The Eternal Individual

Anger management is only part of the answer to controlling rage and violent behavior, because anger’s just a symptom of the underlying problem. The basic cause of every conflict, from family arguments to war, is actually not just anger, but deep-seated insecurity.

People act aggressively because they fear that someone else will get them first. They become insanely jealous because they’re scared of losing what they love. They bully other people just to make themselves feel powerful. Nations attack other nations out of fear of losing influence.

Whenever people act in ways that hurt themselves or others, you can trace their actions back to some deep-seated insecurity.

Experiencing insecurity, at some time and at some level, is just part of being human. In its proper place, it’s for our own protection — if we had no sense at all that something unexpected or unpleasant just might happen, we’d walk straight into every kind of danger, every time. The reason why we check the traffic before we step into the road is that we know a car might hit us if we didn’t.

Unfortunately, many people live in a constant state of heightened insecurity, where the slightest thing can drive them into uncontrollable anxiety, jealousy, rage or hatred.

These feelings trigger a surge of adrenalin, which can provoke a rush of anger or bravado, or some other form of aggressive or even violent behavior. If it’s not released it stays within the person’s system, causing stress and flooding the mind and body with harmful chemicals which do yet more damage to both emotional and physical well-being.

If you recognise these feelings in yourself, take heart. They can be beaten.

First of all, relax deeply. Close your eyes, clear your mind, and feel a sensation of warmth and relaxation flowing from the top of your head to the soles of your feet.

Now, make a firm commitment to yourself to be the best you can at being you. Don’t worry about the competition — there isn’t any. You are someone no-one else can ever be.

Next, think of someone whose behavior makes you feel uncomfortable or insecure, angry or frustrated. Picture that person as strongly as you can. Forget the differences between you, and remember only what you have in common.

Maybe you do the same job, or live in the same neighborhood. Perhaps you both have kids, and want to do what’s best for them. Maybe you’re both ambitious, good to your parents, love music or like gardening. Whether the common ground is great or small, dwell on it, and look around for more.

If you can’t think of one single thing you have in common, remember you’re both human. You each have a heart that beats, a mind to think and feel with, blood that flows around your body, a need to love and be loved, hopes and dreams that can empower you to do great things… and the power to change the world around you.

Perhaps you’ve heard the story from the First World War, when the opposing soldiers stopped the fighting to sing Christmas carols. Afterwards they scrambled from their trenches to meet each other in the no-man’s-land between. They shared their chocolate and tobacco, and showed each other pictures of their loved ones… and they realised that their enemies were just like them. There simply wasn’t any need to fight.

If soldiers fighting for their lives could do it, you can. Think of ways of brokering your personal cease-fire. If you meet that person in the street tomorrow, maybe you could smile and say “Good Morning”.

Maybe you could ask about their family, or congratulate them on a good piece of work, or comment on the weather, or what’s going on in some sport you both have interest in. If you can do that person some small kindness, go ahead — and if a favor’s offered in return, accept it.

It doesn’t need to be a very close relationship — just let go the automatic expectation they’ll do something hurtful, focus on respecting both the other person and yourself, replace the spirit of hostility with the principle of kindliness… and keep on doing it.

The atmosphere of trust you build will help to heal the other person’s insecurity — and any you have, too. You’ll find a greater confidence in everthing you do. Because you’ve changed things for the better, you’ll feel greater self-reliance and empowerment — and there’s another spin-off, too.

If every person would just work to heal relationships and insecurities, the world could find a true and lasting peace. That starts, or ends, with every one of us.

Will you play your part, by letting go your insecurites and declaring your cease-fire with the world — and, if so, will you do it now?

Aislinn O’Connor is a motivational writer and personal development consultant. You can read more of her articles at http://www.Access-Your-Peak-Performance-Zone.com

These days when it comes to buying real estate many of us are pretty skittish. All of the areas that boomed a few years ago are feeling to drop in real estate prices. So how do I decide if buying Rochester New York real estate is right for me? The best pert of this decision is that Rochester is an area with consistent growth. Las Vegas and Florida, for example, were booming a few years ago mainly because of location and climate. Rochester is not a fad location and it is a wonderful place to raise a family and put down roots.

Growing up in Rochester was a fairy tale childhood. Tree lined streets, coming in when the street lights came on, summer picnics. So why would I not want to buy Rochester New York real estate? It is, to me, one of the best places on earth. Rochester has many good colleges in the nearby area, good schools, arts and culture, water and views. I obviously am a fan of this wonderful part of the country and I highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking of moving there. Rochester is clean and beautiful and a great place to raise kids and to grow old.

Having good pictures in your profile is crucial if you are to be successful in the world of online dating. Follow the guidelines below and your profile will stand out from the pack!

No Web Cam or Cell Phone Pics!

It is best to avoid using any pictures that were taken from web cams or cell phones. They don’t take very good pictures. Use pictures from either a regular film or a good digital camera.

Don’t Be Shy!

Some people think that submitting one picture is enough. It’s not. A person can look totally different depending on lighting and other things. Remember the person looking at your picture has only that and your profile to decide if they want to talk to you (which usually costs money). If you only give them one picture to look at they might hesitate, causing you both to possibly miss out. Submit at least 5 pictures of yourself in various settings.

Give Us the Total Package!

Make sure at least a few of your pictures are close up’s of your face and a few show your whole body. Have pictures with different angles, clothing, expressions, lighting, etc. It’s like if you were shopping online for something. You’d want to see pictures of every angle to make sure you like it right? Same thing with online dating.

Don’t Forget To Smile!

People always look better when they’re smiling! Have a picture or 2 of you smiling or laughing with your friends. Aside from looking nice it also shows you are a fun-loving person.

Keep It Real!

Pictures that look too professional can sometimes look a bit suspicious. Believe it or not, some people actually submit fake pictures (I know, what a shocker). If your picture is real but it looks a little too good, some people might think it’s fake. So try to avoid using your glamour shot. Submit regular pictures of yourself in normal situations. Maybe you on a trip, in a group of friends, doing some activity, or just hanging out. Anything that can help show who you are and what you’re all about.

Tell Us More!

Some dating sites allow you to add a description with your picture. Take advantage of this opportunity. A good description really helps complete the setting and draws the viewer in. You’re really telling a story here, capture their imagination!

Remember, the first thing people look at is your picture. If you follow these guidelines your profile will look a lot more appealing to potential dates. Good luck!

Mike Thomas is the owner of DateHookup.com Personals, a completely free online dating service. He has seen thousands of profiles and knows what it takes to make a profile shine.

The pure bred dog, no manner the breed, is truly a beautiful animal to look upon. These are animals that have been refined, over the centuries, to reach their pure and unadulterated state as found today. The pure bred dogs have also been bred for temperament and bloodlines from the earliest of times. Yet there is another kind of dog that goes back in history even further than any pure bred dog! What is this unique breed?

It’s the Mixed Breed, or Mutt, as they are so often called. These dogs are of a very ancient mix of pedigrees that are not always of the best of mixes but they are most assuredly very unique animals. The temperament of these dogs is usually better and they tend not to have the congenital defects of their pure bred counterparts. It is possible to even produce similar dogs thru concentrated breeding efforts but, as a general rule, the mixed breeds are unique animals that can’t be easily replicated.

But what of their training capacity? Is there any reason to train these animals in any different manner than their pure bred brethren?

For the most part the simple answer is no. These animals are fully capable of learning any behavior that the pure breed is capable of and, because of a generally better temperament, they will often times learn more - faster. Due to their better temperaments and overall higher intelligence the mixed breed dogs will score quite high in obedience pre-tests and are very trainable. While pure breed animals have been refined over the centuries it has occasionally led to an in-breeding of the specific breed. This in-breeding has led the way to more congenital defects and maladjusted temperaments than the typical “mutt”. This is primarily due to the simple law of nature that states “the strong will survive” - hence mixed breed dogs with congenital defects don’t usually survive in nature.

Thus the mongrel, or mutt, has escaped the congential problems of many of the typical pure bred dogs. The mongrel might not always have the same handsome lines of say a Dobermen Pinscher or the gorgeous coat of the champion Pomeranian but more likely than not it has certainly inherited the better characteristics from both of these lines and sometimes even more. A mixed breed dog can have the house pet qualities of a Poodle alongside the protective qualities of a Doberman and the maternal eye of a Collie. While possessing all of these qualities the mixed breed normally may leave behind the overly aggressive and high strung tendencies of its otherwise pure bred ancesteral cousins.

This figured into the equation along with the price factor of the animals and it is quite easy to see why so many households happily have a mixed breed pet. These animals have the ability to display intelligence, show care, obey commands and circumvent obstacles. They have been doing so for thousands of years and show no signs of stopping. Go to any circus and look closely at the dogs that perform their. In the vast majority of the time the dogs you see are “mutts”! Why don’t you see the pure breds traiined as performers? It’s becasue of the problems we have alrady mentioned above!

The only real difference between the training of a mixed breed animal and a pure breed dog is the ability to cross platforms with less transition trouble. If your dog is a mix between, say, an Irish Setter and a Red Bone Coon Hound, then you have a dog that, quite possibly, could be trained in the hunting of both birds and game mammals without much confusion. Perhaps the mix is between a Husky and a German Shepherd?

This would give you a large dog with both good defense skills and the muscle for real workouts like long days of hiking and running. Thus by a simple exchange you can gain a lot with very little loss. The animal may no longer be pure bred and the aesthetic quality may, or may not, degenerate a bit but you gain a lot in the way of a responsive and easily trained canine. When you weigh in these facts it is hard to understand why the world has such a population explosion of homeless mixed breed pets. After all, the mixed breed seems to be the better choice from the trainer’s view point.

That being said there are certain instances where a mixed breed of dog is just not acceptable at all. If you are training animals for the purpose of professional dog showing competitions then by all means choose a pure bred animal. Train them for the specific purposes for which that breed was created. Also for certain usages, such as military animals, pure breeds seem to be the animal of choice solely for the purpose of a uniform appearance albeit a number of military animals just do not meet this qualification. Aside from these, or similar circumstances, this author sees no reason to limit your search for a pet to strictly pure breed dogs. Rather, do something good for yourself and for the homeless pet population - adopt a mixed breed animal. Personally, I can say that after having several of both “types” of dogs I am now much more inclined to own “mutts” from here on out!

All about the poodle breeds and dog care in general. No sales hype just facts and information you can use to help with dog training, proper dog nutrition, dog clothing and dog jewelry. Michael A. Domeck is a trainer and a mentor working with students from all walks of life. Visit: http://www.poodle-lovers.com to learn more.

There is huge potential to create additional profits from your speeches by partnering with a professional transcriptionist to convert your audio recordings into text transcripts.

1) Speakers and consultants often deliver their presentations via teleconference calls and record them for sale later. Once transcribed, the transcript can be provided free to paying attendees as a value-added item or formatted into a special report for an additional product to sell.

2) Another valuable service you can provide to your clients is to send them a transcript of your speech ahead of time. Provide a single copy and allow them to make a specific number of copies to distribute. If you give the speech often, the cost of the transcription will pay for itself over time.

3) With your speech transcribed into text on paper, you can easily customize it for new clients, add new material, and delete outdated sections.

4) A certain percentage in an audience will have hearing problems and not be able to understand you clearly. Promise them a transcript of your speech, or one that was transcribed earlier from another time you gave basically the same speech.

5) If a prospective client asks if you’ve ever talked about a specific topic, you can send an excerpt from a transcribed speech that you gave for another client that addressed that topic.

6) If you originally wrote up a speech you give often, but over time you’ve ad-libbed, added new material, changed things here and there, and your current, evolved speech is quite different from your original write-up, have a recording transcribed for an up-to-date transcript of your speech as you currently deliver it.

7) Rather than mailing a tape or a video to a prospective client, it’s faster to email or fax a transcript, saving time AND money. Even if you still mail a tape or video, this will get your information in text form to your client sooner for review, and they’ll be even more certain it’s worth taking the time to also review your audio or video.

Provide reporters and editors with transcripts of your speeches to make it as easy as possible for them to give you press coverage, making it more likely to create good publicity for yourself and your client.

9) Have recordings of your radio and TV interviews transcribed and convert the transcripts into articles, book chapters, or to add to your press kit.

10) When planning to make a video, provide a transcript of your material to your video team to make the planning process easier for them. Also convert the transcript into a workbook to go along with your video.

11) You can build a database of questions that get asked frequently along with your answers in Q&A sessions during your presentations for a valuable collection of information. Once transcribed, the material can be converted into material for your website FAQ’s section, or into handouts. NOTE: Make sure the person asking the question has a microphone, OR fully repeat the question before giving your answer.

12) Rather than asking your client to write and mail a referral letter after your speech and the event is all over, catch them while your presentation is fresh in their mind and suggest they tape their recommendation on your recorder, and let them know you’ll have it transcribed and submit it to them for approval before using it. You can get other recorded referrals for transcription from attendees at the same time.

13) As you’re driving away from giving a speech, record your thoughts that are tumbling through your mind such as things to change next time, things to remember, and stream-of-consciousness ideas that flow freely. Once transcribed, you can form a plan of action based on your own heightened inspiration spurred by the adrenaline of a successful event, and increase your overall success and productivity.

14) Convert recordings of your speeches into material for a book or ebook to help establish your reputation as a credible expert in your field and create additional profits for your business. Edit the transcripts into chapters, add a table of contents, a cover, etc. You can have it bound simply or submit it for professional publication, or convert it into an ebook.

15) Once you have a book, have it professionally recorded by reading it out loud for an audio product to sell.

Partnering with a professional transcriptionist is a solid business strategy that can save you time, increase your creativity, and — most importantly — add profits to your bottom line.

About the Author

Copyright Laurie Kristensen.

Laurie Kristensen operates a successful audio transcription and typing business, visit http://www.LKTranscription.com (subscribe to “Your Partner in Success Newsletter” and receive THREE valuable free gifts) — also be sure to browse through Laurie’s Success Resources at http://www.LKSuccess.com

You may publish this article in its entirety, with the byline, URLs, and copyright included.

What makes you trust one person yet not another? I mean “really”. Here’s how I, a Newbie, see it.

What makes one person’s “word” believable? Remember that saying, “A person’s only as good as his word”? My Dad always said that when I was growing up, and my husband says it to our two sons.

I grew up on a dairy farm in the Midwestern United States. Often in the evening when my Dad and brothers were done with the “after-supper” chores, salesmen would often come. My Dad invariably knew them by their first name. They were selling everything from soybean and corn seed to grain bins to hail insurance and more. You can imagine.

I was little then, and I remember them sitting at the kitchen table. It was summertime, so I could stay up later. June bugs were bouncing off the outside of the screens, and sometimes there was distant heat lightning in the horizon.

I liked listening to them talk on those evenings - sort of reassuring in a sense. I could feel they trusted each other. The words flowed freely - there was no pretension. Just two people sitting across the table from each other - one a seller, one a buyer.

There would be much interaction, lots of body language: an eyebrow raised, a gentle pounding of the palm of a hand on the table to emphasize a point, or maybe rubbing an ear when trying to put a thought into words as a question, lips slightly askew; chuckle thrown in here and there, and even a loud guffaw erupted occasionally. If you didn’t know differently, you’d have thought they were “old friends.”

When it broke up, the salesman was happy with a sale, and my Dad was happy knowing he would soon have the product he needed for his business. They’d shake hands, and that was that. Everyone was happy.

So, NOW, on to the internet…..

How do we get that same feeling of “one on one”? Why do we “connect” with one person but not another? After all, we really don’t know anyone we haven’t met, do we? What IS that “spark” that ignites the “fire”? Why do we “connect” with some people and not others?

I’ve found so many kind and helpful people on the internet, and I often wonder what “IT” is that causes that.

Why do you join a program or two? Is it because somehow you seemed to “connect” with the owner(s)? You just “feel” you can trust them, right? Why?

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact they respond to your inquiries with a personal touch. They take the time to email you - not just send a cold impersonal autoresponder message.

Ever emailed (to their personal email address) after receiving an autoresponder message and waited for a reply that never came? I have. Did you continue any further? I didn’t.

Ever come across a great looking site and sent them an email complimenting them? Perhaps even feeling so “fired up and bold” that you throw in a question asking for a little help? I have. Still waiting for a reply? I am.

Ever unsubscribed from a newsletter because you don’t have a clue who the editor is? There’s no mention of a name? I have.

How long does it take for someone to send a simple email? A “thank you” or even an acknowledgment that they’ve received it and will get back to you as soon as they can?

Maybe soon they’ll have all the time in the world! But it won’t be on the internet.

Be interactive. Let people know you’re a real person on the other end of that mouse.

Pretend you’re seated across from me at a kitchen table on a hot summer evening with June bugs bouncing off the screens and distant heat lightning in the horizon.

Mary Holzrichter
The Newbie Club
The Most Respected PC And Internet Learning Site On The Web! http://newbieclub.com?abcs mailto:holzrob3@naspa.net

Kids’ shyness and showing off have one thing in common. They are both behaviours that bring them a great deal of attention.

Showing-off is an active ‘Notice me’ behaviour. By definition it is hard to ignore as showing-off is irritating, in your face, “look at moi, look at moi” behaviour. Show-offs generally get what they want - heaps of B-grade attention ranging from comments such as “Aren’t you clever?” through to “For goodness put a sock in it!”

Shyness is a passive ‘Help me’ behaviour that has a dramatic effect on most adults. They will go out of their way to make sure shy kids are included in social activities, coaxing them to become involved with others, urging them to speak and encouraging them to be more social. Sometimes adult over-compensate, which makes children feel helpless and reinforces the notion that they need to be rescued or receive special assistance.

Recently, a swimming teacher handled a child’s shyness in an effective way. A six year old girl, just introduced to a swimming class, stood away from the rest of the children while the teacher began the lesson. The teacher noticed the girl but didn’t respond. Her mother, who was hovering like a helicopter on the sidelines, told her to join the class. The teacher’s response was fascinating. He turned to Miss Shy, who was standing three metres from the group, with her head down, and said, “Hi Delia. I see you don’t want to join us yet. That’s okay. Join in when you are ready.” He then turned his attention to his teaching. Five minutes later Delia jumped in the pool and joined in the water activities. Delia realised that her ‘help me’ behaviour and attitude wasn’t go to work with this swimming teacher.

Kids are smart. They don’t act in vacuum. They keep the behaviours that work in terms of gaining a pay-off and discard, even momentarily, those that don’t get a pay-off.

Shy or just slow-to-warm up

The Australian Temperament Project released in 2001 gives an interesting insight into shyness. It looked at sociability as a dimension of temperament. At one end of the sociability scale there are children who are outgoing and approach new situations easily. At the other end of the scale there are children who are slow to warm-up to people and are cautious in their interactions with others. This longitudinal project noted that children’s sociability doesn’t change much over time. If you have a slow-to-warm child then they will in all likelihood take their time to warm to new social situations even as they move through to adulthood. That is the way of it. So avoid overcompensating and making problems where there are none.

Focus on behaviours not on temperament

Labels such as “she is a shy child” with kids as they tend to become self-fulfilling prophecies. Instead, focus on behaviours and be positive in your response when children are less than enthusiastic to join in. If your child is slow-to-warm up when it comes to new situations then:

1. Give them the time to warm up. Linger a little if your child is clingy, but not for too long. Move away and show your confidence in their ability to adjust to new situations. Let them know you will be back later.

2. Encourage them with a “you can do it” attitude but without giving undue attention to them. Kids take their cues from their parents so avoid making a big deal about not joining in an activity. It is okay to withdraw and not join in from time to time.

3. Prepare children for new situations. Either give them information about what they may expect (”there will be a lot of kids there so look around for someone who is playing on his own…..”) or role play or practise new situations in the relative safety of home.

Michael Grose is a popular parenting educator and parent coach. He is the director of Parentingideas, the author of seven books for parents and a popular presenter who speaks to audiences in Australia, Singapore and the USA. For free courses and resources to help you raise happy kids and resilient teenagers visit http://www.parentingideas.com.au

Unless you are brand new to business, or have been under a rock for quite some time - one key marketing technique (which isn’t new) - is called ‘Viral’.

Based on the word ‘virus’ - viral marketing or viral business simply means it ’spreads’ like a virus.

The roots of online viral marketing really took off when Microsoft gave away free email accounts - and advertised this at the end of emails. ‘Get your own free HOTMAIL account’.

This spread like wild-fire - like a viral infection. Thus, Viral Marketing was truly born.

But this article isn’t about viral marketing, but rather about how to effectively contain or cure a particularly bad outbreak of ‘viral reputation’.

What is a viral reputation?……

Virus…… an infection that spreads rapidly.
Reputation….. what others think about you.

This can either be positive or more often, negative.

If you are a regular reader of my articles, you will know that I encourage the use of ‘phrases’ and ’sayings’ to support or reinforce my point. Not one to disappoint my readers… so here is another classic example.

‘Prevention is better than cure’.

In the most simple terms, this means it’s better to avoid it - than go through the long, drawn out problems associated with finding the cure to the virus, In this case - YOUR specific virus.

In business, both online and off (or what I call ‘real-world’ business) - this can be categorised as follows:-

1. Product (or service)
2. Sales pitch.
3. Customer Relations.

1. Product (or service)

Whatever business you are in - you are selling something. An idea, a concept, a product, a service, a package, a solution….. it doesn’t really matter what it is.

However, two key principles are vital to ensure that you ‘prevent’ a negative viral reputation.

a) Ensure your product isn’t rubbish. HA! Sounds like common-sense? Take a look around you in the world and see just how much trosh is for sale - and compare it with something better that does the same or similar, for a similar price. Sell rubbish at your peril. People (just like you and me) HATE IT. And that’s how a ‘negative’ viral reputation begins.

b) Can your product / service prove that…. “it does exactly what it says on the tin”? The ‘tin’ is proverbial - meaning that a tins of beans, really is a tin of beans. If you get peas instead….. you won’t be happy. Don’t claim (or over-claim / over-promote / over-market / overemphasise / over-sell) your product can do something it really can’t stand up to. If you do - then you start a ‘negative’ viral reputation.

2. Sales Pitch

Or how you sell, market or promote your product. This is linked to (b) above - but can be a totally separate and deadly area, if you aren’t careful.

If you are selling your product / service etc., you need to put yourself in the shoes of your potential customers. How would you react to YOUR sales pitch - advertising, marketing, and copy? Yes - it’s all about persuasion… but gentle and soft persuasion. Get the customer to ‘buy-in’ - and don’t strong-arm them or force them.

The ‘Hard-Sell’ can often backfire on you, and can have long-lasting consequences - especially your reputation.

Don’t oversell…. You must over-deliver.
Don’t over-deliver to the extent that your product is lost in an exuberance of discounts, special offers, bonuses and freebies.

If your product is tried and tested, and really is worth the price you are asking - why must you feel obliged to add extra freebies worth 100 times more?

And yes - that really does happen every day - especially online.

“But my product for just $47 - and get £4,995 worth of freebies”.

Oh please.

Freebies, extras and bonuses are great - but to THAT extent?

If you buy a car worth $25,000 - do you expect the dealer to give you extras worth $250,000? Of course not. You’ll be lucky to get a free tank of gas.

If your product really is good, don’t bow to the freebie-hunters. Go for the real customers - and give them a genuine sales pitch. Unfortunately for internet marketing business, it seems this has gone out the window, and the bonus package is simply belittling the true worth and value of the main product.

3. Customer Service

The BIG ONE.

This is where MANY businesses and business people fall flat on their face.
Poor customer service, especially AFTER the sale, is deadly.
Positive, active, effective customer service is VITAL both before and after the sale.
Many concentrate on it before the sale…. Just to make that sale…. Then it all dies off.

Pre-sale service is a must. It helps retain the customer and is important to get the sale.

But ignore the POST-SALE service at your peril.

Once you have the customer…. It’s much easier to up-sell, re-sell, get referrals…..
But if you end up losing that customer because you simply don’t look after them AFTER you have their money…. Do you really think they are going to spend any more of their cash with you?

Poor after-sales customer service is also one major factor of refunds.
Keep up good customer service - reduce your refunds (and complaints).

It’s all about ‘damage limitation’.

The key focus of this report is about your Viral Reputation.

It’s very easy to catch a ‘negative’ viral reputation. And it spreads without mercy.
Before you know - the first person to become infected (usually because you have failed in one or more of the above categories) - has ‘infected’ many, many others.

Just by telling their friends, family, colleagues, associates…. Then they in turn tell others what they know…. Then the others tell more………

Do you see my point?

A ‘positive’ viral reputation is far less contagious and not very virulent… it’s much harder to catch.

FACT - People simply spread bad news at a rate ten times faster that good news.

Once the damage is done, once the negative virus begins to spread - finding the cure (stopping it or repairing the damage) will be incredibly difficult.

So, prevention is better than cure.

Prevent the negative viral reputation, with good service or products, honest sales pitch and most of all, rock-solid customer service. Slowly but surely you will benefit from the positive.

An article by Gary Durkin
Founder of the Internet Advice Center®
http://www.InternetAdviceCenter.com

Gary has more than a decade of offline international business success behind him, and has been doing business online for 6 years.

If you would like to join thousands of subscribers to his newsletter ‘Delivering Success’ - send a blank email to deliveringsuccess@kioskcities.ws

© Copyright 2005 - All Rights Reserved worldwide.

You are free to distribute this article, providing it remains unchanged and with the resource / bio box attached.

“Good leaders must first become good servants.”
Robert Greenleaf

Is the church still relevant? This is a question that I often hear from outsiders of traditional religious institutions. If a leader is to be effective, he needs to understand the cultural changes. You can’t avoid it, Leader. I’m not proposing that churches assimilate worldly viewpoints, but simply that they recognize a changing culture. Spiritual leaders shouldn’t ignore it. The following activities represent a sample of the many cultural changes for contemporary churches: shopping on Sundays, women wearing pants, racial integration, and playing cards. Many religious scholars in times past called those things taboos. Some individuals are calling today’s church less relevant to the Believers because of these culture shifts and the reluctance to acknowledge any cultural significances. George Barna, author of Growing True Disciples, suggests that churches are missing their evangelistic calling, largely because they don’t understand today’s world. Barna advocates the following changes:

• Shift from a program-driven ministry to a people-driven ministry
  
• De-emphasize recalling scriptures to applying biblical principles
  
• Move from a concern about quantity (members, programs, etc.) to quality (lifestyle changes, relationships, etc.)
  

Unfortunately, many leaders don’t want to change because it may endanger their livelihood. Leaders, take courage! Do the right things! Clearly, God doesn’t want us to follow society’s direction and live by the Flesh (Galatians 5). Conversely, God wants us to grow in spiritual maturity and display the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Start today!

Therefore, spiritual leaders should understand culture influences so that they can create effective strategies for ministries. Start today!

Reference:

Barna, G. (2000). Growing True Disciples. Ventura, CA: Issachar Resources.

© 2006 by Daryl D. Green

The KF700 has proven very popular with customers and has been a real winner for LG. Like other similarly priced models from LG the design is quite modern and would be appealing to a very wide range of customers.

The battery cell that is fitted to the KF700 is a Standard battery, Li-Ion. The LG KF700 is very compact and easy to carry. If the colour of your mobile handset is on your list of requirements, you should be aware that this mobile handset only comes in Black. The LG KF700 comes equipped with bluetooth, for convenient compatibility with the vast majority of accessories. The available ring-tones enabled on the KF700 are Polyphonic, MP3 along with a vibrating tone . Getting on to the display the handset is equipped with a 3 inch screen, which, taking into consideration what else you can get for this kind of money is a good sized display. The display type is TFT touchscreen, 256K colors. The LG KF700 is compatible with 2G GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 and 3G HSDPA 2100 . This mobile handset has a 3.15 MP, 2048×1536 pixels, autofocus, image stabilizer video; secondary videocall camera. For mobile Internet users as WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML browser is included. The KF700 has a number of other useful features such as:

Although this is one of the most recent handsets currently available, it remains possible to obtain a real bargain on the KF700.

Cellular phones are so easily found that many customers do not make the effort even though they pay over the odds. They can simply identify a mobile phone in a local store, or even a grocery store at competitive prices that it hardly seems worth spending additional time trying to find a bargain. The trick these customers have missed is that the majority of the really cheap deals are only offered via websites, where big cost savings can be gotten from the comfort of your home. By looking at a mobile cell phone comparison site is not only the most convenient but is also one of the chepest way to purchase a mobile phone.