FROM THE DESK, MIND AND HEART OF JEFF HODGES:
Hey folks,
I hope all of you have had a great week and have been enjoying the blessings of life. I have to admit that mine has been a bit littered with challenges this week but as we all know, what doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger. Welcome to all our regulars and welcome aboard to all of our new readers. Just remember, if you are new and want to read the back issues or if you just missed a week and want to go back and read it you can go to either:
http://www.letmemakeyousuccessful.com/links (bottom left of page)
OR
http://www.jeffhodges.blogspot.com
****************** NOTICE ********************
As you will remember, I spoke of a special email I was going to send out this week in regards to both the enrollment contest with Success University and also a very special announcement that I was going to make, also having to do with Success University. Due to some issues beyond my control, I was unable to prepare and send out that email and it will coming in the next couple of days. I sincerely apologize for the delay on that.
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Ok, I have a question for you. Is your email becoming a MONSTER !!!??? Out of control email can be a HUGE problem if you don’t do something about it. I have six different accounts and I started out learning the hard way that letting it get out of control and becoming unorganized can not only be a nasty headache but it can cost you lots of valuable time and resources.
You see, several things happen if you are not careful here. You misplace emails that you need to refer to later, you end up with so much in your inbox AND your spam filter that often times important emails (maybe even ones that you are expecting) get lost in the mess and, finally, you waste MUCH of your valuable time wading through this lake of chaos !!! But, there are ways to stop this from happening…..
First of all, STOP SIGNING UP FOR EVERYTHING YOU ARE OFFERED !!! Yes, FREE is always nice but what is the point in signing up for every free e-zine on the planet if you don’t have time to read it? And if you do sign up for something, always remember that you can UNSUBSCRIBE late if it becomes apparent that you are receiving the information at a rate greater than that at which you can handle OR that the information is of no real value to you and your particular circumstances. Unsubscribing from it now takes a LOT less time than deleting it every time there after !!!
Second, learn how to operate your mail server. Any one that I have ever seen has the capability for you to set up folders. I believe some of them can even be set up to automatically put your mail into specific folders based on the email address it originated from. But even if you have to do it manually, at least you keep it out of the way until you have time to read it as opposed to letting your inbox take on a life of it’s own !!! Also, if you want to access something of a particular nature, you don’t have to spend unnecessary time scrolling through page after page of emails because you will have it in it’s own neat little folder. Folders are great for uncluttering your INBOX and, also, to help you organize your email in a very productive way.
Third, when you do receive something in your INBOX that is obviously junk take the time to mark it as such so that in the future you won’t have to deal with it again. It may take you a couple of seconds to do but just think of all the time you will waste in the future deleting it every time if you don’t.
Remember, I learned this stuff the hard way. Now, you don’t have to. Believe me when I tell you that you can’t even BEGIN to understand how much time you will waste with out of control email until you wake up one morning and have OVER 4,000 EMAILS in your INBOX !!!!!!! And, remember also that I have six accounts !!!
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You see things and you say “Why?”… But I dream things that never were and I say “Why not?”
- George Bernard Shaw
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You know, I was looking at the calendar today and was thinking about the fact that tomorrow is the first day of October when it hit me… It’s less than 90 days till Christmas !!! It’s less than 60 days till Thanksgiving !!! The reason that’s important to me is because I have a very soft spot in my heart for the unfortunate. And the simple fact of the matter is that this time of year is the hardest for them. The hungry only able to dream of a turkey dinner… the elderly in the nursing homes and the homeless only able to dream of a glass of egg nog with the family by the fireplace… the poor families having to explain why Santa likes the rich kids more and gives them nicer presents or any presents at all…
When you are working diligently at your business of choice and striving to provide nothing but the absolute best for your family and yourself while suffering the hard knocks that come with being an entrepreneur, it’s easier than you might realize to forget just how blessed you are. It’s not that you do it on purpose. It’s just with all the commercialization and hype surrounding the holidays anymore, the less fortunate tend to get overlooked.
I know what you’re saying, “Wow Jeff, don’t you think it’s just a little early for all this ?” Actually, no I don’t. The reason is simple. When you run your business, do you wait till you’re out of supplies before you order? Do you wait till the day of the sale to advertise? No, of course not. In business it’s all about time management and proper planning, right? Well, it’s the same when it comes to charity. Start planning on what you want to do this year RIGHT NOW !!!
And I don’t mean give a five dollar toy to some Angel Tree !!! DO SOMETHING !!! Make it personal. Take a Saturday to work in a local soup kitchen and see the gratitude in their eyes. Go visiting in your local nursing homes and actually sit and talk with those amazing people that have years of wonderful stories to tell. Take a local family under your wing and MAKE SURE Santa shows up with some descent goodies. Put out all this POSITIVE ENERGY and let these people feed on it. You will receive blessings upon blessings, the likes of which you have never experienced before.
Many of you may not know who I am talking about and I highly recommend you do a little research but I would like to tell you briefly of a man by the name of Larry Stewart (aka Secret Santa) . He was a man that, in the course of his life, went around to thrift stores and Laundromats and gave away over ONE MILLION DOLLARS in cash totally at random to those he felt needed it. He has been called to be with God now but his memory and legacy live on in many other people who have adopted Larry’s way of helping those in need. The following is a quote from Larry…..
“Thirty-five years ago a cold, hungry, and homeless young man walked into the Dixie Diner in Houston, Mississippi. With no money in his pockets he concocted a plan of petty crime to get something to eat and then pretend he had lost his wallet. He had no idea what was in store for him.”
“A single act of kindness by a man named Ted Horn, the owner of the diner, changed this young man's life forever. I was that young man who walked in the Dixie Diner and by the Grace of God came face to face with one of His Angels. As I was leaving town I said a prayer of thanks and vowed to God that if He ever put me in the position to help others I will do it, and in a way that will allow people to keep their dignity. I will never forget that day, nor will I ever forget my Angel, Ted Horn.
In Christ,
Larry Stewart”
~Secret Santa~
Now, I’m not suggesting that you go out giving away 100 dollar bills like Larry. The point is simply that no matter how small or what the nature of a random act of kindness is, you just never know how dramatically , whether directly or indirectly, you may change someone else’s life.
You can say that I brought this up too early all you want to but you and I both know that as the days go by and the intensity of the holidays begins to grow in leaps and bounds, the wheels you don’t put in motion now will probably not get put in motion. Start planning TODAY what you are going to do this holiday season….. Because we all know that, BY DEFINITION, tomorrow never gets here.
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“Fragrance clings to the hand that gives the rose…… “
- Anonymous
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Well, it’s that time again…. Time to give my body, mind and spirit a well deserved nights rest. As always, it has been a wonderful experience spending this time with all of you. I hope that it has been beneficial to you in some way. I know it has been to me. Until we get to do it again……….
JUST SAY “NO” TO NEGATIVITY
Sincerely,
Jeff Hodges
http://www.thedreameffect.com
http://www.letmemakeyousuccessful.com
http://www.jeffhodges.subuilder.com
http://www.jeffhodges.blogspot.com
615-644-5434
270-320-1324
