FROM THE DESK, MIND AND HEART OF JEFF HODGES
Hey Everybody,
It’s great to have all of you here again. I just finished relocating my office again back to Tennessee. It’s amazing how Life, if you will let it, will take care of itself and lead and guide you to exactly where you need to be and exactly when you need to be there. You just keep visualizing and your Life will go into this magical state of “Auto-pilot” if you will let it. Everything may not make sense to you at the time but as long as you are visualizing your Life the way you want it then you can rest assured that things are happening just as they should. The Universe makes NO MISTAKES !!! As always, I would like to welcome back all my loyal friends and welcome aboard my new ones. If you have missed an edition or maybe you are new and want to read back editions, all you have to do is go to either:
http://www.letmemakeyousuccessful.com/links.html (bottom left corner of the page)
OR
http://www.jeffhodges.blogspot.com
********************* Success University *********************
Tell me something. Have you ever been a part of a company that actually interacted with you on a Personal level ??? Have you ever worked with a company where the CEO and Top Leaders and Money Earners in the company come out and have dinner with you and get you know you like you’re old school buddies ??? Probably not. Well, guess what ?….. That is EXACTLY the kind of Personal attention you get with Success University !!! They are ALL there in London right now for the Annual Leadership Convention. They are all gathered around the “Campfire” and growing, not only as business associates but as FRIENDS. That’s just the way they are. That’s how I met them all in Dallas, TX in January of 2007. You don’t find that anywhere else. With other companies you get a website with a Trouble Ticket page and MAYBE an e-mail address IF YOU’RE LUCKY !!! So, who do YOU want to spend your time with ??? Think about it…………….
http://www.jhodges1.successuniversity.com
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Ok, so who wants to be and Internet Guru and DOMINATE the Web for their particular niche ??? Everybody, right ??? Well, it’s not nearly as far out of your reach as you might think. Think back to when Domino’s Pizza came to town. There huge success didn’t come because they had a necessarily superior pizza. They took delivery to the next level. They came to the table with a delivery claim that, until then, nobody had offered. They assured you that when you ordered your pizza from them that you would receive it in a specific amount of time and this guaranteed you, the customer, that it would be fresh and hot. This ONE THING shot them to the top of the pizza game !!! The point is that the Guru’s on top CAN BE TOPPLED !!! Nothing says you have to be a Small Player in your business. Here are some things for you to consider:
The first thing you need to do is get to know the competition. Take the time to THOROUGHLY acquaint yourself with every possible detail about them, both as a person AND as an Internet Presence:
1) Check out their web site and track any and all changes that they make to it.
2) Subscribe to their newsletter so you can use their own advice against them.
3) Read their blogs and find out which Online Networking groups they belong to and join.
The object here is to find out everything possible about this person right down to their favorite color and what they like to have for breakfast !!!
Now, the next thing you want to do is find out if they are for real. Some obtain the Guru position almost by accident. For example, being the first one to jump in can be enough to make it happen. If you go at this with great determination, you may find out some really interesting things about this so called GURU that you see as the unbeatable competition !!!
You may find that:
1) They are not as Knowledgeable as they proclaim.
2) They are just another self-proclaimed expert that is in fact a phony.
3) They are good at developing a following but have no leadership skills.
4) They are so busy being a Guru that they are not staying current with the times.
5) They are offering products or services that ones of superior quality does exist.
6) They may be promoting in a way that can be improved upon.
7) They are not maximizing the relationship aspect of their visitor traffic.
I could go on and on but the point should be quite clear. Even though they may be on top in their particular specialty it doesn’t mean that you can take that top spot. All you have to do is ONE UP them in one or more areas and they CAN be brought down off their pedestal !!! Find that weakness. Find that one or more areas where they are not quite making the grade and exploit it. Provide that extra customer care. Make sure that your products or services are SECOND TO NONE !!! Be a leader and, above all, be a REAL PERSON and you will develop a following that will never leave you as long as you stay the person they came to know and always strive to be just a little bit better tomorrow than you were yesterday !!!
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“In modern business it is not the crook who is to be feared most, it is the honest man who doesn't know what he is doing.”
- William Wordsworth
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Have you ever noticed that successful people tend to be the GO FOR IT type ??? Trial and error are usually the most effective means of solving life’s problems. Yet many people are afraid to undertake the trial because they’re too afraid of experiencing the error. They make the mistake of believing that all error is wrong and harmful, when most of it is both helpful and necessary. Error provides the feedback that points the way to success. Only error pushes people to put together a new and better trial, leading through even more errors and trials until they can finally find and acceptable solution. Making an error does not make you a failure. It just simply puts you one step closer to being a success. No errors means no successes !!!
Unfortunately, we live in a culture of PERFECTION. We have this crazy idea that any failure is unacceptable. Only pure, untainted success will do. In order to hang onto your reputation as an achiever, you must reach every goal and never, ever, ever make a mistake that you can’t hide or blame on someone else. That is why if you are a high achiever that very strength can become a weakness. Successful people like to win and achieve high standards. This can make them so terrified of failure it ruins their lives. When a positive trait, like achievement, becomes too strong in someone’s life, it’s on the way to becoming a major handicap.
That is why BALANCE is so important in your life. Everyone likes to succeed. The problem comes when fear of failure becomes dominant in your life. When you can no longer accept the fact that you are GOING TO MAKE MISTAKES or recognize the importance of trial and error in finding the best solution to a problem or the eventual success or a design or business idea, etc. you are headed for a fall. The more creative you are, the more errors you are going to make. Get used to it !!! Deciding to avoid the errors will destroy your creativity too.
We hear a lot about being positive from all the great minds of our time and from times past and they are right generally speaking but, maybe we also need to recognize that the negative parts of our lives and experiences that we endure have just as important a role to play in finding success, in work and in life. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying being negative is good. We all know me better than that. I’m saying that you need to understand that even negative experiences and negative results play their own specific role in the creative processes of the Universe. It’s just up to you to react to those negatives in a proper and creative manner so that they can serve a positive function in your life. Remember, every rock can be either a stumbling block or a stepping stone. It’s up to YOU which one !!!
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“Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It's quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You're thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn't at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it. So, go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can because remember, that's where you'll find success-- On the far side.”
- Thomas John Watson, Sr.
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Ok, guess I better call it a night. As much as I would like to hang out with all of you, Life’s duties are calling and I must answer the phone. There is much to do in preparation for taking Monday HEAD ON !!! No matter how well things are going, they can always be going better and you should ALWAYS strive to reach greater and greater heights in ALL AREAS of your Life !!! Success is NOT a destination but rather a journey. Each level you reach simply puts you closer to the next level you can strive for. NEVER, EVER SETTLE !!! So, until the Good Lord affords us this opportunity again always remember to…..
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
