a very good planner and I am methodical. However…

… I too am struggling to cope with everything.

Some time back I made the comment that people were trying to squeeze three years of activity into three months. Alex saw that comment and mentioned it in one of his webinars.

The BIG obstacle that just about everybody faces is TIME.

How can we get everything that needs to be done… done?

So many people have to work all day, run businesses, attend to home demands, attend to family demands, accede to the requests of our friends etc, etc and yet STILL try to find time to build an internet business. And here is what I think…

… I think we are all getting frustrated that everything is taking so long to do. Let’s see…

Hello fellow marketers and bloggers and visitors to the TEMPLE!

STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS:

Many people who are starting their Internet Marketing businesses (or ANY business for that matter) are taking on this venture as first time business proprietors. Many of them have never experienced being “in charge” before. And it can be a daunting experience.

If this describes you and you haven’t been your own “boss” before then you will undoubtedly experience a range of emotions ranging from elation and the thrill of expectation of success to confusion to apathy and even depression when things don’t go well for you.

PLANNING:

As a business owner, the one thing that you simply must do is PLAN. Not only that but you must monitor your plan every week and review your progress weekly and monthly.

It is just SO easy, when YOU are the boss, to slacken off and do very little or even NOTHING for a day, a week or even a month. DO NOT DO THIS! Make it your mission to do SOMETHING positive EVERY single day! Writing these entries into an exercise book will create a journal of your experiences and, if you do this for 30 days, it will become a habit - a GOOD habit!

ACTION:

After the PLAN it is ACTION that will push you forward. Remember… “Nothing ventured, nothing gained!”

The key to progress is planning, monitoring and adapting. Sure, you can be stubborn and either NOT have a plan at all or not have a plan written down (ie in your head which you WILL forget) or a plan that IS written down but is so rigid that you simply refuse to change it even when you know that it is not working. The good thing about having a written plan is that you can monitor it.

FREE ACTION PLANNER:

Incidentally, I know I bash this but if you haven’t yet got my FREE Action Planner then you can get one here:

ACCOUNTABILITY:

Often it is useful to be able to “bounce” ideas of somebody else who has a common interest OR to allow that person to monitor your progress on a weekly basis. To that end, I have been thinking that it would be a great idea to have an “accountability partner.” Theresa Mayhew actually touched on this a couple of days ago when I was drafting this post on a pad.

A good example is that of a gym or aerobics or yoga partner. You know, somebody who you can meet down at your local gym or sports stadium to train together. It is SO easy for us to cheat ourselves and NOT go but when you know that somebody else is relying on your attendance then we are MUCH likelier to go, aren’t we? Strange huh? We will let ourselves down but it’s much harder to wimp out if somebody else is relying on us.

Something I have found out over the years is that the hardest part is in just getting started, or MAKING THE DECISION to do something.

YOUR THOUGHTS?

So, what are your thoughts on these things? Planning, action and an accountability partner to push you FORWARD in your Internet Marketing efforts? Is an “accountability partner” a good idea? Do you want or need one?

These are my thoughts but tell me what YOU think!

Hi,

I thought it was about time that I did a book review here. As you may know, TGM (that being me as in “The Gazz Man” - sick of typing that out all the time when I am being importunate or quarrelsome - hmm, I may just do a Prince-thing and refer to myself as the “acronym” - silly stuff over.) has a HUGE library of motivational and associated books.

One of the very finest IMHO is Maxwell Maltz’s BRILLIANT book called Psycho Cybernetics. Do NOT let this curious title put you off. This book is packed with information about success, self-image, rational thinking and a host of other information about why we are like we are.

I read this book the first time on 27 October 1991. Now, you may be wondering how I know that. And even if you’re not, I’m gonna tell you anyway. Well, I sign and date every book I read and give it a score out of ten on the last page. And this book is a rare 10/10 on TGM’s Richter Scale. I have read it several times since too. And I am just about due to do that again.

Have I impressed upon you how highly I rate this book? I hope so. (FYI the ISBN is 0-671-70075-8 and my copy was published by Pocket Books). Any decent bookshop will have a copy but you can probably pick up a second hand copy for five bucks. Stupidly, many people get rid of it - probably from deceased estates. They really don’t know what they are doing. If they knew what it was about they would devour every page because every page is literally loaded with wonderful information.

Just to give you a sample of what Psycho Cybernetics contains, let me select a few excerpts to share with you:

“It usually requires a minimum of about 21 days to effect any perceptible change in mental image.”

[See addendum below]

“Edison believed that he got some of his ideas from a source outside himself. Once, when complimented for a creative idea, he disclaimed credit, saying that ‘ideas are in the air’ and if he had not discovered it, someone else would have.”

“You act, and feel, not according to what things are really like, but according to the image your mind holds of what they are like.”

[See addendum below]

“Why not select the right role, the role of a successful person - and rehearse it.”

[See addendum below]

“The minute that we change our minds, and stop giving power to the past, the past with its mistakes loses power over us.”

“Resentment is an emotional rehashing, or re-fighting of some event in the past. You cannot win, because you are attempting to do the impossible - change the past.”

“Resentment, even when based on real injustices and wrongs, is not the way to win. It soon becomes and emotional habit. Habitually feeling that you are a victim of injustice, you behin to picture yourself in the role of a victimised person. You carry around an inner feeling which is looking for an external peg to hang itself on.”

“Ideas are changed not by ‘will’ but by other ideas.”

[See addendum below]

“God sees us as men and women through whom He can do great work.”

“IMAGINATION plays a far more important role in our lives than most of us realise.”

Maxwell Maltz was one of the world’s most widely known and highly regarded plastic surgeons. He lectured in Amsterdam, Paris and Rome universities. He also performed plastic surgery in Nicaragua and El Salvador. He passed away in 1975.

As I said at the beginning of this topic, do NOT let the rather weird title of this book put you off. I was speaking with Garry Parkes about it just before I finished this post and I mentioned to him that Maxwell Maltz’s Psycho Cybernetics would be in my TOP 5 motivation and self esteem books. I recommend that everybody should read it. It is simply superb.

ADDENDUM: I used some of the information in Psycho Cybernetics to write my own e-book called BRAIN TRAINING several years ago and it has helped a lot of people with issues ranging from motivation, self-esteem, weight loss, quit smoking and the like. There is even a template and instructions on how you can write your own affirmation to combat whatever mindset you may have difficulty with. [shameless plug]

Here is an example of an affirmation from BRAIN TRAINING. It is to do with “happiness.” Since, most people want happiness but find it so difficult to achieve try this for 28 days - write it out by hand onto a small card and read it every morning when you get out of bed and every night before you go to bed.

If you repeat this happiness affirmation in the manner that I have described something incredible will happen to you. Suddenly, upon awakening, you will mysteriously already have a smile on your face. What a way to start the day! Try it.

Here is my third short motivational video - Motivational Moment Video #3, obviously. I was very conscious of keeping this video under 10 minutes, which I think is breaking strain time for most people. Everybody is so damn busy, me included. So, unfortunately, I had to chop some really funny stuff out.

If you are too busy to read my intro then just go straight to the video below…

If not, the video is in three parts:

The first part is my standard fare - I discuss an ancient Japanese samurai maxim that