10 Tips to Read More Books


A survey carried out 15 years ago showed that almost half of Americans didn’t read a single book in 12 months. Since then, reading rates have been falling. Sometimes this happens just because we don’t have enough time, but more often it’s just lack of motivation. So, before you turn to our foolproof tips for developing a reading habit, ask yourself a simple question.

Do you really want to read more?

Most of us know we SHOULD read more. Yet, we don’t really WANT to – we don’t truly understand all the benefits. That’s why so many attempts to read more fail. So, what are the benefits of "consuming" more texts?
Keeping your mind sharp. Reading involves mental effort, it forces you to think – this is what television, for instance, can’t do.
Becoming an expert. Having read around 15 books on a subject, you build a better understanding of it than most people. Having read 200-300 books on a topic, you reach the level of an expert.
Changing your life. Self-help genre is the best in this respect, yet even fiction often gives ideas for self-improvement and making your life better. Reading a lot often gives you a chance to think in ways you hadn’t considered earlier.
Being aware of what’s going on in the world. Books may give an insight about trends that will affect our future.
Think of other, more personal reasons. If you are still sure you really want to develop a reading habit, try the following strategies.

Start your morning with reading

Why not start your day with investing in yourself? If reading is the first or one of the first things you do when you wake up, you will be less likely to skip it or just "forget" about it. This routine will help you make reading an automatic activity. You will also read later in the day, when you have time.
However, if you know your mind tends to be slower in the first half of the day, then you might consider reading in the evening, when your concentration is better.

Set a daily goal

For instance, 30 pages or 10% of a book daily. In this way you will be able to read about 3 books a month, or 36 books a year.
For bigger books, 10% is a lot, so you may want to read 5% in the morning and 5% later in the day.

Drop a book you don’t love

Having read 20% of a book you discovered it’s just a waste of time? Don’t be afraid to quit. Otherwise, reading will become a chore rather than a passion.

Keep a list of books you’d like to read

Amazon Wish List can be rather convenient for building such a list. Avoid multiple lists, as you will very likely lose track.

Keep track of the books you’ve read

If you are able to see your achievements, it will help you build up motivation.

Make notes

Use note taking software that gives you a chance to synchronize information on several devices. If you prefer paper books, you may consider making notes on a piece of paper and keeping this piece inside the book.

Try speed reading

This technique is great for many types of books, including self-help books and books connected with one’s job. You will easily find books and software to help you increase your reading speed. But just to begin with, try the following simple steps:
- run a card, a pointer or your index finger beneath the text – in this way you force your eyes and brain to keep pace
- stop "pronouncing" words you read in your head
- read in sprints: set a timer (10 minutes, for instance) and read faster than you actually comprehend.

Have a book with you everywhere

If you find paper books too heavy, opt for an ebook. You may be surprised by how much you are able read during the time in lines etc.

Listen to audio books

It takes more time to listen through a book than to read it, yet audiobooks are great when you can’t actually read (doing chores, walking around).

Make reading more of a social activity

Join a book club. There are a lot of online groups, but you may also find in-person clubs in many towns. Get a library card or find friends who share your interest in reading.

Emily Ardagh is a life-long literature fan. She likes to analyze poems and shares her findings in her
blog: http://emilyspoetryblog.com/

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The Old Shack



Findhorn is the end of the world. At low tide, a mixed colony of
grey and common seals bask and sing on the sands of the north
shore. Atop a small rise, amongst the dunes and marram grass,
stands The Old Shack, windowless and silent. Abandoned, lonely,
a brooding sentinel it has become a reassuring presence on my
daily walk with the dog. It is almost a friend.

Beneath The Old Shack's black tar paper roof, once white painted
planks are faded, chipped and flaked. In the silvery areas of
bare wood, dark vertical cracks widen and lengthen with each
passing season and rust-red tears weep from old bolts, hinges
and nails. Many paths lead through grass and gorse to The Old
Shack, only to meander away again, as if in disappointment. For
it's door is always closed.

I have photographed The Old Shack from every angle, at most
times of the day and in all weathers. I am fascinated by its
ordinariness and extremely grateful for it's presence. For this
landscape, of beach, sea, dunes, mountains and The Black Isle
beyond the firth, is beautiful, often stunning, but so very hard
to portray. Whether lending scale to big skies, a focal point in
the landscape or as the subject of a graphic close-up, The Old
Shack has never disappointed me.

I presume that the shack once had a use. As an ice-cream parlour
perhaps, or as a shelter for a deckchair attendant or the keeper
of a nearby car park. Now it is as eloquent in disuse and silent
solitude as it ever could have been in its employment. And,
although I would have liked to photograph it besieged by
laughing children, waiting for dripping cones, I am content.

We all did something really stupid when we were young. Some
friends and I stole several explosive fog signals from a railway
storage shed. Later, in the street outside my house, we tried to
set them off by battering them with bricks and sticks. When my
mother called me in for tea I left my friends to their
hammering. A few minutes later there was a loud explosion. We
ran out to find a large crowd of adults ministering to several
shocked and burned boys. There were no serious injuries, but two
boys were scarred on their arms and hands. The police came and
lectured us all, warning that: They would be watching us.

I was very lucky on that occasion, but I went on to do other,
equally stupid things - it's all part of the learning curve. So
I was not too surprised or too angry to discover one morning
that The Old Shack had been vandalised, it's door smashed down;
I presume, by some local youths. Upsetting though it was, it
gave me my first opportunity to explore inside.

Stepping over the fallen door I entered a warm, dry interior
full of the scent of seasoned wood. In one corner marram grass,
sickly yellow from lack of light, entering through cracks in the
dusty wooden floor somehow grew halfway to the ceiling on
spindly stalks. Along the whole length of the long southern wall
stood a solid wooden bench and above it three blackened, empty
coat hooks clung to the wall.

The floor creaked pleasantly as I moved about snapping pictures
with my little digital Nikon and rain began to drum steadily on
the roof.

On the northern wall a large window, shuttered from the outside,
the glass panes in pieces at my feet, would once have opened to
the sea. Under the window a wide wooden shelf or counter gave
weight to my suspicion that the Old Shack had been used for the
sale of ice cream and sweets. I suddenly began to yearn for a
piece of peppermint rock, possibly saying: old shack - end of
the world, all the way through the middle.

I sat for a while on the bench gazing out of doorway at a
thicket of yacht masts in the distance, pondering The Old
Shack's fate. The dog entered and exited several times, torn
between the smell of rabbits outside and her morose owner
within. I was angry that my Old Shack, for I had begun to think
of it as mine, had been injured. I wondered, was this the
beginning of the end for The Old Shack, or just a new beginning?


It wasn't long before I had my answer.

Within a week the entire front wall of The Old Shack had
disappeared. The remains began to lean, helped I'm sure, by the
same local youths who broke down the door. The lean became
almost gravity defying and the lopsided angle of the doorway
began to resemble the mouth of a figure in pain. For a few weeks
The Old Shack seemed to enter a period of limbo, trapped in a
grotesque, arthritic crouch. The crouch developed a twist.
Pieces of it were going missing, probably for beach fires. One
day I found it flipped over, one side caved in and planks
missing. Soon after that I came upon it lying in a tired heap.

As I walked up through the dunes one bright morning, camera in
hand, I was possibly expecting a pile of cinders. Instead I
discovered an Old-Shack-shaped empty earthen space in the grass.
The local council had been and cleared away the debris, leaving
what appeared to be, an unmarked gravesite. I took a few
pictures and stood considering the end of the world without The
Old Shack.

On the strand, dust devils danced and the seals continued to
sing. Under the influence of light the weather and tides, the
dunes, the beach, the sea and the Black Isle are changing
constantly. The landscape is changing. Our village has been
washed away twice since 1700 and will, no doubt, disappear again
this century, along with many others on low-lying land around
our coast. The Old Shack is gone. I will miss it and I don't
think I'm the only one who will. But The Old Shack was just a
small part of a beautiful, dynamic landscape. The landscape and
I will survive without it. RIP The Old Shack.

About the Author: Sam Scribbler - ex ad-man living at the end of
the world - http://www.vintageragtrader.com

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Neograft Hair Transplant

 Neograft Hair Transplant Automated Hair Transplant System
Neograft

When you are considering your surgical hair transplant options,
there are many technological innovations that you should discuss
with your hair transplant surgical team. One incredibly
innovative option is the Neograft Hair Transplant System.

Neograft Hair Transplants are the latest in a long line of
robotic hair transplant methods. The Neograft Hair robot uses
the latest in robotic innovation to perform a transplant that is
nearly painless, entirely scarless, and requires no surgical
incisions of any type.

Who Uses Neograft Hair?

Plastic surgeons who would like to use the Neograft Hair
Transplant machines are able to take a number of certification
courses that will guarantee that they are able to safely and
effectively use the machine. The Neograft Hair Machine is a tool
like any other and it requires a trained surgical team to be
used effectively. Still, this innovative piece of machinery
makes the follicular unit extraction process easy and nearly
painless.

Why Should You Choose the Neograft Hair Transplant System?

The Neograft Hair Transplant Robot is one of the only systems
that can guarantee you a surgical transplant without any
incisions, through the Neograft Hair Transplant System.
Everything is laser guided and can be performed as an outpatient
procedure. In fact, most patients report that they were able to
return to work the very next day! Because there are no surgical
incisions, there is virtually no risk of scarring.

Beyond the obvious benefits of a scarless procedure, Neograft is
also able to provide a greater percentage of success when it
comes to harvesting follicles. In the past, it was common to
expect a huge number of harvested follicles to die during the
transplantation process. With this system, more hair follicles
will survive the transplantation process, which means that your
successful hair restoration will require a smaller number of
harvest follicles.

[Neograft Hair]

If you are considering surgical hair restoration, or Neograft
cost you deserve to have a Neograft Hair Restoration. Contact
your Anagen Hair today! They will schedule you for an initial
consultation where you can discuss how this remarkable surgical
system will change your life and head of hair.

During an initial consultation with your surgeon about the Artas
Hair Transplant Procedure, you and they will determine the best
hairline design for you. It is important to your surgeon that
your hairline look as natural as possible after the robot hair
transplant, while also complementing your facial features.

After the initial consultation, you will schedule your
appointment for the Artas Hair Transplant. During the procedure,
the hair at the donor area will be trimmed down so that Artas’
digital mapping system will be able to accurately map the
location of your hair follicles for harvesting.

The hair follicles harvested by the Robot Hair Transplant System
are then grafted onto the portion of your scalp that has been
determined by your surgeon.

Within one week, all swelling from the robot hair transplant
will be gone and your new hair follicles will begin growing as
normal. Patients who have received Artas Hair Restoration report
seeing improvements to the look and feel of their hair after
just six months. Nine months after the procedure, you can expect
to see a full head of hair that will last for the rest of your
life. Because it is your own hair, you can cut and style it
however you like and it will grow normally after the Artas Hair
Transplant Procedure.

Hair loss is something that no man wants to have to deal with,
but ignoring the surgical options, like the Artas Robotic Hair
Restoration System, is a mistake. This scarless, virtually
painless procedure is a viable option for any man experiencing
hair loss. Consult Anagen Hair today regarding the Artas hair
transplant!

About the Author:

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How To Get Started With Your Autoresponder

If you’ve just started your online business or decided to get into affiliate marketing, you’ll be looking to make money. Making money on the net with your new business can be a little tricky, unless you have an autoresponder. An autoresponder is the ideal way to carry out your day to day business, saving yourself quite a bit of time and money

f you don’t have a lot of money to spend, there are places on the Internet where you can get an autoresponder for free. Keep in mind that if you don’t purchase your autoresponder, the free ones normally come with downsides. The most common downside to free autoresponders are ads on your emails, which will more than likely send your customers the wrong idea.

When you get your autoresponder, the first thing you’ll need to do is set it up with messages or articles that relate to your business. This way, when you send out emails or messages, you’ll be sending out material that relates to your business or products. You should try to write some of your own if you can, which will help you get started in the right direction.

When you load up your autoresponder, you should try to load it with at least 52 messages. This way, you’ll have something to send for each week of the year. If you have trouble loading your autoresponder with this many messages or articles, there are places online where you can get your material for free. If you simply don’t have the time, you can always start with a few messages then go back and add more later.

Once you have your autoresponder preloaded with messages or articles, you’ll need to set up your signature. Your signature will be displayed at the bottom of every message your autoresponder sends, and should include your name and link to your business. You can also add a short description of your business as well, which will let clients or interested customers know a bit of information about your business. Your name and link to your business will go a long way, letting your customers know that you are professional.

Once you have everything set up, all you need to do is start sending out emails. Your autoresponder can be set up to send messages automatically. You can also send out emails daily, weekly, or monthly if you prefer. Almost all autoresponders are flexible, easy to use, and will send out your messages when you decide.

Once your subscriber list starts to build up, and you get more email addresses to your autoresponder, you’ll quickly see that it’s very beneficial. After you have used your autoresponder a few months, you won’t be able to imagine your business without it.

A Philadelphia native, internet marketer and fitness guru who enjoys reading, writing, and socializing.

To succeed online you must have a list of your own!.. Go here now to learn how to quickly build and grow your list!

 http://viralurl.com/httpviralfolder1/c

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Tips and Tricks Internet Marketing

So you've decided you want to make money on the internet. You are excited and sign up for some home based business opportunity.

You try some stuff hoping to make a sale but nothing works because you don't know how to get leads. Before you try anything you should study internet marketing a little bit.

If you don't have time for that then you'll need to plug into an effective done for you system. We will talk about that in a second.

So here are some Internet Marketing Tips And Tricks so you can be successful. When you're running a home based business your main job is going to be getting leads for whatever your selling.

There are free ways to do this which require a lot of time, work, and testing. There are also paid methods which are the fast and easy way to make sales. Unless your offer doesn't convert then of course you will loose money.

My favorite method for paid advertising is solo ads. You can goggle up best solo ad providers for some good choices. The more you spend for solo ads usually gives you the best results.

Need More Referrals? The best way to get more referrals is to find a good system in place that gets you leads, that you can duplicate.

This would be a system that's done for you and brings good results. For example you want something that has a very good capture page that converts like crazy so you can get an email address.

Now that you have an email address you have your auto responder send out an awesome pre-written series of great emails marketing whatever your trying to sell. That's the right way to effectively automate the sales process.

This is going to cost some money but it will be worth it if it's a good system because you will start getting leads and sales. All that you need to do is drive traffic to your capture pages and your automated system will do all of the selling for you.

Some done for you systems also get highly targeted traffic for you so you really don't have to do anything except buy traffic. When you find a system like this definitely join if you can afford it.

You'll pull in lots of leads and make lots of money. This is how the top earners in a company do things. They always have a great system like this in place.

Most marketers will then sell this system so they will have an additional source of income. Again, you should plug into this system and you will start to have sales rolling in.

You will always have to spend some money on any business you try to operate or you will not be successful. Fortunately with an internet business you won't have to spend much compared to an off line business.

These Internet Marketing Tips And Tricks work very will so use them to amp up your business.

If you don't have time for all of this but would still like to make good money with an internet business, there is something that will work for you. It's very easy to do and takes almost no time out of your day. You'll be paid daily. Check out the link below.

Robert Glas is an Affiliate Marketer who does reviews on various affiliate programs. If your interested in a program to generate income that's simple and quick, visit:

http://incomegeneratingideas.weebly.com/

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The Dad Died 2016


I came home for a weekend pass from my military base. I found out that my had passed away. My sister, Jean explained that she talked to the County Sheriff's Office. Evidently the pot-belled stove that Dad used to heat the old house got too hot and blew up, causing a fire in the front room. His bedroom door was about ten feet from the stove. When the stove blew it woke Dad. He must have immediately jumped up and tried to run to the back kitchen door to escape the searing heat. He would have had to pass by the stove from his room to get to the kitchen. The Sheriff's Deputy told Jean that flaming coals were probably strewn throughout the living room with billowing smoke clogging visibility to the kitchen. The back door was the only way Dad had to exit the house, since the front door was sealed off due to the cold winter. Smoke overtook him as he dropped to the kitchen floor and died of asphyxiation. Parts of his body received second-degree burns.

Monday evening, I attended Dad's viewing at the funeral home on North High Street in Columbus, Ohio. I approached the coffin squeamishly and looked at Dad's stiff body. Nervous anxiety jolted me. I turned my attention toward the surroundings. I touched and examined the materials of the casket.

"Crepe," I said to myself. "I think this is called crepe." I embarrassed myself. "What a coward I am," I thought. "I've got to face this thing head on."

I stopped my examination and looked directly on Dad's lifeless body. Dad looked out of place lying in such sacred trappings. His character was loud, crusty and rugged. Now he was quiet and still. This was probably the first time he ever wore a new suit-tie and all. Dad's lips were pursed, I supposed due to not having false teeth in his mouth. They probably weren't able to find his teeth since he only wore them on special occasions. Maybe they burned in the house fire. What a pity-Dad missed the perfect occasion to wear his false teeth. What really struck me as odd was Dad's skin-his hands and face had a strange, sooty color.

I sensed the presence of the undertaker standing off to my right hand side. He seemed anxious to speak to me, but, not wanting to disturb my time with Dad, waited patiently. When I acknowledged him with a glance, he approached. He noticed my perplexed look.

"Mr. Jackson, we're terribly sorry."

"For what?"

"As you can see, your father appears to be a little, how should I say it, soiled."

"Yes, I was kind of wondering about that."

"Well, we apologize but we were unable to clean your father up any better than this. His skin had such deep crevices and some burns. The smoke and soot from the fire was embedded deep into his skin. We scrubbed him as best as we could."

"That's interesting." I said. "I remember looking at those hands when I was a child. He was a mechanic you know, among other things. And all that garage and outdoors work as a farmer made them pretty gnarly.

He was never able to get the grease and grime completely off those callused hands."

"Mr. Jackson, I'll excuse myself now and allow you some time with your father."

"Spend some time with my father," I thought. "Wouldn't that have been nice?"

I reached out and touched his cold hand-sort of a substitute for shaking hands one last time. Not wanting anyone to hear me, I whispered to him: "You know Dad, Jean and Mom told me last night that you became a Christian not too long ago, maybe a year or so. They said something about how you came in at the eleventh hour. I'm not quite sure, but I guess that means that you changed your ways just in the nick of time-before you died. Well, now you're safe, no going to Hell for you, I guess. But judging from your sooty appearance and the burns it looks as if you just barely escaped the flames of Hell." I chuckled a little. I think he would have too.

Mel Jackson is a writer, radio broadcaster and with the help of a few friends does a weekly show called "Coon Prairie Ramblers". It can be seen on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsfLdC0dPxFuZ1r6n6UyPt_W3j41xVME_ He also wrote the book "Runaway," a story of a young boy longing for the love of his father which can be found on Amazon.com.

The Feline Favour


The city is expanding since decades with population and concrete congestion increasing all the time, but it still goes to sleep early, relatively speaking. City going to sleep early means you don't get the facilities at night-like shops and markets, public buses and more importantly the omnipresent cycle rickshaws. We did not mean it to be, but we got late that evening at a relative's place. To add to our woes, the eldest boy of the house had to go out on an errand, obviously taking the car with him. Any possibility of getting a lift was thus ruled out. My tension was genuine because my septuagenarian mother was with me and to make her walk nearly a mile was never a bright idea.

We took the small lane leading up to the main road and started walking hoping to get some transport on the way. Auto-rickshaws, even a rare sight at daytime, were not passing by at all. A few cycle rickshaws going towards the main road had passengers and the ones coming in towards us from the main road were empty. We started hailing them, but to no avail. They were all returning home after a hard day's work and a steaming hot dinner was the only thing in their mind. We could hardly blame them.

The lane is long and winding, and even after hitting the main road we will have to walk another half a mile. The weather was also cloudy and a drizzle could start any time. We were getting desperate.

Halfway up the lane we sighted another empty cycle rickshaw coming towards us. Hoping against hope we called out to him quite at a distance. He continued to paddle hardly bothering even to respond. We almost gave up trying to come to terms with our situation.

And then providence intervened! A cat suddenly darted out of somewhere and ran across the lane. The cat crossed the lane-both ours and his! I was very quick to take advantage.

"Hey brother!" I called out to the rickshaw-puller who suddenly stopped midstream. "Now you'll have to retrace your steps and take us home!"

The rickshaw-puller looked around uncertainly. Opposite we waited expectantly. After a few suspenseful moments he blurted out, "You'll have to give me double money or I take few steps backward and go home."

"That's not fair. The cat crossed your path and you should not continue same way as if nothing has happened." I shamefully tried to pump up his superstition.

After a little more exchange of words we settled for a reasonable deal for both parties concerned. He turned his rickshaw around towards the main road and we set off merrily thanking our cat luck.
Now then, a cat crossing our way in fact benefited all of us. We got a transport home and the rickshaw-puller got a last-minute client and a few extra bucks. The feline entity caused us luck rather than causing what is superstitiously believed. Cheers!

Chinmay Chakravarty is a professional creatively engaged in writing. He has a special liking to see people happy and smiling always. So he has devoted a sizeable chunk of his writing time to humor pieces based mostly on daily life and observations.

http://www.ours-funarena.com

Article Writing Tips: Marketing Your Business


Do you plan to populate your small business website with informative original articles for your target audience? Are you planning to engage in article distribution to online publishers to build links back to your website? If you are engaging in one or both of these tasks, it's important to plan your articles first.
Readers desire logical articles that move logically from sentence to sentence, from point to point, from paragraph to paragraph. They want an interesting read that's enjoyable as well. In addition, they want articles that reward the time they've invested in your piece.

Here are a few article writing tips for marketing your business:

Decide on the purpose of your article

Is the article to establish yourself as an expert in your field through conveying useful information objectively? Is the article promotional in tone, intended for your website and not for article directories or trade magazines (print and online)?

Concentrate on Developing Your Idea

Consider your audience, and develop your idea to suit that audience. Again, this depends on whether it's a straight informational article for online or print publications or an article more blatantly promoting your products/services through your website, your blog, and such.

Do the Necessary Research

Perform the research necessary to get your point across to your readers. This may involve interviews, book research, online research, or practical use of a system, method, process, product, or service. Do the research you need to do so your article has that authoritative voice to it.

Come Up with a Working Title

Of course, you can change the title later on, but having a working title helps you focus your writing. You tend to adhere to the topic the title purports and this means less chance of meandering off topic.

Create an Outline

I know some writers disagree with this point; they just wing it, let their thoughts flow, and claim an outline hinders them. I don't subscribe to that belief. An outline helps me focus my thoughts, as does the above-mentioned working title. An outline is a road map that guides you through the major points you wish to cover.

Remember the old saying, "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." Without an outline, you risk ending up somewhere else (topic-wise) and not dealing with the original premise of your article.

Write

Go to it; write that article according to your outline. Get the words down on real or cyber paper so you have something to hone to a finished piece. You can move step-by-step, confidently, to your desired conclusion. Take that first step and start writing.

Rewrite as Necessary

Writing is rewriting. Polish that article so it's free of spelling errors, grammar errors, and so it clearly presents the information in an easy-to-read manner for your readers.

Writing an article is easier when you plan it out and take a systematic approach. Try the above tips and see where it takes you. You will develop an orderly approach to creating quality content that results in original articles ready for your target audience.

Michael Ugulini is a business writer from the Niagara Region, Ontario. He writes articles for small businesses, feature articles, copywriting articles, blog posts for small businesses, newsletter content, brochure content, and articles on publicly-traded companies. He is a contributing writer at https://bizprofiles.net
 

Tips to Increase Your Social Shares


Social signals have been in the spotlight since 2010, when Search Engine Land's Danny Sullivan first blogged about them. Shortly thereafter, Steve Cutts confirmed in a video that Google does consider these signals.

This should come as no surprise. Social signals, like backlinks, provide an objective vote of confidence for a specific page or resource. It's unlikely that social signals have surpassed backlinks in importance, but one thing is clear: it's no longer safe to ignore them.

There a few social signals in particular that you should monitor: Facebook likes to your pages and groups, Twitter followers associated with your brand, tweets that mention your brand, Google+ Circles, and +1s.

These will change over time as social networks come and go, but as a general rule of thumb, you want a strong presence on all of the major social sites.

Much has been made of the fact that social media sites use the "nofollow" attribute, but Google still counts these when it comes to tracking social status. In other words, a social share is still an endorsement even if it does not directly affect SEO.

Think of it this way: a brand with lots of social media shares is likely to have strong brand loyalty. This is something of a "chicken and the egg" scenario in which a brand with mediocre SEO but with a strong social following can still rank.

The reasoning behind this is that a brand with a large following will have good conversion rates, repeat customers, positive reviews and referrals. These factors indicate that the brand's SEO will improve over time, and so Google may give them the benefit of the doubt for a while.
There are things you can do right now to cultivate social signals.

Start a Company Blog

A company blog is essential to your success. A blog provides you a great reason to create regular, unique content, and it allows you to interact with your fans on a day-to-day basis.

Additionally, a company blog gives you a space from which you can tell your own story. This is essential in the event that you're hit with a negative SEO or smear campaign. Naturally, it's also great for SEO in its own right.

You can use Facebook's comments API to connect your blog directly so that comments on your blog will appear on the social network as well. This is a cinch to set up if you use WordPress.

Create Social Media Pages 

As mentioned, you should have social media pages on all of the major sites, but you should also create pages on specialized sites like LinkedIn, Pinterest, and YouTube.

These more niche sites will help increase your Web surface area, so to speak, and they will build brand credibility. If your budget allows for it, you may want to hire a social media manager to administer these accounts for you.

Integrate 

You should strive to share data from one network to another as much as possible. For instance, don't just share images on Pinterest; share them on Facebook as well. Twitter is great for sharing information, but don't hold back from your LinkedIn groups either.

Interact with Influencers

Finally, one of the most important things you can do right now is to find out who the influencers are in your niche. Contact them on Twitter and begin a relationship.
Don't blatantly market your articles to them. Introduce yourself, and let them know why your content is unique and valuable, but leave it at that. Don't be afraid to share their content; they may return the favor.
Staying current on the social media marketing landscape is vital to your success. If you'd like to have access to even more powerful marketing tips, as well as a way to generate conversion-ready Internet marketing prospects each month, click here to learn about my done-for-you system.

About the Author

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Vision For Utopia

The vision of paradise on earth has been expressed by prophet and poet alike throughout human history. Unfortunately this wonderland where people live in harmony, and each citizen has a role to play in the development of a heavenly community, has never been actualized (or even intimated) by any nation on earth. In his work entitled Vision for Utopia, author Melchizedek presents a colorful picture of a world free of want, violence, and greed; and, in the process, articulates his own personal plan to make this dream a reality.

The story takes place in the year 2021. At this time "the world has become one under the international guidance of Ophiram," a Charity Foundation that has achieved sovereign influence through the implementation of founder John J. Elias' political and economic theories. "It is a World where every person, every Company and every Country is now thriving in a climate of co-operation." In an attempt to understand how the Ophiram philosophy has managed to reshape the political reality of civilization, reporters Simon Tyne and Sarah Carey make a trip to the World Unity Tower--Ophiram's colossal headquarters--to interview Mr. Elias.

Within the course of the novel these two inquisitive journalists are taken on an extensive tour of the entire Ophiram Foundation: a multi-faceted enterprise spanning the globe and comprised of countless interrelated agencies. As they travel the world and get an inside look--and a detailed description--of the company's infrastructure, they begin to grasp, and stand in awe, of the inner workings of the Ophiram Corporation. With projects ranging from commercial spaceflight, to curing diseases, to improving the human diet, to the construction of aesthetically perfect architectural structures; and departments dealing with every imaginable global issue, there appears to be no limit to the size and scope of the Ophiram operation.

The word Ophiram is taken from the Biblical book of Isaiah where the prophet states: "I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir." True to Isaiah's prophecy, the author creates a world where mortals are indeed considered more valuable than mere commodities or money. Through the Ophiram initiative, world citizens are no longer forced to live a humiliating, sub-standard existence dominated by the masters of industry, who value their own personal wealth above human life--and claim the 'lion's share' of this earth's resources for themselves--while the vast majority of people made in God's image perish in impoverishment. The author's noble intention, and the artistic way he presents his intricate (and yet philosophically profound) worldview, are well worth consideration.

In addition to crafting a linear storyline wherein he couches his political philosophy, the author uses the novel to showcase his exquisite artwork. The elaborate designs and Scripture verses embellishing 'the new world' currency are beyond beautiful. Even if one doubts the viability of actualizing the author's thoughtful spiritual-political-economic theories--due to human greed which negates the possibility of achieving unified goals--Vision for Utopia is a true work of art.
 

Back to Jerusalem

Back to Jerusalem is a novel written by Jan Surasky, the 2012 award winning author of Rage Against the Dying Light, a story about Boudicca and her battle with the Roman Empire. Back to Jerusalem is a novel about another type of battle faced by women living in the 1970's. Set in the small town of Jerusalem New York, Jenny Thompson grows up on her family farm, just hours from New York City. Jenny is gifted and dreams of going to college and pursuing the life of a successful artist. However, like so many young women of her time, Jenny feels the pressure from her mother and society to put her dreams on hold. Women of this era are expected to marry well, have children, and support their husbands as they climb the ladder of success.

Jenny is beautiful, compassionate and very talented. Bud proves he's not the best husband and not the best father either. She wants a more loving and fulfilled life. She moves to New York City. There, Jenny struggles, but over time builds a successful life for herself and her beloved son who is growing up. She's becoming known for her beautiful landscape paintings and her photography.

In New York, Jenny sees cultures collide and find ways to exist side-by-side without issue, without drama. She thinks of Jake Martin, childhood friend and playmate. Jake was a Mennonite. She remembers what a great person Jake was and how he dreamed of becoming a revered attorney. He wanted to help the poor. Jake had meant a lot to Jenny growing up, but her world and his would not have been accepted by her mother and her Methodist upbringing. Her mother would never have approved. The question was would her path and Jake's ever cross again? And, if they did would he inspire her and she him as they once had, so long ago? When Jake's picture hits the cover of the New York Times, Jenny dreams they might, but learns Jake has a fiancé. Fate would have to intervene if this couple would ever find each other again.
Jan Surasky has created Back to Jerusalem as another great book. Through Jenny, this novel accurately depicts the plight of women caught in the strong grip of society's expectations of them in the 1970's.
Liberation is slow to come for many women. Jenny lived her life in the traditional way as long as she could. It's difficult, but she finds her way back to her talents as an artist. She is successful in every way and she's done it all by herself. The one thing she is missing is real love and contentment. The question is if she goes Back to Jerusalem will she find it? To find out, it is a must read.

This novel is really a love story, written in a narrative that will speak to those who are romantic at heart, those who desire a little mystery and those who look for what is real in life. It is a book for any woman who has struggled against odds to be successful in the face of a society that says she should not try. And, Back to Jerusalem is an encouragement to women everywhere, to never give up on their dreams.

S. Marie Vernon is a writer, proofreader and professional book reviewer who loves creative writing, fiction writing and non-fiction article writing. She writes with a broad audience in mind. For proofreading and book reviews contact her at The Write Review http://smariev.blogspot.com/. For more of her book reviews visit Pacific Book Review and EzineArticles.com.


7 Steps To Quit Smoking

Some things seem to go together and for male smokers it is often sport and friends. For some these things are so bound up together that it is hard to separate them.

In these situations they don't need to do the polite thing and go outside for a smoke. The TV room will be thick with smoke beer fumes and the smell of take away pizza.

This can be difficult for the one person who wants to quit smoking. So what can they do? The other guys might be helpful and smoke outside, but as the beers flow during the big game this will become less and less likely.

Some of your friends may even make more difficult by taunting you and challenging you. Male friends can do some weird things in the name of being funny.

The other problem, as if a lack of support and a room full of smoke isn't enough, is that you have the combination of cigarettes, beer, sport and friends locked in solidly into your life style.
The problem is that over time you have conditioned your unconscious mind to believing that you need to smoke in order to fully enjoy your sport and your time with your friends.
So now you are in a bind, if you quit it seems that you can't enjoy yourself, but if you continue you are at risk of all the nasty things you fear.

So here is a suggested Seven step course of action.
  1. Decide once and for all that you will quit, not that you will try but that you will quit!
  2. Book your hypnosis session with a quit smoking specialist.
  3. Follow all advice given in your session.
  4. Give yourself some space for at least a few days before plunging back into your sport watching group.
  5. For the first few times limit your alcohol to a level below your, doing dumb stuff threshold!
  6. Tell your friends what you are doing and notice who supports you and who doesn't.
  7. Or perhaps you don't even mention it, you could say you have a sore throat if you are challenged, as the beers flow they will forget about you not smoking. Or some weeks later they may notice, and you can lightly tell them you quit.
Soon you can enjoy your sports and a few beers, but I have to warn you that the smoke haze might be annoying.

And now for you to discover the 5 big mistakes most people make when trying to quit smoking. go to http://howtoquitsmokingcigarettesnow.com/
Wishing you the best of health
Ian Newton

Article Source

Indian Skin Glowing Beauty

It says beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, this is indeed true and at the same time a beautiful picture created in once mind. India is a very warm country, but at the same time miscellaneous in its skin type and complexion, People belonging to different region have different climatic conditions and so do they have a complexion accordingly.

Beauty lies in the way we like to project and we carry our self.
There is no particular definition of beauty.
Beauty lies in everything it's our perception.
Beauty may be in a flower, in a grandmother's face, in a baby or in a luxurious car.
From decades, women are functioning firm in their external beautiful and looks, one can actually look excellent if they feel well from within.

In India we follow the natural methods as a beauty treatment beginning from our kitchen itself. This is the easiest method to take care of our looks and beauty.

May be a beauty parlor or a beauty salon, the main intention is related towards the beauty. The more comprehensive service of a beauty salon is related to the skin health and its treatment, face aesthetics, foot care, hand manicure, Aroma therapy, Mud therapy, treatment through fruits, Oxygen therapy, and Meditation, Color therapy, Sun Ray therapy etc.

There is something about learning beauty secrets from other ethnicity that makes our heart beat faster. "Ever since I was little my mother always encouraged me to use natural things at home to enhance the beauty of the skin and hair." Of course, as a kid I was always fascinated towards the beauty products sold at the market." I was strictly restricted to use them.

Some of the common natural beauty products that every Indian house practices for their daily beauty routine are:

Rose Water: It is one of the main natural and suits all the skin types, the soothing effect and the mild aroma activates our nerve and has a fresh effect on the skin. It is used as the cleansing and toning effect which brightens, softens and refreshes the skin. It can be stored easily in the fridge which enhances the soothing effect.

Turmeric: The next in the row is turmeric it is the most important part of the Indian wedding tradition. Turmeric is all the way skin beneficial, it cleans, soften, brightens and antiseptic for the skin. The generous amount of turmeric powder added in milk and boiled with sugar has a miraculous effect on the skin as well as on the body from within.

Lemon: Every home must grow at least one lemon tree, it has several benefits, as an Exfoliate the lemon rind is a natural skin brightener; the acid in lemon is the perfect skin booster. Drink a glass of water with a few drops of lemon every morning will benefit the whole body. The lemon peel can be rubbed on the skin to remove the tanning and dirt from the skin.

Mustard oil or seed: apply on the skin or hair helps in conditioner, shining and healthy growth. Selenium, an antioxidant that protects your cells. Omega-3 fatty acid, which nourishes your strands from inside out. Protein that helps in hair growth. Half a teaspoon of mustard oil and a pinch of salt rub on your teeth and gums prevent all kinds of gum and tooth problems.

Coconut oil: A scoop of coconut oil, warm it up and apply it on your skin or hair and take a sun bath for a few minutes, it nourishes the skin and thickens the hair. The shining skin looks attractive and so do the shining hair. It prevents the growth of dandruff in the hair if use with lemon juice.

Henna: the most vital part of Indian beauty treatment, to beautify the hands and feet of the brides and the guests and used as a conditioner to the hair and also to color the hair. I remember my mom use to color and treat her hair with henna instead of chemicals.

Drinking lots of water is just unavoidable to enhance the inner and outer beauty. The inner polish reflects on our skin and hair. Drinking water every morning empty stomach flushes all the toxins from the body, nourishes the body and skin, provides moisture to the skin.

Rumination: with all the natural beauty tips and rumination (meditation) the inner beauty of the skin and hair can be maintained throughout the life. Meditation activates all the nervous system and organs of the body and provides energy. A person can feel beautiful from within if practice a regular mediation.


Heart Lori`s

It's coming up on the first anniversary of Lori's passing. I'll never forget the last time I saw her, two years ago, and what she did before hundreds of onlookers...

Silence stilled the air as more than 200 people watched Lori's caretaker gently push the wheelchair to the front of the crowd. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - better known as ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease - had weakened Lori's body, but her will was strong, and she was determined to deliver a message from spirit to the crowd at Inspiration Stump in Lily Dale. Lori's body slumped back in her chair, and her caretaker gently propped her forward. Another woman held a microphone to Lori's face so her words could be heard. I held my breath and, like so many others around me, concentrated on sending Lori the energy she needed to complete her wish.

For those who may not know, Lily Dale, New York, is the largest Spiritualist centre in the world. Every day during the summer season, "the Dale" has three outdoor message services - weather permitting - where mediums from around the world bring proof of spirit to random audience members. Two of those services are held at Inspiration Stump, a clearing in the middle of an old-growth forest, where the lush crowns of stately hundreds-year-old trees form a canopy over the stump of a huge tree that had fallen over a century ago.

Basically, here's how a message service works: mediums who want to serve give their name to the person chairing the service. Then, the chairperson calls each medium in turn to stand in front of the audience, and deliver three greetings from spirit in five minutes.

I got to know Lori through Lily Dale registered medium Sharon Klingler. Like me, Lori loved visiting Lily Dale and doing what she can for the community. A few years ago, she organized hundreds of photos into the scrapbooks that are in the Maplewood Hotel lobby.

Lori had come to Lily Dale to take a week-long mediumship class team-taught by Sharon and English medium Lisa Williams, whose encouraging advice inspires all students: "Speak from the heart. Open your heart chakra and let spirit flow through you."

Lisa also addresses people's fear of public speaking. "Just do it!" she urges. "Get up in front of people and say to yourself, 'Spirit will never let me down!'"

After class, Sharon and Lisa's students delivered messages at Inspiration Stump before hundreds of people. For many of them, it was their first time speaking in public. When the chairperson leading the service announced Lori's name, the crowd waited for her to appear. They saw someone push a woman in a wheelchair to the front of the gathering, and a moment of stunned silence ensued.

The only person who wasn't anxious was Lori, who invited spirit to work through her. Instantly, she began talking in a delicate, wavering voice and brought through an aunt who, among other things, loved baking cakes - but didn't do them very well. A young man in the audience recognized his aunt and Lori roared into her message. She joked with the crowd and spoke with the poise and confidence of someone who didn't have a care in the world.

Afterward, I congratulated her on a job well done. "It takes courage to do what you did," I said. "You have a gift for this."

Lori smiled. "Every day is a gift," she said. "Every day, I grab every opportunity that's given to me to serve, and what an opportunity it is to do it at the Stump. It's a special place for me."

The next day, Lori grabbed the chance to work again at the Stump. This powerful little woman, anchored in her wheelchair, let spirit flow through her, and as her heart opened, her graceful soul began to fly.
Carolyn Molnar is a Toronto based Psychic Medium and Spiritual Teacher. She has over 30 years' experience. She provides readings and also teaches others how to tap into their intuitive abilities.

Her book, 'It Is Time: Knowledge From The Other Side', has made a real impact in how people understand intuition. She has been featured on radio, television and in print. Carolyn believes intuition is accessible to everyone.

Please visit Carolyn at http://carolynmolnar.com/ and sign up to receive her monthly newsletter, "A Psychic's Message", and learn more about how to develop and use your intuition in a practical way.


Steps To Move Toward Your Dreams

A few years ago, I watched the movie CASTAWAY starring Tom Hanks. The movie was about a man named Chuck Noland, a FedEx systems engineer whose ruled-by-the-clock existence abruptly ended when a harrowing plane crash left him isolated on a remote Island, struggling to survive. It took Chuck four years to realize no one was coming to rescue him. One day he decided to build a boat and take a risk to get off the Island. It was do or die time for him. He realized if he remained on that Island he would eventually die. He also knew if he tried to leave, he could risk dying at sea. He took a chance. He decided to risk his life before he remained stranded.

Many of us have been castaway to an Island that we do not want to remain on. Yet, we are too afraid to leave because we do not know if we will succeed. Maybe that Island is a dead end job, a toxic relationship, friendship or habit.

For me, it was becoming an author. For years I wrote books, poems, and short stories, then I would let them collect dust. It was only after I recovered from an illness that I decided, like Chuck Noland, it was time to get off my Island.

Maybe you have a dream you want to fulfill but everyone is telling you that you're not qualified. Maybe you want to submit a manuscript to a publisher, go back to school, or start a business, but fear of failure, rejection, and criticism are impeding you. Whatever it may be, you can do it!
Here are five steps to get started.

1. First, realize that no one is coming to rescue you. If you want to achieve anything, YOU, will have to put in the hard work. The daydream that something or someone will save you from the hard work, or rescue you from your current situation is just that-a dream. No one can get you off of your island, but you.

2. Sketch out your boat. Write down your dreams. Outline what you need to do to achieve your goals.The purpose of this is to have a vision of what it is you want to do and achieve.

3. Gather your supplies and start building your boat. Place your goals in short and long term categories. Doing so will help you not to become overwhelmed, and not take on things that may be unrealistic for now. Remember, rarely does things happen overnight. Sometimes, it's the thousands of tiny baby steps that will get you to the bigger goal. It is good to start small and conquer the short term goals. Short term goals are the things you can do now to begin pursuing your dream. If you feel clueless, do some research and get the facts. Do whatever you have to do in order to learn. Maybe you can read a book on something you are interested in. Maybe there is a class you can take. Maybe you can walk a half mile. Maybe you can write a chapter of a manuscript. Whatever, you decide- start small.

4. Continue to work on and perfect your boat. If you do not reach goals, don't give up and don't quit. Continue to revise your goals and move toward them.MOST IMPORTANTLY, lose the naysayers and find mentors and people who support you.

5. Use others success as motivation and inspiration, but never copy someone else. Copying someone else's brand is like taking a medicine that wasn't prescribe for you and expecting it to cure you. You have to follow your own authentic path and be who you are. You need to find your own voice. Being who you are is what brands you and makes you different.

Remember, the only failure is not trying at all. So what are you waiting on? Start building your boat today. A boat is your plans, goals, and steps you will take to get there. You have everything within you to get off of your Island and succeed!

Join in on the conversation. Please leave your thoughts, whatever they may be on our social media pages. Check back to see the next five steps that will be updated soon.


Step Marketing Echo Chamber

This article is a call to put more intention into the way we market our products and services - because our actions inform how we perceive ourselves, which affects how we think and act subsequently.

It started with a conversation with a seasoned entrepreneur who had built several businesses, including coaching/consulting and technology.

We talked about the fatigue and skepticism that's growing around all the marketing and promotional tactics flooding our space right now.

The blueprints and formulas that make everybody sound the same.

The hype that lures newcomers in the door with big promises of rainbows, unicorns and magic bullets; The churn and burn to make room for the next wave of new prospects.

I'm on the list of several "big wigs" in the "coaching" space (just to keep my ears on the ground) and I noticed how they're pumping out the same cycles of content year in year out launching the same programs - some of them twice or three times a year!
This churn and burn fatigue is getting worse. The cycles are getting shorter. Some marketers don't even bother to build relationship with their audience.

They may pay lip service to providing value... but we can smell clone-drone marketing from miles away. Might as well just go straight in for the kill.

The intention back in the beginning is threadbare - the collection of motions we're going through has been stripped of its meaning. It's hurting all of us.

The "rinse and repeat" makes not-giving-a-crap OK and encourages intellectual laziness rather than evolution and innovation.

I don't care how sparkly the sales pages are. I care about what comes up at the other end. That's what I see and hear - from the trenches, boots on the ground:
People get dumped out of the hamster wheel - dizzy, dazed, frazzled; feeling like a loser who takes 4 steps forward and 3 steps back, and not knowing what to do with themselves.

This is not right. We can't expect to get the whole "running a businesses" thing in just a year or two. (By that I mean really get it, not regurgitating jargons or reciting feel-good fluff.)
Yet this is the "life-cycle" of getting sucked into the machine, got churned and burned then spat out with a scattered bunch of tactics without the experience or perspective to tie them into a cohesive whole.
Leaving those with big ideas and good intention disillusioned, deflated and often out of funds.

We're done with those 4-video launches, 5-email sequences, 6-figure sound bytes and funnels with a dozen up-sell, cross-sell and down-sell permutations.

I've tried them. Sacrificing my voice and seeing the same thing happening to others made me sad.
I wish I had a "solution." I'm in as much of a pickle as everyone else.

If not more. Because somewhere along the way I've fallen in love with clarity, discernment and words...
Not only to do everything with utmost intentionality, but also to express the intention undiluted and unapologetically.

We've been around the block a few times. We're done with the cookie-cutter BS and ready to do something differently - with clear intention to create meaning.

We're in the gap where the old is wearing out and the new hasn't fully emerged.
We're stuck with the same "formats" we've grown to be skeptical about.

So much so that sometimes I resist taking action because I feel like I'm just going through the motion.
I don't want to be pessimistic. I don't want to throw in the towel.

Yet sometimes, it feels like there's nothing new under the sun and cutting through the clutter has become a futile exercise in fighting with myself.

I've spent a good part of the year "detoxing" from the "how things are supposed to be done." Maybe the questioning and self-scrutiny only made life harder.

Of course the format of delivery shouldn't be the hurdle. I want to believe that intention and messaging are what matter.

Alas, amidst all the noise and distraction, we've built mental shortcuts to survive. We're conditioned to tune out.

While we may still have to work with the same mode of expression for the time being, I believe we can get behind on what's emerging:

Less information, more conversation... 

... for how we communicate, and how we're being communicated to.
Lead with our action, vote with our response.

Wake up, be discerning (no 60-minute webinar can give you the magic bullet to get all the clients you want while sipping cocktails by the pool) and don't insult your audience's intelligence.
Don't spoon-feed your audience stuff that some blueprint or formula say you have to say. If you don't buy it, why should your peeps?

I started out in the "coaching world" but I never take to those cookie cutter promotional tactics.
The fake scarcity. The "you have to invest a boatload in yourself or you're a loser." The "you're not serious about succeeding if you don't pull our your credit card now."

Making people feel like crap, inadequate, wrong - using guilt to talk them into buying more stuff.
Hiding behind the disguise of "being of service" while pulling the fears and scarcity trigger mercilessly.
Most of us are swimming in this same stew, reading the same stuff and letting the same emails eat at us.
What if we step outside of the box and ask better questions?

Break out of the echo chamber. Step back for a broader perspective.

Go back to asking - what matters?

Ling Wong:: Intuitive Brainiac | Creativity Mentor | Copywriting Alchemist. Through her unique blend of marketing coaching, content strategy and copywriting process, she helps the maverick-preneurs uncover, articulate & transform their WHY into content that connects, resonates and converts - by way of an intuitive yet rigorous iterative process born out of her Harvard Design School training and 10 years experience in the online marketing industry.

Get more resources on copywriting and content strategy at http://business-soulwork.com/blog/
Get her free online PERSONAL BRANDING MASTERCLASS at http://business-soulwork.com/personal-branding-masterclass/.


The Lord Has Need of You!



"And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them... "Go to the village ahead of you," He told them, "and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to Me." (Matthew 21:3)

As a means of transportation for His triumphant entry into Jerusalem, His Royal Highness chose a donkey and a colt to serve Him. Jesus disciples were instructed to say, "The Lord has need of them." How incredible that the King of kings would use such lowly means to accomplish His purpose.

The day prior to writing this, I was asleep, and I heard an audible voice say, "The Lord has need of you." Again, the still small voice echoed, "I have need of you." I woke up and begin smiling, knowing that my Heavenly Father had responded to my reasoning with Him the day beforehand about the assurance of His calling to a weighty assignment I was asked to undertake. The Holy Spirit simply yet profoundly deposited reassurance for the journey ahead. He reassured me it was indeed His will for me to carry out His assignment. - "I have need of you."

WOW! Think about it! The Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent Lord, who has created all things and sustains them by His Word, the One who is not dependent on any creature has need of me to carry out His eternal plans. Throughout the years I have learned that the Lord is not ambiguous. He is meticulous and precise when He commissions us to a task. He wants your willing heart, and He will do the rest.

Have you ever felt that you disappointed God to such an extent that He could never use you again? You may have construed that you do not have the capability needed to make an impact like God wants, or you may just feel useless. Well, God has chosen you! His desire and promise is to use you as a skillful instrument to fashion His Eternal Kingdom! He will use you at your weakest moment of insignificance, when you feel like a failure, and like a nobody going nowhere. God is a God of unlimited second chances. He is willing and ready to restore you to your ordained position.

Reflect on Jonah. He had an encounter with God, but chose to run. He had a future, but chose to reject it. He paid a costly price for resisting God and going his own way. He spent three nights in the belly of a giant fish. Yet in Jonah 3:1, "the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time," commanding him to go to the great city of Nineveh and to proclaim the message God gave him. God offered Jonah a second chance. He restored Jonah's commission.

Likewise, He is willing to restore all that was stolen in your life. If in this season of your life you feel unimportant-like a nobody going nowhere, I suggest you cast down any wrong perceptions of yourself, and allow the Holy Spirit to turn on or rekindle His light in your soul.

2 Corinthians 10:5 command that you, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" In other words, dismantle and shred to pieces every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God's truth, and what He says upright about who you are in Him. Take action! Meditate on the Scriptures to smash warped ideas and to tear down barriers erected in your mind. The Word of God is a powerful tool you would use to besiege damaging thoughts, passions, and impulses, and to transform your old thought pattern into the structure of life shaped by Christ.

Throughout the scriptures we see God in the business of restoring many things, the lost wasted years (Joel 2:25); the joy of salvation (Psalm 51:12); life (Ruth 4:15); spiritual walk (Galatians 6:1); health (Jeremiah 30:17); the rain (1 Kings 18); relationship with the Father (Luke 16); lost wages (2 Kings 8); and the damaged soul (Psalm 23:3) to name a few. God is a Restorer! Commune with Him heart-to-heart and spirit-to-spirit, and allow Him to transform and restore you. Allow Him to pour light into your soul. Pray and ask Him to give you a perspective of Himself, how He see you, and your circumstances. Open the understanding of your eyes, ears, heart, and cooperate with God's plan for you! He will show you the expected end. He will demonstrate to you that you're not insignificant, but you have a purpose. You are going somewhere!
I pray the eyes of your heart be flooded with the light of the Holy Spirit, so that you will know with confidence that He has called you, and the riches of His glorious inheritance. (Paraphrased, Ephesians 1:18-23). I pray you will be physically and spiritually renewed as you draw near to Him.

You are blessed and highly favored! You may be small in your own eyes, but like Jonah, God has need of you! If He can use a colt, which you exceed in value and worth, He is more than able and willing to use you! What is your assignment? The Lord has need of you!

VHIM engage the body of Christ and unbelievers in the ministry of the Word of God--the only powerful tool that will bring deliverance, healing, and change to the lives of multitudes. We released God's love, presence and breath in prisons, hospitals, streets, nationally, third world nations, and by way of the Internet. The Ministry depends solely on the power of God, the finished work of Christ, and the continuing work of The Holy Spirit to produce fruitful victorious Christ-centered lives. VHIM is facilitated through seminars, workshops, conferences, private deliverance sessions, and church services. The ministry is Biblically sound to the central teachings of the Holy Scriptures.

Visit us on the Web at http://www.victoryhouseinternational.org to schedule a workshop, conference or hands-on training.

5 Lessons of Neuroscience to Improve The Performance of Content Marketing



Content marketing has become one of the favorite tools of brand managers to connect with audiences. Consumers are saturated with advertising and are becoming less receptive to it, as evidenced by the fact that advertising locking systems, known as adblockers, are increasingly popular among netizens. Consumers expect brands that offer higher quality items, give them value and above all do not try to sell the bike. In addition, that is where content marketing comes in. In an item, brands can concentrate all that consumers want and do besides get their messages.

But the truth is that not only launch it with content and post them here and there. The contents have to be made with a certain quality and must meet the certain minimum. They have to meet the expectations of the receiver keeping the hopes of the brand. Must be informative, have to be marketing and have to be interesting. In short, make content marketing is much more complex than it may seem and makes things much less simple than simply writing something.

Moreover, to meet those expectations and to make content marketing work can draw on certain sciences and discoveries of certain studies. Neuroscience is the pillar on which sits neuromarketing can also help make content work better. As noted in an analysis in Forbes, neuroscience can learn about some lessons on how to make content marketing work better.

Emotions help to make the brain awake

It is one of the great lessons taught neuromarketing and one of the major issues that are learning companies (while it is one of the things that more consumers demand more, they hope to establish emotional bonds with brands and products). Companies have to learn to use emotions as key to connecting with the consumer and, in this case, as entry element in the thoughts of it. Emotions help connect with the brain of the consumer and those contents that trigger strong emotional markers will have a greater impact and gain activate more brain receptor, which makes it more plausible that remain engraved in it.

You have to use the instincts of 'self'

You can see in the analysis are called self-serving instincts. Humans are 'programmed' to that amount before they are survival services and those services that put them above all things. This has a direct impact on what consumers do or say and, especially, on how to receive messages throwing them. Content that flatter the ego or the reader or those who help them feel good about themselves are received in a better way. Why, if there is so much boom good content and tests to demonstrate knowledge?

The familiar works best

One of the elements that work best is the dip things we already know. As pointed out in the analysis, which is why, for example, that works so well the branding of certain brands. And we know and therefore we remain within the comfort zone. Faced with familiar things, the brain releases dopamine. It may seem irrelevant, but using fonts, images, colors or graphics that the receiver knows or is familiar with that makes the content can be received better.

And simple too

Another element that neuroscience has taught on the content and therefore should not be overlooked when creating content marketing is that things that seem easy to perceive better. In fact, there is more to think about what uphill math homework, language or subject it was the bĂȘte noire of everyone in the school to understand were made. Not that it was difficult, difficult is that we saw. Neuroscience has the explanation: when something seems difficult, our brain automatically decides which will be much more complicated and will take longer than other activity.

We must escape from the linear to surprise the brain

However, the fact that complex things are input, as even more complex than they really are should not make marks tempted to do it all too simple in content strategy: that does not work with the human mind. In fact, if you want to be really memorable, you have to surprise. The process of reading and absorption information of a predictive way works. The brain is ahead of what is going to read and so, instead of having to process it all, stays with the ideas and messages. Therefore, placing unexpected or surprising words such as altering early famous novels or popular phrases, it causes the brain to stop to read more calmly.
  
 
 
 

Beginner Guide on How To Draw

Have you ever thought how artists come up with the greatest drawings that leave you wishing you knew how to draw? Well most of them didn't grow up drawing, they learnt the art of drawing. Whether you dream of becoming the next Pablo Picasso or are simply thinking of giving your own imagination a creative outlet, you can learn how to draw in three simple steps. Here, take a look.

Step 1: Start with a rough sketch

Beginners who wish to be great artists should start by drawing the simplest things from a rough sketch. For instance, if you are drawing a flower, don't draw one petal at a time. You may end up drawing one section of the object and forgetting about the big picture. If you ignore sketching what you want to draw you may also end up running out of room or end up with an unattractive imbalanced picture.

When it comes to sketching, simply use light repeated strokes and loosen things up. You are bound to make mistakes but don't mind about them. This is simply putting a general idea on paper and not perfecting it. If you are drawing a real object, compare what you have sketched and what is on the original object. The sizes of the shapes relative to each other should be as accurate as possible.

Imagine what you want your flower to look like ultimately then have a light sketch of your imagination with a pencil. The best way to have a more realistic drawing is to imagine the basic shapes the object is made of.

Step 2: Enhance your sketch

You can use darker/heavier line to elaborate your sketch. This is a great way to bring out parts of the drawing you need. You can take out the lines you don't need. You can add details to your drawing bit by bit but always make sure you look back to see if it has what you wanted. There are several techniques you can use to enhance your ability to express ideas through your art.

You can draw with shadings. Think of how the light hits an object and which parts of the body need more light or need to be darker. This is a simple way to add intensity, depth and luminosity to your drawing.
It is also important to practice with shadows if you wish to have a more realistic drawing. You can be good at shadows if you study and understand the way light normally reflects from objects and the shadow that its leaves.

Step 3: Add realism touches

Understand what makes a certain object look real in a drawing. Mastering this practice is key if you want to make your drawings appear more life-like. This involves familiarizing yourself with perspective-meaning things that are far look smaller and that ones that are nearer look bigger. Also understand the proportion of the image-how different parts of an object relate to each other.

With that in mind, you will be able to have a drawing that looks better than what you used to draw. You will not have a perfect drawing at first. It is important to understand that drawing is an art that gets better with practice.

Jonathon Mumford is an artist, freelance writer, animator and cartoonist for online publications and writes for family enjoyment and child education. For the basic techniques on drawing and sketching can be found here: http://www.drawing-pencil-sketches.com

A Bright Hope That Terrorism Can't Quench



In a very timely book that reads like the headline news, Michael Nathanson has crafted a story that will keep the reader riveted until the last page. Not just a novel, Cries of the Eagle portrays a deep wisdom of the times we are going through, and also offers a bright hope for the future. Nathanson must have researched for years to write such an inside, poignantly intimate look at all sides of the Islamic extremist terrorism threat that we face in the world today.

The story opens with a jihad's bombing of a Dallas, Texas high school. The suicide bomber is a young man we meet in the opening pages, a young man we find out later lived in a home with loving parents who only wanted the best for him. Nathanson then takes us deep into the lives of this terrorist's parents, and the horror of a father as he tries to right the wrongs of what his son - and ultimately he himself - caused.

What makes Nathanson's book stand out from the many others about terrorism, is his ability to dig into the depths of his characters and give us empathy in characters we might not otherwise think to empathize with, such as the parents of the suicide bomber. I doubt there are any other books out there that so deeply touch the reader on this topic, and pull you into the pain and desperation of their characters as this one does. The tale of the Jihadist's father is especially moving and his character arc is an incredible journey of a heart rent and the desperate love of a parent who wishes he could turn back time.

We quickly see that those killed in the bombing aren't the only victims in the book. A young peace-loving Muslim man has lost his best friend, and is horrified at the violence of his brother. The two parents are grieving the loss of a son. An evangelical Christian FBI agent is losing sleep over the bombings and other recent terrorist activities. Instead of drilling on the grisly after-effects of the bomb's devastation, Nathanson takes us into the minds of those who wish to bring justice to the task at hand, as well as the dark minds of those who wish to wreck more havoc.

To help us understand the background of terrorism in today's world, Nathanson brings in a more light-hearted character: a bookish, Jewish university professor who teaches the characters (and us) the basics of the three religions of Jewish, Christianity and Muslim and their parallels. We also learn the reasons behind jihad and why Jihadists are so intent on ridding the world of the "Great Satan" and its infidels.

Nathanson weaves his own faith all through the story, shedding a light of hope along the way. While he writes a deft story of Jihadism and the power and money they have, through his own evangelical faith he shows us that love can prevail, and although we are still in the fight, there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel. The story of faith and the love of God add a deeper, spiritual element to this book that allows us to take a further look into our own hearts, without being preachy.

Nathanson's father, E.M. Nathanson, was the writer of the highly acclaimed book The Dirty Dozen, also made into a film. It appears with Cries of the Eagle, that Michael has inherited his father's story-telling genes, and I can see the book lasting for generations with its timely message of hope. Terrorism will always be with us in one form or another, but it never hurts for us to remember that there are more victims other than those directly killed by the bomb, or the shooting. Somewhere down the line, there are mothers who are hurting, sons and daughters who are wooed into a life of hate, and law enforcement officers who give up time with their own families and put their lives on the line to bring in the bad guy.

This is a book that should be read by everyone living in America. It bravely and vulnerably speaks truths that should be heard by all, no matter their race, religion, or political background. It is a work well done and I take my hat off to Michael Nathanson.
 
  
 
 

5 Days to Landfall



Living along the Pacific Ocean in South Carolina, most people know how to prepare for hurricanes. Their communities understand the potential disaster and work well to minimize the amount of damage to the communities. They know that nature always wins. These communities almost can write a book about storm preparedness including evacuations.

Not all cities near the Pacific Ocean are that way, especially those further north. For New York City, a hurricane was recorded in 1821. In 1938 another one devastated the area fifty-five miles east of Manhattan.
Since the Northeast seldom experiences hurricanes, they are not prepared. Hurricane Sandy could have caused exponentially more damage. These communities were not prepared then and still lack a plan for this possible disaster.

5 Days to Landfall is a fictional account of what could happen if a hurricane struck this highly congested area. Infused into this thrilling novel is authentic science interlaced with history, real technology, and political realism.

Amanda Cole works at the nation's Hurricane Center as a forecaster. She is one of the meteorologists who study every aspect of each storm and based on the information from several forecasting models, predicts the paths and intensities of these possible hurricanes. She has the responsibility of notifying cities if they are in the path of destruction.

This enormous burden is complicated. No community wants to shut down, especially if the storm diverts at the last minute. Many will only close and evacuate residents only if they are one hundred percent confident. In the Carolinas, people understand. In the Northeast, with few tropical storms becoming a hurricane and causing destruction, most just ignore the warnings.

Like many people, Amanda daily excels with a challenging life raising her daughter, Sarah. Her ex-husband shares the curious youngster just two weeks a year. These are difficult times for Amanda during this short separation.

Amanda knows that this particular storm will hit the York City area. Her daughter is in the area with her ex-husband while her father resides near the ocean at a retirement home. Who should be taken to safety first? Strangely, someone is playing the stock market prices; specifically, insurance companies who work with communities in these possible areas. With no plan in place for this disaster, the politicians refuse to inform their constituents of the impending danger. She is also aware of the numerous homeless will not have a chance to survive while living in the tunnel system around the subways under the city.

The author, Robert Roy Britt, is a journalist who has authored a mystery series featuring Eli Quinn in Closure, Drone, and First Kill along with the prequel, Murder Mountain.

5 Days to Landfall masterfully blends a fictional thriller with science and history. Britt weaves a page-turner while educating the reader about past hurricanes, the science of hurricanes, a guide to surviving during these storms, and even a little research into preparing a home for these attacks. All of this, as well as interspersing political corruption, thrills, romance, and realism are thrown into an actual political meltdown.

Great realistic perspective of hurricane from various people in a multitude of roles.


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