Archive for March, 2008
March 31, 2008 at 11:59 pm · Filed under Sales Hall
Dad, you raised me to have integrity, be honest and help people. You raised four boys, a Marine, fireman and truck driver. I’m the one you wanted to become a doctor or lawyer. Well, I reached higher to become a salesperson and I know you are proud.
Although this is more like a letter than it is an article it reflects the unspoken pride of every professional salesperson. I am proud to be called a salesperson who adopts the high standards and ethics required to be a success in this business. I am further pleased that my daughter has become a student of sales and adopts the high standard in selling ethics.
Why is it that parents never raise their children to become salespeople? You won’t find costumes for a salesperson on Halloween. What you will find is other super hero outfits for cowboys, firemen, military, police, doctors and nurses. Perhaps it is because most parents don’t understand the high calling of becoming a problem solving salesperson.
Sales - the Admirable Profession
If salespeople stopped selling, the economy would come to a complete stop and disaster across the world would occur. You can’t say that about most other professions. Sales professionals who adopt high standards always rise to the top of their game. The true sales professional works with clients to identify problems that can be corrected with a product or service. Sales people are not order takers and most of them don’t work in a retail environment. Salespeople are better listeners than they are talkers because they care about how and where they will help their clients.
A professional salesperson seeks first to understand problems before they provide a solution. The professional won’t close on a deal unless they know it is the right solution and in the best interest of the client. The sale professional follows a sales process that consistently insures they will make the right recommendation. Salespeople are rewarded for their service and are the reason salespeople are consistently the highest paid in a company.
If you are in sales, I hope you adopt the high standards of this profession and practice your craft with high ethics and integrity. Make your parents proud and don’t be afraid to raise outstanding salespeople.
Steve Martinez implements sales management strategies with a focus on automating sales for printing organizations. Selling Magic teaches businesses how to automate and customize ACT or Outlook with the best practices of sales management while integrating email marketing and technology for greater profits. http://www.sellingmagic.com
March 31, 2008 at 4:19 pm · Filed under Sports Portal
In baseball, we bet on teams that are streaking and go against them when they are slumping. As a variant of momentum, I wanted to see how intensity affected a baseball team’s performance.
Intensity can be defined in many different ways. When a team is in a wild card chase, division penant run, etc.. a team is playing with intensity. We will postpone our analysis on this until later in the 2006 MLB season when the playoffs approach.
Another type of intensity for baseball standards would be playing a division rival. We have thoroughly analyzed division rivalry games but intensity exists equally on both sides of a divsion rivalry game. A disparity of intensity would only exist if a team is coming off a division rivalry game and its opponent is not.
In division rivalry games where a team had the intensity and its opponent did not, that team ended up 166-122 (58%) +51 units over the past 2 seasons. It was a historical +67 units over the past 7 seasons.
In 2005, road underdogs falling into this system won at an incredible 70% rate going 37-16. Undervalued by an average of 65 points!! The 2005 season was out of the ordinary but is very indicative of the type of success betting systems will have.
Check out our Free Baseball Handicapping Systems and Free MLB Baseball Betting Picks for you baseball fans.
March 31, 2008 at 11:48 am · Filed under Religion Parlor
Our Text
“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man
came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all
through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent
to bear witness of that Light.” (John 1:6-8)
“Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests
and Levities from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you.’ He
confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the
Christ.’ And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He
said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ And he answered, ‘No.’
Then they said to him, ‘Who are you, that we may give an answer
to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?’ He said,
‘I am
The voice crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the
Lord, as the prophet Isaiah said.’ Now those who were sent were
from the Pharisees. And they asked him saying, ‘Why then do you
baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?’
John answered them saying, ‘I baptize with water, but there
stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming
after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not
worthy to loose.’ These things were done in Bethabara beyond the
Jordan, where John was baptizing.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said,
‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
This is He of whom I said, “After me comes a Man who is
preferred before me, for He was before me. I did not know Him;
but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came
baptizing with water.”‘ And John bore witness saying, ‘I saw the
Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon
Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with
water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and
remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.’
Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And
looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, ‘Behold the Lamb of
God!’ The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed
Jesus.” (John 1:19-37)
“After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land
of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. Now John
also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much
water there. And they came and were baptized. For John had not
yet been thrown into prison. Then there arose a dispute between
some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification. And
they came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, He who was with you
beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified - behold, He is
baptizing, and all are coming to Him!’ John answered and said,
‘A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from
heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, “I am not
the Christ,” but, I have been sent before Him. He who has the
bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who
stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the
bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He
must increase, but I must decrease.’” (John 3:22-30)
John The Baptist
He is not to be confused with John, the apostle, who was the son
of Zebedee and authored; John’s Gospel, the three letters of
John, and the Revelation of John.
John the Baptist was the son of Zachariah and Elizabeth (Luke
1). His birth was foretold by an angel to his parents, when they
were elderly. His birth preceded that of Jesus’, who was his
cousin. He became a “Hell-fire and Brimstone” preacher.
Preaching “repentance to the Jews.” His dress was very crude,
that of camel’s hair. His diet consisted of locusts and wild
honey. However, even though he was not a “polished” preacher, he
drew the crowds. He baptized Jesus in the Jordan. Due to his
straight forward preaching, he ended up having his head removed
(Matthew 14:1-12). The name “John” means “Gift of God” and is a
Hellenized form for “Jonathan.” There is a similarity between
John and his Old Testament namesake. They both gave up the
opportunity to be popular for someone else. Jonathan stepped
aside for David, while John stepped aside for Jesus. When we
find the name “John” in the fourth Gospel, it is always in
reference to John the Baptist, and never the Gospel writer. John
realized that he was born to witness.
John had a tremendous amount of people that followed after him.
He was very careful to inform them that he was not the Christ,
but only the one to point to Him.
Quite often a preacher has problems with having “Preacher
Lovers” in a congregation. That is, people want to follow him,
rather than Christ. If he is not teaching or preaching because
he has to be out of town, they don’t even attend services. One
preacher never tells his congregation that he is going to be
gone, because he knows that “when the cat is away, the mice will
play.” One has a poor religion if it is “built upon a preacher”
instead of Christ. If a preacher “falls,” so does their hope of
Heaven. John made it very clear that he came to witness of
Christ. Any preacher worth anything today, will do likewise.
In John 3:25-30, an argument broke out among some of John’s
disciples over ceremonial washings. They came to John to settle
the dispute. He was quick to tell them that Jesus must be given
the pre-eminence in all things. John said that he (John) must
become less and less in the eyes of man and Jesus must become
more and more. The disciples of John were having problems with
Jesus gaining popularity, and John had to resolve this problem.
John showed how “big” he was by his willingness to take second
place. This is a “monument” to his character. It is one that all
of us Christians would do well in duplicating. When Christians
are willing to work in the Lord’s Church and not care who gets
the credit, a great deal can be accomplished. However, if a
person fears doing anything, due to not getting a “pat on the
back,” then the Lord’s work is drastically limited. If John
taught us anything, it was a life of servanthood.
The Mission
In John 1:6 the word “sent” is from a Greek word (Apostello)
from which we get the English word “Apostle.” This word normally
means “one sent with a message.”
No one has ever had a greater sender (God), nor has had a
greater message than to point people to Jesus Christ, as John
did. John’s purpose of coming was to testify of Jesus. Day by
day people enter court rooms to testify on behalf of others
(witness to accidents, business frauds, martial disputes, etc.).
However, no one can give a greater testimony than to inform
people how Jesus saved them from their sins, when they accepted
Him as Lord and Savior, by allowing their faith to cause them to
repent of their sins, confess Him publicly, and permit someone
to immerse them in the watery grave of Christian baptism.
Now - some people may THINK they are saved, but were really not,
according to God’s Word. Some would say they were saved when:
they heard a voice; they prayed the “sinner’s prayer” (not found
in the Bible); laid their hand on the radio or TV; recited a
confession or creed; got goose bumps when hearing a Gospel song;
signed a commitment card at a religious service; or “prayed
through” at an alter.
In John 1:8, John made it very plain that he was not the Light,
but came to be a witness of the Light. All Christians today need
to do likewise. That is, make it plain: who Jesus is (God in the
flesh); what the church is (God’s redeemed family); there will
be a Judgement Day; there is a hell, as well as a heaven; and
the Lord’s Plan of Salvation.
Just as John realized that he was born to witness about Jesus,
today God needs men, women and youth to do likewise. Too many
church members go to the gridirons, ball diamonds and gymnasiums
and shout, scream and yell for some athletic contest and then
become closed-lipped and yellow-bellied when it comes to
“speaking up” for Jesus. Shame on us if we are guilty of such.
If we are a “Born Again” child of God, we have been born to
witness! Let’s do it, every day that God allows us to live.
All Scriptures quoted are from the New King James Version unless
otherwise noted.
March 31, 2008 at 8:35 am · Filed under Web Of Travel
A Christmas stocking is one of the hallmarks of Christmas because everyone has them and we all know what they are. Even though everyone has a different Christmas stocking, we all love our stocking and seeing it brings back memories from the past. Stockings are just one of those things that make Christmas what it is, and without it things would seem strange and just sort of out of whack. What would Christmas being without the stockings hanging on the fireplace?
For many families, seeing what is in the Christmas stocking is more exciting than opening gifts. The items that are in the Christmas stocking are usually a surprise, so you can get some great little things that you weren’t expecting. A lot of kids get up on Christmas morning and run right to their Christmas stocking to see what surprises might be inside and then they move on to what they asked Santa for to see if he came through on all of their favorite things. There’s something about the stocking though, it’s a different kind of fun than opening actual presents.
When you are looking to buy a Christmas stocking, you can find them just about anywhere during the holiday season. If you are looking for your typical red stocking with white trim you’ll be able to pick one up anywhere you look, even the grocery store, for about five dollars. If you want something a bit more fancy you can find those, too. There are large Christmas stocking sizes, different colors, differing fabrics, and even specialized shapes. There is Christmas stockings for new babies, little girls, little boys, and even a Christmas stocking for the family cat and dog. If you shop around you’ll find some really great Christmas stockings that are beautiful and unique to each person in your family. You can order a Christmas stocking that is personalized with a name, date of birth, or any other information that you would like the stocking to contain.
If you just buy a plain Christmas stocking you can still personalize it. A fun activity for the whole family is to have a stocking decorating party. Glitter glue, precut felt pieces, pom-poms, pipe cleaners, and sequins could be bought so that everyone can decorate their Christmas stocking in the way that they like. This way, when you hang the Christmas stockings above the fireplace they all look original and you can easily tell who’s stocking is whose. This is a good family activity that will bring everyone together for an hour or so while everyone gets creative and has some fun, offer cookies and drinks to keep the fun going!
A Christmas stocking seems so unsubstantial, but if yours was missing this Christmas you couldn’t help but notice. Stockings are a bigger part of Christmas than we realize, as they are part of the decor and also part of the gift process. Decorating and buying a stocking can be a lot of fun, because you can make it yours so that Santa knows where to put your stuff when he comes to visit!
Rachel Johnson, a freelance writer, is part of a Christmas family! Christmas is a highly anticipated time of year in her home and every year new decorations are purchased and made, crafting is in full swing, and cookies are a staple! Learn more about Rachel at http://www.rachelanna.net She is a regular contributor to http://www.Christmas-Decorating-Ideas.com
March 31, 2008 at 12:05 am · Filed under Beauty Supplies
Prosperity is management of positive energy. It’s individual capacity to pour energy out in the world and re-circulate back in our life. The greater we share our energy and prosperity in the universe, greater will be recirculation of the same energy into our life.
1. The greatest energy management is harmonizing male and female energies. Dropping all the concepts of unworthiness of self or others our since potentialities that we are all god’s (male and females) animating in different forms. The greater is our generosity and respect for the world animating in all the possible combinations (dissolution of duality and there by faulty perception of dual universe), greater is our capacity and potential for energy. Feminine in all her forms (I mean Divine principle of female without attachment) has to be respected and worshipped by the seeker of wealth since she is the source of energy and the more you awaken her to her truest nature, the greater she will enthuse you with energy. It’s all about raising and looking the sacredness of the universe beyond the animated drama of human existence.
Don’t look just at the form, but penetrate into its essence and you will discover that you are eternal spirit and you have never been apart from power, peace and abundance. Seek to be guided by feminine and you will start harmonizing instead of fighting with the greatest ally in your existence. Never criticize her or blame, instead let her work with her own intelligence.
2. Drop all the sense of unworthiness. It’s not who you are, it is a self hypnosis acquired unconsciously. We are basically crippled because we living in second hand reality handed over to us by means of our upbringing and impressions so far. It has instilled huge sense of unworthiness in us which traps us in reality which is not consistent with our true nature. The more you reside and relax in the true nature, the greater will be the protection from the events created by the mask of unworthiness which we have acquired unconsciously. Now just relax and know that you are creative and guided by the highest intelligence and all the unworthiness will be dropped eventually.
3. You will start manifesting greater reality since all the thoughts of your own unworthiness will be dropped once you are inspired by the highest in you and others. The observer is affecting the reality through the filter of his own perception. The upward the perception moves about the highest in yourself and others, the upward the reality and evolution moves. The more you assert the highest in you, the more it starts manifesting in life. Don’t be caught up in the means but move and search with spirit. All the doors will be opened for the seeker.
4. Practice -WHAT IS “SEXUAL CONTINENCE”? It is described simply by means of the injunction to make love “without emitting semen”, or by the recommendation that one should fix, hold, contain, stop, or stabilize one’s semen, or by speaking about sex as being timeless or endless. Because there is no accidental male sexual release in sexual continence, erotic fusion between lovers is not forced to end. Therefore this type of lovemaking provides the unhurried sexual context that allows lovers to become immersed in the endless immediate present moment, while their bodies spontaneously move together as one. Read more about this since there is plenty of material available on Internet on this most important aspect and YOGA of life. This helps move your energy and intelligence in the upward direction.
Author: Santosh Kunte -Mumbai India. An avid reader of the spiritual knowledge, engineering graduate and executive. Loves reading meditation and sharing. You can reach me for your valuable feedback or you can reach me for your problems of finance, relationship etc. by dropping an e-mail to me on sskunte2@rediffmail.com
