Who is Stopping You? (Part One)
The biggest barrier to a successful career is not a lack of opportunities, the job market or your city. It’s certain people.
Specifically, antisocial people—people who are devious, mean-spirited, cruel, hostile or negative. People who oppose you, treat you with disrespect and cause you trouble. They are trying to stop you.
“When we trace the cause of a failing business, we will inevitably discover somewhere in its ranks the antisocial personality hard at work.”
“It is important then to examine and list the attributes of the antisocial personality. Influencing as it does the daily lives of so many, it well behooves* decent people to become better informed on this subject.” -- L. Ron Hubbard (*behooves: to be necessary or proper for)
One of the most famous antisocial personalities was Adolf Hitler. Hitler loved children and pets. He was a vegetarian who neither smoked nor drank. He was kind and considerate to the ladies, secretaries and chauffeurs. Most people thought Hitler was a nice guy, but he organized the deaths of millions of people.
Antisocial personalities can be anyone: doctors, lawyers, politicians, business leaders, police officers, newspaper reporters, employees, men, women, old, young . . . anyone. They can be family members, spouses and colleagues. You probably know a few antisocial people.
When antisocial people are openly nasty or critical of you, you know who they are. They say, “You are an idiot” or “That idea of yours is the worst idea I’ve ever heard.” They stab you in your chest, not your back. You can deal with them directly.
The worst types of antisocial persons are those who hide their true intentions. They stab you in the back so you can’t catch them. They say, “Everyone thinks your ideas are silly” or “I heard a rumor the police might be investigating you” or “You look so tired; why don’t you take a vacation?”
Antisocials make you sick. For example, you are enjoying your day and getting a lot done. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, you feel a little upset. Your stomach and head hurt.
You review who just talked to you. Mary gave you a report and made a nice comment about the weather. Fred asked to borrow your pen and was very polite. The computer guy needed to look at my computer and said something about my computer infecting the whole network.
You think, “What was the computer guy talking about? Why did he waste so much of my time? And why are the computers always having problems? I’d better watch out for this guy.”
Suddenly, you feel better. You have spotted an antisocial person. Your day is pleasant again.
L. Ron Hubbard identified twelve characteristics of the antisocial person. The first way to spot them is to notice how they speak.
Generalities
“The antisocial personality has the following attributes:
“1. He or she speaks only in very broad generalities. They say . . .’ ‘Everybody thinks . . .’ ‘Everyone knows . . .’ and such expressions are in continual use, particularly when imparting rumor.” -- L. Ron Hubbard
Have you ever been to a meeting when someone said, "We’re all having troubles because of the economy," “People don’t like anyone who’s too successful” or "Everyone in this area is having a rough time"? These are generalities.
Whenever you hear a statement that starts, "Everyone says . . . “ or “All the citizens feel . . . “ or "The employees think . . . ,” you must perk up your ears. You have just heard the beginning of a generality.
Now if the generality is a good message, you can relax. “Everyone thinks you are doing a great job!” “No one was late today.” “All the carpenters appreciate the wood you bought.”
However, if the message is negative, the speaker is pointing a knife at your back. “No one believes your little act.” “Everyone thinks the pay is too low.” “No one wears their hair like that any more.”
One reason the news media is such a poor influence on society is because of their generalities. Just listen to the news or read a newspaper and you see generalities. “America was shocked and saddened . . .” “Sources revealed that . . .” “Critics asked why the President said . . .”
The newspaper reporter would not be as upsetting if he or she was specific. “My daughter asked me why the President said . . .”
Because antisocial people want you and others to fail, they confuse and upset you with generalities.
How to Respond
“When asked, ‘Who is everybody . . .’ it normally turns out to be one source and from this source the antisocial person has manufactured what he or she pretends is the whole opinion of the whole society.” -- L. Ron Hubbard
Example:
You: “Nancy, you say everyone thinks I make too much money. Who exactly?”
Nancy: "Oh, uh, well, you know, everyone I talk to. It’s common knowledge.”
You: "Can you tell me who exactly?”
Nancy: "I don’t know, I can’t remember. I’ll ask around.”
You: “I’m going to assume you made this all up. Don’t say things like that to me again.”
Social Personality
While the antisocials are tearing down the world, the world social personalities are improving it. Constructive people make life better for those around them. Fortunately, most people are social personalities.
Social personalities are opposite of the antisocial personality. For example, they are specific.
“The social personality is specific in relating circumstances. ‘Joe Jones said . . . ‘ ’The Star Newspaper reported . . . ‘ and gives sources of data where important or possible.
“He may use the generality of ‘they’ or ‘’people’ but seldom in connection with attributing statements or opinions of an alarming nature.” -- L. Ron Hubbard
Examples of social personality statements: “Patty and Joan want raises.” “Everyone’s happy you’re back from vacation.” “Steve loved your speech.”
Even if the social personality is passing bad news, it is not upsetting. For example, “Kelly and Roger have decided to move to Los Angeles to help their son produce documentaries.”
The antisocial thinks bad news is an opportunity to upset you. “It seems like lots of people are leaving us . . . Kelly, Roger and others. Maybe they don’t like how you treat them.”
Recommendation
Every time you hear a generality regarding bad news this week, reject the information. Assume the person is either careless or antisocial. Instead, ask “Who is everybody?” or “Who exactly?”
Your Biggest Source of Trouble and Anxiety (Part Two)
In a study conducted by members of the Los Angeles Police Department, they determined 2% of the population was actually dangerous and harmful to society; that this minority was behind most crime.
L. Ron Hubbard puts the percentage of antisocials at 2.5% with another 17.5% of the population influenced so heavily by the antisocial that they begin to act like antisocial personalities. On a world-wide scale, some antisocials are like Stalin or Hitler, the mafia or terrorists.
In your life, antisocials can be your boss, your wife, your customers, your coworkers, your lawyer, accountant, auto mechanic, employee, mother-in-law . . . anyone.
Recognizing the 20% who cause 80% of our troubles is the first step to handling them.
Part One covered the first characteristic of the antisocial personality: they speak in generalities. For example, "Everyone thinks you are too inexperienced," "No one likes what you said" or "America is terrified."
The second and third characteristics of an antisocial person is based on the nature of their conversations.
Bad News
"2. Such a person deals mainly in bad news, critical or hostile remarks . . ."
"It is notable that there is no good news or complimentary remark passed on by such a person." — L. Ron Hubbard
Someone has some good news and some bad news. A rational or social personality tells you both pieces of news. The antisocial personality passes only the bad news. Examples:
Social: "Mrs. Jones, we received the results of your tests. Two are negative, which is good news. The sample for the third test was lost at the lab. We’re very sorry. The doctor would like to do it again if you could come in today or tomorrow."
Antisocial: "Mrs. Jones, we received the results of your tests and there’s a problem. The doctor wants you to repeat one of the tests as soon as possible. I have an opening next month."
Social: "While she didn’t complete the project by noon like we wanted, she stayed up all night and fixed some problems we didn’t know about. She’ll be done by five tonight."
Antisocial: "We knew she couldn’t complete the project like we wanted."
Social: "Boy, I loved that chicken dish. The time you spent to prepare it was well worth it!"
Antisocial: "So this was your fancy chicken dish? You should try my mother’s. Now that’s good chicken!"
Social Personality
You can use the opposite characteristic to improve your personality.
"2. The social personality is eager to relay good news and reluctant to relay bad.
"He may not even bother to pass along criticism when it doesn’t matter."
"He is more interested in making another feel liked or wanted than disliked by others and tends to err toward reassurance rather than toward criticism." — L. Ron Hubbard
Worsened or Invented Bad News
"3. The antisocial personality alters, to worsen, communication when he or she relays a message or news. Good news is stopped and only bad news, often embellished, is passed along.
"Such a person also pretends to pass on ‘bad news’ which is in actual fact invented." — L. Ron Hubbard
Just passing on bad news is not enough for antisocials. They prefer to make it sound worse. They will even make up some bad news if the truth is not bad enough.
Neighborhood gossipers, politicians and most news reporters are good examples.
"She seems to have a different man’s car in front of her house every night."
"Unlike my political opponent, I will not tolerate child pornography!"
"Many questions exist about his sudden wealth."
Have you ever watched the nightly news and felt nothing good was happening in the world? Do you ever feel optimistic after reading the front page of a newspaper?
A few years ago, CBS reported, "HUNDREDS FEARED DEAD IN FLOOD" when referring to a storm that flooded parts of Northern California—two people died. CNN reported, "THE TALIBAN SENDS 300,000 TROOPS TO BORDERS," when in turned out to be fewer than 10,000.
In fact, you reduce your stress and feel happier if you stop reading newspapers, stop watching the news and ignore people who pass on bad news. Try it!
Antisocial personalities are horrible relay points. They ruin reputations, create chaos and start fights.
For example, the boss tells an employee, "Doug, please tell Pam she’s doing a great job and can leave early today, if she’d like."
If Doug is an antisocial or acting like an antisocial, he says, "Pam, the boss wants you to clock out and go home right now. He seemed pretty unhappy."
So Pam says, "I don’t understand . . . I guess I’d better leave."
Doug then comes and tells you, "Pam is confused. She didn’t finish her work and just walked out when I told her what you said. I think she’s on her period."
Unless you and Pam discover the truth about Doug, your working relationship will suffer. The strain will cause internal stress, a fight or worse.
On a broader scale, outsiders might pass exaggerations and lies between two nations and thus start a war.
"The Southerners hate you. They say you are evil. They plan to poison your water supply."
"The Northerners hate you. They say you are evil. They plan to poison your water supply."
After several months of this, the South and North start a war.
Marriages are also ruined by antisocial lies and alterations.
Chris lies to the husband and says, "Don’t tell your wife I said this, but she and Pete have been getting awfully friendly."
Chris then lies to the wife, "Don’t tell your husband I said this, but his daily hugs with Sharon are getting pretty intimate."
Even though there is nothing going on, the husband and wife suddenly suspect a problem and start fighting.
The Opposite Characteristic
"3. A social personality passes communication without much alteration and if deleting anything tends to delete injurious matters.
"He does not like to hurt people’s feelings." — L. Ron Hubbard
Who is Stopping You? (Part Three)
Do you know someone who appears kind and polite, but makes your work and life difficult? This person may be an antisocial person. He or she can make you feel like you are riding a roller coaster.
You feel good one day and bad the next. You are productive and efficient one week, but then waste time and get nothing done the next week. Your mood goes up and down, apparently with no explanation.
Abraham Lincoln was known for his mood swings. Sometimes he was energetic, ambitious and cheerful. Other times, he was withdrawn, exhausted and unable to sleep. Winston Churchill was also on a roller coaster: forceful, energized and brilliant one day, depressed and drinking the next. Imagine how much more these men would have accomplished if they had been more stable. They did not recognize nor handle the antisocial people around them.
Businesses are also prone to ups and downs because of antisocial people. One week your productivity and income are doing very well. The next, you have major problems.
Marriages and families can go through the same ride. Happy and loving one month, unfriendly and argumentative the next month. If this happens to you, someone may be secretly messing up your family and marriage.
Luckily, you can handle the negative people in your life. You can take control of your progress. You can have a stable, steadily improving business, career, marriage, family and life.
The first step is to recognize who is causing you trouble and what they are up to.
In two previous articles, we outlined three characteristics of the Antisocial Personality. (See links below.)
Characteristic #4
“4. A characteristic, and one of the sad things about an antisocial personality, is that it does not respond to treatment or reform. . . .” -- L. Ron Hubbard
For example, while most people find a walk to be refreshing, even therapeutic, an antisocial person complains about walks. “I don’t enjoy walks . . . just look at all that polluted air . . . the city needs to do something about those weeds . . . you shouldn’t be outside for so long.”
Improving life circumstances, like moving to a better home or learning a new skill, makes most people happier, but not an antisocial. He or she does not change for the better. No matter how hard you try to help the antisocial person’s performance, work skills or productivity, nothing changes.
You can waste years trying to make an antisocial kind, considerate or supportive, with no change. For example, antisocials will beat their wives or kids until someone threatens them. They pretend they have changed and then start the beatings again.
The antisocial is the constant complainer; the critic who is never happy; the whiner who threatens to leave you. He or she acts kind and thoughtful . . . while stabbing you in the back.
If you open your eyes and face the truth, you eventually realize you cannot help the person, no matter how hard you try.
The opposite characteristic is true of the social personality.
“It is often enough to point out unwanted conduct to a social personality to completely alter it for the better.” -- L. Ron Hubbard
For example, you say, “Ed, you won’t stay married for long if you yell at your wife.” Ed says, “Oh, yea, you’re right. I’m sorry.” Because Ed is a social person, he no longer yells at his wife.
Employees, bosses and coworkers, who are social personalities, are fun to work with. They are considerate and kind. They change and improve themselves.
For example, a telephone company gives people-skills training to its employees. Each employee can learn how to provide better service to customers. Social personalities enjoy the training and improve their work skills. Antisocial personalities complain about the training and, if forced to do the training, show no improvement.
If you supervise a social employee, correction is simple. “Sally, please don’t use your computer for personal shopping.” Sally says, “Okay” and stops shopping with her computer from then on.
Are You an Antisocial Person?
“Self-criticism is a luxury the antisocial cannot afford.” “Only the sane, well-balanced person tries to correct his conduct.” -- L. Ron Hubbard
Do you criticize yourself and try to correct your behavior? If so, you are not antisocial.
For example, a father finds a broken vase and asks his 7-year-old son, “Who broke the vase? Did you break it?” His son says, “No, I didn’t!” The father gets angry and spanks him for breaking a vase and lying about it.
His wife comes into the room with a broom and says, “I need to clean up the vase I broke.”
The social person would say, “Son, I’m sorry for not believing you. I’ll be more trusting in the future. I owe you a big pizza and ice cream, okay?”
The antisocial personality would say, “The kid deserved the spanking for something else he probably did. You need to show these kids who the boss is.”
Just about anyone can be made to act like an antisocial if he or she is pushed hard enough by an antisocial. For example, antisocial parents teach their children to be antisocial. The key is whether or not the person easily changes to a social personality, once he or she realizes the truth.
If you want to improve your conduct, you will. You have a social personality!
Who Is Stopping You? (Part Four)
The greatest barrier to your success is not the economy, your work habits or your opportunities. Your greatest source of stress is not money or the weather or any physical thing.
The biggest source of business problems, career difficulties and personal stress is the antisocial personality. The type of person who is devious, mean-spirited, cruel, hostile or negative. The one who openly or secretly opposes you, cuts you down and causes you trouble.
When you handle or disconnect from an antisocial person, you feel better. You relax. You succeed more than you fail. You have less to fight on your way to your goals.
The antisocial is also known as a suppressive person as he or she prefers to suppress your success, hold down your progress and stop your happiness.
The first four characteristics of an antisocial person are covered in previous TipsForSuccess articles which you can read at www.tipsforsuccess.org/antisocial1.htm, www.tipsforsuccess.org/antisocial2.htm and www.tipsforsuccess.org/antisocial3.htm.
Characteristic #5
“5. Surrounding such a personality we find cowed* or ill associates or friends who, when not driven actually insane, are yet behaving in a crippled manner in life, failing, not succeeding.” -- L. Ron Hubbard (*cowed: intimidated, frightened)
Like most people, you have good intentions and try to improve your life. Your statistics in life go up; life gets better.
But then you talk to an antisocial. He or she makes you feel like you are failing.
“You’re so weak! Act like a grownup. Get a real job. Don’t be such an idiot!”
“Everyone will think you’re a jerk if you buy that Mercedes.”
“If you don’t do what I say, your life will fall apart and you will suffer.”
If you believe statements like these, you feel afraid. You may get sick. Your production statistics and income will not improve.
With willpower, you may fight your way out of the mental turbulence and start to succeed . . . for a while. But then the antisocial will find a way to bring you down.
The stress of such situations is extreme. The stress can make you ill. As long as you are associated with the antisocial, you may never recover from an illness.
When you talk to an antisocial, you may feel all kinds of emotions: rage, grief, apathy and so on.
The opposite is true with a social person.
“The friends and associates of a social personality tend to be well, happy and of good morale.” -- L. Ron Hubbard
Have you ever felt wonderful after talking to someone? You are talking to a social personality. He or she wishes you success.
The social person helps you increase your productivity. When you make a large amount of money, he or she is delighted and never jealous. You can trust the social personality.
Some social persons have powerful personalities. They help you solve problems. They lift your spirits. If you are sick, they seem to make your illness disappear, just by talking to you!
Characteristic #6
“6. The antisocial personality habitually selects the wrong target.” “If a tire is flat from driving over nails, he or she curses a companion or a noncausative source of the trouble. If the radio next door is too loud, he or she kicks the cat.” “If A is the obvious cause, the antisocial personality inevitably blames B, or C or D.” -- L. Ron Hubbard
Terrorism, war and murder are, of course, wrong targets. No purpose is served by killing people.
Charles Manson persuaded his followers to commit several murders. He testified he was trying to improve the “establishment.” Later, he said a Beatle’s song made him do it.
Politicians, psychiatrists and social workers often select wrong targets. “Our mayor seems to encourage crime.” “He steals because of his chemical imbalance.” “She needs more welfare money because she had a bad childhood.”
You see examples of wrong targets every day: The driver on the road behind you who blames you for making him late for work. The patient who blames the doctor for his cancer. A man who can’t pay his bills and so blames his boss.
Prejudice and biased views are good examples of wrong targets. “We keep our company fresh and hip by never hiring anyone over the age of 45.” “Republicans have ruined the economy.” “Homosexuals are a threat to my marriage.”
Correct Targets
The social personality selects correct targets. “Our customer service is why our customers give us their repeat business.” “I’m fat because I eat lots of junk food and never exercise.” “If you constantly learn new skills and work harder, you’ll make more money.”
Intelligent social people can find correct targets to any problem. Examples: “You are broke because you don’t organize your finances and control your spending.” “The only reason you’re not married is you do not find out what your girlfriends really want.” “Give bonuses to employees who do the most production and your business will thrive.”
When you have the correct target for a problem, the solution is obvious and it solves the problem.
Copyright © 2006 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard."
www.tipsforsuccess.org.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Building Confidence: What Should You Be?
Building Confidence: What Should You Be?
Question: What is the best personality or the best identity for you to assume?
Answer: Anything you want to be! A cheerful friend, a businesslike executive, a caring listener. Whatever is best at the time. Different circumstances require different attitudes.
For example, to be a bossy manager at work might be appropriate, but you might drive your spouse crazy if the identity continues at home. To be a rowdy sports fan at a game is great, but not what you should be when asking for a raise.
The reason people have trouble determining who or what they should BE is because they don't start with HAVE.
"Children in the West are commonly asked `What are you going to BE when you grow up?' It is a silly question and can drive any child up the wall. Because it's the wrong question—hits the wrong end of the cycle."
"He is also asked, `What are you going to DO in life?' That's just as bad. It is quite difficult to answer."
"If we asked children, `What do you want to PRODUCE in life?' we could probably get a workable answer. From that he could figure out what he'd have to do to produce that and from that he could know what he had to BE. Then, with a little cooperation he would be able to lead a happy and valuable life."
"A lot of people and businesses fail because they don't do this." — L. Ron Hubbard
Example: A young man likes to cook and make people happy. He may decide the product (HAVE) he wants to produce is: "Properly fed, happy people who pay a lot of money for the dining experience at my successful restaurant."
Based on this decision, he works out his career by listing the steps (DO) which include enrolling in a cooking school, working at several restaurants for the experience, saving money, and so on. His planning is accurate and efficient. The young man then works out the best identity for the job (BE). He needs to BE a successful restaurateur: proud, charming, service-oriented, smart and wealthy.
To put his plan into action, this young man starts the cycle with BE and assumes this identity as the first step. He strolls around BEING a successful restaurateur from day one. He's proud, charming and service-oriented. He even feels wealthy.
He can then easily DO the steps needed to get what he wants to HAVE: a successful restaurant with happy customers. He accomplishes this much faster and more easily than a person who cannot BE a successful restaurateur until he owns the restaurant.
If you want success and wealth, BE wealthy or successful before you get there. It’s fun!
Assume a wealthy identity. Test drive a big new Mercedes. Stroll through a $10-million building as if you own it. People will want to be around you. Bankers will try to lend you money. You'll feel great!
Exercise
While this exercise focuses on making money, you can do this with any goal.
1. Take out a blank piece of paper. At the bottom of the sheet, write down how much money you want to earn per month, one year from now.
2. Above the dollar amount write down what you need to produce (HAVE) that someone would pay you that much money for. What final product must you produce that is worth the amount of money you want to earn?
For example, a plumber wants to earn $8,000 per month in profit. He calculates his overhead costs and determines he needs to produce or HAVE "$20,000 per month in high-quality plumbing work to happy customers who refer."
A dental receptionist who wants to earn $3500 per month might determine she needs to produce much more than "scheduled patients." She talks to the dentist and decides she needs to produce "a dental practice that doubles in productivity through my clever scheduling so I can earn $3500 per month."
The partners of a law firm decide they want their group to bill and collect $500,000 per month.
What do you need to produce to earn the money you wrote in step 1? Write this down.
3. In the middle of your sheet of paper, write down what you need to DO to reach that level of productivity. This is planning at its finest; you start with the final result and work backwards.
Before you achieved the above product, what would you do? Before that? Before that? Plan your steps from this future point in time back to the present.
For example, the plumber needs to DO more promotional actions, delegate responsibility to his assistants and make sure every customer is completely satisfied.
The dental receptionist needs to organize the schedule better, make more reminder calls to patients and keep the doctor busier.
The law firm needs to hire more associates, attract wealthier clients and win more cases.
4. At the top of the page, write what you need to BE to accomplish the plan and obtain the final product.
The plumber might need to BE a responsible manager and not a fun-loving worker. He may decide he needs to BE a successful business owner.
The dental receptionist needs to BE the boss of the patients’ and doctor’s time, not just be a receptionist. She needs to BE a successful manager.
The law firm needs to BE the most powerful law firm in town. It moves to the biggest building in town, hires the best decorators money can buy and gives an overwhelming feeling of strength.
Whatever you write at the top of your paper is what you need to BE. It's the most effective identity you can assume. BE THIS PERSON RIGHT NOW.
Now that you are BEING the correct identity for this goal, DO the action steps. You will then HAVE the money or goal.
Use this exercise in other areas of life. For example, to HAVE a successful marriage, what should you DO and BE? What do you need to DO and BE to HAVE a cheerful family, a successful business, a happy life?
Copyright © 2006 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard."
www.tipsforsuccess.org.
Question: What is the best personality or the best identity for you to assume?
Answer: Anything you want to be! A cheerful friend, a businesslike executive, a caring listener. Whatever is best at the time. Different circumstances require different attitudes.
For example, to be a bossy manager at work might be appropriate, but you might drive your spouse crazy if the identity continues at home. To be a rowdy sports fan at a game is great, but not what you should be when asking for a raise.
The reason people have trouble determining who or what they should BE is because they don't start with HAVE.
"Children in the West are commonly asked `What are you going to BE when you grow up?' It is a silly question and can drive any child up the wall. Because it's the wrong question—hits the wrong end of the cycle."
"He is also asked, `What are you going to DO in life?' That's just as bad. It is quite difficult to answer."
"If we asked children, `What do you want to PRODUCE in life?' we could probably get a workable answer. From that he could figure out what he'd have to do to produce that and from that he could know what he had to BE. Then, with a little cooperation he would be able to lead a happy and valuable life."
"A lot of people and businesses fail because they don't do this." — L. Ron Hubbard
Example: A young man likes to cook and make people happy. He may decide the product (HAVE) he wants to produce is: "Properly fed, happy people who pay a lot of money for the dining experience at my successful restaurant."
Based on this decision, he works out his career by listing the steps (DO) which include enrolling in a cooking school, working at several restaurants for the experience, saving money, and so on. His planning is accurate and efficient. The young man then works out the best identity for the job (BE). He needs to BE a successful restaurateur: proud, charming, service-oriented, smart and wealthy.
To put his plan into action, this young man starts the cycle with BE and assumes this identity as the first step. He strolls around BEING a successful restaurateur from day one. He's proud, charming and service-oriented. He even feels wealthy.
He can then easily DO the steps needed to get what he wants to HAVE: a successful restaurant with happy customers. He accomplishes this much faster and more easily than a person who cannot BE a successful restaurateur until he owns the restaurant.
If you want success and wealth, BE wealthy or successful before you get there. It’s fun!
Assume a wealthy identity. Test drive a big new Mercedes. Stroll through a $10-million building as if you own it. People will want to be around you. Bankers will try to lend you money. You'll feel great!
Exercise
While this exercise focuses on making money, you can do this with any goal.
1. Take out a blank piece of paper. At the bottom of the sheet, write down how much money you want to earn per month, one year from now.
2. Above the dollar amount write down what you need to produce (HAVE) that someone would pay you that much money for. What final product must you produce that is worth the amount of money you want to earn?
For example, a plumber wants to earn $8,000 per month in profit. He calculates his overhead costs and determines he needs to produce or HAVE "$20,000 per month in high-quality plumbing work to happy customers who refer."
A dental receptionist who wants to earn $3500 per month might determine she needs to produce much more than "scheduled patients." She talks to the dentist and decides she needs to produce "a dental practice that doubles in productivity through my clever scheduling so I can earn $3500 per month."
The partners of a law firm decide they want their group to bill and collect $500,000 per month.
What do you need to produce to earn the money you wrote in step 1? Write this down.
3. In the middle of your sheet of paper, write down what you need to DO to reach that level of productivity. This is planning at its finest; you start with the final result and work backwards.
Before you achieved the above product, what would you do? Before that? Before that? Plan your steps from this future point in time back to the present.
For example, the plumber needs to DO more promotional actions, delegate responsibility to his assistants and make sure every customer is completely satisfied.
The dental receptionist needs to organize the schedule better, make more reminder calls to patients and keep the doctor busier.
The law firm needs to hire more associates, attract wealthier clients and win more cases.
4. At the top of the page, write what you need to BE to accomplish the plan and obtain the final product.
The plumber might need to BE a responsible manager and not a fun-loving worker. He may decide he needs to BE a successful business owner.
The dental receptionist needs to BE the boss of the patients’ and doctor’s time, not just be a receptionist. She needs to BE a successful manager.
The law firm needs to BE the most powerful law firm in town. It moves to the biggest building in town, hires the best decorators money can buy and gives an overwhelming feeling of strength.
Whatever you write at the top of your paper is what you need to BE. It's the most effective identity you can assume. BE THIS PERSON RIGHT NOW.
Now that you are BEING the correct identity for this goal, DO the action steps. You will then HAVE the money or goal.
Use this exercise in other areas of life. For example, to HAVE a successful marriage, what should you DO and BE? What do you need to DO and BE to HAVE a cheerful family, a successful business, a happy life?
Copyright © 2006 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard."
www.tipsforsuccess.org.
The Honest Way to Get Rich
The Honest Way to Get Rich
You can get everything you want in life as long as you give others enough of what they want. If you give nothing of value, you get nothing of value. Your method of exchange determines your wealth.
The type of exchange you use determines your financial success. Nothing else you do has a greater impact on your income. L. Ron Hubbard outlines the four types of exchange.
"1. First consider a group which takes in money but does not deliver anything in exchange. This is called rip-off." — L. Ron Hubbard
Examples of this first condition of exchange:
— You pay a $1,000 deposit for a new car. The dealer goes bankrupt. You get no car and no refund.
— A plumber loosens a pipe, shows you the "leak," tightens the fitting, makes noise, charges you $159.
— Someone in your office avoids doing work. Lots of excuses, lots of smoke screen, no work, full pay.
This first exchange condition is basically theft. The second exchange condition is cheating.
"2. Second is the condition of partial exchange. The group takes in orders or money for goods and then delivers part of it or a corrupted version of what was ordered." — L. Ron Hubbard
Examples:
— County fair booth promises to show you a two-headed cow, but actually shows an odd-looking skeleton.
— The "$99 Dream Vacation Package" turns out to be a smelly motel room by the freeway.
— Instead of working, an employee reads a magazine, surfs the net or makes personal calls while being paid.
"3. The third condition is the exchange known, legally and in business practice, as `fair exchange.' One takes in orders and money and delivers exactly what has been ordered." — L. Ron Hubbard
Most successful companies and individuals use this principle. Examples:
— You pay for a dozen fresh eggs, you get a dozen fresh eggs.
— A $10-per-hour employee works 40 hours of normal work and is paid $400.
— You pay your power bill and get electricity.
"4. The fourth condition of exchange is not common but could be called exchange in abundance. Here one does not give two for one or free service but gives something more valuable than money was received for." "This fourth principle above is almost unknown in business or the arts. Yet it is the key to howling success and expansion." — L. Ron Hubbard
Individuals and businesses who use this fourth method of exchange flourish when others are in trouble.
— You pay an artist for a painting who then frames it for you at no extra charge.
— You invest with a real-estate group expecting a 12% return each year and get 15% instead.
— An employee not only does all of her own work, she trains a new employee, works on her day off when another employee calls in sick and assumes new management responsibilities without demanding more pay.
Employees who give more than expected receive promotions, raises, bonuses and extra benefits. Job security is excellent as they are valuable to the company.
Businesses that exchange in abundance get more referrals than anyone. Investors are anxious to buy its stock. Customer loyalty is guaranteed.
At first, giving more than expected seems unfair. You give extra effort without recognition. You add value to your work or products without anyone noticing.
Yet eventually, you rise to the top. People like working with you above others. Your company is selected above the competition. You earn a reputation of being more than fair.
Instead of trying to get more, work on giving more as your method of operation and see what happens!
Copyright © 2006 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard."
www.tipsforsuccess.org.
You can get everything you want in life as long as you give others enough of what they want. If you give nothing of value, you get nothing of value. Your method of exchange determines your wealth.
The type of exchange you use determines your financial success. Nothing else you do has a greater impact on your income. L. Ron Hubbard outlines the four types of exchange.
"1. First consider a group which takes in money but does not deliver anything in exchange. This is called rip-off." — L. Ron Hubbard
Examples of this first condition of exchange:
— You pay a $1,000 deposit for a new car. The dealer goes bankrupt. You get no car and no refund.
— A plumber loosens a pipe, shows you the "leak," tightens the fitting, makes noise, charges you $159.
— Someone in your office avoids doing work. Lots of excuses, lots of smoke screen, no work, full pay.
This first exchange condition is basically theft. The second exchange condition is cheating.
"2. Second is the condition of partial exchange. The group takes in orders or money for goods and then delivers part of it or a corrupted version of what was ordered." — L. Ron Hubbard
Examples:
— County fair booth promises to show you a two-headed cow, but actually shows an odd-looking skeleton.
— The "$99 Dream Vacation Package" turns out to be a smelly motel room by the freeway.
— Instead of working, an employee reads a magazine, surfs the net or makes personal calls while being paid.
"3. The third condition is the exchange known, legally and in business practice, as `fair exchange.' One takes in orders and money and delivers exactly what has been ordered." — L. Ron Hubbard
Most successful companies and individuals use this principle. Examples:
— You pay for a dozen fresh eggs, you get a dozen fresh eggs.
— A $10-per-hour employee works 40 hours of normal work and is paid $400.
— You pay your power bill and get electricity.
"4. The fourth condition of exchange is not common but could be called exchange in abundance. Here one does not give two for one or free service but gives something more valuable than money was received for." "This fourth principle above is almost unknown in business or the arts. Yet it is the key to howling success and expansion." — L. Ron Hubbard
Individuals and businesses who use this fourth method of exchange flourish when others are in trouble.
— You pay an artist for a painting who then frames it for you at no extra charge.
— You invest with a real-estate group expecting a 12% return each year and get 15% instead.
— An employee not only does all of her own work, she trains a new employee, works on her day off when another employee calls in sick and assumes new management responsibilities without demanding more pay.
Employees who give more than expected receive promotions, raises, bonuses and extra benefits. Job security is excellent as they are valuable to the company.
Businesses that exchange in abundance get more referrals than anyone. Investors are anxious to buy its stock. Customer loyalty is guaranteed.
At first, giving more than expected seems unfair. You give extra effort without recognition. You add value to your work or products without anyone noticing.
Yet eventually, you rise to the top. People like working with you above others. Your company is selected above the competition. You earn a reputation of being more than fair.
Instead of trying to get more, work on giving more as your method of operation and see what happens!
Copyright © 2006 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard."
www.tipsforsuccess.org.
Fishing Story
Fishing Story
The Japanese love fresh fish. However, the waters close to Japan have not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever.
The farther the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring in the fish. If the return trip took more than a few days, the fish were not fresh. The Japanese did not like the taste.
To solve this problem, fishing companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer.
However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen and they did not like frozen fish. The frozen fish brought a lower price.
So fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, the fish stopped moving. They were tired and dull, but alive.
Unfortunately, the Japanese could still taste the difference. Because the fish did not move for days, they lost their fresh-fish taste. The Japanese preferred the lively taste of fresh fish, not sluggish fish.
So how did Japanese fishing companies solve this problem? How do they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan? If you were consulting the fish industry, what would you recommend?
Too Much Money
As soon as you reach your goals, such as finding a wonderful mate, starting a successful company, paying off your debts or whatever, you might lose your passion. You don’t need to work so hard so you relax.
You experience the same problem as lottery winners who waste their money, wealthy heirs who never grow up and bored homemakers who get addicted to prescription drugs.
Like the Japanese fish problem, the best solution is simple. It was observed by L. Ron Hubbard in the early 1950's.
"Man thrives, oddly enough, only in the presence of a challenging environment." — L. Ron Hubbard
The Benefits of a Challenge
The more intelligent, persistent and competent you are, the more you enjoy a good problem.
If your challenges are the correct size, and if you are steadily conquering those challenges, you are happy.
You think of your challenges and get energized. You are excited to try new solutions. You have fun.
You are alive!
How Japanese Fish Stay Fresh
To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks. But now they add a small shark to each tank. The shark eats a few fish, but most of the fish arrive in a very lively state.
The fish are challenged.
Recommendations
Instead of avoiding challenges, jump into them. Beat the heck out of them. Enjoy the game.
If your challenges are too large or too numerous, do not give up. Failing makes you tired. Instead, reorganize. Find more determination, more knowledge, more help.
If you have met your goals, set some bigger goals. Once you meet your personal or family needs, move onto goals for your group, the society, even mankind.
Don’t create success and lie in it. You have resources, skills and abilities to make a difference.
Put a shark in your tank and see how far you can really go!
Copyright © 2006 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard."
www.tipsforsuccess.org.
The Japanese love fresh fish. However, the waters close to Japan have not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever.
The farther the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring in the fish. If the return trip took more than a few days, the fish were not fresh. The Japanese did not like the taste.
To solve this problem, fishing companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer.
However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen and they did not like frozen fish. The frozen fish brought a lower price.
So fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, the fish stopped moving. They were tired and dull, but alive.
Unfortunately, the Japanese could still taste the difference. Because the fish did not move for days, they lost their fresh-fish taste. The Japanese preferred the lively taste of fresh fish, not sluggish fish.
So how did Japanese fishing companies solve this problem? How do they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan? If you were consulting the fish industry, what would you recommend?
Too Much Money
As soon as you reach your goals, such as finding a wonderful mate, starting a successful company, paying off your debts or whatever, you might lose your passion. You don’t need to work so hard so you relax.
You experience the same problem as lottery winners who waste their money, wealthy heirs who never grow up and bored homemakers who get addicted to prescription drugs.
Like the Japanese fish problem, the best solution is simple. It was observed by L. Ron Hubbard in the early 1950's.
"Man thrives, oddly enough, only in the presence of a challenging environment." — L. Ron Hubbard
The Benefits of a Challenge
The more intelligent, persistent and competent you are, the more you enjoy a good problem.
If your challenges are the correct size, and if you are steadily conquering those challenges, you are happy.
You think of your challenges and get energized. You are excited to try new solutions. You have fun.
You are alive!
How Japanese Fish Stay Fresh
To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks. But now they add a small shark to each tank. The shark eats a few fish, but most of the fish arrive in a very lively state.
The fish are challenged.
Recommendations
Instead of avoiding challenges, jump into them. Beat the heck out of them. Enjoy the game.
If your challenges are too large or too numerous, do not give up. Failing makes you tired. Instead, reorganize. Find more determination, more knowledge, more help.
If you have met your goals, set some bigger goals. Once you meet your personal or family needs, move onto goals for your group, the society, even mankind.
Don’t create success and lie in it. You have resources, skills and abilities to make a difference.
Put a shark in your tank and see how far you can really go!
Copyright © 2006 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard."
www.tipsforsuccess.org.
Goals and Happiness
Goals and Happiness
What makes you happier than anything else you do? Where does real contentment come from?
If you understand and apply the following definition of happiness, you also open the door to unlimited success for yourself, your family and your group.
"Happiness could be defined as the emotion of progress toward desirable goals. There is an instant of contemplation of the last goal in which one is content. But contentment becomes boredom immediately that new goals do not come to view. There is no more unhappy thing than a man who has accomplished all his ends in life." — L. Ron Hubbard
Examine how three facts, from this definition of happiness, make happiness come and go in your life.
1. "There is an instant of contemplation of the last goal in which one is content."
Think of goals you have reached in the past. Remember how you felt on your wedding day or when you graduated from school or a training course? In each case, you achieved a goal!
Remember those times when you were content with life? Maybe when you started a business or landed a great job? When you paid off your debts?
At every point in your life when you felt content or happy, you can probably find you were either making progress toward a goal or had reached a goal
2. "But contentment becomes boredom immediately that new goals do not come to view."
Without a new goal, you get bored. Boredom leads to stress and misery. For example, planning a vacation is exciting. But toward the end of a vacation many people are bored to tears as they no longer have a goal.
Arguments during honeymoons are common if the newlyweds do not set goals for their marriage.
Planning your retirement and the first day of retirement is a thrill. But the joy of freedom quickly turns to boredom and early death if you do not work on new goals.
"There is no more unhappy thing than a man who has accomplished all his ends in life."
Think of a time you were very bored. Had you completed a major goal without starting a new one? Look at other times you were bored. Examine your goals, or lack of goals, at those times.
3. "Happiness could be defined as the emotion of progress toward desirable goals."
We can use this definition to understand unhappiness as well. When were you last unhappy?
In each case, you probably 1) had no goal, 2) were trying to reach an undesirable goal, or 3) you were making no progress toward a goal.
Using the definition of happiness makes happiness easy to achieve. Simply chose desirable goals and make progress toward them!
Exercises
The following steps will help you put this definition of happiness to use.
1. List goals you have not yet reached.
Small goals, large goals, old goals, failed goals and current goals. Make a very complete list.
2. Circle those goals that interest you the most.
Drop out the goals that do not excite you as you can’t reach a goal unless it interests you.
However, if an uninteresting goal is vital for you to reach, find ways to get excited about that goal. Examine the goal’s benefits. For example, maybe the goal to "Pay off all debts" does not thrill you until you examine the benefits: Save $5319 in interest this year, financial freedom, less anxiety.
If you cannot find any benefits of the goal, eliminate it.
3. Add new, desirable goals.
Push the envelope of your self limitations and set goals you really, really want. What are your greatest desires?
If you had unlimited time, money and support, what would your life be like? What would you do? What would you have?
If you knew you could accomplish ANYTHING, what would your goals be?
Add these goals to the list.
4. Line up your goals in a logical sequence.
The better your goals align with each other, the more likely you will reach them. For instance, if you have a goal to travel the world for six months this year and another goal to make more money this year than ever before, you might have problems.
However, if you line up your goals, your odds of success are better because your focus is constant. Example of aligned goals: "Finish my training program so I can double my productivity and income." "Help my husband lower our monthly debts so we can spend more time with the kids." "Delegate all of my sales activities to the sales manager so I can open a new office."
5. To complete the procedure and become happier, you now need to start making progress toward your goals.
Big steps or baby steps, any progress is progress.
Plan out next week. Plan out the month of January. Plan your best year ever.
Make a new habit of reviewing your goals each day to keep your attention and efforts aligned with your goals. At the start of each day, ask yourself: What can I do today to make progress toward my goals?
The more progress you make toward your most desired goals, the happier and more successful your new year will be!
Copyright © 2006 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard
www.tipsforsuccess.org
What makes you happier than anything else you do? Where does real contentment come from?
If you understand and apply the following definition of happiness, you also open the door to unlimited success for yourself, your family and your group.
"Happiness could be defined as the emotion of progress toward desirable goals. There is an instant of contemplation of the last goal in which one is content. But contentment becomes boredom immediately that new goals do not come to view. There is no more unhappy thing than a man who has accomplished all his ends in life." — L. Ron Hubbard
Examine how three facts, from this definition of happiness, make happiness come and go in your life.
1. "There is an instant of contemplation of the last goal in which one is content."
Think of goals you have reached in the past. Remember how you felt on your wedding day or when you graduated from school or a training course? In each case, you achieved a goal!
Remember those times when you were content with life? Maybe when you started a business or landed a great job? When you paid off your debts?
At every point in your life when you felt content or happy, you can probably find you were either making progress toward a goal or had reached a goal
2. "But contentment becomes boredom immediately that new goals do not come to view."
Without a new goal, you get bored. Boredom leads to stress and misery. For example, planning a vacation is exciting. But toward the end of a vacation many people are bored to tears as they no longer have a goal.
Arguments during honeymoons are common if the newlyweds do not set goals for their marriage.
Planning your retirement and the first day of retirement is a thrill. But the joy of freedom quickly turns to boredom and early death if you do not work on new goals.
"There is no more unhappy thing than a man who has accomplished all his ends in life."
Think of a time you were very bored. Had you completed a major goal without starting a new one? Look at other times you were bored. Examine your goals, or lack of goals, at those times.
3. "Happiness could be defined as the emotion of progress toward desirable goals."
We can use this definition to understand unhappiness as well. When were you last unhappy?
In each case, you probably 1) had no goal, 2) were trying to reach an undesirable goal, or 3) you were making no progress toward a goal.
Using the definition of happiness makes happiness easy to achieve. Simply chose desirable goals and make progress toward them!
Exercises
The following steps will help you put this definition of happiness to use.
1. List goals you have not yet reached.
Small goals, large goals, old goals, failed goals and current goals. Make a very complete list.
2. Circle those goals that interest you the most.
Drop out the goals that do not excite you as you can’t reach a goal unless it interests you.
However, if an uninteresting goal is vital for you to reach, find ways to get excited about that goal. Examine the goal’s benefits. For example, maybe the goal to "Pay off all debts" does not thrill you until you examine the benefits: Save $5319 in interest this year, financial freedom, less anxiety.
If you cannot find any benefits of the goal, eliminate it.
3. Add new, desirable goals.
Push the envelope of your self limitations and set goals you really, really want. What are your greatest desires?
If you had unlimited time, money and support, what would your life be like? What would you do? What would you have?
If you knew you could accomplish ANYTHING, what would your goals be?
Add these goals to the list.
4. Line up your goals in a logical sequence.
The better your goals align with each other, the more likely you will reach them. For instance, if you have a goal to travel the world for six months this year and another goal to make more money this year than ever before, you might have problems.
However, if you line up your goals, your odds of success are better because your focus is constant. Example of aligned goals: "Finish my training program so I can double my productivity and income." "Help my husband lower our monthly debts so we can spend more time with the kids." "Delegate all of my sales activities to the sales manager so I can open a new office."
5. To complete the procedure and become happier, you now need to start making progress toward your goals.
Big steps or baby steps, any progress is progress.
Plan out next week. Plan out the month of January. Plan your best year ever.
Make a new habit of reviewing your goals each day to keep your attention and efforts aligned with your goals. At the start of each day, ask yourself: What can I do today to make progress toward my goals?
The more progress you make toward your most desired goals, the happier and more successful your new year will be!
Copyright © 2006 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard
www.tipsforsuccess.org
Being Too Serious Can Ruin Your Success
Being Too Serious Can Ruin Your Success
Are you having fun? Do you get a thrill from your work? Do you enjoy waking up each morning?
Myths about work can hurt your progress. "Work is not supposed to be fun." "You must buckle down and get serious."
Perhaps the biggest myth of all: "People will think I’m important if I act seriously." Yet getting serious creates problems: stress, worry, anxiety, emotional pain, drudgery and failure.
Resolving problems by getting more serious is like fixing a computer with a hammer. The harder you try, the worse the problem becomes.
"When life becomes serious, a man becomes less cause and greater effect. If life gets really serious, his value drops to practically zero. Driving a car can become such serious business that one can wreck the car. Running a business can become so serious as to make it fail. There is a direct connection between insanity and seriousness." "It is only when an individual progresses in life to a point where much seriousness is attached to things that he begins to have a hard time. The ancient Italian really knew what he was about when he considered that the only psychotherapy was laughter." — L. Ron Hubbard
12 Ways to Lighten Up
Approaching your life with a non-serious attitude gives you a clearheaded view of difficulties and the energy to deal with them. Problems are easier to solve, people are more cooperative and you feel more relaxed. You probably live longer and more successfully as well.
Try these techniques until you find one that lightens you up.
1. Deliberately turn a molehill into a mountain. Make a big deal out of a little problem. "I would feel much better if these papers were stacked exactly like this! Not like that! Like this! Not this! This!"
2. Ask yourself, "Is getting serious about this situation really going to improve it?"
3. Focusing on the positives. Repeat these questions until you feel lighter, "What is right about this picture?" "What else is right?" "What else?"
4. Consider a complete, major change. Why not go back to school? Why not move to Idaho? Why not retire for a few years or start a new career?
5. Ask yourself, "When I’m on my deathbed, will I be glad I was so serious about _______?"
6. A challenging game is much better than no game at all. So consider losing all aspects of the problem. Examples: You feel serious about family problems. You ask yourself, "Well, what if I had no family at all?" You feel serious about your investments. You ask yourself, "What if I had no money to invest?"
7. The size of your problem may match the size of your game. So get a bigger game. For example, if you get uptight about paper clips being in the wrong drawer, your game size is tiny. Double your amount of responsibility. Set some huge goals. Succeed by thinking much, much bigger.
8. Stop trying to solve the problem that is making you so serious. Certain types of problems solve themselves if you leave them alone. Your problem may be one of those.
9. Compare what you are doing to other careers. Imagine being a septic tank drainer or an IRS agent.
10. Make everyone around you lighten up. You will soon feel more cheerful.
11. Look at bizarre solutions. What is the craziest way you could solve your problem? What solution, if it worked, would make you laugh out loud?
12. Act stupid for a minute. Let down your hair. Stop being so darn important for a while. Be a goof!
Copyright © 2006 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard
www.tipsforsuccess.org
Are you having fun? Do you get a thrill from your work? Do you enjoy waking up each morning?
Myths about work can hurt your progress. "Work is not supposed to be fun." "You must buckle down and get serious."
Perhaps the biggest myth of all: "People will think I’m important if I act seriously." Yet getting serious creates problems: stress, worry, anxiety, emotional pain, drudgery and failure.
Resolving problems by getting more serious is like fixing a computer with a hammer. The harder you try, the worse the problem becomes.
"When life becomes serious, a man becomes less cause and greater effect. If life gets really serious, his value drops to practically zero. Driving a car can become such serious business that one can wreck the car. Running a business can become so serious as to make it fail. There is a direct connection between insanity and seriousness." "It is only when an individual progresses in life to a point where much seriousness is attached to things that he begins to have a hard time. The ancient Italian really knew what he was about when he considered that the only psychotherapy was laughter." — L. Ron Hubbard
12 Ways to Lighten Up
Approaching your life with a non-serious attitude gives you a clearheaded view of difficulties and the energy to deal with them. Problems are easier to solve, people are more cooperative and you feel more relaxed. You probably live longer and more successfully as well.
Try these techniques until you find one that lightens you up.
1. Deliberately turn a molehill into a mountain. Make a big deal out of a little problem. "I would feel much better if these papers were stacked exactly like this! Not like that! Like this! Not this! This!"
2. Ask yourself, "Is getting serious about this situation really going to improve it?"
3. Focusing on the positives. Repeat these questions until you feel lighter, "What is right about this picture?" "What else is right?" "What else?"
4. Consider a complete, major change. Why not go back to school? Why not move to Idaho? Why not retire for a few years or start a new career?
5. Ask yourself, "When I’m on my deathbed, will I be glad I was so serious about _______?"
6. A challenging game is much better than no game at all. So consider losing all aspects of the problem. Examples: You feel serious about family problems. You ask yourself, "Well, what if I had no family at all?" You feel serious about your investments. You ask yourself, "What if I had no money to invest?"
7. The size of your problem may match the size of your game. So get a bigger game. For example, if you get uptight about paper clips being in the wrong drawer, your game size is tiny. Double your amount of responsibility. Set some huge goals. Succeed by thinking much, much bigger.
8. Stop trying to solve the problem that is making you so serious. Certain types of problems solve themselves if you leave them alone. Your problem may be one of those.
9. Compare what you are doing to other careers. Imagine being a septic tank drainer or an IRS agent.
10. Make everyone around you lighten up. You will soon feel more cheerful.
11. Look at bizarre solutions. What is the craziest way you could solve your problem? What solution, if it worked, would make you laugh out loud?
12. Act stupid for a minute. Let down your hair. Stop being so darn important for a while. Be a goof!
Copyright © 2006 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard
www.tipsforsuccess.org
Are you a professional
Are You a Professional?
How you look, talk, write, act and work determines whether you are a professional or an amateur. Society does not emphasize the importance of professionalism, so people tend to believe that amateur work is normal. Many businesses accept less-than-good results.
Schools graduate students who cannot read. You can miss 15% of the driving-test answers and still get a driver license. "Just getting by" is an attitude many people accept. But it is the attitude of amateurs.
"Don't ever do anything as though you were an amateur.
"Anything you do, do it as a Professional to Professional standards.
"If you have the idea about anything you do that you just dabble in it, you will wind up with a dabble life. There'll be no satisfaction in it because there will be no real production you can be proud of.
"Develop the frame of mind that whatever you do, you are doing it as a professional and move up to professional standards in it.
"Never let it be said of you that you lived an amateur life.
"Professionals see situations and they handle what they see. They are not amateur dabblers.
"So learn this as a first lesson about life. The only successful beings in any field, including living itself, are those who have a professional viewpoint and make themselves and ARE professionals" — L. Ron Hubbard
A professional learns every aspect of the job. An amateur skips the learning process whenever possible.
A professional carefully discovers what is needed and wanted. An amateur assumes what others need and want.
A professional looks, speaks and dresses like a professional. An amateur is sloppy in appearance and speech.
A professional keeps his or her work area clean and orderly. An amateur has a messy, confused or dirty work area.
A professional is focused and clear-headed. An amateur is confused and distracted.
A professional does not let mistakes slide by. An amateur ignores or hides mistakes.
A professional jumps into difficult assignments. An amateur tries to get out of difficult work.
A professional completes projects as soon as possible. An amateur is surrounded by unfinished work piled on unfinished work.
A professional remains level-headed and optimistic. An amateur gets upset and assumes the worst.
A professional handles money and accounts very carefully. An amateur is sloppy with money or accounts.
A professional faces up to other people’s upsets and problems. An amateur avoids others’ problems.
A professional uses higher emotional tones: Enthusiasm, cheerfulness, interest, contentment. An amateur uses lower emotional tones: anger, hostility, resentment, fear, victim.
A professional persists until the objective is achieved. An amateur gives up at the first opportunity.
A professional produces more than expected. An amateur produces just enough to get by.
A professional produces a high-quality product or service. An amateur produces medium-to-low quality product or service.
A professional earns high pay. An amateur earns low pay and feels it’s unfair.
A professional has a promising future. An amateur has an uncertain future.
The first step to making yourself a professional is to decide you ARE a professional.
Are you a professional?
Copyright © 2006 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard
www.tipsforsuccess.org
How you look, talk, write, act and work determines whether you are a professional or an amateur. Society does not emphasize the importance of professionalism, so people tend to believe that amateur work is normal. Many businesses accept less-than-good results.
Schools graduate students who cannot read. You can miss 15% of the driving-test answers and still get a driver license. "Just getting by" is an attitude many people accept. But it is the attitude of amateurs.
"Don't ever do anything as though you were an amateur.
"Anything you do, do it as a Professional to Professional standards.
"If you have the idea about anything you do that you just dabble in it, you will wind up with a dabble life. There'll be no satisfaction in it because there will be no real production you can be proud of.
"Develop the frame of mind that whatever you do, you are doing it as a professional and move up to professional standards in it.
"Never let it be said of you that you lived an amateur life.
"Professionals see situations and they handle what they see. They are not amateur dabblers.
"So learn this as a first lesson about life. The only successful beings in any field, including living itself, are those who have a professional viewpoint and make themselves and ARE professionals" — L. Ron Hubbard
A professional learns every aspect of the job. An amateur skips the learning process whenever possible.
A professional carefully discovers what is needed and wanted. An amateur assumes what others need and want.
A professional looks, speaks and dresses like a professional. An amateur is sloppy in appearance and speech.
A professional keeps his or her work area clean and orderly. An amateur has a messy, confused or dirty work area.
A professional is focused and clear-headed. An amateur is confused and distracted.
A professional does not let mistakes slide by. An amateur ignores or hides mistakes.
A professional jumps into difficult assignments. An amateur tries to get out of difficult work.
A professional completes projects as soon as possible. An amateur is surrounded by unfinished work piled on unfinished work.
A professional remains level-headed and optimistic. An amateur gets upset and assumes the worst.
A professional handles money and accounts very carefully. An amateur is sloppy with money or accounts.
A professional faces up to other people’s upsets and problems. An amateur avoids others’ problems.
A professional uses higher emotional tones: Enthusiasm, cheerfulness, interest, contentment. An amateur uses lower emotional tones: anger, hostility, resentment, fear, victim.
A professional persists until the objective is achieved. An amateur gives up at the first opportunity.
A professional produces more than expected. An amateur produces just enough to get by.
A professional produces a high-quality product or service. An amateur produces medium-to-low quality product or service.
A professional earns high pay. An amateur earns low pay and feels it’s unfair.
A professional has a promising future. An amateur has an uncertain future.
The first step to making yourself a professional is to decide you ARE a professional.
Are you a professional?
Copyright © 2006 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard
www.tipsforsuccess.org
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Trading rules - By Decipher
Protocols for Successful Trading
The following contents are my own trading rules that had helped me in massive ways. I can share with you but it is really up to you to remember these trading rules that allow me to avoid costly mistakes and make more profits.
1. 3 stages of Trading Life Cycle
Survival – Learn to survive in the market. Trading is never easy, if you have to pay for your mistakes, make sure it is an affordable mistake and that it will not wipe you out of the game. Trading is a lifelong game. Money is your oxygen, if you lose it; you are out of the game.
Profits – Once you can survive in the market, you will notice you have the ability to make small profits from time to time. Reinvest and see how your account grows in this stage.
Massive Profits – This final stage comes when you can take bigger positions in the market. As your trading account grew in the “Profits” stage, you will be able to take position of bigger size and hence your profits will be more. Also, this is when you will be able to spot and sit on big runners consistently.
Passing through each stage requires patience. If you are too hurried, just like speeding, it will kill you.
2. Money management , Trading System , Manage your emotions
Every trader must know these 3 critical success factors in trading.
Money Management
Money to us is what oxygen is to a diver. He must know how to use it wisely in order to last a diving trip. Just like in the stock market. You must pace yourself and manage your losses wisely. Always know how much you can afford to lose. A sound money management rule is to enable you to trade even if you suffer multiple trading losses.
Trading System
No matter what technical indicator you use, make sure you have a cut loss and a profit taking target. A sound system will also include a sensible risk and reward factor. Reward should always be more than the risk you are taking. Also, the trading system that you use should be personalized to your lifestyle and personality.
Manage Your Emotions
There will always be hope, greed and fear. Many hope that their stocks will move further north or rebound from a decline even though the charts tell a different story. When a sell signal occurs, they are greedy for more profits and choose to ignore the signal. After many losses, they are fearful to buy when their trading system tells them there is a strong buy signal and thus they miss a stock! After the stock moves, they got greedy and jumped in. Stock declines and they hope it will rebound for them to get out. This is what we always call emotional trading. Learn to keep them under control and do not base any of your trading decisions on them.
3. Disciplined Cut Loss
While we dare to buy when there is a buy signal, not many people are willing to take losses when there is a sell signal. This is human nature, when it comes to pocketing profits, everyone did it very fast! When it comes to losing something, everyone will be hesitant. It is high time you start to think differently.
4. Exercising patience
There are times to buy, time to hold and not do anything and there is time to sell. These are the 3 things that we can do in the stock market. It is when the time where we shouldn’t do anything that requires us to practice patience. When I miss a trading chance, I tell myself, patience, if I chase after the stock, the risk is not worth the reward. There will always be another opportunity. Stock market will still be around even after I die! Stock market is a marathon and is not a short sprint (quick buck). Those who tried to go for quick bucks without giving themselves enough time to understand trading often gets killed.
5. Always consider Risk/Reward in every trade
Before you put in a trade, make sure you have a sensible risk/reward factor working for you. This risk/reward is defined as a small loss when I’m wrong and a big profit when I’m right.
6. Have a plan, Stick to your plan
When you put on a trade, make sure you have defined a cut loss price and a profit target. Just like a flight path, there is a take off and a destination. Trade without a plan is like flying towards the Ocean hoping to see land. You will crash if you run out of fuel (money) or you met a storm (Sudden sell down due to crisis).
7. Look at both weekly and daily charts
Weekly chart shows the longer term trend and daily chart shows the “noise” or volatility. While we may find entries on daily chart, it is often important to look at the weekly chart for an idea of the “real” trend. It’s like looking at the bigger picture.
8. The longer time frame for the support or resistance the better
A support not broken for a few weeks or months is stronger than the support of a few days. This is especially true if the support of the longer term is tested and not broken. The same goes for resistance.
9. Never make decision during intra day unless unusual volume or news
I will never make decision during intraday. As mentioned earlier, a plan has to be formularized before putting on a trade. It is advisable to follow the plan and not be affected by the “noise” during intraday. Unless there is a sudden spike in volume which usually means something is brewing. Or there is some news about the stock.
10. Focus on market leader stocks and the sector in play.
Very often, the biggest gains are the stocks that are in play or from the sector in play. Pay attention to the top volume everyday and watch what group of stocks keeps hogging the list. You should be able to smell the play of the day or week. After that, look at the top stocks in this sector.
11. Livermore’s probing method
When a stock breakout at 0.300, I will buy 50% of what I intend to buy at 0.300. After that if it continues to 0.305, I will buy the remainder 50%. This helps to minimize loss if the breakout is false alarm.
12. Symptom of a Stock Market Crash
If everyone is talking about stocks especially people you know who were never in the stock market, it will mean everyone has invested and there will be no new buying to sustain a bull market. The same goes for bear market, if everyone has sold and got out of the market, there are no more selling to sustain the downward momentum.
13. Know what you want, trading or investing
This is the same as rule 6. Many a time, I see people who got into a position with the intention for a quick buck end up becoming a forced investor. Their stocks declined instead of incline as anticipated and they sat on paper losses telling themselves it is a great company and soon the price will rebound. If you want to trade, make sure you follow your plan. Same for investing, if you are an investor, do not be bothered about the daily volatility. Business fundamentals do not change as sudden as the chart changes. But it will be a shame on you if you refuse to cut loss if the fundamentals have changed.
14. Understand relationship between price actions and volume
When looking at charts, be sure to count the number of up days on heavy volume and vice versa for down days. It is helpful to read at past price and volume relationship to form an anticipation of what will happen next. Price and volume tells consolidation and distribution.
15. Beware of 1 day volume spike of more than 50% forming the shooting star
If the stock price touches a high during intra day but closes near or at its low of the day with high volume of more than 50% of average volume, time to get that parachute in your hands.
16. Buying at break out from resistance or buying near support
You should only buy at 2 locations on the chart. Firstly you can buy if the stock breaks out from the resistance. Lastly you can buy very near to support. If you buy between support and resistance, you will be squeezed.
17. Chart formation cup & handle, double bottom, triangles, box range
Chart formations show the consolidation and distribution of a stock. Always look for the shapes and pattern on the chart when analyzing.
18. Psychology of stocks breaking new highs (A reason why blueline theory works!)
Holders missed the chance to sell high. Price retraced and they hold on to it waiting for the next high. When price reached the high, these holders sell. It flushed out all these stale holders thus creating a clear road for more upside.
19. Go through past trades to review mistakes
Looking at past trades enable you to know your mistakes. It is highly important that you should avoid the same costly mistakes from happening. It also gives you the ability to spot the danger signs on a chart quickly as you get familiar with them. The same goes for remembering what you did right hence you will be very familiar with charts that are gold mine!
This list will certainly grow longer as I continue my trading journey. But it is by far the most useful rules that enable me to crawl back to the black from a negative trading account. Remember, rules are simple to create but not many people have the discipline to follow. To be successful, you must have that discipline.
You can join me at my blog at http://growmoney.blogspot.com/ daily to understand how I apply these rules to my trading. See you there!
About the author:You may forward this article to the people you think might be useful to. Do this only if you find it useful and appreciate if you can link back to my site.
Yours truly,
Decipher
Author of http://growmoney.blogspot.com
http://growmoney.blospot.com where my trading journey never ends
Copyright © 2006 GrowMoney Blog. All rights reserved.
The following contents are my own trading rules that had helped me in massive ways. I can share with you but it is really up to you to remember these trading rules that allow me to avoid costly mistakes and make more profits.
1. 3 stages of Trading Life Cycle
Survival – Learn to survive in the market. Trading is never easy, if you have to pay for your mistakes, make sure it is an affordable mistake and that it will not wipe you out of the game. Trading is a lifelong game. Money is your oxygen, if you lose it; you are out of the game.
Profits – Once you can survive in the market, you will notice you have the ability to make small profits from time to time. Reinvest and see how your account grows in this stage.
Massive Profits – This final stage comes when you can take bigger positions in the market. As your trading account grew in the “Profits” stage, you will be able to take position of bigger size and hence your profits will be more. Also, this is when you will be able to spot and sit on big runners consistently.
Passing through each stage requires patience. If you are too hurried, just like speeding, it will kill you.
2. Money management , Trading System , Manage your emotions
Every trader must know these 3 critical success factors in trading.
Money Management
Money to us is what oxygen is to a diver. He must know how to use it wisely in order to last a diving trip. Just like in the stock market. You must pace yourself and manage your losses wisely. Always know how much you can afford to lose. A sound money management rule is to enable you to trade even if you suffer multiple trading losses.
Trading System
No matter what technical indicator you use, make sure you have a cut loss and a profit taking target. A sound system will also include a sensible risk and reward factor. Reward should always be more than the risk you are taking. Also, the trading system that you use should be personalized to your lifestyle and personality.
Manage Your Emotions
There will always be hope, greed and fear. Many hope that their stocks will move further north or rebound from a decline even though the charts tell a different story. When a sell signal occurs, they are greedy for more profits and choose to ignore the signal. After many losses, they are fearful to buy when their trading system tells them there is a strong buy signal and thus they miss a stock! After the stock moves, they got greedy and jumped in. Stock declines and they hope it will rebound for them to get out. This is what we always call emotional trading. Learn to keep them under control and do not base any of your trading decisions on them.
3. Disciplined Cut Loss
While we dare to buy when there is a buy signal, not many people are willing to take losses when there is a sell signal. This is human nature, when it comes to pocketing profits, everyone did it very fast! When it comes to losing something, everyone will be hesitant. It is high time you start to think differently.
4. Exercising patience
There are times to buy, time to hold and not do anything and there is time to sell. These are the 3 things that we can do in the stock market. It is when the time where we shouldn’t do anything that requires us to practice patience. When I miss a trading chance, I tell myself, patience, if I chase after the stock, the risk is not worth the reward. There will always be another opportunity. Stock market will still be around even after I die! Stock market is a marathon and is not a short sprint (quick buck). Those who tried to go for quick bucks without giving themselves enough time to understand trading often gets killed.
5. Always consider Risk/Reward in every trade
Before you put in a trade, make sure you have a sensible risk/reward factor working for you. This risk/reward is defined as a small loss when I’m wrong and a big profit when I’m right.
6. Have a plan, Stick to your plan
When you put on a trade, make sure you have defined a cut loss price and a profit target. Just like a flight path, there is a take off and a destination. Trade without a plan is like flying towards the Ocean hoping to see land. You will crash if you run out of fuel (money) or you met a storm (Sudden sell down due to crisis).
7. Look at both weekly and daily charts
Weekly chart shows the longer term trend and daily chart shows the “noise” or volatility. While we may find entries on daily chart, it is often important to look at the weekly chart for an idea of the “real” trend. It’s like looking at the bigger picture.
8. The longer time frame for the support or resistance the better
A support not broken for a few weeks or months is stronger than the support of a few days. This is especially true if the support of the longer term is tested and not broken. The same goes for resistance.
9. Never make decision during intra day unless unusual volume or news
I will never make decision during intraday. As mentioned earlier, a plan has to be formularized before putting on a trade. It is advisable to follow the plan and not be affected by the “noise” during intraday. Unless there is a sudden spike in volume which usually means something is brewing. Or there is some news about the stock.
10. Focus on market leader stocks and the sector in play.
Very often, the biggest gains are the stocks that are in play or from the sector in play. Pay attention to the top volume everyday and watch what group of stocks keeps hogging the list. You should be able to smell the play of the day or week. After that, look at the top stocks in this sector.
11. Livermore’s probing method
When a stock breakout at 0.300, I will buy 50% of what I intend to buy at 0.300. After that if it continues to 0.305, I will buy the remainder 50%. This helps to minimize loss if the breakout is false alarm.
12. Symptom of a Stock Market Crash
If everyone is talking about stocks especially people you know who were never in the stock market, it will mean everyone has invested and there will be no new buying to sustain a bull market. The same goes for bear market, if everyone has sold and got out of the market, there are no more selling to sustain the downward momentum.
13. Know what you want, trading or investing
This is the same as rule 6. Many a time, I see people who got into a position with the intention for a quick buck end up becoming a forced investor. Their stocks declined instead of incline as anticipated and they sat on paper losses telling themselves it is a great company and soon the price will rebound. If you want to trade, make sure you follow your plan. Same for investing, if you are an investor, do not be bothered about the daily volatility. Business fundamentals do not change as sudden as the chart changes. But it will be a shame on you if you refuse to cut loss if the fundamentals have changed.
14. Understand relationship between price actions and volume
When looking at charts, be sure to count the number of up days on heavy volume and vice versa for down days. It is helpful to read at past price and volume relationship to form an anticipation of what will happen next. Price and volume tells consolidation and distribution.
15. Beware of 1 day volume spike of more than 50% forming the shooting star
If the stock price touches a high during intra day but closes near or at its low of the day with high volume of more than 50% of average volume, time to get that parachute in your hands.
16. Buying at break out from resistance or buying near support
You should only buy at 2 locations on the chart. Firstly you can buy if the stock breaks out from the resistance. Lastly you can buy very near to support. If you buy between support and resistance, you will be squeezed.
17. Chart formation cup & handle, double bottom, triangles, box range
Chart formations show the consolidation and distribution of a stock. Always look for the shapes and pattern on the chart when analyzing.
18. Psychology of stocks breaking new highs (A reason why blueline theory works!)
Holders missed the chance to sell high. Price retraced and they hold on to it waiting for the next high. When price reached the high, these holders sell. It flushed out all these stale holders thus creating a clear road for more upside.
19. Go through past trades to review mistakes
Looking at past trades enable you to know your mistakes. It is highly important that you should avoid the same costly mistakes from happening. It also gives you the ability to spot the danger signs on a chart quickly as you get familiar with them. The same goes for remembering what you did right hence you will be very familiar with charts that are gold mine!
This list will certainly grow longer as I continue my trading journey. But it is by far the most useful rules that enable me to crawl back to the black from a negative trading account. Remember, rules are simple to create but not many people have the discipline to follow. To be successful, you must have that discipline.
You can join me at my blog at http://growmoney.blogspot.com/ daily to understand how I apply these rules to my trading. See you there!
About the author:You may forward this article to the people you think might be useful to. Do this only if you find it useful and appreciate if you can link back to my site.
Yours truly,
Decipher
Author of http://growmoney.blogspot.com
http://growmoney.blospot.com where my trading journey never ends
Copyright © 2006 GrowMoney Blog. All rights reserved.
Article Source: http://www.smallbusinesspub.com
Technical analysis- By Decipher
About Technical Analysis
I have heard people lament how difficult it was to perform technical analysis and how they can never learn the skills. There were also many critics or fundamental believers that the stock market can never be timed and that we market technicians are wasting our time trying to beat the market using technical analysis. Technical analysis was thought to be a study of past price behaviors and critics were saying the past doesn’t reflect what will happen in the future. They are both right and wrong. They are right because technical analysis is not a crystal ball where it is 100% accurate. They are wrong because technical analysis reflects the human emotions happening on the charts. Do human change over the centuries? As far as emotions are concerned, fear and greed are human nature that will never change! Humans will still do insider trading even if it is illegal due to greed. We saw how corporate governance though tightened over the decades was not fool proof to these criminals. Humans will still fear losing paper profits and they will still fear declining stock prices leading to declining capital. All these emotions can be found on the charts as they happen. Ask yourself, how many times have you seen a stock price run up before news is released? Anticipation of shareholders? Well, maybe but how about insider leaking the news? Think about it.
Every night I study in details charts and it is through all these relentless efforts that I became very familiar with technical analysis. If a lawyer wants to win a case, he will study the case carefully and also refer to past cases. We all know lawyers earn big money, but it is really this hard work of preparation that justifies their huge pay. As a trader, we cannot slack too. Hard work and efforts must be put in to learn technical analysis. Long hours of studying these charts will enable us to be very proficient in chart reading and recognize buy or sell signal in a flash as the experience build up. There is no shortcut to success in trading as far as I’m concerned.
I started trading as a loser and often times am only interested to know which the next stock to buy is. This is not why legends made their fortune in the stock market. Every single book that I read, advocate us to study past charts and get familiar with all the chart patterns or price/volume relationship. Hence why shouldn’t we follow? After all, they are the ones who have done it and been there.
Remember, human nature never changed and this is the fundamental reason why technical analysis will work.
About the author:No re-producing of the information in this article in any forms without the written permission of the creator. You may however forward this article as a whole to anybody you think might be helpful to and link back to my site.
Copyright © 2006 GrowMoney Blog. All rights reserved.
Yours truly,
Decipher
Author of http://growmoney.blogspot.com
http://growmoney.blospot.com where my trading journey never ends
I have heard people lament how difficult it was to perform technical analysis and how they can never learn the skills. There were also many critics or fundamental believers that the stock market can never be timed and that we market technicians are wasting our time trying to beat the market using technical analysis. Technical analysis was thought to be a study of past price behaviors and critics were saying the past doesn’t reflect what will happen in the future. They are both right and wrong. They are right because technical analysis is not a crystal ball where it is 100% accurate. They are wrong because technical analysis reflects the human emotions happening on the charts. Do human change over the centuries? As far as emotions are concerned, fear and greed are human nature that will never change! Humans will still do insider trading even if it is illegal due to greed. We saw how corporate governance though tightened over the decades was not fool proof to these criminals. Humans will still fear losing paper profits and they will still fear declining stock prices leading to declining capital. All these emotions can be found on the charts as they happen. Ask yourself, how many times have you seen a stock price run up before news is released? Anticipation of shareholders? Well, maybe but how about insider leaking the news? Think about it.
Every night I study in details charts and it is through all these relentless efforts that I became very familiar with technical analysis. If a lawyer wants to win a case, he will study the case carefully and also refer to past cases. We all know lawyers earn big money, but it is really this hard work of preparation that justifies their huge pay. As a trader, we cannot slack too. Hard work and efforts must be put in to learn technical analysis. Long hours of studying these charts will enable us to be very proficient in chart reading and recognize buy or sell signal in a flash as the experience build up. There is no shortcut to success in trading as far as I’m concerned.
I started trading as a loser and often times am only interested to know which the next stock to buy is. This is not why legends made their fortune in the stock market. Every single book that I read, advocate us to study past charts and get familiar with all the chart patterns or price/volume relationship. Hence why shouldn’t we follow? After all, they are the ones who have done it and been there.
Remember, human nature never changed and this is the fundamental reason why technical analysis will work.
About the author:No re-producing of the information in this article in any forms without the written permission of the creator. You may however forward this article as a whole to anybody you think might be helpful to and link back to my site.
Copyright © 2006 GrowMoney Blog. All rights reserved.
Yours truly,
Decipher
Author of http://growmoney.blogspot.com
http://growmoney.blospot.com where my trading journey never ends
Article Source: http://www.smallbusinesspub.com
Friday, June 09, 2006
Be an outstanding CEO
There were men .Some were followers .Others wanted to lead.Only some could lead.
YOU HAVE MET THE CROWD.NOW MEET THE LEADERS
Here are some sayings that have kept me going all my life :
If God be for us , who can be against us
My boss is a jewish carpenter
Everything passes except God
You are never a loser until you quit trying
When everything seems lost tomorrow remains
Today is the first day of the rest of my life
Big shots are little shots who keep shooting
When the going gets touch the tough gets going
He who ruleth his heart is better than he who rules a city
I have always belived that when you die you will never look back and regret that you had not spend more time in the office , or you have not made a billion but you will look back back on the time you spend with your wife and children and the love and memories you leave with them.A man who realises this has already become successful and happy.Also you are nothing without a firm belief in god and his love and power.
Dilip Jacob Mathew
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Sun-tzu warfare- useful in the board room
Sun-tzu said: Warfare is a great matter to a nation; it is the ground of death and of life; it is the way of survival and of destruction, and must be examined. Therefore, go through it by means of five factors; compare them by means of calculation, and determine their statuses: One, Way, two, Heaven, three, Ground, four, General, five, Law. The Way is what causes the people to have the same thinking as their superiors; they may be given death, or they may be given life, but there is no fear of danger and betrayal. Heaven is dark and light, cold and hot, and the seasonal constraints. Ground is high and low, far and near, obstructed and easy, wide and narrow, and dangerous and safe. General is wisdom, credibility, benevolence, courage, and discipline. Law is organization, the chain of command, logistics, and the control of expenses. All these five no general has not heard; one who knows them is victorious, one who does not know them is not victorious. Therefore, compare them by means of calculation, and determine their statuses. Ask: Which ruler has the Way. Which general has the ability. Which has gained Heaven and Ground. Which carried out Law and commands. Which army is strong. Which officers and soldiers are trained. Which reward and punish clearly, by means of these, I know victory and defeat! A general who listens to my calculations, and uses them, will surely be victorious, keep him. A general who does not listen to my calculations, and does not use them, will surely be defeated, remove him. Calculate advantages by means of what was heard, then create force in order to assist outside missions. Force is the control of the balance of power, in accordance with advantages. Warfare is the Way of deception. Therefore, if able, appear unable, if active, appear not active, if near, appear far, if far, appear near. If they have advantage, entice them; if they are confused, take them, if they are substantial, prepare for them, if they are strong, avoid them, if they are angry, disturb them, if they are humble, make them haughty, if they are relaxed, toil them, if they are united, separate them. Attack where they are not prepared, go out to where they do not expect. This specialized warfare leads to victory, and may not be transmitted beforehand. Before doing battle, in the temple one calculates and will win, because many calculations were made. Before doing battle, in the temple one calculates and will not win, because few calculations were made. Many calculations, victory, few calculations, no victory, then how much less so when no calculations? By means of these, I can observe them, beholding victory or defeat! *** If you think that war has casualties... then what do you think about day trading in stocks? Sun Tzu was a military general in China. Scholars surmise he lived from 544 BC to 496 BC.
Cool Books on investment
Advanced Trading Rules - Satchell, S & Acar Emmanual - 1997
A Half Century of Returns on Stocks & Bonds - Fisher, Lawrence & Lorie, James H. - 1977
A License to Steal - Stein, Benjamin J. - 1992
Are You a Stockholder? - Winthrop, Alden - 1937
Art of Astute Investing (The) - Conover, C. Todd - 1998
Beating the Dow - O'Higgins, Michael B. - 2000 Beyond Greed and Fear - Shefrin, Hersh - 1999
Beyond the Basics - Farrell, Mary - 2000
Beyond Value at Risk - Dowd, Kevin - 1998
Bond Markets, Analysis and Strategies - Fabozzi, Frank J. - 1996
Coffeehouse Investor (The) - Schultheis, Bill - 1998 Computerized Trading - Jurik, Mark - 1999
Contrarian Investment Strategy - Dreman, David - 1979
Day the Bubble Burst (The) - Thomas, Gordon & Morgan-Witts, Max - 1979
Deceitful Practices - Fitzgibbon, John E. Jr. - 1991 Den of Thieves - Stewart, James B. - 1992
Disciplined Trader (The) - Douglas, Mark - 1990
Dividend Investor (The) - Harvey, C. & Knowles, Iii - 1995
DOW 36,000 - Glassman, James K. & Hassett, Kevin A. - 1999
Dumb Money - Anuff, joey & Wolf, Gary - 2000
Econometrics of Financial Markets (The) - Campbell, John Y. et al. - 1997
Eight Steps to Seven Figures - Carlson, Charles B. - 2000
Electronic Day Trader (The) - West, George & Friedfertig, Marc - 1998
Empowered Investor (The) - Karoly, Robert E. - 1998
Finance Enviroment and Decisions - Christy, George A. & Roden, Peyton Foster - 1973
Financial Independence the Smart Way - Littauer, Stephen L. - 1999
Financial Management and Policy - Van Horne, James C. - 1983
Flying the Stock Market - Reick, Franklin G. et al. - 1997
Foolish Four (The) - Bauer, Brian - 1999
Forecasting Financial Markets - Plummer, Tony - 1998
From Hard Knocks to Hot Stocks - Davis, J. Morton et al. - 1998
Generation of Wealth - Westheimer, Julius - 1997
Greed Is Good - Hoenig, Jonathan - 1999
How I Trade and Invest in Stocks and Bonds - Wyckoff, Richard D. -1983
How to Make Money in Stocks - O'Neil, William J. 1994
Implementing Value at Risk - Best, Philip W. - 1999
Inefficient Stock Market (The) - Haugen, Robert A. - 1998
Innergame of Trading (The) - Koppel, Robert & Abell, Howard - 1994
Intelligent Investor (The) - Graham, Benjamin - 1985
International Investments - Solnik, Bruno H. - 1995
Investing for Dummies - Tyson, Eric - 1999
Investing Secrets of the Masters - Donovan, William J. - 1999
Invest in Yourself - Eisenson, Mark -1998
Investments - Dougall, Herbert E. - 1973
Invisible Crash (The) - Dines, James - 1975
Irrational Exuberance - Shiller, Robert J. - 2000
Learn to Earn - Lynch, Peter & Rothchild, John - 1996
Millionaire Mind (The) - Stanley, Thomas J. - 2000
Money Market (The) - Stigum, Marcia - 1983
Motley Fool Investment Workbook (The) - Gardner, David - 1998
New Era of Wealth (The) - Wesbury, Brian S. - 1999
One Up on Wall Street - Lynch, Peter - 1995 Online Investing - Markman, Jon D. - 1999
Popular Financial Delusions - Smitley, Robert L. - 1963
Profits Without Panic - Myers, Jonathan - 1999
Psychology of Smart Investing (The) - Epstein, Ira - 1992
Reminiscences of a Stock Operator - Lefevre, Edwin - 1923
Riding the Bear - Harding, Sam - 1999
Roaring 2000s (The) - Dent, Harry S., Jr. - 1998
Stock Market (The) - Hamilton, W. P. - 1937
Stocks and Bonds - American Stock Exchange - 1965
Strategic Fixed Income Investment - Ho, Thomas S. Y. - 1990
The Warren Buffett Way - Lynch, Peter - 1995
Unemotional Investor (The) - Sheard, Robert - 1999
Wave Principle (The) - Elliott, R. N. - 1969
Way of the Hunter-Warrior (The) - Snyder, Julian - 1982
Wheat Market (The) - Lowell, Fred R. - 1968
You Have More Than You Think - Gardner, David & Tom - 1998
A Half Century of Returns on Stocks & Bonds - Fisher, Lawrence & Lorie, James H. - 1977
A License to Steal - Stein, Benjamin J. - 1992
Are You a Stockholder? - Winthrop, Alden - 1937
Art of Astute Investing (The) - Conover, C. Todd - 1998
Beating the Dow - O'Higgins, Michael B. - 2000 Beyond Greed and Fear - Shefrin, Hersh - 1999
Beyond the Basics - Farrell, Mary - 2000
Beyond Value at Risk - Dowd, Kevin - 1998
Bond Markets, Analysis and Strategies - Fabozzi, Frank J. - 1996
Coffeehouse Investor (The) - Schultheis, Bill - 1998 Computerized Trading - Jurik, Mark - 1999
Contrarian Investment Strategy - Dreman, David - 1979
Day the Bubble Burst (The) - Thomas, Gordon & Morgan-Witts, Max - 1979
Deceitful Practices - Fitzgibbon, John E. Jr. - 1991 Den of Thieves - Stewart, James B. - 1992
Disciplined Trader (The) - Douglas, Mark - 1990
Dividend Investor (The) - Harvey, C. & Knowles, Iii - 1995
DOW 36,000 - Glassman, James K. & Hassett, Kevin A. - 1999
Dumb Money - Anuff, joey & Wolf, Gary - 2000
Econometrics of Financial Markets (The) - Campbell, John Y. et al. - 1997
Eight Steps to Seven Figures - Carlson, Charles B. - 2000
Electronic Day Trader (The) - West, George & Friedfertig, Marc - 1998
Empowered Investor (The) - Karoly, Robert E. - 1998
Finance Enviroment and Decisions - Christy, George A. & Roden, Peyton Foster - 1973
Financial Independence the Smart Way - Littauer, Stephen L. - 1999
Financial Management and Policy - Van Horne, James C. - 1983
Flying the Stock Market - Reick, Franklin G. et al. - 1997
Foolish Four (The) - Bauer, Brian - 1999
Forecasting Financial Markets - Plummer, Tony - 1998
From Hard Knocks to Hot Stocks - Davis, J. Morton et al. - 1998
Generation of Wealth - Westheimer, Julius - 1997
Greed Is Good - Hoenig, Jonathan - 1999
How I Trade and Invest in Stocks and Bonds - Wyckoff, Richard D. -1983
How to Make Money in Stocks - O'Neil, William J. 1994
Implementing Value at Risk - Best, Philip W. - 1999
Inefficient Stock Market (The) - Haugen, Robert A. - 1998
Innergame of Trading (The) - Koppel, Robert & Abell, Howard - 1994
Intelligent Investor (The) - Graham, Benjamin - 1985
International Investments - Solnik, Bruno H. - 1995
Investing for Dummies - Tyson, Eric - 1999
Investing Secrets of the Masters - Donovan, William J. - 1999
Invest in Yourself - Eisenson, Mark -1998
Investments - Dougall, Herbert E. - 1973
Invisible Crash (The) - Dines, James - 1975
Irrational Exuberance - Shiller, Robert J. - 2000
Learn to Earn - Lynch, Peter & Rothchild, John - 1996
Millionaire Mind (The) - Stanley, Thomas J. - 2000
Money Market (The) - Stigum, Marcia - 1983
Motley Fool Investment Workbook (The) - Gardner, David - 1998
New Era of Wealth (The) - Wesbury, Brian S. - 1999
One Up on Wall Street - Lynch, Peter - 1995 Online Investing - Markman, Jon D. - 1999
Popular Financial Delusions - Smitley, Robert L. - 1963
Profits Without Panic - Myers, Jonathan - 1999
Psychology of Smart Investing (The) - Epstein, Ira - 1992
Reminiscences of a Stock Operator - Lefevre, Edwin - 1923
Riding the Bear - Harding, Sam - 1999
Roaring 2000s (The) - Dent, Harry S., Jr. - 1998
Stock Market (The) - Hamilton, W. P. - 1937
Stocks and Bonds - American Stock Exchange - 1965
Strategic Fixed Income Investment - Ho, Thomas S. Y. - 1990
The Warren Buffett Way - Lynch, Peter - 1995
Unemotional Investor (The) - Sheard, Robert - 1999
Wave Principle (The) - Elliott, R. N. - 1969
Way of the Hunter-Warrior (The) - Snyder, Julian - 1982
Wheat Market (The) - Lowell, Fred R. - 1968
You Have More Than You Think - Gardner, David & Tom - 1998
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