The Two Personality Types & The Ant Philosophy

Hi everyone,

Having worked with a lot of people over the years both in the military often seen as a boiling pot of young talent to working with businesses throughout the globe there are always two main types of people we see.

People are complex, and we are all unique individuals, but two personality traits always shine through no matter what the situation be it having challenges with their business or being in high-stress situations such as a conflict or working exceptionally long hours.

So let's give you an example we all can relate to, meetings are a fact of everyone's life - be it in work as a staff meeting or a boardroom business meetings. Most of us have all lost countless hours sitting in meeting discussing how much work needs to be done, but just spent half the day in a meeting that resulted in not getting a lot done.

So you have two people: Mick and John, both of equal intellect and status, you simply ask them to arrange a meeting room for say 11.00am Monday with refreshments and all items required a whiteboard, markers, handouts, pens and such like that's the task.

Now depending on their attitude and approach two things will happen you will turn up at 11.00 am and it will be all good to go so you can get on and cover all areas swiftly and get moving. The alternative result and more likely these days the room is locked or been double booked and the meeting has to be offset or rescheduled.

So let's look at potentially could happen here, well both got the task, but Mick went and seen the meeting room, and found it was locked. He tried to locate the keys, but the guy who had the key was off sick that day. He may have asked a few people but got no joy, he also checked to see if window or another access was available.

Given that he believes that he explored options he gives up on the task and does not follow through on booking refreshments or give feedback to management that a problem has arisen.

He then puts the task to the back on his mind and says he will try tomorrow again. Next day Mick is sent on a driving job to the airport and is taken off base the entire day.

He also fails to delegate the task to someone else to sort meeting out - the result is a massive fail come Monday 11.00 when 10-15 people turnup  only to be rather embarrassing told it’s not happening.    

Now John, on the other hand, once given the task, takes 2 minutes after to write down details and what is required liaise with the cookhouse for refreshments, cutlery, etc., what equipments he needs to source whiteboard markers, stationery, etc.

He then goes to the venue of meeting to see the layout, the door is locked, as before with Mick, but John follows the trail also to find key person is missing that day, he tried to locate another access but also finds the window locked,

He next thinks all buildings are maintained by public works department and that they keep spare keys in case of fire or lost keys so they can get another one cut; he phones round contacts the caretaker and gets access to the spare key.

He then access the room checks layout and gets a few guys to help him source the equipment needs he sets room up and also delegates responsibly to others to say pick up sandwiches and cutlery at 10.00 Monday.

John also prepares the tables and layout to ensure everything ready to rock and roll. He also holds on to key and secures room once he's ready placing a note on the door to inform of upcoming meeting. Sure enough, when 11.00 am comes around everything is swift and efficient, and the meeting is a blinding success.

So what the difference in Mike and John, is John super clever or a better person, no, not really the factor that makes him more valuable is his attitude and mindset he's got what I refer the Ant Philosophy, mentioned by the late Jim Rohn, a great man.

Most will have seen the picture of a child or nature guy holding an ant in the palm of his hand and trying to control its movement, usually fruitlessly as the ant will go over, under, through - he will find a way or die trying to get the food back to the nest.

We see this to extreme with the migration of Army ants in Africa where they literally destroy everything in their path, systematically covering huge areas with nothing in their path surviving, crossing huge rivers building a raft of ants so others can use their bodies to get over, etc.

I am not saying that you become so ferocious that you leave a path of destruction where every you've been, as some do, but rather have the tenacity that no obstacle will stand in your way. They are like test walls put up to see how much you want it, are you going to stay on that side of the door / wall or will you employ the ant philosophy to get under, over through, no matter what.

The others out there who lack this mental fortitude and the resolve to commit and say I am going to do it always seem to have problems but rarely look inward but blame , condemn and criticise everyone else. They blame the factors like the person who was sick, why were they not in work? Or why is the window not open? Etc its all the wrong approach.

The key is to deliver no matter what always do more than expected, put the extra effort in no matter what the task. It is often quoted that we leave our signature on everything we do.

So adopt the attitude to raise the level of commitment and make it a habit give everything in life 110% you relationships,your business, health, etc. Pretty soon it's automatic, and you will amaze the level of competency you have. This habit will reaffirms your confidence, and you will tackle bigger problems and solutions seem to present themselves as a matter of response

Here are two great mnemonics for Success and Failure

F-rustration, hopelessness, futility                     S-ense of direction
A-ggression (misdirected)                                 U-nderstanding
I-nsecurity                                                          C-ourage
L-oneliness (lack of feeling complete)              C-harity
U-ncertainty                                                       E-steem
R-esentment                                                       S-elf-Confidence
E-mptiness                                                         S-elf-Acceptance

Try the Ant approach and even though it may seem like a minute little step :) it can revolutionise your business and life towards the attainment to your goals - so mark your map today on which area you want to invade and go to work :)

Hope this helps

kind regards
Simon

The Corridor Principal

In a 12-year study into the reasons for success, researchers concluded that virtually all success was based on what they called the “corridor principle.”

They likened achieving success to proceeding down a corridor in life. Each of us stands at the entrance to this corridor, looking into the darkness, and we see the corridor disappear into the distance. The researchers said that the difference between the successes and the failures in their study could be summarised by the one word - action !

Successful people were willing to move themselves down the corridor of opportunity without any guarantee of what would occur. They were willing to risk uncertainty and overcome the normal fears and doubts that hold the great majority in place.

And the remarkable thing is that as you move down the corridor of life, new doors of opportunity open up on both sides of you. However, you would not have seen those doors if you had not moved down the corridor. They would not have opened up for you if you had waited for some assurance before stepping out in faith and taking action.

The saying “A journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step” simply means that great accomplishments begin with your willingness to face the inevitable uncertainty of any new enterprise and step out boldly in the direction of your goal.

Wordpress Security Tips To Help You Stay Secure

Hi everyone,

See a number of post regarding hacking attempts unfortunately it can be part of the internet lifestyle but prevention is the key.

Here are some quick tips to help boost your internet security with a wordpress website

There are several types of hacks from a basic redirect, placing malware on site or a brute force attack where they take your site down completely. This is rare but well worth protecting yourself as much as possible. 

As with all things if they are determined to crash your site. It can be very difficult to protect the site 100%, but this will certainly make it more of an undertaking, as hackers look for easy targets first. 

Here are some key places to start...

Never use ADMIN as the default user name change it to something unique to you. If you want to super secure you can get an autogenerated   user name to create a more hack safe one with number characters and symbols, etc. 

If you have used admin you can change it, with a specific plugin called admin name extender or through your Cpanel.

Always ensure you keep you versions of Wordpress up to date as often the fix and upgrade the security within the update.There is also a plugin to automate this (https://wordpress.org/plugins/automatic-updater/)

Install a plugin called limit login attempts (https://wordpress.org/plugins/limit-login-attempts/ )

as this has a useful feature that can auto lockout and repeated attempts to access your site for up to 48 hours to that IP once they have tried x amount of times. This also stops automated software from trying to crack the codes as it will also disable it. 

Install all in one security suites to Wordpress to boost its security

Two proven ones are,

 All in one WP-security and Firewall 

(http://wordpress.org/plugins/all-in-one-wp-security-and-firewall/)

Better WP Security now called iThemes security (https://wordpress.org/plugins/better-wp-security/)

These two are powerful and hide a lot of vulnerable areas such as site login location which is typically www.sitename.com/wp-admin as the default they also create a firewall within Wordpress. Most have a wizard to guide your through steps along with meter reading of protection.

For the control of spam on you comments on the blog for example, install Amisket ( http://akismet.com) which is a free service and works brilliantly.

For passwords, I would recommend (https://lastpass.com) as highly military grade encryption and also has a random password generator alternatively here is another link to one (http://passwordsgenerator.net)

There are also some monthly subscription hostings especially for Wordpress that handle all this for a nominal fee the highest rated being WP Engine.

WP Engine are specialists in hosting WordPress sites. They pride themselves on performance, reliability and support. 

They cost a bit more than traditional WordPress hosting sites, but they offer a number of unique features not found elsewhere, such as

Caching to speed up your site using the WP Engine custom-built EverCache Technology

If your WordPress site is ever hacked. WP Engine will fix your site for free!

A one-click backup and restore option is included at no extra charge.

One-click staging, an exclusive feature called "staging". 

Before you make any updates to your site, you can click on the "snapshot" button, to create a copy of your site in a separate safe area. 

If you implement these measures, you will be better protected than most, of course never never say  as things always change but hope you found this useful.  Just to note, none of the measures above are specialist skill and can be done quickly so you then can concentrate on running your site.

kind regards

Simon  

#Wordpress-security

A Big Hurdle People Face Online - Confidence & The Question Will Work For Them?

Hi everyone,

Is it possible to make REAL money on the internet?

Well, if you listen to your friends, neighbours, family and co-workers, you’ll learn that it’s impossible and that you’re just gonna lose your money and get scammed or ripped off.

The Truth is...

The odds are actually in their favour that they’ll be right!

And that’s because the truth is there are far more ways to lose money on the internet than truly show you how to make money.

What you need to understand first is that YOUR money is a business.

There are countless people out there figuring out right now, how to get your money from your wallet and put it in theirs.

So what can you do to prevent this and only get the right information from the right people?

The answer may surprise you!

Having spoken and worked with a lot of business owners and entrepreneurs over the years one key factor that needs to exist is...

You have to have an unwavering belief it will work for you

Of course, you need a plan and business model but above all else if you are not committed there are so many pitfalls and learning curves to manoeuvre it is likely you will run out of gas and quit.

Now let's HONESTLY look at the numbers a staggering 97% people fail to make any money online. If you are new to the net thing, it's hype and confusion, easily pulls you into believing overnight riches are the norm with people regularly quoting astounding figures in days.

A lot of it is nothing more than pure BS and lots smoke and mirrors -trust me I have seen and followed them all without results and adding nothing but frustration and disappointment.

I am not saying here that most marketers are bad, just some are just selling the dream... 
rather than giving you real actionable and solid advice that works. 

I firmly believe great, no incredible incomes can be made from the internet as the sheer volume of numbers involved makes only a small sale but sold x amount of times soon adds up to incredible sums.

But let's face another FACT here...

Making Money On The Internet Is Not Easy

Ask anyone who is honest, and if they lay it out for you, nothing came easy without a lot of challenges and expense.

Now I appreciate it's not what 99% of people out there will tell you, and probably not what you want to hear, but its a FACT and just ask 100 of your closest friends or marketers if they have made money easily online?

I have studied very hard over the years, including marketing, business, finance, and followed most top marketers to their final destinations; the result typically being high level coaching or memberships.

With the top tier being one on one mentoring which is more of a selection process than anything else, sort of bordering on entry to an exclusive club, not short of selling you soul as some have found out to their cost.

The one key tool you need to hold develop and retain is self-confidence and confidence in the fact this can and does work, and you will be challenged daily. Not just in the business world but in your circle of friends, your family, co-workers and socially.

Those of you involved in network marketing will face particular challenges with rejection, and the constant no thank you, or no don't ever mention it to me again are common place.

You will have to build a sort of mental barrier and dismiss those who put you down. It can come in all forms a jibe comment or joke from a friend it all sticks. You need to be thick skinned and reinforce the fact it does work and make your mind a fortress of resolve. The resolve you are going to do it!

The reason I mention this is I see it daily where a person's hopes, dreams and desires get crushed sometimes by those closest to them. I see it creeping in and slowly grabbing hold, and suddenly the plan or project is put down never to be picked up again.

It's like stepping off the treadmill its hard to get back on again. One thing that will keep you focused and strong is mind programming now please don't get wrong here we are not talking about hypnotising or anything like that just inputting certain information to reinforce and program you mind for success.

One such resource is a great book called Instant Confidence by Paul McKenna Ph.D. is the world's leading hypnotist and Britain's most successful self-improvement author.

He reveals the secrets of mastering your emotions and living with a greater sense of ease and certainty than ever before.

You will learn how to push the 'off' switch for fear and desperation and create massive amounts of confidence and motivation in just a few moments.

Would you like to feel strong in difficult situations?

Whether you want to feel totally confident in business, romance or any other area of your life, Paul will walk you step by step through a series of simple yet powerful techniques normally only available to his private clients and seminar attendees.

In addition, the book contains a mind-programming CD which uses the latest psychological techniques to fill your mind with positive thoughts and feelings. Each time you listen, you will be re-enforcing positive optimism and programming your mind for success.

Although this post is bordering on personal development, I want to emphasise the importance of daily reinforcing your confidence as most don't have it or believe, and I mean REALLY believe it will work for them.

When you don't have this solid confidence, you will not give 100% to your business or plan you won't run the ads, get the video done or write the copy. You need to have a concrete belief you can do this and really shut out all thoughts of failure or it will grow and really hold you back.

The book mentioned coupled with the mind programming CD has helped countless people, and it is my sincere wish it may help you too I am not affiliated or anything like that. As one of the many tools, I have used over the years and a possible solution to a problem we all face daily I think it will add immense value to your journey.

Confidence is not to be confused with arrogance or turning into the a jackass but rather being comfortable with your intention and rock solid in your beliefs, who and where you are going

Real confidence compared to fake it till you make it -the difference is like night and day.

I hope at least a few of the action takers make use of this information. and encourage people to look inside. It's always worth asking what's holding you back? often it's internal rather than our surroundings. Those who wish to gain self-knowledge be confident that it is regarded by many as the best knowledge we can learn.

hope this helps - and good luck in moving forward

kind regards
Simon

The 7 Established Ways To Make Money Online

Hi everyone,

I always follow launches, not as a buyer, but as a student, to see the process and how they do business.

You can learn a lot from this one practice, I recently followed a new email product called “The machine," which was informative, adding good value and list segregation is highly important in email marketing.

Unfortunately, the reason email marketing has gotten such a bad rap, and very poor response rates lately is? simply from unethical marketing.

Anyone who's on a few email lists can see this daily occurrence, people are just abusing the concept of permission marketing.

Some previous top marketers who used to add value switch to everyday product emails and have to their cost burned their list and had to start fresh, completely destroying their list relationship.

The main reason I follow launches is to read comments and see where peoples perception is towards both product and market.

Recently this one comment jumped off the page; it quoted “ people don't give a damn about adding value or quality anymore, they just want to make money now no matter what “

Now this elderly lady was sadly, so right, but her attitude was almost defensive of it, as if she was approving that was they way to be.

It’s like saying, everybody else is ripping people off so I’m going to join them and buy this so I can learn to follow suit and get my share.

What on earth is she thinking, what attitude to have in life, very sad and negative and unlikely to bring her the success she NEEDS. You need to provide service and value to be successful; it's nothing to do with needing its just not how it works.

So lets move on to how to make money ethically and the various ways you can do it and add value at the same time

To make money online, you need to understand exactly how the majority of money is being made from internet business, and it can comes down to just 7 Primary ways.

1.   Affiliate Marketing
2.   Information Products
3.   Business Opportunities
4.   Network Marketing (MLM)
5.   CPA Marketing
6.   Consultancy
7.   E-commerce

We will look briefly at each of these areas to give you an understanding of what they are and if it suits your choice of one or more to start your path towards making money online.

1.    Affiliate marketing

This model is probably most widely used method to make money online, this means you can sell other people’s products or services and then make a commission for what you sell.

This commission can be 100% on lower priced items to 40-75% on the back end higher priced items  - this is an easy way and where most people start, Mike has kindly set up an affiliate program here for LFP so make sure you utilise this opportunity.

2.    Information Products

Many affiliates sell information products. However the real money is in creating and selling your own information product and then get other affiliates to sell your product creating a money generating asset.

We see this all the time with products like Video genesis or the latest webinar product. The process gets a little more complicated when creating your own product or service but can be worth the investment if you have a great idea or concept.

3.    Business Opportunities

Making money with business opportunities (referred to as Biz Ops) is usually the easiest and fastest way for one to get started because they are appealing to so many, and much of the “hard” work is already done for the member.

These are typically represented by the flashy websites and claim of fast & easy riches - not my choice personally but there is a huge market segment out there who continuous hunt and skip looking for the goose that lays the golden egg :). The disadvantages of these Biz Ops are they usually have a very short half-life.

4.    Network Marketing

Commonly known as MLM (also stated as Many Lose Money) These can be huge money makers because of relatively small investment, and you make a small portion of every sale made in your downline.

The problem is you need such a large downline and the fall off or attrition rate is so high that you must continue to recruit large numbers to build your business.

The Network Marketing model is best suited to leaders or the highly dedicated as takes a lot of work and time but can work for the right people, as potentially unlimited earrings. The more product or service you and your downline make the more you earn.

5.    CPA Marketing

This model is a less commonly known, CPA meaning Cost Per Acquisition or Action, this industry has grown into an incredibly lucrative way of adding extra revenue into your pocket. Global Brands have now realised the power of ref feral and will pay you handsomely.

Similar to affiliate marketing except there is no requirement to make a sale, but get rewarded $50-$100 just to get a lead or email. This area can produce serious results if done correctly and should be on your list to find out more.

6.    Consulting

One problem the exists today is information overload, and it has given rise to a phenomenal growth in the demand for consultants on business, finance, marketing, social media managers, pretty much every industry with huge budgets available in most.

The predictions in growth alone by the year 2020 are just staggering with spending in the Trillion’s of Dollar. Positioning yourself correctly now can lead to high-income streams in the future, almost guaranteed. Learning valuable skills and investing in being someone of value can pay you huge dividends in the future.

Finally, we have a growing industry that recently has seen unprecedented attention with Amazon & Ebay changing the way we do business daily.

7.    E-commerce
This is probably the most widely used model online used by the masses, but your opportunity to be on the receiving end as a vendor has now Never in the history of the world has it been so easy to get involved that's a bold statement I know, but absolutely true.

Anything sold online through retail from food, clothing, tools, diamonds to extremely high-priced items is through an E-commerce platform it no longer is reserved for the ultra rich its possible to buy in now for less than $30 month to launch a global fully functioning store.

We all have heard of and use Amazon, Ebay, and countless others but now due to advances Amazon will hold your stock and dispatch it all for you how crazy is that. This industry especially with China opening up to market has now given the average person the opportunity of al lifetime as long as you have the skills and method to leverage it correctly.

So there you have seven main ways to earn online income, there are others, but all come under the umbrella of these, in some shape or form. You now have a better understanding  on how to build your 6-Figure Online Business.

I will let you know that there will be bumps in the road, and your success will be determined on how you react to those challenges.

The little secret is that everyone can do this and make it work IF, they treat this as a REAL business, find people to work with that will help and support you AND have quality products, services and opportunities to offer.

Don’t join the unethical marketers or people who exploit those out there. as every day we throw the boomerang. Once you throw it, it will always come back; it may take weeks, months, years but it will always come back.

So do the right thing build a business that is ethical and that you are proud of, something you can pass on to your offspring and stand proud of what you built.

Try to resist the temptation to join some sheepish, dodgy deal you got involved in and are too embarrassed to say anything about. People are more astute than people give them credit for so, always have the integrity and courage to do the right thing for the right reasons.

I will leave you with a favourite quote I have on my desk:
“You can run with the wolves or sleep with the sheep, but you can never do both, but always beware the wolf in sheep’s clothing” as there are plenty out there:)

Hope this helps and remember we do not get paid for knowledge,
but for doing so take action today.

Why Sometimes Returning To The Basics Is The Best Way Forward

Having been online for a number of years now I am continually surprised how confusing the internet has become. Even for seasoned marketers who have extreme discipline it's hard not to go chasing the next new trend or getting caught up in the infinite barrage of product launches.

Recently I have stopped all marketing and business efforts to take stock of the best way forward. In the past I have been involved in network marketing, retailing both offline and online through e-commerce platforms along with affiliate promotions and selling services such as web design and consultancy.

With all the options out there, only a few being mentioned above it can be very hard to choose your poison, so to speak as you don't want to devote all your time and effort into something, only to find it's not the best use of your time and energy.

I know one thing that is a 100% confident to be your best use of your time online and in the offline world also. It is building your list of like-minded people who are interested in the particular area of expertise and that you can connect with and help out.

The success of any endeavour or business is directly proportionate to the amount of people you can help and provide quality service to them. Having followed some on the best marketers and successful people for years their best method of delivery is still through email.

It doesn't matter if it's a text version, newsletter or link to their Youtube channel. Along with that most of the items we buy have been delivered to us through email, sure there's a lot of spam and BS but so has the local newspaper or TV channels for that matter.

So if I was to advise anyone to start doing anything to do with your business or idea or marketing online the first and most important place to start with would be beginning with building your list of people to connect within your chosen area.

Aim to add value in everything you do and don't ever be the person recommending a new product every day as it just does not work like that. So decide today to focus on where it matters, you will come full circle and end up doing it at the end, that is another certainty, be it in the months, years ahead as all great businesses and successful projects firmly establish building a relationship as part of their service,so you may as well start off on the right footing towards your success.

Hope this helps

kind regards
Simon

Brazil, The World Cup & Why We Should Be Grateful For What We Have

I recently watched the program with a presenter called Ross Kemp called Extreme World. It featured the people of the streets of Brazil and in particular the drug culture there within the "Crackland" affecting nearly one million people whose whole life now revolves around getting their next fix of crack.

This program was particularly hard hitting as the mothers, and grandmothers roamed the streets trying desperately  to find their lost sons and daughters. There were people there from all parts of society from professionals to visiting tourist who fell into the trap.

The ages ranged from 10 years old to 70 year old, including pregnant mothers. This documentary was filmed before the World Cup with a major clean up operation launch to try and hide the truth from the visiting tourist who are only a few miles across the streets.

We are so fortunate to have the control  of our lives and be protected from such perils and to have the right to decide what we do in life. These unfortunate people are given crack samples free and instantly are hooked into the lifestyle.The then enter the world of depravity and damage to their health; the money involved is astronomical with corruption in every area, all getting rich on the misfortune and suffering of others.

In the US and elsewhere in the developed countries opportunity to progress, expand, improve our lives is everywhere, and are protected by our own education and common sense. We also have the good fortune of  the various law enforcement agencies who try to do something to curb the balance in our favour. Ultimately it comes down to individual choice, and one are where ignorance is certainly not bliss.

Some of these people who make the drug for pennies are working 24 hours a day were under the impression the were making a drug to aid the military to make them better soldiers in times of fighting. This is what they had been told by their employers.

In the UK, I regularly see people complaining how hard life is even though they get money for nothing without working in a lot of cases with stories of a father of some 25 kids all from multiple partners earning £800 a week on the social system never working a day in his 20 years.

People need to take responsibility for where they are and ultimately where they are not, we are too quick to criticise, condemn and complain and blame everyone for our circumstances. We see this in people's health, finances, living conditions and looking after their children or often sadly mistreating their kids.

We have to realise how fortunate we are and look about at what you have, not constantly dwell and envy on what others have. This  causes nothing but resentment and frustration. Lots of people wait and think religion and divine intervention will save the day, but it all starts with you and deciding to live a better life and have an attitude of gratitude and expectation. I have travelled the world and seen some horrific living conditions and poverty beyond belief and people most who have not had that experience will never understand how fortunate they are, despite their circumstance.

If you're not happy with you current circumstances in life, decide to take control and make the changes towards a better life. The truth is no one is ever going to come knocking on your door and do it for you you need to seek it out and grab hold of it. Of course, there will be challenges as that's all part of life but if you look towards your future and do nothing it will be the same.

Don't be like the people who are no longer able to decide and can only focus on their next fix of crack like the living dead with little or no hope of ever breaking free. Sometimes we don't realise how precious the free things in life are until they are taken from you, be fortunate for what you have and decide today to make the most of your god given talents and abilities. Alife full of regret is the hardest thing ever to reflect on so make the most of yours starting with your attitude towards life.

hope you found this interesting

kind regards
Simon