Wise Observer

Not so long a go it looked like laptops for gaming were only attainable from particular manufacturers and they were generally custom made. Obviously for the retailers they were massively money generating regardless of them not shifting in many numbers. I’m pretty sure people would have loved to have possessed one but were unable to really justify it. Suppose you a power hungry user they were basically the best laptops you could get. Regardless of whether that was true I believe the prices were so expensive that we would buy laptop computers that were not so great instead. Greater established companies have lately launched their own gaming notebooks so its all changing as we speak.

They are aware there is profit to be earned here. They could direct the sector. With laptop computers becoming like consumer electronics this is a good profit channel for them. Little resellers can’t compete with them in swaying prospects to buy laptops. I wonder whether this would be the downfall of the little companies? Basically what I see happening here is that the larger companies reducing prices in the beginning to cut out the competition from littler resellers. I reckon customers will trust the larger companies more if they buy something expensive.

In my view these manufacturers are bringing out the best laptops at this point in time. This would provide a bit of hope to the smaller competition.I am sure consumers that get these kinds of notebook computers like to be able to spec up their system. These buyers have the technical know how and could conclude which notebook computers are best. Sometimes the specs matter when compared to the looks for these sort of purchasers.

From a purchasers position this is all a positive thing. I would envisage a couple of price wars going on in this sector after the early months. Although that is my take on it, its just my opinion and most likely not what will happen. Whether notebook prices will drop overall is an additional subject but the best laptops are usually expensive. It is tough to know what will happen now that the established companies have become involved in creating gaming notebooks.

There are no rules, but you do have to know them
(Myles Downie - Author, “Effective Coaching”)

I am somewhat puzzled by the sense that coaching has a value, yet we don’t know what that value is and we don’t know how to measure it.

Is this is a bad thing or not?

Style has no value and cannot be measured but it makes the owner more attractive.

Are we trying to make our organisations more attractive by providing coaching or are we trying to make our organisations more effective.

If the latter we have to be able to demonstrate a return on investment, if the former we don’t.

I am just a little uncomfortable with the idea that we appear to be using coaching without any sense of why we are doing it. There is a vague feeling that it adds value to an individual’s performance but at the same time not enough value to make a measurable difference.

From an aesthetic point of view this may mean that the value, like style, cannot be measured in the conventional sense, but from the point of view of the accountant or engineer, if the added value cannot be measured there can be only one conclusion.

There has been no value added.

If this is the case then it becomes difficult to justify the investment of resources into something that provides no return.

Since most businesses are not run by aesthetes we have to ask why we persist with a strategy that provides no measurable return.

Coaching is a familiar word which we accept without further qualification because we believe we know what it means.

The context in which this word is familiar is the sports pavilion, not the business arena in which we are now using it.

So what is coaching?

We have a fairly sophisticated idea already of the work of the sports coach.

The Coach takes a naive athlete and allows that athlete to realise the full potential of his or her body.
The athlete is already fit and strong, the Coach provides the focus, technique and energy to an already prepared body which allows the Athlete to improve.

This idea translates very effectively to the business arena in which the business Leader / Manager, with Coaching, is guided and supported to a new focus, a new understanding of personal effectiveness and real power.

The above repeats the familiar analogy of the Athlete who with Coaching is able to reach his full potential.

The model however falls short of the needs of the professional tradesman who finds himself in a position of authority with no Management or Leadership tools.

All of his working life he has been using his skill with familiar tools, (that he was introduced to during his apprenticeship), to produce results for which he is paid.
His promotion to a Managerial position now puts him in a place where he is not allowed to use his old familiar tools.
He is placed in this position and expected to produce results in terms of performance, without the training or experience to indicate how he might go about it.

The equivalent situation is the man on the street who finds himself being Coached by an athlete. He doesn’t even speak the same language.
“What has diet got to do with it, what do you mean go for a run? what’s wrong with the bus, cross training? do you mean learn how to get angry, don’t call me overweight!”

There is no reason why the second man cannot become as motivated and effective as the first but it is apparent that some extra work is required to get to the same level.

In terms of the Athletic relationship the sports Coach would not normally entertain the man who came off the street.
Before he could get into a pure Coaching scenario there would have to be an enormous investment in time and effort to get John Doe to a level where his performance could be attributed to Coaching rather than an increased fitness level.

Business Coaches on the other hand don’t often find themselves with the luxury of being able to pick and choose the people or the level to which they are pre-trained before they meet them.

The Business Coach accepts whomsoever is encountered and is prepared to take on the man in the street with the same enthusiasm and the same end in mind as the Business Athlete.

For the Business Athlete the coach is starting with a person already trained and fit, he has the tools he requires and the value added comes from the softer, guidance, facilative and support skills of the Coach.

The man in the street, at the opposite end of the spectrum cannot respond to the softer skills because he has not even begun to learn the language that would allow him to appreciate the concepts.

At the base level there is a man who first wants to know what empowerment means before he can consider the relevance of the concept and begin to think about a strategy to implement it in the workplace.

The word Coaching and the initial narrow definition of the word does not cover the teaching, training and mentoring which has to occur first to prepare John Doe for the one to one Coaching relationship.

Without the groundwork, the preparation and education, we cannot get to that one to one relationship.

The Business Coach expands his offer to the client by including these hard skills.

By transferring those (Hard) skills to the clients, through teaching or training, the coach adds immediate value, at the same time preparing the coachee for the subsequent one to one coaching relationship (The Softer Skills) that will aid the clients progress to the next level of performance.

The two groups of skills;

The Harder Skills :

Predominantly for the man without a formal business education (Non Athlete)
• Teaching,
• Training,
• Mentoring.

The Soft Skills :
Predominantly for the business athlete
• Guiding.
• Facilitation.
• Support.

In a practical situation there will always be an overlap between the two groups but by ensuring that the hard skills are in place first the Business Coach can fine tune their use and measure the return created by the coaching intervention.

Where these hard skills are not in place, or have been neglected, it will be very difficult for the coach or the client to discern a return on their investment.

Peter A Hunter.
Author-Breaking the Mould
http://www.breakingthemould.co.uk

If you have ever experienced or learned something which you then knew was instinctively right - you will never have forgotten it.
Peter Hunter learned something years ago which, regrettably, most of us have still yet to learn.
When we do - once we have understood the simplicity of his book ‘Breaking the Mould’ - it will transform our lives forever!
Vic Baxter - Business Workout.

There’s one key rule that every writer should understand before sitting down to write an article and that’s “know your audience”.

Who are you writing for? A limited group of subscribers to a magazine about pig farming or a wider, more general audience?

If your goal is to reach as many readers as possible, you’ll need to know which subjects sell.

Given the choice between “How To Grow Mushrooms” and “Decorate Your Home on A Budget”, which do you think would be the most popular? Pretty obvious, isn’t it? But when you’re faced with a choice between “Sell Your Junk on Ebay” and “How to find and destroy virus on your computer”, it’s no longer quite as easy to decide which topic to go with.

Having run a website with lots of original content, I’ve been in a position to monitor the subjects that are most likely to draw attention. By basing your articles on the following ten subjects you’ll know you’re writing articles that will be read. And that’s the idea, after all, isn’t it?

1. Children

Babies are born every day creating a constant demand for advice about every aspect of childcare and general parenting.

Try to imagine of the kind of situations parents are likely to find themselves in and give them information to help them deal with it. If you’re a parent yourself, you should have no trouble finding a plethora of sub-topics to write about.

Article ideas include:

* Entertaining young children during long journeys * How to feed a fussy child * Developing a regular sleep pattern * When should solids be introduced? * What you can do to improve your child’s education and * How to say “no” and mean it.

2. Home and Garden

When you consider that we spend most of our leisure time at home, it isn’t difficult to understand the popularity of articles aimed at helping people make the most of their surroundings.

Women want beautiful, clutter-free homes where they can enjoy entertaining friends and a safe-haven where they can raise their families; men want homes that are easy to maintain and that won’t make too big a hole in their bank accounts.

Article ideas include:

* De-cluttering your home * Decorating on a budget * Child-proofing your home * How to throw a successful dinner party * Quick cleaning tips and * Designing a low maintenance garden.

3. Relationships

Most of us want to love and be loved. We want romance, great sex and the security of a stable relationship.

Articles aimed at those who are either looking for a relationship or want to improve the one they’re in have are always popular and, contrary to what most may think, not just amongst women, either.

Article ideas include:

* How to attract a mate * Where to go and/or how to act on a date * Using an online dating service * Does speed dating work? * Great sex tips * Is he having an affair? and * Arranging a romantic break

4. Personal Care

Women have always spent time and money on their appearance but during the past few years men have been rapidly catching up.

While it’s a shame that so many people are unhappy with their looks, as writers we can help them find new ways of dealing with their problems. We can offer advice to help them make changes or simply help them understand that they’re not alone.

Article ideas include:

* How to combat spots and blemishes * Looking great on a budget * Home-made natural beauty products * How to dress to suit your figure * Dressing for different occasions and * Give yourself the perfect manicure

5. Health

While health related articles weren’t particular marketable a few years ago, with more and more people now turning towards a healthy lifestyle, there are now entire magazines and websites dedicated to healthy living.

Now that the focus has turned from cure to prevention, most people are looking for ways to improve their health. Fitness studios have never been so popular and even good old-fashioned walking’s back in vogue.

Get typing and do your bit to bring health and vitality to those around you.

Article ideas include:

* Alternative therapies * What is the “Body Mass Index”? * Healthy weight loss * Lowering the risk of heart disease and * Low fat cooking

6. Making Money

This is one that’ll never go out of fashion! No matter where in the world you are, there will be always people interested in making money.

Think of the stay-at-home parent who’s looking for ways to help top-up the family income. What advice would you give to him or her? And what about those women who are trying to juggle a career and family without falling apart? Do you have any tips to help them cope?

What about those who are looking for a job? They’re out to make money, too. What advice would you give somebody before going to an interview? How should they go about writing a CV?

And then there’s saving money. As they say, a penny saved is a penny made.

Article ideas include:

* How to dress for an interview * Making money on the Internet * Running a business from home * Tax saving tips * How to find cheap flights and * Generating an income from your hobby

7. Food and Drink

We eat every day. More often than not, we eat several times a day.

Eating isn’t simply a means of survival. Everything from the preparation of a meal to actually eating it can be a fun and enjoyable task.

Whether for basic meals or for something more out of the ordinary, advice and tips on how to make food and drink more interesting always make popular articles and there are lots of food related traditions and festivals around the world that can make interesting articles, too. Article ideas include:

* Healthy lunch packs for kids * Successful dinner parties * How to ice a cake * Brew your own beer * Meals for vegetarians and * How to choose wine

8. Weddings

Every day, thousands of couples all over the globe saying “I do”, making weddings a market that simply never dries up.

A plethora of services are available to help the engaged couple plan their wedding and for the writer, each and every service is also a subject to write about.

Article ideas include:

* Why employ a professional wedding planner? * Displaying wedding photographs * Scrap-booking your wedding * Weddings on a budget * How to choose a dress that will suit your figure * The role of the best man and * Wedding day hairstyles and/or make-up

9. Crafts and DIY

People love making things.

Whether it’s a quilt to be given as a gift and heirloom, a toy for the baby of the family or a full set of kitchen cupboards, somebody out there will want to make it.

Article ideas include:

* Re-vamping old furniture * Using paint effects * The basic toolbox everybody should have * Flower arranging * How to hang wallpaper and * Gifts to make on a budget

10. Self Improvement

People are always searching for ways of improving their lives and that often means looking inward and solving problems within themselves.

>From improving self-confidence to increasing spiritual awareness, self improvement is a popular subject, especially amongst women.

Article ideas include:

* Speak up and be heard * Meditation: How it can help you understand yourself * Bring out the leader in you * How to get what you really want * Improving your communication skills and * Disposing of emotional baggage

So there you have them. In no particular order, the top ten most sought after topics to help you write articles that your editors will love.

There is a much lower than average poverty rate in Wichita, due to the higher paying jobs, availability of jobs and lower cost of living. The service industry is now 27% while manufacturing is 21-25% depending on who is floating the numbers and derivative trading on misdirection. Population has had steady increases with 13.% growth in the last decade, you can see the growth.

Sedgeway County has some 452,000 at last census meaning about 462K now. There are 19,600 apartments in Wichita. AYSO and Soccer are big in Wichita along with Baseball and other youth sports thus allowing for easy entry into community volunteer related services for our team to show our spirit. New Commercial Permits are down 50% over the past year. South Central Kansas Economic development had some of the best updated data we found, better than our tiger files and ERSI, census and overlay CD ROMs.

Enterprise Rent-A-Cars Wichita Chief Strategist with 2 satellite offices and 8 locations including a new airport office who met with us said they own that market which is good for us because they do need our services. We exchanged information about marketing to the various sectors and how we could assist each other. Finding a common thread in Jack, Enterprise Rent-A-Cars founder and purveyor of commitment and fervor and inspiration. We both agree he is a great leader and entrepreneur.

The market has other potential customers too, including four tour bus lines and 26 trucking companies. Rail Service is also there. Lowe’s just finished and opened another store to help contractors with the east end growth. We visited with Margaret Davis at the Chamber. She explained the significance of Old Town Center and Old Town Market Place a smaller version of Brick City that is the hit of tourists and locals in OKC. The chamber has some 1900 members and mails its newsletter to over 2700 VIPs. She agreed that the Derby area was a good place to wash cars as it is growing middle income. We talked with one older sweet lady who moved from Minnesota into Derby and found a real good buy on an older refurbished home so she could live by her daughter a crack marketing wiz for the number on Hospital in the region in charge of the entire department. Derby is building a pool for the community and that is one of the larger projects of the area, able to do it from the property tax base and higher than normal property taxes of the Wichita area.

We also discussed cool hang-outs and cars with one student from Butler Community College also studying Computer science to get a good job admitting after school they were o move to where the best job might be. Also Butler had several students hanging out at the coolest little fifties diner studying such things as Business Administration and Psychology so they could charge $50.00 per hour and going to transfer to KSU in Fall. Loni also told us of the fact that most students do stay after graduation in Wichita. They party in Padre Island during Spring Break and go to Aspen skiing and Breckenridge CO. They also go to the old town brick building area. Graham Central Station is the local bar hangout and most popular this year they have an interesting policy on Friday nights, if you are 18 you can go in and get you hand “X’ed” but cannot buy alcohol and must give them you ID and also get a wrist band. The other nights Thurs, Sat the place is packed. Everyone goes to the all night Starbucks afterwards or to Krispy Kreme. Park City is getting a new 55 million dollar coliseum, which is a middle-income growth area.

Even with a City like this a Brick Town concept or River Walk or both as they are doing seems to be a good way to keep the downtown area from becoming a ghost town and crime ridden. And it pays it’s own way too, in sales tax revenues, jobs and tourism in general. The River Walk and Brick City Type Concept Promotes Tourism, Local Money Flows, Employment, Increased Tax Base and Down Town Revitalization. The change to quality of life is significant indeed.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

While online business start up costs are nothing compared to the brick-and-mortar businesses, you still need to make some minimum investment to launch a web business.

When you hear people say, “start a business on a shoe-string budget”, remember this: a shoestring also costs something. And what for some people “small investment” means $1,000, for others it might mean $50 or less.

So, how much exactly do you need to have available to start an online company? Let’s review the costs.

*Please, note: I am assuming that you already have a computer and the Internet access - otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this article I am also assuming that you are starting a basic online business - not an e-commerce web site with advanced shopping cart system selling hundreds of items, which would require a bigger investment.

1. Domain Name

If you are serious about your business, you want to choose and register a domain name - www.yourdomain.com. You can purchase it for as low as $16.00 a year. Some web sites offer it for less, you just need to do some searching. Give a lot of thought to your domain name - after all, it will represent your company. I kept thinking about my domain for the longest time. I wanted something unique, memorable and with humor. That’s how my HelpingFoot.com was born.

2. Web Site Hosting

Hosting is an absolutely necessary component to any web business. Your web site has to reside on a web server, and hosting companies provide you with space on their servers for which you have to pay for. Of course you can choose a free hosting company at first (such as Geocities.com and Angelfire.com) but for reliability try to switch to a paid one. I use Pair.com and my hosting fee is just $5.95 a month. I also had to pay a one-time $28.00 set up fee.

3. Web Site Design

Now, the biggest stone in the web business set up - web design. You can choose to do it yourself by picking up a book for beginners, going through the free online tutorials, or purchasingquality training materials to learn how to set up your own web site. Or you can hire a professional designer. Because web design is a relatively simple task for any computer-literate person, just about anyone can call themselves a web designer today. That’s why fees vary greatly from $10 to $200 an hour for web design. You can probably hire a college student to do an entire web site for you for $200.

That’s it for start up costs.

Things like promotion, Search Engine submission and, copy-writing you can do yourself at first, via free methods and manual work. After you start making money with your web site, you will be able to afford automating and outsourcing many of these tasks.

Remember, you have to make a choice: you are either going to invest money or time into whatever you want to do. At first, time was the ONLY thing I could afford. But then I decided to outsource a few things (some people have more copy-writing talent than I do and invest a few bucks into my business. The key is to invest it wisely.

Pay for something only when you are absolutely sure it will bring results. Otherwise, spend more time researching and observing other Internet marketers and their strategies.

As you start making money with your online business, your purchasing power will increase. A year ago spending a $150 on an autoresponder services sounded crazy to me and impossible to afford. Now I look at it as a necessary cost of running a business and saving time following up with my customers.

Let’s summarize your online business start-up costs for your first year of operation. If you start making money the first year, your expenses might go up since you will probably be more willing to invest:

- Domain Name: $16.00 - Web Hosting: $6.00 x 12 months + $28.00 set up fee = $100.00 - Web Design: $50 (training materials) or $200 (outsource) - Totals: $166 (do-it-yourself) or about $300 (outsource)

As you can see, you still need to spend a little money to get started. You can spend more or less money, depending on how much time you are willing to put into your business.

If $166.00 seems like a lot to you to spend in 12 months, then you might want to try a completely free web site offered by Geocities or Angelfire, as I mentioned before. Your business won’t be as effective because there will be no company domain name or a well-designed web site, but you will at least get your feet off the ground and get a feeling of what it’s like to run a web business.

Why does losing weight have to be so stressful? Why is it so hard?

There are many factors. It would be presumptuous to say that losing weight was easy. It certainly isn’t! A person who has to lose then pounds finds it just a hard and frustrating as the person who has to lose over a hundred pounds. Although the number of pounds appear as a vast difference between the ten-pound loser and the hundred-pound loser, the truth is the same frustrations are experienced.

I propose that we recognize the two major influences we have to “learn to discern” if we want to achieve our weight-loss goals.

To me, the two major influences are the “outward” influences and the “inward” influences. An outward influence is anything out in the touchable, three-dimensional real world like food, scales, mirrors, people, clothes, and so forth. The inward influences are things that go on in your heart, your desires, your thoughts, and eventually your actions. Both outward and inward influences play their own roles in losing weight. The key is to learn how to pay more attention to the good inward influence that will help you lose weight.

Below are some outward influences and how they affect your weigh-loss progress:

The scale: reinforces your success or failure every time you step on it. Lower numbers on the scale indicate you’ve lost some weight, but never enough according to your expectations. Higher numbers on the scale indicate you must have done something wrong. It doesn’t account for water-weight, bloat/swelling, muscle mass, etc.

The mirror: serves as our “critique meter”, or something that reflects how the world views us, therefore, we must view ourselves that way too.

The refrigerator and cupboards: reminders of the “NO” ZONES in our homes.

People: when they know you are losing weight, they want a report on your progress.

Physical body fatigue: dietary changes, exercise, or worrying sets in and you become irritable or sad at times.

Food: new eating habits and healthier snack foods interfere with what you’ve formerly known as “normal”, and the new routines are difficult to incorporate.

Calendars: timeframes you’ve set to achieve your weight-loss goals is nearing its end, and you are scared that you’ll be a failure “again”.

Menus: proper food selection seems like a CHORE, and eating just isn’t pleasurable anymore because you know the caloric count, grams of sugar, grams of protein, and grams of fat of everything you put into your mouth.

Clothes: as you lose the pounds, clothing begins to sag on you a bit, and this can make you look even worse. Having to spend money on new clothes can be depressing if it’s not part of a current budget.

Experts: they have all kinds of suggestions on losing weight, and they can’t wait for you to listen to them.

This above list could go on and on based on how deeply you wanted to analyze this issue. But as you can see from this shortened version, all of the “outside” influences make us feel the stresses of losing weight.

The inward influences I would like to address are those influences that some would label as “self-talk”, or rather “self-affirmations” that either tell us we’re okay or not okay in the world as we know it. It’s that inner voice that all of us have that directs us to thinning, then inevitably directs us to act according to our thinking. Actions begin with thoughts, and thoughts begin with desires. And desires begin with what we want deep within our heart. Sounds complicated and poetic, I admit; but it is so worth the effort to take some time and figure out how you can make your heart speak its desires, which will prompt the thoughts, that will then lead to actions.

The inward influences are working well for you UNTIL you step on the scale or look in the mirror. Then what happens? You’ve allowed the outward influences to monitor your progress, and the outward influences want to override all of those positive inward influences. You begin to mock all of your hard work you’re doing, find disappointments, identify shortcomings, and generally debase any accomplishments you achieved. You’ll do this for one pound lost or for one hundred pounds lost. Why? Because you’re allowing the outward influences to take over the inward influences.

How do you make the inward influences rank higher than the outward influences? This is the trick…
WORK AT IT and remember it’s TWO TO ONE!

As you hear the “devil on your shoulder” (the outward influences) toss around insults, doubts, and negative remarks, turn your head to the “angel on your shoulder” (the inward influences) that tells you that you are doing fabulous, you’re making progress, you’ve worked so hard, you’re improving every day, and you’re going to make it.

For every negative comment, strike back with two positive comments. If you do this, you’ll always stay one step ahead of the negative, which just might be enough to keep you moving forward toward the prize. The minute you DON’T strike back, the outward influences gain one-up on you, then two-up, then soon become ten-up… just like a board game and your game piece is falling behind on the squares. If you find yourself too far behind on the squares, you will become more discouraged and then quit the game all together. Like a kid who says, “well, I sure can’t win now”, leaves the game and pouts on his way home.

The outward influences must be part of the process, unfortunately. This is the monitoring, our measuring stick that proves we are doing the right things.

The body doesn’t understand this at all. The body is a grand machine that is constantly busy with checks and balances, making sure al systems are GO, that all operations are functioning to their best capabilities. It doesn’t have time for “feelings.” It only does its functional responsibilities accordingly. So you cannot count on the body to understand any inward influences or outward influences such as I’ve mentioned. It is only concerned about body functions and getting things done.

So work VERY hard at paying more attention to the inward influences. But remember that you have to put the inward influences in there before you can actually use them. Like putting gas in the car to make it go, you must put the good inward influences in to make them available when you need to call upon them.

Here are some great inward influences or “angel tones” you can put into your mind today that will help you achieve:

I am doing WELL, considering this isn’t easy!
I am making progress!
I haven’t lost yet, but I haven’t gained either!
I still need to lose XX pounds, but look what I’ve done so far!
I didn’t eat one bad snack today!
I got in all of my fluids today!
I still can get my fluids in today before bedtime!
I got all of my protein in today!
I can squeeze more protein in today if I try!
I like the fact that It’s getting easier to walk up the stairs!
I like the fact that I can stoop over and pick that up off the floor!
I like the fact that I can say NO to that cookie!

This gives you a START TODAY to begin to put more inward influences inside so you can battle the outward influences with more power! Keep in mind that you must do TWO inwards for every ONE outward. Stay AHEAD of the game, and you won’t go home a quitter!

Meloney Hall successfully lost 170 pounds in 19 months after a gastric bypass bariatric weight-loss surgery. She is dedicated to helping others achieve their goals along their weight-loss journey. Visit her website at http://www.rnyachievegoals.com for more information on the RNY procedure and how it can cure morbid obesity.

From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters….

The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the Hollywood movies we have deconstructed are based on this template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The Hero’s Journey:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

and more…

Sample Movie Deconstructed: Amadeus (1983)

FADE IN: Context: screams; the antagonist’s regret / Inner Challenge.

Meeting the Antagonist: Salieri.

Foreshadow of the Journey: Salieri thinking back [flashbacks].

The Ordinary World: Austria; snow Mozart’s era.

Meeting the Herald: the priest.

Refusal: Salieri playing the piano; “..leave me alone…”

Call to Adventure: “…all men are equal in God’s eyes…”

Antagonist’s Backstory: “…you must know this…”"…it was very popular in its day…”

Foreshadow of the Journey: Salieri conducting the opera [flashback].

Introducing the Hero’s Capabilities: “…that was Mozart…” playing for the King as a young boy.

Pushed to the First Threshold: “…for Gods sake confess…give yourself some piece…”

Threshold Guardian: Salieri’s father; “…my father did not care for music…”

Conscious decision to embark on the Journey: “…please God…”

Threshold Guardian overcome: Salieri’s father dies.

First Threshold:

Outer Cave: New World; the King’s court composer.

Middle Cave Threshold: the door.

Middle Cave/ Meeting Allies: meeting Amadeus and Constanze.

Romantic Challenge: “…will you marry me…”

Push to the Inner Cave: “…Mozart is not here…”

Pull to the Inner Cave: “..they’ve started without me…”

Inner Cave: “…that’s Mozart! That giggling, dirty minded creature crawling on the floor…” Mozart playing for the Pope.

Push to the Physical Separation: “…if I don’t satisfy, you can dismiss me…”

Developing the Hero and Antagonist: “…on the page it looked simple, almost childish…”

Pushed to the World of the Transformation: Pope sends Mozart to Vienna.

Meeting the Mentor, Allies and Enemies: the King and his councillors.

Physical Separation:

Developing the Antagonist: Salieri playing the piano.

Developing the Hero: Amadeus trying on wigs.

Developing Characters and Relationships: Mozart meets the King, Salieri et al.

Trial 1:

We’re going to commission an opera from you…

Resistance to the Trial: an opera set in a harem in Turkey.

Polarization: Mozart toys with Salieri’s tune.

Developing the Antagonist: “..why did he create the lust and then deny me the talent…”

Antagonist’s Romantic Challenge: meeting Salieri’s crush.

The Turkish opera is a success.

Developing Characters and Relationships: the King congratulates Mozart; “…but there are too many notes…”

Romantic Challenge: “..my landlady, she’s the fiancé of Herr Mozart…”; when do you marry?

Romantic Challenge: Salieri realises that Mozart has had his girl. At that moment I knew, the creature had had my darling girl; for the first time in my life I began to have violent thoughts.

Pulled back to the Ordinary World: Amadeus’ father persuades the Pope to give him one more chance.

Interdiction: take no further steps towards marriage.

Breaking the Interdiction: Mozart gets married; moves to Vienna.

Trial 2:

The King wants a musical tutor for her niece.; Salieri blocks it

“…why must I submit sample of my work just to teach a 13 year old girl..”; “..well I won’t…”

Developing Characters and Relationships: Constanze brings samples of Amadeus’ work to Salieri.

Developing Hero’s Capabilities: Salieri looks at Mozart’s work…it’s miraculous; Salieri walks away.

Foreshadow of the Resolution: “…from now on we are enemies…I will ruin your incarnation…”

Trial 3:

Foreshadow of the Resolution: Papa arrives in the dark costume.

“…What is your financial situation? They say you have debts…”

Foreshadow of the Sword: “…that one will…”

Developing Characters and Relationships: Papa meets Constanze; out on the town.

Foreshadow of the Resolution: Papa’s mask.

Pulled Back: “…I want you to come back to Salzburg…”

Polarization: Mozart mocks Salieri’s music.

Foreshadow of the Resolution: “…that’s right, mock me…”

Meeting the Oracle: Mozart working on Figaro; Lorl (the maid servant) arrives.

Developing Characters and Relationships: Mozart working on Figaro, Constanze and Papa arguing.

Ideal: Lorl visits Salieri; “…next time they’re out of the house, let me know…”

Seizing the Sword: Salieri sees that Mozart is working on the ‘Marriage of Figaro.”

Pushed to the Near Death Experience: Salieri tells the King’s counsel that he is working on Figaro.

Resisting the Near Death Experience: Mozart tries to defend himself in the King’s audience.

Near Death Experience: Herr Director rips out the ballet.

Battle with the Serpent: Mozart begs Salieri for help.

Reward: the Emperor attends rehearsals; the pages are put back in.

Atonement with the Father: Figaro is marvellous; the King yawns; the audience don’t like it; “…why don’t they come…”

Apotheosis: Salieri’s opera is exceptional with Mozart’s help; “…the best opera yet written…”; Mozart congratulates Salieri.

Ultimate Boon: Mozart father dies; Mozart writes Don Giovanni; Salieri sees a way to kill Mozart.

Pushing to the Resolution: Salieri dresses up and asks Mozart to write a Requiem for the dead.

Developing Characters and Relationships: Salieri discusses how exactly to kill Mozart with the priest..

Pulled Back: Emanuel’s version of Don Giovanni; commissioning it for the masses.

Pushed Forward: Foreshadow of the Magic Flight: “…I want it [the money] here in my hand…”

Refusal: Lorl doesn’t want to go back.

Pushed Forward: Salieri turns up in the mask.

Pushed Forward: Constanza pushes the Requiem; here is a man with real money.

Magic Flight: Mozart gets drunk and Constanza leaves.

Rescue from Without: Salieri takes the sick Mozart back home.

Crossing the Return Threshold: Constanza feels she must come back.

Master of the Two Worlds: Mozart tells Salieri what to write.

Freedom to Live: the burial; Salieri watches himself become extinct; returns back to his room in the institution.

Learn more…

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/CreativeWriting.html

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Kal Bishop, MBA

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You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://www.managing-creativity.com/CreativeWriting.html

Getting invited to a baby shower can be a very exciting event. But sometimes it can be nerve-wracking trying to find just the right gift to give to the parents-to-be. Of course, you’d want to give a gift that would be appreciated, useful, and enjoyed - perhaps even give one that stands out from the rest. This isn’t as hard as it seems to be. With just a little creative thinking and a bit of initiative and cash, you can make your selection from among the many unique baby shower gifts offered online and in specialty stores.

But with the abundance of choices available today, wouldn’t a person feel overwhelmed at the sheer variety of high-quality and delightful gift suggestions out in the market? If you go shopping unprepared, then this might be so. Thus, it’s very important to take a few considerations when trying to find unique baby shower gifts.

For instance, are the parents musically inclined? Then perhaps they might appreciate a gift such as antique music mobile from BabyBeddingTown.com. Or are they young parents who appreciate high-tech gadgets? Then maybe the Dreams-in-Sight mobile from OneStepAhead.com would be ideal for their baby. This remote control product is a three-in-one baby mobile, projector, and music box. Perhaps the parents are artistically inclined? A colorful alphabet art canvas from GoToBaby.com would most likely appeal to their aesthetic senses. This gift is customizable; you can have the baby’s name placed at the center of this work of art.

If the parents are sports enthusiasts, there are many special baby shower gifts that would be suitable for their coming baby as well. For instance, a baby creeper outfit - complete with bib and booties - patterned after the uniform of the Chicago Cubs baseball team is sure to make an impact. Or if Dad is a football fan, you might want to consider giving a Reebok Miami Dolphins (or any other football team) Infant three-piece set from BrandNewDad.com as a baby shower gift. Or perhaps Mom has a sentimental streak for her old college basketball team? Then you can indulge her nostalgia by giving infant accessories and clothing designed after the logos and colors of National College Athletic Association (NCAA) teams.

For more whimsical and sentimental special baby shower gifts, and if budget is not an issue, you might want to consider giving baby jewelry. Numerous establishments offer items such as silver or gold bracelets, necklaces, and baby rings. And these items can be customized in various ways: for instance, have the baby’s name engraved on a bracelet, or choose a bangle that has meaningful charms dangling from it, such as the baby’s anticipated zodiac sign. Another unique baby shower gift suggestion would be a birth certificate, hair and tooth memory box, such as the one offered by BabyGiftIdea.com. This is a very elegant gift; it evokes a feeling of timeless elegance. A rosewood box houses silver-plated canisters in which the parents will place their baby’s birth certificate, his or her first tooth, and a locket of the baby’s hair.

Of course, you might want to give something that is more practical in nature, something that would save the new parents some time and money while caring for their new baby. Practical gifts would still be special baby shower gifts, depending upon the presentation. You can opt for appealing gift baskets that contain useful items, such as diapers, milk bottles and other feeding paraphernalia, or baby bath supplies and accessories. Just wrap the entire package in attractive materials such as a sheer, colorful net and tie the handle with a ribbon, and don’t forget to attach a gift tag that says in one or two lines your wishes for the parents and their baby.

You can also consider group efforts when trying to come up with ideas for unique baby shower gifts; this can help bring down costs while not compromising the quality of the gift. You can have friends and relatives of the parents-to-be write something about the parents themselves or their hopes for the new addition to the family and compile everything in a scrapbook. Each one can also contribute to making the scrapbook look as attractive and unique as possible. This would be a unique gift and all the more priceless because the content is as personalized as it can be.

With these and other ideas for unique baby shower gifts, you can be sure to have a significant part in letting the soon-to-be new mom and dad feel that the people closest to them are wishing them well as they count the days to their baby’s arrival.

Your-babyshower.com provides you with information on all kinds of babyshower related issues like unique baby shower gifts, invitations, cakes and more. Come take a look at http://www.your-babyshower.com/

Q. I have several projects going at once — but I never seem to finish them! I’m pulled in so many different directions — and I end up with nothing to show for my efforts!

A. While you’re in a creative mode, you’re most likely to be swamped with ideas! Most people have too few ideas or too many. Here’s how to deal with the “too many to finish” challenge.

(1) Stop berating yourself for not finishing a project. Instead, say, “I don’t feel ready to move in that direction. I’ll write down the idea and file it away for the future.”

(2) Tell a story about what would happen if you finished each project. “Susan finished all her art projects and…” You may be surprised what comes up. One client resisted finishing a book because she dreaded getting a slew of rejections from agents. Another resisted applying for jobs because she dreaded spending eight hours chained to a desk.

(3) Review your economic situation. If you’re desperate to finish these projects to make money, fear may be blocking your intuition. You’ll have trouble thinking clearly and setting priorities.

On the other hand, if you don’t need the work, you may not be motivated. Some people need a certain amount of pressure to get moving.

(4) List up to three goals that you’d like to accomplish in the next six months, even if you do nothing else. Some people need to focus on a single goal or they get hopelessly distracted. However, others (including most gifted adults) are multi-taskers, who aren’t happy unless they’re juggling several balls in the air.

(5) Study the market for each project you are considering. Once you’ve identified your target customers and the need you’ll be meeting — and made sure people will pay for what you offer — you’ll realize whether moving forward makes sense.

(6) File each new idea in a computer or paper folder or set up an “idea board” near your desk. As you think of ways to flesh out an idea, add notes to each folder. Give each idea time to mature. Some will fade away on their own; others will ripen into exciting opportunities.

(7) Create a strong support system, even if you have to hire a consultant or coach. As Julia Cameron wrote in The Artist’s Way, the notion of solitary creativity is nothing but a stereotype. Writers, artists, business owners and professionals need opportunities to talk about their progress. They need to feel someone cares about what they’re doing and believes in them.

In my experience, this lack of a support network tends to be the single greatest source of success in any field.

About The Author

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First Steps to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com “Ten secrets of mastering a major life change” mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com Contact: mailto:cathy@cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294

Visualization is creating a mental picture of something. Visualization is important because it makes the future become more clear. Seeing yourself already achieving your goal makes your brain believe that attaining that goal is possible. Focusing consistently on any given goal will enable you to manifest it far sooner than if you didn’t focus on it at all. Focus brings the goal closer to you.

Have you attempted visualizing, but find it difficult or impossible? Try this. Pick up a photo and study it closely; then close your eyes and tell me what you see. If you see anything resembling the picture, you are visualizing. It’s that simple. If this doesn’t work, or if you want to improve your visualization skills, take the same picture and while looking at it, close your eyes and open your eyes and close your eyes again. Do this as many times as possible for a few minutes. Soon you’ll be seeing the picture, but you won’t know if your eyes are open or closed and you will be visualizing better than before. Practice this technique often. You can focus on anything: people’s faces, pictures, buttons. Get creative and have fun with it.

Additional Visualization Tips

When visualizing, it’s important to view the action from the first person that is, see yourself achieving your goal through your own eyes, rather than watching yourself from the outside. This method is very powerful because this is the way you already see and experience everything.

Less powerful is viewing your goal from the third-person perspective, seeing yourself achieving the goal as if you were watching a movie. It still works, but it’s not as effective as viewing from the first-person perspective.

Make visualization fun the more real your image is, the better this works. Make the image not just a still picture, but a full-length movie staring you. Replay it over and over, seeing yourself as the hero, achieving your goal. Create background music, pump it up, make it feel real, and have fun with it. This is how you want to see your goal in vibrant Technicolor on an IMAX screen not in dim, dreary, out-of-focus scenes shown on a shoebox-size theatre in the multiplex.

Your goal is a picture located somewhere in your mental image frame. When you close your eyes and see the image of your goal, determine where your mind is locating the picture: top, bottom, right, upper left, etc. Now, recall an important goal you have already accomplished, and find out where that goal is located in your mental image frame.

So now you have two goals in mind: one you’ve already achieved and one you want to achieve. Note every little detail about these goals: Where are they located? What are the colors of the images? Are they big, bright, and clear or are they small, blurry, and distant?

How do these images feel to you? Does one make you feel happy, excited, and thrilled? Does the other make you feel depressed, wistful, etc.?

Once you’ve noted every detail about the two images, take the goal you have not yet achieved and give it the same qualities as the goal you have achieved. Make it bigger and brighter; move it to the same location as the image of the already-achieved goal; make it feel the same by inserting every detail. Adjusting your mental image of the current goal to mirror one you’ve already achieved makes your new goal seem easier and gives you the feeling that you have already achieved it.

Physically act out your goal in action moves. For example, with your eyes closed, envision yourself buying a new home, walking through every detail. First, you get on the phone and talk to your realtor; later you shake his or her hand (yes, pick up an actual phone and really shake a hand). Greet the realtor and explain, in detail, what you want your house to look like. Take them to the house you want to buy (yes, really walk in place and explain the details out loud, using lots of gestures). I know this seems silly, and you may feel like a kid playacting, but this is a great visualization technique, not to mention a great stress reliever. Go through all the motions and experiences, as if they were really happening. Notice your emotions, and have fun with this!

Allow yourself 10 to 30 minutes every day or every other day for visualizing your goal. Set aside time to rest and remove yourself from everything else going on. Find a quiet, uninterrupted area to perform these techniques. Remember, the more you focus on your goals, the sooner you will achieve them.

Scott White is a certified professional trainer and nutritionist, located in Scottsdale. To contact him, visit him on the Web site http://www.personalpowertraining.net; phone him at 480.628.1607; or e-mail him at swhite@personalpowertraining.net.