Smarter Market Info

E-commerce web site development is all the rage in these days of the Internet boom, even after the big days of dot.com busts. The dream of making it huge in a short time may be over but the reliability the ecommerce provides is still quite remarkable.

For an online economy that is constantly rising, using the latest technologies from leading providers will give you access to a lot of business transactions and will be able to help you maintain your business with helps with your inventories and records seamlessly. Many marketing tools can be had. Then of course there is the design of your ecommerce website. It is like having an interior decorator and an architect help you design and build your store.

Many e-commerce website design firms are delivering enterprise quality, scalable, secure search engine friendly, e-commerce website design for many of the world’s highest profile websites. They too can do for you what success they have done for them.

The first step to any e-commerce website design process is to identify your e-commerce needs including what your business is selling, how it’s selling and to whom the selling is done.

E-commerce websites systems are developed to provide complete turn key website management system that gives you an ability to manage all of your pages, content, products, images forms and more.

Many people are now willing to participate in e-commerce because security and privacy controls are increasing in sophistication and effectiveness. Remember of course that many companies go bankrupt because they insist on conducting e-commerce without doing any business in the outside world, they prefer doing it in their own terms with their own rules.

Since the sites are already built, ready to go and proven to work well, they are ready for you almost immediately. When the suit of tools is fully integrated the web site owner gives you unprecedented flexibility to run virtually any kind of business with boundless limits

With the Dashboard System as the e-commerce solution behind your professional website design, you’ll find your sales will increase, costs will decrease, and you will find new and profitable ways to sell your products and services on your e-commerce website.

E-commerce website offers products or services over the worldwide web or other computer networks, providing information itself counts as one of the most valuable services. E-commerce websites makes billons of dollars a year in America alone and much more worldwide

E-commerce websites includes the need for inventory, tracking and reporting, automatic thumbnail image creation, powerful and configurable catalog search options, suggested items linked to product pages unlimited categories and sub-categories, complete real time payment processing, easily includes extra shipping fees based on weight, quantity order, total or destination, popular item reporting, easy to use check-out process, accept on line bill payments, custom product options (colors, sizes, options ) coupons, gift certificates, wish lists return customer tracking and much more. This can be done easily when a highly effective e-commerce website design is utilized.

Here are some tips to making your e-commerce experience as successful as possible:

* Make sure your products or services offer something of great value to the customers.

* Make it easy as possible to use your website and buy goods or services.

* Offer personal attention as much as possible, people still wants to make phone calls and talk to human workers at times.

* Try to encourage customers to return often to buy more from you, offer discounts to repeat customers and send out e-mail promotions from time to time.

* Be able to adapt quickly to the ever changing world of e-commerce.

If you are looking for cost effective ways to promote your products and services or explore various sales and marketing channels to gain a wide market exposure, then there is nothing comparable in ease of use, quality, functionality or price out there, the benefits that you get with a good e-commerce web design on your page is boundless. An e-commerce website design for your business is affordable, makes you money and is easy to operate.

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Plan your trip to Rome with this Travel Guide, featuring the best hotels, places, museums, shopping, bars and more in Rome; advises and reviews on Hotels in Rome.

Planning an Itinerary to Rome can be difficult if you are unsure of what to visit: sometimes it’s better to take a Rome Tour. This article gives some insight to some must places of the Eternal City.
Must see places in Rome:

Santa Maria degli Angeli
Ancient Roman thermal Baths restored by Michelangelo to become one of the most imposing Roman Basilicas

Via dei Fori Imperiali
In the heart of Imperial Rome, among antique ruins and grandiose town plannign projects. The remain of Caesar’s Forum is a witness to the evolution of taste in Romein the passage from Republic to Empire.

San Giovanni in Laterano
The Piazza and the basilica, a place of connection for the modern city, which encircles the area of the Cathedral of Rome. From the foundation of the basilica to the restoration of Borromini for the Anno Santo 1650. many artistic masterpieces and a cloister of unexpected quit and beauty.

Santa Maria in Trastevere
You don’t know Rome if you haven’t seen Santa Maria in Trastevere. Here one seems still to breathe the atmosphere of a time gone by, among artistic testimonies and dialectial inflexions.

Cheap Hotels in the centre of Rome, ideal accommodation near the central station (Rome Termini) or close to the Vatican.

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The “No Child Left Behind” law (NCLB), signed by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002 has shifted the way schools must deal with their student population. While the verdict is still out on whether or not the NCLB is beneficial for schools around the country, one must still ask the question, does that even matter? After all, are schools developed to benefit the schools themselves or the students that occupy them? Several states are now taking issue with the NCLB, stating that they are losing money as a result of this law. Before we get exasperated with our current President however, remember that the initial intention of NCLB was pure. With schools failing to reach federal standards across the country, something had to be done, subsequently, for the first time in the history of education a level of accountability was being implemented nationwide. Tying results to the bottom line seemed to be a good idea.

NCLB has had 4 years to produce results and even now many states are not in agreement with the current administration on the effectiveness of this new law. “Utah’s legislature passed a bill giving state education law priority over NCLB, even though the decision could cost the state more than $76 million in federal funding. Colorado also allows local districts to opt out of NCLB without incurring penalties from the state” according to Ellen R. Delisio (Education-World.com, 2005).

More states are following suit in fighting NCLB and the Federal Government. The focus seems to be on the fact that the Federal government has given states a mandate but has not funded the states with enough money to implement this mandate. A perfect example of this shortfall is in Connecticut where officials recently ascertained that full execution of NCLB will cost the state $41.6 million more than the state receives from the federal government through fiscal year 2008. (Education-World.com, 2005)

Connecticut has filed a law suit to fight against NCLB; that suit is pending. The fact is that schools in Connecticut repeatedly perform higher on annual standardized tests. However, there are significant pockets of failure among minority children, which is why NCLB was instituted, to make sure quality education was provided for ALL students in all areas. Civil rights leaders have taken a strong stance in the fight, stating that the Connecticut law suit is “ill-advised” and will only hurt the children.

The list of schools that have been labeled as failing was released on September 1st In Arizona 13 east valley schools have failed under the NCLB guidelines. Reportedly 21% of Arizona schools failed to meet “adequate yearly progress,” this number increased 3 percentage points from ‘04. All the information seems to point towards our school system moving backwards. Yet despite reports that showed 21% of Arizona schools had not made “adequate progress”, SAT scores for students in Arizona hit an all-time high.

Since the inception of NCLB a new industry has exploded. Within the last 4 years a multitude of educational companies, close to 1800, have found their way onto a multitude of our states Supplemental Education Services (SES) providers lists (ASU news release, 8/29). The most prominent of these companies produce millions of dollars in revenue and have created a niche market, operating on the failure of schools to reach their disengaged students. While the 1800+ companies have developed SES programs, Newton Learning (reported between 80,000 – 90,000 SES students in ‘04) and Sylvan Learning (reported approx. 70,000 SES students in ‘04) have consistently been fighting for the top spot. These programs are free to the students and yet are generating millions of dollars, tax payer dollars, for the companies operating them. The fight for student numbers in these programs is fierce. These companies are aggressively pursuing student populations for enrollment into their programs for pure profit.

The fact is that one student attending an SES provider program generates approximately $1500 per semester of attendance. This fee yields these companies millions of dollars and takes those dollars directly from the schools. Millions of taxpayer dollars are leaving the schools and going into the pockets of private sector companies, all under the guise of helping students improve their academic position. Some companies have produced statistical data to prove their programs are better than others. Numbers don’t lie. Or do they? Statistics are easy to use and manipulate to prove whatever your objective is. Are the students really benefiting?

Some SES providers are profiting so much that they can afford to offer incentives to the students for attendance. There are students across the country receiving incentives equaling $100 for perfect attendance. The profit is so significant that SES providers can pay their staff, develop and purchase materials, create marketing materials and offer student’s incentives to participate in their program.

Is it no wonder why tax payers refuse to vote in favor of school bonds across the country? With millions of dollars leaving the schools and going into the private sector, why do we think that taxpayers, already feeling taxed to death, would offer more cash to the seemingly bottomless pit of education? The new push is for parents to obtain outside education assistance for students. This year parents are expected to spend $2.5 billion dollars nationwide on additional academic tutoring. This can’t be the answer. Why can’t the students learn the necessary information within the same school day as their parents and grandparents before them?

So what is the solution? No one has come up with a solution that works. One has to question whether taking millions of dollars from the current school system is the answer. The fact that students are not being given the basic level of education necessary across the board is not acceptable. The question is how do we redesign an entire educational system to produce success?

Let me give you something to ponder over the next few months as the whole NCLB situation plays itself out across the country. The problem is not the teachers, or the principles within the schools, it is simply an issue of systems. The system is not working and yet we hold onto it like in time it will get better. Our current educational system is antiquated and it is not reaching the current clientele. What about taking some of the millions of dollars that are finding their way into privately held multi-million dollar companies and disperse that to the instructors that are creating an atmosphere conducive to learning? Why not look to reward instructors for finding ways to reach their population? The fact is that teaching is one of the lowest paid professions in the world. It’s time we took notice of that and kept the money in the schools and rewarded those instructors that are gaining ground and reaching their student populations, while providing specified trainings for those that are failing to reach their students.

Scott Lovely is the founder of Generation X Consulting, and is a nationally recognized motivational speaker. Scott specializes in motivation, leadership development and systems evaluation. He helps people understand the underlying issues affecting their unique situation – both on a personal level and in the business world.

In recent years Scott has held trainings in over 300 schools speaking to thousands of teachers and students in over 40 cities across the country. Scott creates a powerful alliance with his audiences; he combines his corporate training, educational and consulting experience and 15 years of coaching, to introduce new ways for surmounting old challenges.

http://www.generationxconsulting.com

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Without a doubt, buying a home can be the largest investment you’ll ever make. With the average home costing approximately $190,000, many homeowners take great pains to ensure that all cosmetic and structural repairs are attended to. However, the truth is that many expensive repairs could be avoided by simply sticking to a routine maintenance schedule. Routinely checking your home for emerging problems will prevent larger, more expensive problems that leave homeowners scrambling for a quick repairrather than a cost-effective one. Clearly, regular home maintenance is something you can’t afford to ignore.

When to Inspect

Spring is a good time to begin assessing your home for any damage or repairs that need attending to. A good rule of thumb is to check your home at the same time you change your fire alarm batteriesat the beginning (spring) and end (fall) of daylight saving’s time. Doing so will ensure that minor repairs don’t turn into major expenses. Some components of your home may require less-frequent monitoring (foundation), and some may require more (changing the furnace filter). However, taking a walkthrough of your home twice yearly is a good rule of thumb to begin with.

Who Should Inspect

If you feel unqualified to asses every crack and unidentified water leak in your home, feel free to hire a handy man. Not only will he be able to spot any problems, but he can also advise on repairs and costs right on the spot. Do you want a thorough evaluation? Hire a home inspector. Do keep in mind, however, that home inspectors cost much more (around $300) and may not necessarily find every problem.

In most instances, though, simply paying attention to your home is all it takes to spot any emerging problems. For example, if your toilet runs all the time, chances are it needs to be repaired. Have you noticed that your doors don’t shut properly anymore? That could be a sign of foundation settling or warping. Simply making a list of things around your home that seem “off” can make your inspection process much easier. No matter what your plans, the following items are a good place to start when evaluating the condition of your home:

Exterior Items

Doors and Windows:
Open, close, and lock (where applicable) all doors and windows to ensure proper functioning. Replace weathered caulk around windows and check for any signs of moisture infiltration (particularly in storm windows). Broken or loose knobs, latches, or handles should be repaired now.

While no homeowner can possible catch every problem before it develops into an expensive repair, simply taking note of minor “fix-its”and repairing themcan help avoid many costly repair bills in the future. Without a doubt, regular home maintenance is something no homeowner can afford to ignore.

Copyright © 2006, Ian White

Author Ian White is founder of housecarers.com House Sitting Registry Find retired House Sitters and Travellers, to mind your home and pets while you are away. Secure confidential matching. Exchange house and pet care for free accommodation.

http://www.housecarers.com

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Going to a store to buy a gift for dad this Father’s Day may be the easy route to take. However, you should take a look at these terrific gifts to make for Father’s Day so that it is personalized and so dad feels super special:

A Father’s Survival Kit – Take a box of any size. Cover the box with dad’s favorite color construction paper. Decorate the box in any way you want, with crayons, stickers, glitter glue, markers, stamps…it is up to you how you want to decorate the box! Once the box is decorated, you can keep it looking nice by covering it with clear contact paper. Now, fill it with everything dad needs to survive: A picture of the family, a band-aid, a mini screwdriver, a bag of mini Oreo cookies, a video or DVD telling him how much he means to you…what you include is limited only by your imagination. You can make the survival kit out of any kind of plastic container, as well. Use puffy paints and glitter glue to decorate.

Special Father’s Day T-Shirt – On the computer, create a picture all your own. Include “Happy Father’s Day Dad” and pictures of his favorite hobbies, like golf, baseball, grilling, fishing, boating, etc. (All these can be found on free clip art sites online.) Print out your creation on special iron-on paper found at your local discount store (in the craft area). Now, iron-on your creation to a special shirt just for dad!

One of a kind paperweight – Find a big rock or shell. With paints and glitter, write “Happy Father’s Day Dad” on the item and then decorate as you want. This will make a great paperweight for dad’s desk, either at home or at work.

Don’t forget Father’s Day coupons – Create your own coupons, or find templates online, for coupons for dad. Offer anything you like: one “mowing the lawn” coupon, one “breakfast in bed” coupon, one “empty the dishwasher” coupon, one “do your laundry” coupon. Great Father’s Day gift for teens!

Anything you give dad for Father’s Day is special, but when you personalize the holiday with terrific gifts to make for Father’s Day it can be even more special.

Nicola takes great care in celebrating Father’s Day, both as mom to her husband’s children, and as a loving daughter. She can help you find a great Father’s Day gift with tips and news, information and views at http://www.ILoveMyPop.com

This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact. All rights reserved. Copyright http://www.ILoveMyPop.com

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When it comes to online poker, one of the hardest things to do is read a bluff. The reason for this is that because online poker occurs over the distance of the internet, and the normal signs we try to pick up in a game of poker are very limited in online poker. You can not see your opponents face, you can’t see any movements your opponent makes. This all combines to make detecting a bluff a very hard thing to do. However detecting a bluff in a game of online poker is not impossible, it just takes knowing what you are looking for.

Because online poker, by its very nature, is a game more based on numbers than psychology, those seeking to prevent being bluffed actually have a massive advantage. Also bluffs can only work if they are either subtle, or very obvious. The trick is in knowing when someone is trying to bluff and when someone has a good hand. For this reason games that have a shared pool of cards such as Texas Holdem are great for preventing a bluff. In a game with a shared pool you can easily figure if someone has a real threat or not just by looking at the potential combinations and knowing what you have.

However in games without a shared pool of cards detecting a bluff in an online poker game can be a bit difficult. In this case it comes down to looking at the betting patterns of your opponents and knowing when they deviate. For instance say you are facing a conservative gambler in a poker game. If they suddenly come out betting like a mad man, then chances are they are either trying to bluff (unlikely with true conservatives) or they have one heck of a hand. Also a good thing to keep track of are the players who always seem to be bluffing. This is the person who always raises the bet then at the end of the game had a pair at best.All in all it will take careful study, but preventing a bluff can be done if you practice enough.

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Silicon Valley: a parable

We have all heard about the “Silicon Valley” miracle. Not long ago, Silicon Valley found itself at the centre of the world, a job- and money-making machine fueled by the popularity of the Internet and technological innovation. Those days are a distant memory now. Now, the Center of the World has become a technological Rust Belt.

The streets, once throbbing with energy, are empty and quiet. Empty new buildings stand like bleached mausoleums in the sun with big, indiscreet “AVAILABLE” signs slapped on them. A full 20% of the valley’s jobs have been lost since March 2001 and hi-tech jobs continued to be lost as companies downsize or outsource jobs to Asia. No one in the Valley can figure what to do to bring back the golden era.

However, most people not local to the area are unaware of the previous history of this area. The past 200 years have been tragic one of genocide, environmental destruction, greed, trickery, and exploitation. In 1776, at the time of their first contact with the Spanish explorers originally who were looking for gold, Santa Clara Valley was an untouched Eden with maybe 10,000 Ohlone Indians.

By 1830, the peaceful, basket-weaving peoples who had been living there for over 10,000 years had completely disappeared, killed off by epidemics and the mission system. In 1848, the land, originally part of Mexico, became part of United States. Americans, many of whom were failed gold-seekers from the mother lode, started to pour in and acquired Mexican cattle ranches, often through force and trickery. The rich alluvial soilsome of the best in the world– proved ideal for orchards.

The Valley during the spring was a canopy of white blossoms”The Valley of Heart’s Delight.” An orchard of another type grew around the seeds planted by William Hewlett, David Packard, Fred Terman, and other researchers at Stanford University. Today, Hewlett-Packard is one of the world’s largest producers of computers and electronic measuring devices and equipment. The names of the branches of the tree are familiar: Stanford Industrial Park, Varian, Apple Computers, Intel, Yahoo, CISCO, Netscape, etc.

Creativity leads to innovation, and innovation leads to prosperity. Prosperity attracts restless, bright, often unscrupulous people, with often troubled and unhappy pasts, from all parts of the world. The old-time farmers sell their farms off for a king’s ransom and move. The orchards were bulldozed to make room for subdivisions and industrial parks.

Beneath the high-tech sparkle laid a hidden underbelly of inequality, environmental devastation, and exploitation. A recent study of the Silicon Valley economy found that hourly wages of 75 percent of Silicon Valley workers were actually lower in 1996 than in 1989. Meanwhile, between 1992 and 1997, income for the top 20 percent has increased by 32 percent. The diverse workplace does not necessarily mean equality of opportunity. You see very few Hispanics or blacks in the hi-tech crystal palaces.

Silicon Valley has 29 Superfund sites–toxic sites slated for cleanup by the federal government. This is more than any other area in the country. High-tech manufacturing created 24 of the 29 sites; 18 are tied to the computer chip industry. At one time, the largest mercury mine in the U.S. was located in the New Alma den hills in the back of San Jose. Mercury, which is used to separate silver from base ore, seeps from this 100-year year old open sore and poisons the Guadalupe River and San Francisco Bay. The Hispanic hamlet of Alison lies partly on a landfill created by the dumping of asbestos-lined pipes in the 1950’s by the Certainteed Corporation.

Will Silicon Valley ever regain its prosperity? Alternatively, it is like some new Atlantis being destroyed by its greed while its inhabitant scatter to the four winds. No one knows. Maybe, a large no strings attached investment, such as Leland Stanford’s bequest that help found Stanford University, would help jump-start the economy. However, maybe, the problems faced by Silicon Valley are those, which cannot be solved by money alone. The entrepreneurial individualism, which has made the unnatural growth of the Valley possible, had, in the process, destroyed the social fabric that holds a society together.

The issues facing Silicon Valley today are social onespollution, growing income inequality, ethnic tension, unemployment, high housing costs, and a limited state budget. These problems had always been there, but were ignored and have worsened during the most rapid increase in wealth in history. Maybe, one day, the people of Silicon Valley and California will wake up and have the political will to spend the money needed to fix these problems. However, no one really knows.

About The Author

Janet K. Ilacqua is a freelance writer based in Tracy, California. She specializes in academic writing and ghostwriting of books and manuals for individuals and small businesses. For more information about her services, check her website at http://www.writeupondemand.com.

jilacqua@aol.com

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Container gardens allow people who don’t have the space, time or energy for a full garden to still nourish their green thumb and grow beautiful flowers. Container gardens can look beautiful on a rooftop, on a busy city stoop, on a patio or deck and even mixed in with your regular garden.

Plants are easy to grow in containers and are a versatile way of creating a colorful garden. Containers are great because you can move your plants around to create different effects. If one plant isn’t doing well, or the bloom season has passed, simply remove it and replace it with another container. You can arrange your containers in a group, line them up or strategically place them singly around your yard or patio. Either way, you’ll love this simple way to create a garden oasis anywhere you want.

You can use most anything for a container, but be sure it has good drainage. Try old bowls or antique urns. If there is no drain hole, be sure to include lots of rocks on the bottom of the container. Terra cotta pots are nice but tend to absorb water which can cause your plants to dry out – if you do decide to go with these pots, you can paint the inside with a special sealer to prevent this. Always try to get a matching saucer or use a special plate or drip basin for your containers as this will save your deck or patio from getting stained or rotting.

Always use a good quality potting mix in your containers. This will ensure the best performance possible from your plants.

When planting in containers, be sure to use a good potting mix that has fertilizer appropriate for the plant you will be planting. Do not overcrowd the plants in the pot – remember that with proper care they will grow into the pot and you don’t want them to be overcrowded because they may start to look unhealthy. Be sure to keep your container plants watered but do not over water. Plants in containers can dry out very easily so you will probably have to water every day and fertilize every month.

When planning your container garden you want to be sure to have plants of varying heights as well as shapes and textures. Any setting will look better with taller plants in the back and lower ones in the front. Using annuals that bloom all year will keep your pots looking fresh and beautiful, but don’t forget to add in some nice greenery as well.

It’s best to decide ahead of time where you want your containers to be positioned, and then buy plants that suit the situation. It won’t do to buy sun loving plants if the container is going to be in the shade for they will not do well. Also be aware that some plants have large root systems and are not suitable for container planting.

Some great places for container gardens include the patio, deck, driveway and porch. If you have steps leading up to your front door, an attractive container on each one is a great way to welcome your visitors. If there is a lot of space by your front door group a bunch of potted plants off to one side which will be more visually appealing than one plant on each side of the steps. When grouping your plants, always group in odd numbers and make sure to vary the heights and sizes of the pots as well as the plants.

Container gardening is a great because you can limit the amount of plants you have to take care of. If you only want a few then just have a couple of containers but if you can handle more than go for it. With a little bit of creativity you can create a container garden that will be the envy of your friends and neighbors.

Lee Dobbins write for Flower Gardens where you can get more great flower growing tips.

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Something For You To Consider…

How To Create What You Want …And Want What You Create

Hello!

Imagine your life starting out this way….

…You grew up in an emotionally and physically abusive family environment, with chaos and pain all around you. After many years of that, your mother leaves her husband and is at times working three part time jobs or is on welfare. In the midst of all that you discover that the man you thought was your dad isn’t your biological father. So you go looking for your biological father and find out that he is a well-to-do professional baseball player. You finally make contact with him, only to find out that he does not want to have anything to do with you for many years. Years later, when it comes time to go to college, he reluctantly agrees to pay your tuition only, and has legal documents drawn up to that effect. Soon afterward, you and your dad connect, grow close… and then he dies of cancer long before you are ready to let go of him.

Okay, what would you have done if you had that kind of start in life? For many, it would have been enough to make excuses for their failure to create the life they really wanted. And they would have plenty of others to join in with them, offering them their “understanding” and “sympathy.” …Well-intentioned perhaps, thinking they are being empathetic and kind. In reality, they might as well be the judge and jury that locks someone up in prison and throws away the key.

Now, whether you are a country music fan or not, chances are that you are familiar with superstars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. Both have carved out lives for themselves, and with each other, that goes far beyond what most would believe to be possible for themselves. Tim McGraw, for those of you who are not country music fans, is the Tom Cruise of his industry, having recently recorded the biggest hit of his career, “Live Like You Were Dying.” He is also an actor, convincingly playing an abusive, often drunk father in the recent movie Friday Night Lights. At 37, according to one writer, “McGraw has the trim, hard body of a man a decade younger, and he is married to the stunning Faith Hill.” Together, they have three beautiful young daughters.

Consider all that and then let me inform you that the life I asked you to imagine earlier is the life Tim McGraw lived for the first couple of decades of his life. Yes, you heard that right. Tim’s current life is dramatically different from what he started out with.

And with the life that he has created for himself, what does he seem to value most? The answer? Finding and building a close relationship with his biological father before he died of cancer, and creating the family life that he had always longed for. Tim said in an interview, “When you get married and have a family, you get very focused on what that means and how easily it can get away from you…your career can come and go at any time, and you can survive losing that. But I could not stand losing my family.”

Considering how the first twenty or so years of his life went, you might be wondering how Tim got to where he is today.

Let’s think about that, and think about how you can actually create what you want and truly want what you create. Because life is such a precious gift, and because it is short, it is important for us to be able to create what we want… and to want what we create. As long as you are alive, you will be creating a life for yourself. The question is, will it be a life that you want…truly want? And you might as well build the life of your dreams, because you are fully capable of doing so. Period.

Why Create The Life You Want? Because You Can!

Now, what does this involve? Many things, to be sure, and a few things that are paramount, all of which can be learned. Let’s consider…

A Foundation For Creating The Life You Want…

First, understand that the past does not equal the future. Period. Tim McGraw understood that early on. He understood that his future life could be engineered to whatever specifications he desired, regardless of his past. You can believe whatever you want in regards to creating the life you want. It is up to you.

Next, pay attention to the “state” (emotional, mental, physical, spiritual) you will be in as you go about planning your future. Make sure that you begin with a mindset, an overall attitude that you can and will learn to create a life that you will truly enjoy and profit from, on all levels. A life filled with learning, meaning, and fulfillment. A life shared with loved ones and friends and lived with excitement for the next moment, all the while loving the present moment.

Then, perhaps next, choose what outcomes are important to you, across all contexts of your life. Consider your health, your relationships, your hobbies, your work life, your family, etc. What do you really want for yourself? Allow yourself to be a child again and imagine Santa telling you, with a broad smile, that you can have whatever you want. Your job is to dream, and to dream big! Now, dream bigger than that! Why? Because you can! A child doesn’t know what is “reasonable” or “possible!” She just knows what she wants! Now, as you choose your outcomes, you will want to ensure that they are what we call “well-formed outcomes.” A well-formed outcome, for instance will be arrived at, in part, when you consider the short term and long term consequences of your choices. Consider how your choices will affect you and those you care about, across all contexts of your life.

It’s Your Life…You Get To Choose

Now, there is another important element to creating what you want and wanting what you create. It’s called “congruency.” Congruency is all about having your beliefs, values, desires, behaviors and states (mental, emotional, physical, spiritual) aligned, so that they are all flowing and going in the same direction. A direction that you have carefully chosen for yourself vs. a direction that has been set by others. And make no mistake about it, you will either be moving in a direction that you have carefully chosen or you will be moving in a direction imposed upon you by others, well intentioned perhaps, but still imposed.

To do all of this, of course, requires having or building in the required skill sets. It takes skill to fly an airplane, to build a satisfying relationship with a significant other, to have rapport with your client or colleagues, to influence your children in useful ways, to get and stay healthy, to increase your income. You are capable of doing, creating and achieving anything you want, whether you believe that to be the case or not. Look around you and see who else has done what you are wanting to do. We can model anyone we desire. And modeling is itself a skill, a skill that can be learned. Now, while skill is important, it is not the most important element of creating what you want and wanting what you create.

What Drives Your Behavior?

For instance, your overall belief system, which includes what people call “beliefs” and “values” will drive your behaviors as you build your life. So the question is, what beliefs and values will be useful for you to operate from, considering the life you want to create? All beliefs and values are learned, and you can install any belief you desire and see how useful it is or is not for you. If you do not know how to do this, you can learn how.

Now, we have considered a few things that will make it easy for you to create what you want and to want what you create. I have mentioned friends, family, and loved ones. Why? Because, life was meant to be shared. Life was meant to be lived with others. It is easier and sweeter to create what you want when you are having fun doing so with others who share your values and vision. And when you share in theirs as well. We can all learn from each other, can we not? And then there are the fortunate ones who have consciously decided to build a community that they can contribute to and draw from, a community that will make it so much easier for them to create the life of their dreams.

I hope I have stirred your thinking, as well as your emotions, about what is possible for you in terms of creating what you want. You can settle, of course. Or you can really go for what is worth going for in your life. And you get to decide what is worth going for. Of course you do, because you are the one that will be living with the consequences of your choices. Not to say that you do not affect others, because you do. If you have children, consider them as you let everything we have been talking about sink in. What do you want to teach your children about creating what they want? And remember, they will not be listening to what you say. They will be paying attention to what your behaviors communicate. Now, what was it that you were saying?

Create What You Want!

Alan

P.S FREE Life Coaching e-letter that gives you new insights, strategies and tools to improve your performance, your relationships, your career and your health and fitness. For more information, go to www.geniusdynamics.com or give me a call today.

Alan Allard is president of GeniusDynamics, and is a Life and Business Coach, offering private coaching, keynote speeches and seminars. You can reach Alan at 678-778-9012 or alan@geniusdynamics.com

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