Active Thinking Is Power

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Passive reaction is the ultimate weakness. You know, this article starts out on a seemingly cynical note, but I promise, if you read on, it will be optimistic and compelling. So keep reading and you will get to that. With that said, this article and its goal is to make you genuinely think and be actively conscious and mindful instead of reacting by being mindlessly dismissive about "another motivational article".

Thinking, combined with action and realistic planning is the genuine strength in life and existence, not reaction or fearful inaction forced by the fear of one word from others, and that word is "no". If you get "no", get creative and take another approach to what you need to deal with, but do not directly quit working on what you need or want to work on.

Sometimes there are problems in all of our lives, and realities we cannot seemingly deal with easily, and I say to those, do not react negatively, get creative in solving the problems instead of denouncing the problems instantly as unsolvable or impossible in reaction to them.

When I think about what reality comes down to, I think about thought, action, positive vibration from ourselves and generating results creatively. Reaction is mostly the last thing on my mind. In that William Clement Stone way, I think, if I have a problem, that is good, it is creativity time, not time to die, give up or get weak. In short, problems increase my skills when I deal with them instead of avoid them, right down to big problems that are a challenge. The best problem solvers are those people who genuinely and consciously act realistically and calmly in a businesslike way instead of react unrealistically in an emotionally fearful way. In fact, a calm, empowered consciousness is the key to advantages, power and strength. Nervous reaction and weakness are just that, nervous reaction and weakness, because, that kind of thing gets nothing done anyway. Indeed, fear gets nothing done, and that is where I agree with Beverley "Zig" Ziglar the motivational speaker, in that sense fear does stand for "False Evidence Appearing Real" because when nothing gets done genuinely fear has taken hold and power leaves. We must reject this sort of thinking and living and get things genuinely done creatively, not competitively, fearfully, or in a cheating way. What I mean is "the only way out is through". Not quitting, not avoidance, but going through it, whatever it is.

My name is Joshua Clayton, I am a freelance writer based in Inglewood, California. I also write under a few pen-names and aliases, but Joshua Clayton is my real name, and I write by that for the most part now. I am a philosophical writer and objective thinker and honest action taker. I also work at a senior center in Gardena, California as my day job, among other things, but primarily I am a writer.

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Are Arranged Marriages Better for Society?

On September 29th, a talk show about arranged marriages was hosted. For some reason, it sparked controversy. A couple of men and most women were upset about being forced to marry someone they didn't love. Yet, over 50% of marriages fail. That means, even though most couples enter matrimony in the name of love, the fairytale ends with a divorce. If so many divorcees married for love and the majority are divorced, what happened? Is love enough?

For thousands of years, marriages were arranged. It's a recent phenomenon that most people choose their own spouse. With an arranged marriage, you have the benefit of your parents and grandparents who shop for your mate. They have been watching specific families for compatibility. They would look at family values, attitudes of parents and children, socioeconomic class, ability to manage money, assets, etc. At the least, they would marry their offspring to someone in an equal socioeconomic class. At best, you can marry up. To do that, the children would have to be prepared to marry, understand their role and uphold the family name.

Today, you are on your own. On top of that, people are taught to be tough and independent. And the idea of compatibility has been replaced by love and romance. At the same time, women initiate 70% of divorces. Does that mean women don't care about love? Does it mean women don't value men? Or are men ignoring the needs of women?

In the gay community, 20% of the marriages between men end on divorce. As for lesbian marriages, 45% end in divorce. It seems women are having a difficult time getting along with anyone. In fact, the complaints in lesbian marriages are the same as heterosexual. It seems women are more likely to have unrealistic expectations about their partner or their ideas about how marriage works.

With that said, perhaps people are completely unprepared for marriage. Marriage is a legal binding contract between two people. Its origins have more to do with protecting generational wealth. It ensures the assets the couple acquired are protected and passed down to offspring.

Instead of entering marriage as partnership, there are many who have fallen into the trap of Hollywood love. That means lots of fun, excitement and surprise gifts. Frolic becomes the priority over building a legacy. When the excitement wanes, the so-called chemistry disappears. That is often the path to divorce. Or infidelity becomes a substitute. When fun and excitement are the priority, you find the brain secretes dopamine from the fun stimuli. When the person no longer receives dopamine rushes, they will seek it elsewhere. In reality, that is like being married to a drug addict. They cannot function without their high. Going to the gym is a much better way to get a dopamine rush.

On my talk show, we discussed how the US arrived in this state of dysfunctional marriages. For the most part, it began with a book written in 1819 by John Keats. The book is called, La Belle Dame sans Merci. It was one of the first romance novels. Initially the book had little to no impact on US culture. However, by the 1850s, women started to desire the romance they read in Keat's novel. If you think about it, it may have been one of the most damaging blows to the institution of marriage. That book shaped how other romance novels were written. And it is responsible for Hollywood love themes. People have forgotten the intention of marriage. At one time, compatibility based on family values superceded love and frolic. Besides, over time, the couple in an arranged marriage would grow to depend on one another and affinity would form. Keat's book derailed the old social structure and put society on a path of choosing a spouse based on feelings.

In addition, during the 1920s, the diamond company DeBeers created a slogan: diamonds are a girl's best friends. Before the 20s, only rich men purchased diamonds for their wives. After the DeBeers' campaign, all women expected diamonds. And they want a diamond that is larger than their friend's or sister's.

What's more interesting is the idea of a man placing a diamond on a woman's finger goes back to ancient Greece. The Greeks saw precious stones as having spiritual powers. Diamonds were known as the strongest stone. As a result, it symbolized protection. When a man left home for extended time periods, he would place a diamond on his wife's finger to protect her while he was away.

The third aspect of society that has hurt marriage is the feminist movement. They convinced women that marriage is an institution where men completely dominate women. Men force women to take his last name. Then he influences her belief system and completely changes her. He also keeps her barefoot and pregnant. That mindset has women enter marriage with defensive and protective feelings. The marriage is doomed before it starts. Except, even lesbian marriages are failing. So it is not about men. So what's missing?

In the past, parents and grandparents were involved in the selection of a spouse. While there were forced arrangements, there were many marriages that were created with the children's best interest at heart. Parents want what's best for their children. They would rather see their child in a healthy union, instead of one filled with strife. Through their experience, they may have a better idea of what is compatible with their child. That is not so much based on the child's personality. It is based on values. When you add the grandparents to the equation, it becomes easier to match your offspring.

Compatibility and values is clearly demonstrated in the book, The Millionaire Mind, by Thomas Stanley. In his book, he writes about many millionaire couples he interviewed. He said they experience significantly less divorce than couples from lower socioeconomic classes. He said it was not money or image that kept them together. He found they were better at finding a mate who was compatible based on values. In fact, many of the millionaire couples did not have much money when they met. In other cases, the husband lost everything and the wife had to work. In some cases, they had success and later became homeless. Yet, they never split. The wife remained with the husband even when they had to sleep out of the car. At some point, their team effort allowed them to realize success.

I say that to say marriage is based on compatibility, not feelings or dopamine rushes. When it is an arranged marriage, the two families thoroughly explore other families to ensure the spouses and families are compatible. They may even have businesses that complement one another, like one owns a cattle ranch. The other owns a leather manufacturing business.

In today's dating scene, when a man and woman are getting to know one another, a man can tell the women anything she wants to hear. When your parents and grandparents are seeking a spouse, they are interviewing the man and family. It is a serious process. Therefore, it will be much harder for a man to be a player, especially with the father and grandfather involved. They may want to know if the man can run the family business. Do you have the qualities of care and responsibility to look after their daughter and grandchildren? They are likely to ask questions and get answers. That means games are completely eliminated, which is the source of frustration for men and women today. When a woman is seeking a man on her own, she can be swept away by deception and the dopamine high. Conversely, the beauty and body of a woman can blind a man. When in fact, she may only care about his resources. And she has no intention of being a good caring partner to the man. In fact, she may even deny him access to her body by not having sex. There are many sexless marriages.

On a side note, many of you may squawk that you don't want to marry someone you don't love. On my talk show, I discussed a reality TV program called Beauty and the Geek. The show brought together 10 geeky men with 10 attractive women. The geeks proclaimed that these are women they would never have the guts to approach in real life. The women also stated that these are not the kinds of men that would interest them. Throughout the show, men and women teamed up to accomplish certain tasks together. As the show progressed, they rotated by teaming up with a different person. By the end of the show, it was amazing to see the affinity shared between them. The show was a social experiment that proved even unlikely people could create affinity. They simply need a bridge to bring them together.

To sum it up, arranged marriages could significantly reduce divorce in the US. If you leverage the wisdom of your parents and grandparents or aunts and uncles, you are more likely to choose or be paired up with a significant other based on compatibility. Since feelings are fleeting, love can come and go. However, compatible values can be a stabilizing force.

Furthermore, since parents want their offspring to marry the best person, it would be wise to educate and prepare them for their role as a spouse. First, that will make them a more attractive candidate. Second, they don't have to play trial and error at everything. That gives the marriage a better chance of success.

When the marriage is arranged, both sides of the family are actively involved in the couple's success. Because the entire family has a vested interest in the marriage, they serve as a support structure when the couple goes through a rough patch.

Finally, successful

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We Have the Internet, No More Excuses

The invention of the Internet has arguably removed the barriers to knowledge. Nowadays, there is little to no excuse for not knowing. Once you have the desire to improve your current situation or simply learn about a particular subject, in your right frame of mind, and not physically impaired to the point where you can't move, there is literally no real excuse.

Let's look at some of the reasons why:

Bringing the world closer together

The internet has annihilated time and distance. People can easily connect and communicate with other humans nearby and in remote parts of the world instantly through various internet-based technologies. Social media platforms allow people to interact in a global online community and learn about way of life in other parts of the world. In addition, business-minded people can learn about other cultures and can market different products and services that are relevant to individual segments of society.

The ability to learn new skills

YouTube alone has free tutorials on a vast number of subject areas, from simple stuff such as how to write a letter to more technical matters like learning to code. There are also plenty of e-learning platforms, some offering free courses, which can teach you to do anything you might be interested in learning about. Whether you want to start a career in electronics, home improvement, or auto repair, or want to improve your knowledge in a field you are already in, the internet has made it easier than ever. What's more, learning material is available in various languages and created by people from all ends of the globe, so it doesn't matter what language you speak.

Overall self-improvement

Concerned about an aspect of your health? It's always advisable to seek professional help. However, the internet also has numerous online resources such as WebMD, which can be useful in providing health-improvement and prevention guidelines. You can learn other helpful ways of self-improvement, including how to improve your memory, fashion advice, personal style and grooming, relationship advice, exercises to lose weight and get fit, and even finer skills such as social etiquette.

Personally, I use the internet all the time for a variety of things. YouTube is among my favorite sites where I have learned how to assemble different items for which the instructions seem too complicated. The list is endless.

Leveling the playing field

Of course, internet access is not the same everywhere. Recent statistics show that over 4.1 billion people, or more than half the world's population, have access to the internet. And access is rapidly improving, plus the infrastructure keeps getting better, particularly in the area of mobile devices. Today, communication among people keeps increasing through the proliferation of smartphones. These devices contain technology that is far more powerful than computers that used to take up an entire room a few decades ago, but can now be carried around in one's pocket.

With this increasing access, the playing field is being leveled, so, for the majority, there is less and less excuse for not knowing.

People who live in the United States of America and other industrialized countries are among the most advantaged. Data from Statista shows that Americans accounted for over 312 million internet users in 2018, making it one of the largest online markets in the world. In addition, the U.S. ranks pretty highly on the Internet Freedom index. With all that said, Americans, for the most part, have little to no excuse for lacking in knowledge that could help them become successful. The only real excuses, in my opinion, are where issues of mental health and physical ailments are concerned. I say this because I have benefitted tremendously from information provided online. I can personally attest to the fact that almost any public library you can think of in America provides access to countless numbers of books and computers.

How I used the internet to improve myself

I am excited about and highly appreciative of the invention of the internet due to the fact that I like to learn about new and interesting things. When I wanted to improve my math skills during college, I was able to watch free algebra tutorials on YouTube. Currently, I am learning another language through Skype which, while not for free, is quite affordable.

Some time ago, I came across an article online about memory training, which featured a man by the name of Ron White. I learned that Ron White is one of the top memory champions in the world and he is also a two-time national champion, having won the USA Memory Championships in 2009 and 2010. Long story short, I watched his videos and ordered his course. I used a fraction of what was taught and was amazed by the results. At the time, I didn't even know that things like memory training existed before coming across it online.

The power of the internet

Like many people, I am super grateful for the internet. But I have come to believe that it is a powerful tool that has to be used responsibly, in a similar fashion to technologies such as electricity or nuclear power. What one does with these types of technologies is the crux of the matter. For instance, electricity can be used for a variety of purposes, such as cooking, heating your home, and running your electronics. However, electricity can be extremely harmful if used irresponsibly. Similarly, nuclear power can be used to power an entire city but can also be used for bombing and killing many people with a single delivery.

In the case of the internet, people can use it to learn almost anything but many choose to use it for counter-productive activities such as trolling, spreading misinformation, and excessive entertainment. Finding entertainment on the internet is great, by the way, but many people only use it for that aspect, even becoming addicted to some content, which is unhealthy.

Conclusion

The online world is available to most people in an instant. What excites me the most is that a lot of the information is freely available. Some of the content is so good, I often wonder why it is free. At the same time, I will hasten to add that there is also useless and misleading content available online, so one has to be vigilant and fact-check when there are doubts. However, the useful content far outweighs the bad and there are many ways to cross check and verify the information you come across. In light of all this, I believe there should be less excuses where knowledge is concerned. I rarely watch the news but I often hear people complaining about their circumstances, leaving me to think to myself that many of them are not making use of the internet's power. As far as I am concerned, a lot of people can change their current situations by simply changing their thinking and attitude to learning. If more people commit to learning a skill online and indulge in tutorials on how to create things, life will change positively for many of them. Quit making excuses. The whole world is available to you online.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/M._R._Anderson/528919



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Stop Doing This One Thing and You'll Have Success Like Mother Theresa. It's Not What You Think!

Human nature is both a blessing and curse. It allows us to soar above obstacles, utilize our God-given abilities for creative thought, and find ways to cure the ailments which plague our society today. However, with every good thing comes along bad attributes or traits (we call this the law of polarity), which prevent us from growing and realizing our full potential.

Cultural differences has probably been the most controversial subject since mankind has touched earth. The differences in religious belief, political thought, concepts of health, etc. have all played a major part in shaping the human psyche.

This shaping of the psyche creates perceptions (unconscious beliefs) which drive our actions and behaviors. These perceptions are so subtle, you don't even realize how and in what fashion they shape your everyday thoughts and actions.

The good part about this is, you can learn or alter these perceptions on an unconscious level and begin to shift your thinking to a higher level of consciousness.

The bad part about all this is, we create judgments before we know all (or in part at least some) of the facts about a person or situation before drawing conclusions. This limits your ability to learn and grow from a situation because once we start the process of pre-judging, we immediately shut down the learning part of our brain. And in a sense, we literally stop ourselves from learning and/or gaining new insights.Prejudgment stops the employee from getting a much-deserved promotion. It stops the wife and husband from growing in their relationship. It stops the business from hitting new sales goals. It stops the pastor from growing his or her congregation. The effects from prejudgment are massive, and in order for us to grow spiritually, financially, economically, we must move away from prejudgment.

Action to Take
Next time you find yourself in a situation where you're making judgments before getting all the facts, take a moment to assess the situation and ask yourself the following questions:

A. Why am I making judgments before knowing all the facts?

B. Could my perceptions of the situation be limited?

C. What's the best way I can approach this situation with as little prejudgment as possible?
Once you ask yourself these three questions, you'll start to create new unconscious patterns of approaching all situations with an open mind and you'll start to see how much more you can learn just from being open-minded.

Charles Rivers is a freelance writer, podcaster and life coach. He has a passion for learning and growing and helping others do the same. You can follow Charles on anyone of his social media profiles:

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What Have You Got to Moan About?

Some years ago my family went for an outing to a restaurant, for a lovely Sunday lunch. The waiter started to deliver our meals and when mine arrived it was nothing like what I'd ordered. When I started to speak to the waiter my father snapped, told me to stop moaning and eat it as it looked perfectly fine to him!

Moaning can come in all shapes and sizes and it's often someone's interpretation of another's behaviour that makes all the difference. Certainly, having someone say, 'stop moaning', can be a massive factor in shutting someone up. No one wants to be accused of moaning, even if it does mean eating the wrong meal!

According to recent research the average Briton moans for 10000 minutes each year, with two-thirds of 20-30 year olds moaning at least once a day for 15 minutes. Moaning can become a habit, an automatic default. And for some people it can be used as an attempt to appear superior. Always having an opinion and looking down on other people and things can be seen as a way to elevate ones standing. Dispensing scathing comments and views from a lofty height can feel important and 'better than'. But beware of the consequences of always moaning or complaining.Becoming habituated to seeing the bad and complaining about it can remove the joy in life. When you're attuned to always notice what's wrong and not as you would like you leave no space for compassion, humour or being easy-going and tolerant. And for others it can be wearisome to be with someone who never has a good word to say, or who refuses to give a pass for the slightest infringement of their code of 'acceptable' behaviour.

Moaning can become a negative approach to life, as in bullying, intimidation, manipulation and in targeting others who are seen to be rarely 'good enough'. Then there are those who moan for advantage. They want to avoid paying for their meal by saying something was wrong or bad. They're after compensation, reparation, even damages and know that many business and service providers are nervous of ignoring the prospect of negative publicity, so will often give in and do what's asked of them.Moaners may see their comments as constructive criticism, feedback, a desire for the other person to improve, and, handled well, constructive criticism is relevant to each of us to aid our growth. As an adult we should be able to handle some comments and teaching points, especially if we're working on a team or to a specific spec, but constant barracking and being complained to or about can slowly erode confidence, self-belief or desire to think for ourselves.Trolling may be seen as moaning or complaining. Often done under a cloak of anonymity, trolling is online abuse - picking on, highlighting something about another person's appearance, behaviour or presence that has caused irritation and issues with the troll. It's certainly a form of bullying and can be insidious, often encouraging others to join in the trolling activity, generating a cascade of distressing online vitriol. Many social media providers have become vigilant about trolling, deleting comments and blocking trolls from posting, but it still occurs and can have devastating consequences for the recipient.But not all moaning is bad. It can create a tribe mentality, where people with a common grievance feel empowered to stand up, complain and campaign for change. It can create a collective energy, where individuals discover that by standing together they can precipitate change by having a common aim in their sights. A group of individuals can become a force to be reckoned with when they unite and complain or 'moan' together.

.Susan Leigh, counsellor, hypnotherapist, relationship counsellor, writer & media contributor offers help with relationship issues, stress management, assertiveness and confidence. She works with individual clients, couples and provides corporate workshops and support.She's author of 3 books, 'Dealing with Stress, Managing its Impact', '101 Days of Inspiration #tipoftheday' and 'Dealing with Death, Coping with the Pain', all on Amazon & with easy to read sections, tips and ideas to help you feel more positive about your life.To order a copy or for more information, help and free articles visit http://www.lifestyletherapy.net

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Susan_Leigh/399

Why It Matters, When A Public Official LIES?

Historically, the greatest elected officials, were, those, who the public followed, because they sincerely believed in that individual's integrity, value, values, and ability, to lead, the nation, in a responsible, responsive manner, which aligned with our American Constitution's guarantees, of freedom, liberty and justice, for all! Although, we have always, elected, certain, charismatic, populist politicians, inspire their core supporters, largely because of these individual's prejudices/ biases, perceived benefits, self - interest, etc, in most cases, the ideas, articulated, were, neither, factual, nor relevant, and sustainable! However, in recent memory, most would agree, we have never witnessed, any public official, consistently, persistently, use misstatements and LIES, as a political weapon (according to several fact - checking organizations), as often, or effectively, as the current occupant of the White House. Although, some of President Trump's core, most fervent supporters, continue to defend him, and repeat his claims, which blame and complain about the media, and, nearly anyone, who disagrees, with him, the reality is, in the longer - run, it matters, when lies become a leader's reality, and, there seems to be little support for facts - based policies, and realities. With that in mind, this article will attempt to, briefly, consider, examine, review, and discuss, using the mnemonic approach, what this means and represents, and why, voters should demand more, and better.

1. Listen; learn; leading; lacking; losing: Although, Donald Trump, claimed we would begin, to tire, from so much winning, much of the country, has suffered, from additional losing! Citizens need, and deserve, leaders, willing to effectively listen, and learn, in order to proceed, with leading the nation, for the common good! When there is so much lying, open - minded, fully considered, leadership, is lacking!

2. Integrity; ideology; innovation; imagination; ill - prepared, ill - considered: When lying becomes, the norm, leaders lack the necessary commitment to integrity, and this impacts, whether, they create a common ideology! Necessary, needed, innovation, requires the level of imagination, which rarely occurs, when false - facts, become dominant! Instead of blaming and complaining, and accusing others, preparing, in a well - considered manner, would be beneficial!

3. Empathy; emphasis; energy/ energize; earn: When elected officials, lack the genuine empathy, which is needed, their emphasis, often, focuses on their personal/ political agenda, and self - interest, instead of the common good. When they use their energy, to resort to name - calling, and using fake - facts, they only energize, their core supporters, while turning - off, many others! We need to elect people, who, earn our trust, daily!

4. Solutions; system; sustainable; stronger: Empty promises, and rhetoric/ vitriol, should be replaced with viable, well - considered solutions, and a system, to implement quality ideas, and insights! Only when populism is replaced with sustainable ideas, will we benefit!

Wake up, America, and demand better, from those you elect, to serve and represent! Instead of complaining, and blaming others, choose, to vote, for people, who seek a meeting - of - the - minds, for the common good!

Richard has owned businesses, been a COO, CEO, Director of Development, consultant, professionally run events, consulted to thousands, conducted personal development seminars, and worked on political campaigns, for 4 decades. Rich has written three books and thousands of articles. Website: http://plan2lead.net and LIKE the Facebook page for common sense: http://facebook.com/commonsense4all

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How Health And Happiness, Make Us STRONG

Most people state, they want to live, the happiest, healthiest life, possible! However, in the vast number of instances, we do little, proactively, to help ourselves, get stronger, etc! Enhancing our personal health, requires a balance between understanding and seeking happiness, and personal fulfillment, and, a willingness, to take steps, to do something about it! Doesn't it make sense, then, quality health, and genuine happiness, normally makes us STRONG? This refers, not simply, to physical strength, but also, the often, hard - to - measure, concept of inner strength! With that in mind, this article will attempt to, briefly, consider, examine, review, and discuss, using the mnemonic approach, what this means and represents, and why it matters.

1. Strengths; system; sustainable; solutions: Are you ready, willing, and able, to proceed, in an objective, introspective way, to know, and use your strengths, effectively and meaningfully, as well as areas of weakness, so you might be able to address them, to your best advantage? Will you perceive and conceive of, create, develop, and implement, the best overall health system, for you? Are you willing to look at the bigger - picture, in a sustainable manner, in order to seek the best solutions, for you?

2. Time - tested; timely; trends: Proceed, with a willingness, to know, and effectively use, the time - tested methods and approaches, as well as learning, and using, trends, which might, make life better! Instead of procrastinating, the best approach, is to consistently, proceed, in a well - considered, timely manner!

3. Relevant; realistic; responsive: Using rose - colored glasses, is not, the type of positive attitude, which makes your life better! Rather, one must proceed, in a realistic way, using relevant understanding, and in a way, which is responsive, to addressing your need, to be happy!

4. Options; opportunities; open - mind: Instead of resisting, accepting alternatives, the best approach, is proceeding, with an open - mind, in order to consider various options, and be prepared to recognize, and take advantage of the finest opportunities!

5. Needs; nuances: Humans differ, in many ways! Therefore, it is wise, to understand your personal nuances, and needs, so you might proceed, in the best way, to meet, and exceed your needs, priorities, and perceptions!

6. Goals; greater: When was the last time, you considered, and examined, your goals, and why, you have made them, such? Would it be possible, for you, to make any changes, which might make you greater, and better?

Are you serious about maintaining your utmost degree of health, and well - being? How will you make yourself STRONG, enough, to live the finest life?

Richard has owned businesses, been a COO, CEO, Director of Development, consultant, professionally run events, consulted to thousands, and conducted personal development seminars, for 4 decades. Rich has written three books and thousands of articles. Website: http://plan2lead.net and LIKE the Facebook page for alternative health: http://facebook.com/althealth

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Richard_Brody/492

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How General Contractors Can Win With Blogging

In modern day construction, a digital presence is an easy way for a potential customer to feel comfortable with a contractor's specialty. This match-making scenario becomes challenging when there are countless resources providing the exact service all listed on a search engine's output. Without a budget for ad campaigns and paid ranking opportunities, many contractors feel helpless in the vast sea of large firms "paying to play." Fortunately, there are options. Enter blogging.

Chances are you've been acquainted with the most popular search engine, Google. Although it's frequently pumping out updates to the way its algorithms react to users' keywords, tapping into Google ranking through cost-effective means isn't a far-off goal. In fact, it's a pretty solid game changer for contractors willing to put the proper tools in place.

BLOGGING = GAINING COVETED GOOGLE EXPOSURE

Through strategic keyword usage and variation in blogs, contractors can build thought leadership while enhancing their Google ranking - becoming visible to potential clients before the competition. To build on both HTML (Hypertext Markup Language - aka website coding) and site copy keyword usage, blogging is a great outlet to also gain visibility while creating content for your firm's social channels.

With the large investment that construction commonly represents for today's owners, it's important to trust the credibility and reputation of a well-known contractor. Blogging is an easy way to do this without shoving information down a potential customer's throat.

A contractor is able to use several free resources from Google to understand what keywords are bringing users to its site to supplement the development of a blog with the goal of search engine optimization (SEO). Tools such as Google Analytics allow users to look at competitor data, identify sources of traffic, and target how users behave on a website..

Activities such as blogging allow a significant bump in interaction volume - thus increasing traffic, strengthening keyword recognition, and improving search ranking.

TAKING THINGS A STEP FURTHER

This is where the connection to hard dollars can be made. By creating a measurement framework of business objectives tied to online tactics with key performance indicators, conversions become reality. Through practice and tight attention towards user interactions, a blog is a great avenue to gain traction on a website that leads to informed, engaged user impressions. Monitoring what areas are appealing to your audience allow you to get better at achieving whichever goal you set, whether it be directing traffic to a landing page for brochure downloads, or completion of a 'contact us' form.

As you grow your blogging capacity and strategy, opportunities for guest blogging and content collaboration with all become additional ways to increase the span of your digital presence, and eventually the conversions that stem from it. Backlinking (placing a link on another website that points back to your own website) with good quality and a measurable quantity of outlets, can eventually build a diverse link profile to eventually allow your website to be viewed positively by search engines. These backlinks can live in a bio within a guest blog, press content, social media posts, advertisements, and other channels that can amplify a digital presence without being at a "spam" level.

CASE STUDY: THEORY IN APPLICATION

Through blogging 2 to 3 times a week, general contractor and construction manager JH Greene & Son has made its mark on a very saturated Mid-Atlantic construction market. From observing the above-mentioned tactics, many business owners searching for a local resource were able to drill down on the best-suited option and find JH Greene among a vast sea of competitors. At least one new opportunity a month is introduced through clients who have shared that they have discovered the JH Greene team through a Google search.

As much as it would be wonderful if this were an easy goal - it requires a lot of dedication and resources to produce the level of content needed to reach the point of becoming discovered. It has taken JH Greene about 2.5 years of constant organic SEO and content marketing to achieve conversion goals from Google.

It's no light undertaking - but in the long-run it pays off.

DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES? NOT AN ISSUE

As a general contractor, JH Greene is somewhat of a rarity to have this type of resource in-house. There are countless inexpensive consultants and a la carte blog producers who will generate some keyword-dense content that will work hard for any brand. When writing feels like pulling teeth, having a content partner allows business owners and executives to focus on what's most important - their business.

About the Author

Through the growth of the JH Greene team, Heather's contributions to the blog become increasingly well-rounded through our vast construction experience in retail, restaurant, medical, industrial, senior living, and office spaces. Explore more about our team of construction solution experts today at http://www.jhgreene.com.

Need help with blogging? Fraley Construction Marketing can create content for your blog or assist with your content strategy.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Heather_Grossmull

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How Long Does Marijuana Stay In Your Body?

Ever wondered how long marijuana stays in your blood? How long does marijuana stay in your system? It cannot be denied that the effects of weed produce a high that you can feel for a short time. This is what makes pot so attractive and relaxing. Most users love the benefits they get from weed. When you are high, this means that you tend to have an altered perception state, chattiness, giggling, feeling as if time has slowed down, a sense of relaxing and a real sense of well-being.

Of course, when it comes to wondering how long does marijuana stay in your system, the truth is that too much of a good thing has its price. In fact, what most people don't talk about are the other less-beneficial effects of weed. To them, the benefits they feel when they are high far outweigh the disadvantages of weed. Nonetheless, knowing about the other side of weed is highly advisable. Making informed choices is always beneficial.

Short Term Effects

Short term effects of weed also include paranoia, anxiety, feeling faint, feeling sick, confusion, dry eyes, dry mouth, rapidly beating heart, feeling restless, sleepy, problems with coordination, an increase in appetite and not being able to focus very well. For this reason, you might even be pulled over when you smoke and drive. You could be driving in a wobbly manner without even realizing it.

how long marijuana stays in your system will go a long way towards helping you anticipate the length of time it remains in your blood. Plus, if you have a drug test coming up, it is always a good idea to find out what test they are doing. Are they doing a blood test? A hair test? A urine test? Knowing what kind of test is coming up will enable you to know how many days before is safe to smoke weed.

Lesser Known Effects Of Pot

Pot can also cause psychosis, delusions and hallucinations in rare cases when your dose of weed is extremely high. Ingesting weed or smoking pot on a daily basis can also affect your body and mind. You might increase your risks of having impaired learning, impaired memory, impaired cognition, anxiety, depression, other mood disorders, lung infections, bronchitis, respiratory illness, stroke, heart disease and cardiovascular diseases.

When you smoke weed while you are breastfeeding or happen to be pregnant at the moment, there is an increase in the risks of your baby having brain development defects or birth defects.

But Really, How Long Does Marijuana Stay In Your System?

After your last use of weed, it can remain in your system for between a few days and many months. Depending on various factors and the drug testing method, weed will pass through your system at varied lengths of time. It will also depend on whether you actually ate the weed or smoked it. If you have a drug test coming up soon at the office it is a good idea to get as informed as you can about how long pot stays in your blood.

After all, depending on your job requirements, it is not a good idea to have marijuana detected in your body tissues even if it is legalized in your state. The reason is that your company or school may not tolerate the effects of pot on your learning and memory. For example, law school or law firms as well as persons that operate machinery should definitely not have marijuana running around in their system as they do their jobs.

There are short term effects of weed and these start tapering off after 1-3 hours. Other effects such as having a hard time sleeping or problems with your memory can last more than a day or two. Depending on your system, the effects will wear off after quite some time. These can last for months, weeks or days after your last use of weed. In fact, some of the effects never wear off and can even become permanent.

Have you been wondering about how long it takes to get rid of the weed in your system? More and more institutions are testing for weed as required for work or as routine, general testing, whether or not weed is legal in the state you live in. As a matter of fact, regular testing is more and more par for the course for most people who attend school, work at an office or even just driving strangely on a freeway. No matter what the reason is, it is always a good idea to know everything you can about how long it takes for pot to get eliminated from your system.

But really, how long does weed last? Well obviously, it is going to take longer for weed to leave your system if you are a heavy user. On the other hand, social smokers who barely use weed won't have to worry too much about weed leaving their system in a shorter amount of time. Keep in mind, however, that hair follicles do hold weed for up to ninety days after your last use so if a thorough test is performed on you, they may find it in your hair.

It is actually THC that tests detect, which is what they call broken down weed in your body. How long does THC stay in your urine? How long does THC stay in your blood? It really varies. When it comes to how long does weed stay in system, the fact is there are many things affecting the length of time that marijuana remains in your body. Some factors include body mass index, gender and age. In other words, different types of bodies process marijuana differently.

Also, the way you actually use weed affects how this is used. This includes how often you use weed and how much of it you use when you do. Obviously, more frequent usage of higher doses will increase the time it takes to get rid of the weed in your body. More potent weed has high THC doses compared to lower quality types. Good quality weed which has higher THC will remain in your system longer than bad quality weed. When you eat weed, this stays in your system longer than weed you smoke.

Have you been wondering how long does pot stay in your system? Also known as cannabis or marijuana, weed is usually detected in the fluids of the body for between one and thirty days after you use weed last. As with any drug, it can be detected in hair for many months. How long does weed last? The window for detecting weed will generally depend on how much you have ingested or smoked. It will also depend on how often you smoke. Generally, a larger, more frequent dose of week will be related with longer times of detection possible.

For everyday weed users, marijuana can be detected for a many months after you last use it. Some frequent users can sometimes be detected for up to ninety days. Regardless of how often you use weed, there are windows for detecting cannabis in hair, saliva, blood and urine.

How Long Does It Take To Break Down Weed In Your Body?

Weed has an active ingredients called delta-9 tetrahyrocannabinol, also known as THC. This is weed's active ingredient and is what most tests detect. THC goes into your system and your blood absorbs it. Some of the THC is stored in your fat tissues and organs. When THC goes to your kidney, your blood can re-absorb it.

It is in the liver where THC is broken down. There are a lot of different metabolites that THC breaks down into. What a drug tests does is that it looks for these metabolites which stays in your bloodstream even longer than THC.

Later, as days pass and you don't use any more weed, the metabolites including TCH are washed out of your body through your stool and urine.

How Long After You Last Used Marijuana Can Drug Tests Detect It?

When you go through a drug test, what the tests measure are not the plant itself but rather, the byproducts, which are called metabolite. After the effects of marijuana has worn off, the weed by products remain in your system for a very long time.

How To Get Marijuana Out Of Your System?

To be honest, there isn't a lot of tings you can do to get rid of the marijuana that has found its way into your tissues in your body. Just like pretty much everything else, it takes time for weed to be broken down and eliminated once it is in your body. Staying hydrated, which means drinking a lot of water, eating healthy food and exercising can help excrete marijuana more rapidly, but not very much.

There are many detox remedies for weed as well as kits you can avail of. Some of it involves tea and drinking a lot of water to get rid of weed in your urine. Using herbs like vitamin B12 and creatinine is supposed to mask the weed in your pee, but are not really one hundred percent reliable.

Hair--How Long Does Weed Stay In Your Hair?

Testing hair follicles to test whether or not you used weed can be done for up to ninety days after you last smoked, ate or inhaled weed. Believe it or not, marijuana gets to each hair follicle on your head through tiny blood vessels. Of course, very small amounts can remain in each hair. Hair grows about half an inch per month. Thus, a hair section measuring about one and a half inches that grows closest to your scalp will provide an indication of whether or not you used weed for the last 3 months or ninety days.

Saliva Testing--How Long Does Pot Remain In Your Saliva?

Weed can be found in saliva through testing. If you don't use weed very often, the saliva test will reveal cannabis between one and three days. On the other hand, if you are a heavy user, saliva tests will reveal weed in your blood for up to twenty-nine days. You can have weed in your saliva even if you are simply exposed to the smoke. It will obviously be detected when you smoke weed directly. The metabolites or by products of weed can be found in saliva when weed has been ingested or smoked. When getting tested in states in which weed is legal, saliva can be used for road side tests.

Blood Testing--How Long Does Marijuana Stay In Your Blood?

Lab testers use a blood test to see if you have used weed recently. Typically, weed is detectable in the blood for up to two days. If you are a heavy weed user, weed can be detected in your blood for up to twenty-five days. The more often you use weed, the longer it stays detectable in your blood.

Within seconds of when you inhale, weed can be detected in the blood. The cannabis is then distributed to the rest of your body systems. Some is broken down and reabsorbed in your bloodstream, where it can remain for days.

Urine

The most common method of testing for weed is through your urine. Marijuana can be detected in urine after last use depending on the amount you used. Heavy users multiple times a day can have weed detected in urine for up to thirty days.

Daily uses that use marijuana everyday but just once or twice a day can have weed detected in their system between ten to fifteen days. Four times a week moderate users can have weed in their system for up to one week or seven days. Social users up to three times each week can have week in their system up to three days.

Metabolites or by products of weed are soluble in body fat. This means that they bind themselves to your body's fat molecules. Because of this, it can take time for the weed to get out of your system.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jennifer_Coscullue

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How To Become A SMART Leader?

One can either, seek to become a better, SMART leader, or make all the mistakes, less successful individuals, consistently perform! Being smart, doesn't mean, being the most educated, intellectual, and/ or, intelligent, individual, in the room, but, rather, using one's experiences, wisely, with quality, expertise, judgment, and wisdom. After, over four decades of involvement, in nearly all aspects of leadership, and leadership planning, from identifying, qualifying, developing, training, and consulting to thousands of actual, and/ or, potential leaders, to serving, personally, as a leader, on numerous occasions, I have closely considered, and pondered, the techniques, approaches, and components, involved. With that in mind, this article will attempt to, briefly, consider, examine, review, and discuss, using the mnemonic approach, what this means, and represents, and what's involved.

1. Service; system; solutions; sustainable; strengths: Know your strengths, and use them wisely, and efficiently, and address areas of weakness! Emphasize implementing superior service to the group, and constituents. consistently! Perceive and conceive of, create, develop, and implement, a well - considered, system, which focuses on viable solutions, in a relevant, sustainable manner!

2. Make mark; mention; motivate; meaningful: A great leader seeks to make his mark, for the better, in the most meaningful manner! Never forget to mention, the help, assistance, and/ or efforts, made by your constituents, and thank them, sincerely, for their contributions! A great leader motivates his stakeholders, not, merely by his rhetoric, and/ or, promises, but, rather, by the quality, and focus of one's actions, and plans!

3. Attitude; aptitude; attention; articulate; assess; assign: Proceed with a positive, can - do, attitude, and considering obstacles, to be challenges, instead of problems! Develop relevant skills, and skill - set, so you possess a well - considered, developed aptitude! Pay keen attention to alternatives, articulate a positive, inspiring, motivating message, and assess the best courses of action! Carefully, assign responsibilities, to the best support people, to make things, better!

4. Relevant; reliable; responsive; realistic: A leader must be optimistic, but realistic, also. He must provide reliable leadership, which is responsive to needs, priorities, etc, in a reliable, effective manner!

5. Time - tested; trends; timely: Combining well - considered, time - tested, techniques (rather than reinventing, the wheel), using relevant trends (wisely), and never procrastinating, are keys to effectively leading! It is essential to pursue the best course of action, in a well - designed, and considered, timely manner!

Will you try to be a SMART leader? Are you up to the tasks and responsibilities?

Richard has owned businesses, been a COO, CEO, Director of Development, consultant, professionally run events, consulted to thousands of leaders, and conducted personal development seminars, for 4 decades. Rich has written three books and thousands of articles. His company, PLAN2LEAD, LLC has an informative website http://plan2lead.net and Plan2lead can also be followed on Facebook http://facebook.com/Plan2lead

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Richard_Brody/492

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Leadership: By Fear/ Pressure, Coercion, Empathy, Or Example?

After, over four decades, of involvement, in nearly all aspects of leadership, and leadership planning, from identifying, qualifying, training, developing, and consulting to thousands, of actual, and/ or, potential leaders, I have often, pondered, what makes a leader, more effective, prepared, and ready, for present, relevant, as well as, future, sustainable possibilities/ ramifications. There are many styles, of leading, and, although, there is no such thing, as, one- size - fits - all, I feel it might be helpful/ useful, to consider, examine, review, and discuss, some of these options, such as: using fear/ pressure; coercion; empathy; or, leading, by example.

1. Fear/ pressure: Far too often, some pseudo - leaders, seem to believe, they can only be effective, inspiring, etc, by resorting to using fear and pressure tactics. While, in the immediate, and short - term, this may work, to some degree, in the longer - run, will have the unwanted ramifications of turning - off, others, including existing members, as well as potential future constituents. Leading effectively, means, considering, both, how to overcome obstacles, and address current needs/ priorities, while avoiding ramifications, which might negatively impact, future sustainability!

2. Coercion: Coercion is defined as, the practice of persuading others to do something, by using force or threats. In the shorter - term, using this approach, clearly indicates, a degree of panic, and lack of quality preparation, and, almost always, in the longer - run, creates an overall negative attitude, etc. A true leader doesn't coerce, but, rather, inspires and motivates, those he serves, and represents, by clearly, demonstrating, he is ready, willing, and able, to effectively listen, and learn from every conversation and experience, and proceed with the utmost degree of genuine empathy!

3. Empathy: One can't fake, being empathetic, although many seem to try to! It requires being ready, willing and able, to avoid, the desire, to hear our own voice, but, rather, prioritize effective listening, and learning! When a leader possesses genuine empathy, he puts himself, in the place of those, he serves and represents, and seeks to inspire and motivate his stakeholders, by addressing their concerns, priorities, etc.

4. Leadership, by example: One must realize, recognize, and understand, quality, effective leadership, must be, by example! Others always watch, what a leader does, even when he doesn't realize it! Stakeholders and constituents, become, far more willing to follow, and be inspired and motivated, to be more involved, when they believe in a leader's example. It's what they do, not what they say!

If you hope to be an effective leader, plan accordingly, and be prepared. Learn, prepare, and commit, to doing, what's needed, to make a difference, for the better!

Richard has owned businesses, been a COO, CEO, Director of Development, consultant, professionally run events, consulted to thousands of leaders, and conducted personal development seminars, for 4 decades. Rich has written three books and thousands of articles. His company, PLAN2LEAD, LLC has an informative website http://plan2lead.net and Plan2lead can also be followed on Facebook http://facebook.com/Plan2lead

Article Source:https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Richard_Brody/492

Selling on Social Media Without Driving People Away

Social media is one of the best marketing tools out there: you can grow and reach a large audience with content and ads, and people who like and/or follow you are your fans, so they're already your target group.

However, people can be resistant to selling on these platforms. They see sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as places to share content and interact with friends, families-and nowadays, brands.

You really have to approach this the right way or you could alienate your audience, causing them to unfollow or unlike you because they expect a two-way conversation and engaging content, not to be marketed to.

It's also important to clarify that social selling doesn't mean advertising your product or service online for people to buy.

Social selling means you're using social media to connect with sales prospects and nurture relationships to hopefully convert them into customers.

For example, I recently did a Tea Time Tip about things that you need to consider before you start building your website. People could comment and asking questions in real time, and the Facebook Live had a lot of information about hiring a professional web development company.

So, I wasn't simply talking at people to hire us for their website-building needs; I was sharing pertinent information and nurturing those leads who might be looking for a company to help them out.

Now that we've defined social selling, let's discuss what you can do to increase your odds of success:

1. Think relationships, not dollar signs. 

Make sure you're posting relevant, non-sales content. You want to become an expert resource in your industry, so focus on adding value to your users' feeds.

According to a study performed by LinkedIn, buyers who are active on social media welcome input from industry experts. In addition, 76% of buyers are ready to have a conversation with potential providers.

Get to know your potential customers by asking them engaging questions, answering their questions in a timely manner and responding to comments. The more trust and loyalty you build, the better your odds of converting a follower into a paying customer.

Read: The Power of Social Media Storytelling

Once upon a time your strategy was probably largely focused on sharing links to third-party content with your audience. Well, those days are over, and if you want to stand out in the crowded and noisy online environment, you need to focus on content marketing storytelling.

2. Take the time to build out your accounts.

Make sure that your bio and profile are filled out on all the platforms you want to use for social selling. You should include your website URL, About Us, phone number and any other relevant contact info.

It can also help to pin relevant posts, make sure your branding stands out and have high-quality images to attract followers' attention. Again, this builds trust and loyalty, making people feel more comfortable and secure doing business with you.

See how one of our clients, A Family Law Firm, has taken the time to not only fill out their contact info, but also the "Our Story" section on Facebook.

3. Choose your messaging wisely.

What works on one platform may not work on another. Where do your potential clients hang out? Where do they talk business, or go for restaurant recommendations? Generally:

* LinkedIn is more business-focused, so people are more comfortable with marketing messaging there.

* Twitter has a great search function, so you can more easily connect with prospects, and find relevant topics.

* Facebook has many communities that you can join and network in (remember, don't be pushy!)

* Instagram and Pinterest is for visuals, not long content pieces.

By tailoring your messaging for each platform, you'll be more likely to attract the right kind of customer.

4. Let user-generated content sell for you.

You don't have to do all the work of social selling alone! There are so many ways to use user-generated content (UGC) to your advantage, including:

* Contests and giveaways that encourage followers to share your content, hashtags and/or messaging.

* Ratings or reviews for your product or service

* Testimonials

For example, J.Crew posts user ratings and reviews on their website, so when they post a dress or shirt on their social media account and someone clicks on through, they see other people's votes of confidence.

Not only does user-generated content help you, but it helps your customers. Almost 80 percent of people say that UGC drives their purchasing decisions. It's a win-win situation!

5. Try, test and try again.

Every business owner should be tracking and measuring their efforts, whether it's a digital Newsletter push or a Google AdWords campaign. Look at your data and stats to determine what's working and what isn't.

Maybe people are being referred to a page on your website from your Facebook post, but they're only spending a few seconds on it.

You need to look at why that is: is your messaging unclear? Boring? Is there a broken link? By tracking your visitors' paths, you can see where you need to take a closer look.

Google Analytics is a free tool you can use to measure your website statistics, and there are also paid tools out there that can help you break down and understand your data.

The more you test and tighten your social media selling attempts, the better your ROI will be (and the happier your followers will be).

While social selling is different than traditional methods, it's still about building relationships and credibility. Focus on the person behind the platform, not on converting them into a sale or guiding them down a marketing funnel. Take the time to build connections and you'll create a community of prospects who will welcome hearing from you.

Susan Friesen, founder of the award-winning web development and digital marketing firm eVision Media, is a Web Specialist, Business & Marketing Consultant, and Social Media Advisor. She works with entrepreneurs who struggle with having the lack of knowledge, skill and support needed to create their online business presence.

As a result of working with Susan and her team, clients feel confident and relieved knowing their online marketing is in trustworthy and caring hands so they can focus on building their business with peace of mind at having a perfect support system in place to guide them every step of the way.

Visit http://www.ultimatewebsiteguide.ca and download your FREE "Ultimate Guide to Improving Your Website's Profitability - 10 Critical Questions You Must Ask to Get Maximum Results"

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Susan_Friesen/2602

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