Mindconnection eNL, 2003-06-03

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In this issue:

Brainpower tip
Featured product: awesome sale
Time tip
Finance tip
Security tip
Career tip
Health tip/Fitness tip
Thought for the day

1. Brainpower tip

Perhaps you've been posed a question and replied, "Let me sleep on that one." This is a very effective technique. But, you don't necessarily need to sleep to think about it. To arrive at a truly brilliant solution to a problem, all you really need to do is clear your mind. You see, it's a crazy jumble in your brain when you're trying to handle all the inputs and juggle the day's activities.

When faced with a difficult problem, such as "Where in the @$&A did I leave my car keys?," all the anger in the world won't help you find those keys.

The solution is very different, but it is familiar to martial artists, yoga practitioners, and government highway crews. Just sit quietly and do nothing.

Clear your mind. While you are in a panic trying to get to work while your keys seem to have been abducted by aliens, this may seem an unlikely approach for you to take. So, clear your mind by doing something else. For example, get out a piece of paper and start listing the things you intend to do at the office (that way, if you are late, you can show this to your boss and say your dedication to bringing your work home caused you to leave a bit late). While you are thinking about that list, the location of your keys will pop into mind and you will be able to walk directly to them.

I've skirted around the real technique here, by giving you a sample scenario. But, if you sit quietly and think about it, you will understand the concept.

2. Featured product

We still have some of those brand-new Chinese language translators, which we acquired at a deep discount. We would still like to pass the savings on to our readers (and/or you friends). If you're enterprising, you can buy 2 or 3 and sell them to Chinese restaurants in your area, at a profit. These normally retail for $149.95, but if you e-mail me and mention you are a reader, I will set you up with one for $10 off the sale of $109.97. That is hard to beat! You can see these at:

3. Time tip

We all hate to get those telemarketer phone calls. The Don't Call Lists help, but these rascals still find a way to bug you at suppertime or just when you are about to sit on the toilet (which, I hope, are not simultaneous events in your household).

Some of these folks just don't take no for an answer, either. I have discovered the most effective technique is to say, "Hold a moment, please." Then, set the phone down and walk away from it. The telemarketer will sit there and fume until s/he finally hangs up. And you will likely be added to the telemarketer's Don't Call List.

Now, that's a mean thing to do. But, it works.

The real trick to time management is not how much faster you can file papers or how much multitasking you can do. The real trick is to keep other people from wasting your time. In my time management seminars, I show how to control those outside influences on your time.

Many people use a forest and trees metaphor. Don't forget about termites and aphids--that's the trick to being in control of your time. I say it's "the trick" because it's the one area few of us ever address. You do not have to be mean with people, as in the telemarketer example, to get folks to respect your time. In fact, if these are folks you are dealing with regularly, you don't want to be mean. For the most part, if you will just let folks know what your limits are ("I'd love to talk, but I have too much to do right now"), they will respect both you and your wishes.

If you know of any group that wants a speaker on the subject of time management, please point them to www.mindconnection.com/main/timemanager.htm. As my references tell people, I entertain and educate. If you hook me up with a group whose members need better control of their time, that'll make you look good and it'll help them find a highly-rated speaker who has something valuable to present to them.

4. Finance tip

The other day, I got a letter in the mail (which is where I get all my letters, coincidentally!). It claimed I could save all kinds of money by enrolling in a program where this firm manages a process that pays my mortgage twice a month. They split the payment in half, and pay half of it early. All I have to do is pay them a few hundred, and I'll cut thousands off my mortgage.

Here's an easier and cheaper way, assuming you have autopay for your mortgage:

Get an online banking account.
Split your mortgage into four payments.
Note the week your normal autopay is set up.
Pay 1/4 each of the other weeks, so that in any given month you are making 3/4 of the payments and your autopay is picking up the fourth.

This gets you even more savings, and you don't have to pay someone to do it! Just set a recurring monthly appointment for each of those three weeks in your Outlook calendar. If you miss a day, it doesn't matter--your normal payment will pick up any missing money. Make sure you select the "Regular Payment" option.

This smoothes out your cashflow, costs you $0 extra cash each month, and pays off your interest much, much sooner.

If you don't have autopay, no problem. Just do a recurring weekly payment and make sure you don't miss any payments--you'll also need a note with your coupon saying you paid part of the tab earlier. I like the autopay, because it will pay the unpaid portion each month. If I miss a week for some reason, I don't have to worry about coming up short on a mortgage payment. Do not attempt this with a paper check system--one missed delivery and your credit rating gets nailed.

5. Security tip

If you have children, you need to observe special security requirements. Here are some items I urge you to consider:

Ensure your child is with another child whenever walking or bicycling anywhere. Most abductions are of a lone child. Two stand a good chance. Make sure your child and your children's friends know what to do, in case of adbuction. If you don't know, ask the police department if an officer can visit your neighborhood to put on a training class. These classes have saved the lives of a lot of kids. Ditto for the fire department training, so do that as well.
Get a dog. No wimpy one, either. With the proper training, you will have a loving and gentle animal that is also a protective animal who will "adopt" your child. Train the dog properly, so the dog can be in the yard or on the playground with the kid(s)--unattended.
If you don't like dogs, try a cat. A well-cared for American short-hair or Siamese is a lethal weapon to anyone who dares attack that cat's housemate.
Keep in mind that pets bring in dirt, etc. That is just their way. Live with it. If you have severe pet allergies, then you may not be able to have a pet.
Teach your child not to give out your phone number or address, or say where s/he lives, except with your permission.
Teach your child some self-defense. I had a stepdaughter to whom I taught Kung Fu. She was attacked on the way home from school, one night. Two of her attackers had broken arms. She was 11 at the time. Forget Tae Kwon Do schools--they teach dancing. My point here is to teach your child not to panic if grabbed or struck. Simply grabbing an attacker's ear and sitting down is quite effective. You may be squeamish about teaching your kid to hurt other people, but consider the alternative if some wierdo grabs your kid. Find someone who teaches mean street fighting, so your kid walks away.
Practice using bookbags, backpacks, and other objects as weapons. Your child may save his/her best friend, if prepared properly to do so. These efforts may sound frightening, but all American children used to do atomic bomb drills and many do earthquake, fire, and tornado drills today.
Teach your kid how to get help. Calling the police isn't it. Identify adults along your child's normal routes--places where your child can go for help. In my neighborhood, every house is a safe haven for kids. All of the adults have agreed to help any child in need. We have a crime watch block, so it's a cultural thing. Make it a cultural thing in your area, too.
Enroll your kid in the NRA's Eddie Eagle program. This teaches kids what to do if they see an firearm (Don't touch, call an adult). If you live in a home unprotected by a firearm, you should still put your kids through this course. Then, put yourself through firearms training and purchase the hardware necessary for protecting your family.

Here's a special one. Keep an eye out for suspicious people. Many years ago, my family and I were in temporary lodgings in a third-floor flat, with a stairway down on the outside of the building.

Early one school morning, I set something outside, and noticed a guy hanging around at ground level across the courtyard. When my stepdaughter, who was a beautiful young lady, left for school, I gave her the usual goodbye hug at the door--the guy was still there!

I waited until I heard her reach the bottom of the steps, and I looked out the door. The guy had already moved all the way across the courtyard and almost to our steps. By the time I got to the bottom of the steps, he was gaining on her. By the time I got there, he was raising his right arm. I grabbed his hair and yanked him back so hard his body feet came off the ground and he landed squarely on his back. We reached "an understanding," and I never saw him again. But after that, I walked both kids to school (they left at separate times).

I'm not advocating that every parent needs to cripple a child molester for life to fulfill parental duty--I hope none of you have to do that. (But, if you are in that situation, may you have the ferocity and strength of a tiger!)

My point here is being alert to conditions can save your kid's life--or your own. Most predators stalk their victims, and you can spot them in the stalking stage. An alert cat or dog will also know. But, it is incumbent upon you to make sure you know. Trouble is usually something you can see coming, if you look. And if you can see it, you can stop it.

6. Career tip

Are you frustrated with your lack of recognition, promotion, or whatever at work? Make sure you don't whine or gripe about it. Many people do this, and instead of being seen as an excellent worker, they are seen as malcontents. This was a problem for me when I was on a W-2, so I speak from experience!

A better approach is to make it easy for folks to reward you. Performance will not speak for itself, and complaining when other folks don't hear the unspoken message is not going to work.

Document what you do. Then, frame that in terms of the company's goals and provide the documentation to your boss.
Give recognition to others. If you are are recognition hog, don't expect to get recognition.
Let your boss know you want your next review to be your best ever. Ask for specific suggestions. If your boss doesn't have any, take that as a cue to look for a new job--your boss doesn't feel comfortable investing in your career and that is probably because you are on borrowed time at that company.
Get involved in an industry group or trade group, and volunteer to do a project. Make sure you don't take yourself too seriously in this project, and do make sure you treat others well. If you have a success, share it with your boss. If you don't have a success, look at why and you'll see what you need to change so you can do better at your job.

7. Health tip/Fitness tip

I've been reading about a lot of health scams, lately. I am amazed at the things people will actually believe! But, considering the slick job of "marketing" that many of these hucksters are doing, maybe I shouldn't be amazed.

An example of this heartless fraud is the Atkins Diet. You can see an analysis of this and some other popular diets at

8. Thought for the Day

"We are the sum of our thoughts." What you feed your mind has a lot to do with who you are. If you watch, for example, the Clinton News Network (CNN) or read the New York Times, you are exposing yourself to an enormous amount of inaccurate and outright wrong information. Both of these "sources" toe the party line of the radical left and seldom get their facts right. Yes, there are examples on the radical right, too. Question: Why on earth would anyone deliberately choose to be brainwashed? Remember, you are the sum of your thoughts and it is up to you to feed them a proper diet.

Wishing you the best,

Mark Lamendola
Mindconnection

Authorship

The views expressed in this e-newsletter are generally not shared by criminals, zombies, or brainwashed individuals.

Except where noted, this e-newsletter is entirely the work of Mark Lamendola. Anything presented as fact can be independently verified. Often, sources are given; but where not given, they are readily available to anyone who makes the effort.

Mark provides information from either research or his own areas of established expertise. Sometimes, what appears to be a personal opinion is the only possibility when applying sound logic--reason it out before judging! (That said, some personal opinions do appear on occasion).

The purpose of this publication is to inform and empower its readers (and save you money!).

Personal note from Mark: I value each and every one of you, and I hope that shows in the diligent effort I put into writing this e-newsletter. Thank you for being a faithful reader.

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