FROM THE DESK, MIND AND HEART OF JEFF HODGES
Hey Everybody,
I am just so excited. It's only about 30 more days till the first day of Spring and I'm really looking forward to the nice weather. There is just something about a warm Spring morning that is just so rejuvenating. It gives you the feeling of having a fresh start and having the hardships of Life's Winter behind you. That having been said, I would like to welcome all my loyal readers back and welcome all my newcomers to another edition of my newsletter. As always, if you are new and want to read back editions or if you just missed one you can always go to either.......
http://www.letmemakeyousuccessful.com/links.html (bottom left corner of the page)
OR
http://www.jeffhodges.blogspot.com
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Zig Ziglar tells a story of a lumberjack who's performance suffered by more than 40% because he wouldn't stop and take the time to sharpen his axe. Now, most of us understand that the reference to the man's axe signifies our taking the time to sharpen our skills through extended education and Personal Development but I would like to take this in another direction. With very little exception, we all conduct business using our computer in some capacity whether it is to go on-line or just to store and manipulate files but I have learned through working with people on a daily basis that there is an area where a surprisingly high number of people are weak.......... COMPUTER MAINTANENCE !!!
What I would like to do is to point out some very important and yet normally neglected practices. I am going to name certain products by name but, FOR THE RECORD, I have no affiliation with and receive no compensation from any of the companies that I am going to name. I make these references and recommendations entirely from my own experiences using these products. They have served me well and, properly utilized, I'm sure they will serve you well too.
First of all, NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE !!! People, you have got to stop downloading everything that is put in front of your face just because it's free. Also, stop opening every email you get !!! If you didn't ask for the email to be sent and you don't know the sender DON'T OPEN IT !!! You see, an alarmingly large number of websites out there on the internet are just a tad unscrupulous. NOW, THERE'S A SHOCKER !!! A large percentage of the time when you download a FREEBIE you are also downloading spyware. Do you honestly think that these companies are taking the time to develop and give you all these goodies for FREE? HELLO, McFLY !!!
There are many products on the market for removing spyware but here's the thing, some cost money and some don't. The reason some of them are free is that the company has a more high end product they want to sell you so you can get the lower end one for free to try out. It's basically like getting the trial or demo version but normally works just as well as the full version with just less bells and whistles. The next thing is to understand that these companies do not all have the same list of potential hazards that exist out there so you need more than one spyware program to run so that you get better overall coverage. The two FREE ones that I recommend and actually use on my own computer are SPYBOT SEARCH AND DESTROY and ADAWARE personal version. You can find these at such places as http://www.downloads.com and http://www.majorgeeks.com . These programs will try to get you to pay for REAL TIME protection but all you have to do is take the time to run these programs manually a couple times a week OR you can spend the money. It's up to you.
The other thing we need to cover is just plain maintenance. This includes Virus Protection, Firewall Protection and Maintenance of the internal workings of your computer. I can lump these three major problems of computers into one pile for these purposes because any software worth the money you paid for it will tackle all three. DO NOT spend your money buying a separate software package for Anti-virus, Anti-hacker (Fire Wall) and System Maintenance !!! This is a complete waste of your good hard earned cash. Also, the software that I am going to recommend to you comes all inclusive for about half what the name brands go for and works much more efficiently. Also, my good friends at Wal-Mart will sell you this software for about $5 less than the technology Super Stores.
You need to purchase a program call System Mechanic Professional. It will run you about $35-40 and comes with 3 licenses. This means that you can install it on 3 separate computers and it is licensed for a complete year, giving you access to all system updates and a constantly updated Anti-virus Database. It is a very user friendly software and normally finds many more errors that need repairing that the leading name brand software. Make SURE that you purchase the PROFESSIONAL edition, as this is the one that has ALL the goodies in one package deal. It is very easy to install and most features can be set up to run automatically during what ever portion of a day or days that you don't need to use your computer, like while you're sleeping. I've used pretty much everything on the market and I've always come back to System Mechanic Professional.
If you will acquire and make use of the items that I've suggested and do so according to the instructions that they come with I can say with a lot of confidence that you will find a lot of new life in your old computer and a lot longer life in ANY computer, new or old. For computers in particularly bad shape you will often have to run the various softwares a few times before you get maximum results but I guarantee you that you will see a difference in performance. My computer is over 5 years old and every year that I update my maintenance software and keep it in good operating condition I am saving myself hundreds of dollars. Let's see....... $35 for software OR $$$$$$$$ for a new computer...... Hmmmm, YOU DO THE MATH !!!
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"As technology advances, it reverses the characteristics of every situation again and again. The age of automation is going to be the age of DO IT YOURSELF."
- Marshall McLuhan
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As those of you who are close to me know, I was the victim of a crime a few weeks ago and so, for the time being anyway, I won't be enjoying the nice weather when it gets here doing my FAVORITE thing in the world which is riding my motorcycle. While I was away from my home someone went into the storage building in the back yard and took my customized 1997 Harley Davidson Softail Classic. As worldly possessions go, there was nothing in existence that they could have taken from me that would have hurt me any more than taking that bike. But, as we all know, that which does not kill us only makes us stronger. The way in which I was able to deal with that incident speaks highly of what Personal Development has done for me in my life.
Now, I didn't tell you about that for sympathy. I told you about that to make a point. The point is that Life is not about what happens to you but rather how you REACT to what happens to you. You see, there were many possible scenarios that could have come into play when that happened to me. I could have become angry and let hate come into my heart. I could have become extremely sad and let depression sink it's hooks into me. I could have even became vengeful and went on some crazy mission to find the person who took my prize possession and "Make them pay for what they did !!!"
But I did none of those things. As difficult as it was and as UNLIKE ME from an earlier point in my life as it was, I immediately began to search inside myself for all the positives. "POSITIVES ???" you may be saying. Yes, positives. Just like when someone close to you passes away and you begin to think of positive things like "They are gone to Heaven now" or "They are not suffering anymore", there are positives in ANY situation. Granted, you must be strong and search DEEP and HARD inside yourself for them sometimes but they are there.
Now, this is generally a newsletter about business and I always try to tie the things I talk about into business so you may be wondering where I am going with this. The lesson involved here is that all aspects of your life are tied together and affect each other. Think about it. If I had let that incident take over my mind and my attitude do you not think that would have affected my business? How would I be able to sit at my desk and talk to people all day long about proper attitude and mindset if I wasn't even in control of my own ??? How could I effectively help them deal with the problems and issues they were calling me about if I couldn't even deal with my own problems and issues. Not to mention the fact that my focus in general would have been diminished causing the quality of service that I provide to suffer.
Everyday, no matter how large or how small, Life is going to challenge you in some way. The key to your success lies in your ability to react is a POSITIVE manner as opposed to a NEGATIVE one. Most of us have close friends and loved ones that we can draw strength from in times of need while some of us DO NOT and even those of us who do, occasionally turn around for support and find that those friends and loved ones need us more than we need them. So, it is VERY important that you have it instilled in yourself to have the PROPER MINDSET and the INNER STRENGTH to react to Life's events and to react PROPERLY !!! Personal Development is NOT just some courses that you take in your spare time or listening to an occasional Audio CD. Personal Development is a LIFESTYLE !!! Make it yours.
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"Never suppose that in any possible situation or under any circumstances that it is best for you to do a dishonorable thing however slightly so it may appear to you. Encourage all your virtuous dispositions, and exercise them whenever an opportunity arises, being assured that they will gain strength by exercise...and that exercise will make them habitual."
- Thomas Jefferson
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Well, my friends, barring the Good Lord hitting the button on the stop watch and calling GAME OVER, tomorrow is waiting on each and every one of us to take it on HEAD-ON !!! I can't speak for all of you but I, personally, look forward to each new day and all the challenges and/or adventures that it has waiting for me. Sometimes inner strength isn't easy to have and even harder to use but it is a NECESSITY for a successful life. Wake up tomorrow, thank God that you DID wake up and make good of what the day has to offer. Until we are afforded this special time together again by our Gracious Heavenly Father, just remember to always........
JUST SAY “NO” TO NEGATIVITY !!!
Sincerely,
Jeff Hodges
JeffreyHodges@thedreameffect.com
http://www.thedreameffect.com
http://www.letmemakeyousuccessful.com
http://www.jhodges1.successuniversity.com
http://www.jeffhodges.blogspot.com
270-320-1324
Skype ID : jeffhodges1
