Author: Lisa Bloom
Title: Telling a Story of Freedom
Article: I have met so many amazing people that have undergone an exodus from slavery in their lives. The slavery to a mismatched career and job that they hate, the slavery of a loveless relationship, the slavery of the search for the perfect person that will fill the void, the slavery to money and materialism that is empty of any meaning or fulfillment. And they have gone on a journey to freedom – it is one of the most inspiring stories you can hear!Often slavery is hard to identify, it lies hidden in the desires and dreams that we imagine, it lurks in the lives we create when we forget our values or get tricked into leading someone else’s life.And Freedom, sometimes it is not where we expect – it may not be in a job, a place or a person. Freedom must be within, from somewhere deep inside of each and every one of us – definable only by each person for themselves.The weekend before Passover, we went to Eilat on the Red Sea for the weekend. We traveled through the desert by car to get there. The drive was spectacular. It never ceases to amaze me how colorful the desert terrain can be. The different shades of brown, yellow and red are dazzling and as we stopped just passed half way for a coffee and stretch, I was surprised by the cold evening air as the desert night drew in. The boys shared hot chocolates, I had a nice creamy cappuccino and we munched on the sandwiches I had prepared for the journey. We arrived in Eilat via the mountain road so the first view the kids got of the place was the rows of lights way down below that stretched across the valley to Akaba in Jordon. They were so excited too finally reach Eilat after the long journey!Next morning we went to the Dolphin Reef. It’s an amazing place. Living there are 8 dolphins that have experienced the ‘Open Sea Project’; the sea enclosure, a netted area they live in was opened up so that the dolphins could choose to come and go as they please. The project was very successful but ended a few years ago as the ability to protect the dolphins in the open sea area of the bay was becoming more and more challenging and financial resources were short. The interaction between the trainers and the dolphins is one of mutual affection and respect. When they feed the dolphins, they play with them, and check that they are well and they explained to us all about them, each one’s name and character and answered any questions we had.It is truly an awe-inspiring experience to be close to these amazing creatures. I was lucky enough to go diving in the dolphin enclosure. It was the first time I had been diving in over 10 years so just getting back to the quiet and weightless sensation of diving was wonderful. But then, to be sharing this sea space with these amazing creatures was a blessing.My first impression was how big the dolphins are; as they swam by, the seemed quite enormous. And then I noticed the sounds they make and how incredibly fast they swim. And of course, the fact that they are smiling all the time! How can you not love this playful, swift, elegant, smiling giant as it glides by upside down clicking away!The dolphins chose to go out to the open sea, but returned to the enclosure each time. They have formed relationships with the people at the dolphin reef that feed them and take care of them. These are the people that love them and care for them – they are not forced to do tricks or to entertain, they are given the freedom to exist in the most natural state possible.I received a great gift when I dived with the dolphins; the gift that nature grants us when we pay attention, the gift of freedom to enjoy the beauty and wonder that is all around us.Perhaps this is the best explanation of freedom. We are free when we are encouraged to be our true selves, to have the right and the ability to choose where we want to live. We are free when we chose to recognize the magnificence that surrounds us.We are free when we dare to venture out to the open sea and then choose to come home! And now you can sign up for my free e-Book “5 Common Mistakes People Make that a Good Story Can Fix” at http://www.story-coach.com by Lisa Bloom, Story Coach Inc.
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Telling a Story of Freedom
Are You Guilty of Selling Your Product Before It is Fully Developed?
Author: Bret Ridgway
Title: Are You Guilty of Selling Your Product Before It is Fully Developed?
Article: This one tends to be a bigger problem for the platform speaker from what I’ve seen, than for anyone else. It can certainly be true of any information marketer, but here’s what I’ve seen happen frequently from platform speakers.
They get the audience stirred up (in a good way), and folks are rushing to the sales table to order Speaker X’s package. But the package includes some component(s) that aren’t yet fully developed. According to the presentation, things will be ready to go within a couple of weeks.
But, invariably, two weeks turns into a month. Then, a month turns into two months. You get the picture. Now people are getting antsy, and refund requests begin to pour in. It’s not a pretty sight.
The solution – make sure you don’t sell a product from the stage that isn’t yet fully developed. If you absolutely must deliver a presentation where you’re selling something that isn’t completed, you had better at least make sure you have some component (either physical or digital) that can be delivered to the purchasers quickly to keep them happy until the remainder of the product is ready.
How does this apply to you if you’re not a platform speaker? Pretty much the same way. If you’re planning a specific launch date for your information product, work the dates backwards to determine when all the product development work needs to be completed.
If you think it’s going to take a week to edit your audio or video, then you need to allot two to three weeks in your schedule. If you think it’s going to take 10 days to finish up the writing or the manual, you had better plan on 20 or more.
We see it time and time again. Information marketers who don’t plan properly who are scrambling at the last minute to get things to their fulfillment house to produce the product. This can mean delayed deliveries and rush charges for jobs, neitehr of which is a desireable thing.
Whether you speak from the stage or not, be sure your product is ready to deliver when you’re ready to sell it. Communication with your customers is critical. If you manage their expectations proactively, then you can minimize the potential harm from not having a product ready to go. But the keyword here is “proactively.” Better to just make sure it’s done so you don’t have to worry about it. Bret Ridgway is co-founder of Speaker FulFillment Services, a company dedicated to helping information marketers. To pick up your own copy of his “New Information Product Development and Launch Checklist” visit http://www.50BiggestMistakes.com.
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There Is A Big World Out There That Needs Us
Author: Art Gib
Title: There Is A Big World Out There That Needs Us
Article: We live in a small town in the Rocky Mountains. Life is predictable and feels safe here. Unfortunately, life is not like this around the world and we are always looking for opportunities to teach our children to truly appreciate how lucky they are and to reach out and help others locally and intentionally. I grew up in Southern California. I was the daughter of an airline pilot. My life was sprinkled with trips to exotic, local and national destinations, but the trips I remember most were the ones where we left the peoples lives improved after we returned home.
I longed for our children to have more exposure to the people of the world, to experience a vast number of cultures, lands, smells and foods. To realize how much need there is how much difference one person can make. We read about foreign places, we study them on the internet and through National Geographic and other magazines. From the time our children were small, I instilled in them a thirst to travel, to explore to experience and to be of service. As they have grown these roots have taken hold and they have desired to travel not just for vacation sake but to be of help to their fellowmen.
There are so many service abroad opportunities that enrich the lives of the server and those they serve. Our daughter flew the coop of safety first and joined with a humanitarian group to serve the people of Guatemala. Language is always the first barrier; she learned Spanish with an international language program. Study she did, hard and long. She was getting pretty good at it, but nothing compared to the immersion she received when she started working with the natives.
She worked in orphanages, ministered to the abused or neglected women, she taught hygiene in the schools to children. She taught them through song and puppet shows how to brush their teeth, and wash their hands and faces. She collected clothes for the babies, worked with new mothers and worked ceaselessly to improve work and educational opportunities. Our son watched the example of his sister and soon found himself in Argentina working with the people there. Conditions weren’t as harsh as they were in Guatemala but the need was still limitless.
He also had crash courses in an international language program to get him ready for his adventure. His duties were of a more physical nature, digging ditches, helping to build schools, improve sanitation, and empower the men with work ethics and small business opportunities. Our third son graduates high school this year and is already setting his sights on service abroad opportunities. We are proud of our child who see beyond their own needs or wants and desire to be a part of the global community. International Language Program (http://www.ilp.org/) is a service abroad opportunities. Art Gib is a freelance writer.
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Practice Kicking Yourself With Your Jerking Knee to Earn More Profit
Author: Donald Mitchell
Title: Practice Kicking Yourself With Your Jerking Knee to Earn More Profit
Article: New circumstances are most often first perceived as a threat when budgeted profit or cash flow objectives are not met. Since such potential shortfalls are happening somewhere almost all the time in enterprises, the organization’s first reaction is to look for relatively painless ways to cut costs to overcome the shortfall.
This tendency is reinforced by the likelihood that all the senior people in the company receive much of their annual bonus for meeting budgeted results. This so-called “incentive” creates a common interest in smoothing over the bump in the road so the company can grow profit and cash flow results at the rate it had planned.
Enterprises that have public shareholders receive a double incentive to meet this goal because additional compensation is tied up in stock options that will fall in value if shareholders are disappointed in company results. Finally, if the shortfall cannot be overcome, heads will roll in some cases. That threat is never far from many peoples’ minds in an organization.
For most companies, this standard operating procedure often turns into a mad scramble to cut costs that permits little room or time for thought about the long-term consequences. For example, for about two decades a well-known packaged goods company had an earnings shortfall early in almost every year in its largest division.
The first planned expense to be cut in each case was the money for promotions designed to create more brand loyalty among consumers. Year after year, loyalty to the company’s brands in that division dropped, and profits slumped.
But company executives often restored enough profit performance to save some part of their bonus. How? They used defensive strategies.
For instance, they offered special incentives to retailers to purchase products at the end of every year so that retailers often bought four to six months’ supply at one time. This meant that the products were often less than perfect when used, and all consumers were trained to look for annual “give-away” price reductions that discouraged them from buying the products year round at full price. Brand loyalty was further harmed as a result.
For this company, reactions to the hostile environment characterized by a decrease of loyal consumers were made worse by the actions taken to protect the budgets. The real solutions (finally taken about twenty years after the irresistible force problem arose) were to improve the quality of the products and to build brand loyalty among the consumers. To facilitate these solutions, the annual “year-end load” was eliminated. Donald Mitchell is an author of seven books including Adventures of an Optimist, The 2,000 Percent Squared Solution, The 2,000 Percent Solution, The 2,000 Percent Solution Workbook, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise, and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage. Read about creating breakthroughs through 2,000 percent solutions and receive tips by e-mail by registering for free at
http://www.2000percentsolution.com .
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Where Does the Customer’s CEO Sit?
Author: Donald Mitchell
Title: Where Does the Customer’s CEO Sit?
Article: Many companies ignore or underestimate important irresistible forces, treating them as if they are gentle breezes rather than raging hurricanes that can tear the organization apart. A good way to overcome this sort of misunderstanding and overoptimism about the circumstances is to constantly focus attention on identifying what the most important irresistible forces are. In fact, those who use this approach report that it is one of the most effective ways they have experienced to improve an enterprise’s ability to adjust to irresistible forces.
What are the irresistible forces that have, are having, and could have the greatest positive and negative impact on your organization?
To a person sitting calmly in a secure underground shelter, the raging tornado overhead doesn’t seem too threatening. Many organizations have succeeded in such sheltered environments because they have yet to be subject to the full fury of the irresistible forces.
An excellent reason for looking at the past is to appreciate whether the organization is succeeding because conditions are indeed fair, or simply because others are fighting forces that don’t yet affect you but that will eventually. For example, many chemical companies initially reported in 1997 that the overseas economic problems had no impact on their operations.
Two years later, many of these same companies were showing very weak profits as demand and prices for chemicals slumped in many markets with devalued currencies. These slumps in turn caused worldwide prices to be lower, because of oversupplies of products and excess capacity.
What is the best way to monitor these forces and spot new ones in the future? Monitoring is a tricky function. If your technical analyst understands what’s going on but no one else does, you’ll have gained little advantage over the alternative situation of being completely unaware of what’s happening. The best ways to monitor are ones that everyone participates in and understands.
Here’s an example. In a major consumer products company, the executives didn’t often travel. When they did travel, those they visited expected to see them. As a result, operations and customer relations always seemed great.
Then, the same executives when on unannounced tours and avoided their local people. The executives were appalled to see how poorly their operation was being run and quickly began to install measurements to help them continually test the waters for performance.
As a result, many new forces and mistakes were discovered sooner and practical solutions were soon in place.
Avoid the cocoon of seeing only what others want you to see! Donald Mitchell is an author of seven books including Adventures of an Optimist, The 2,000 Percent Squared Solution, The 2,000 Percent Solution, The 2,000 Percent Solution Workbook, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise, and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage. Read about creating breakthroughs through 2,000 percent solutions and receive tips by e-mail by registering for free at
http://www.2000percentsolution.com .
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5 Secrets to Exercising Authority
Author: Mike Brooks
Title: 5 Secrets to Exercising Authority
Article: If you are a sales manager or business owner, then you probably know and understand that fine line between being a leader and exercising authority, and trying to fit in as part of the team and wanting people to like you.
Managers struggle with this all the time, and many would be leaders lose their ability to successfully direct their teams because they are afraid of exercising this authority for fear of alienating other team members.
The problem is that most managers and other figures of authority — Directors, V.P.’s, and Business Owners — have never been taught how to properly exercise authority and command respect as leaders.
If you find yourself in this position, follow this proven, 5-step method for exercising authority. It will not only get results, but it will establish, or re-establish, your role as leader of your sales team or department.
#1) Make sure your instructions are clear. Having ambiguous goals, or methods of achieving them, automatically undermines your authority and dooms many projects from the beginning.
Rule #1 — be clear on the goal and the instructions on how to accomplish it. After you have delivered them, ask your team if they have any questions about what is required, so problems can be cleared up from the beginning.
#2) Encourage people to approach you if they run into problems. Establishing open communication and feedback early on is crucial to avoid big disappointments later. Helping team members resolve problems as they arise ensures quick resolution, continued progress, and good morale.
#3) Take action quickly when you learn of any real problems. Failing to act quickly once you learn of a problem, or putting it off for days or weeks, not only undermines your authority, but alsoarticles morale and confidence. Problems tend to get bigger the longer they go unresolved, and your job as a leader is to solve problems not avoid them.
#4) Insist your team report all the news — good and bad. So many companies treat bad news like the plague. Sales teams are taught to “always be positive,” but an attitude of “always be accurate and let’s find a way to succeed,” is more productive (and realistic).
In meetings and one-on-ones, your goal should be to motivate as well as problem solve. Always encourage your team to report all the news.
#5) Use crises as an opportunity to develop people. You are a leader for a reason! Rather than shy away from a crisis (a big deal lost, unexpected bad news, major delay in delivery, etc.), teach your team members how to find opportunity in crises and how to grow as professionals and as people.
Focus on the skills or attitudes that are needed to overcome the situation, and work with them to develop and strengthen them. If you want to Double Your Income Selling Over the Phone, then check out Mike”s Award Winning 5-CD Series and learn the techniques and strategies of Top 20% producers. Visit: Order now and receive over $400 worth of free sales tools and resources as well as a FREE copy of Mike”s “The Complete Book of Phone Scripts.”
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Ever Thought of Teaching as a Second Career?
Author: Robert McKenzie
Title: Ever Thought of Teaching as a Second Career?
Article: Becoming a teacher is both challenging and rewarding, which is probably why more mid-career adults than ever are going into teaching as a second career. Whether fresh out of college, or coming into teaching from another field, you must be certified to obtain teaching employment at any public school in the U.S. Every state has its own requirements for different types of teacher certification, but there are core teacher certificates throughout the country. All states and localities require that teacher candidates possess at a minimum, a four year college degree that includes courses in teaching theory, and that the candidate pass a teacher certification examination. The exact examination(s) that need to be taken will vary based upon the specific type of teaching certificate.
The different teaching certificates qualify a teacher to work in a specific subject or grade level and include:
*Initial certificate: This is the certificate that is issued upon completion of a four-year college degree in education and satisfactory performance on teacher certification exam(s). The exact exams to be taken may vary by the endorsement or teaching area.
*Standard certificate: Teachers who have been in the classroom for four years and completed specific continuing education requirements are eligible for this certification. The pay scale for a standard certificate is generally higher than for the initial.
*Masters teaching certificate: This is issued to teachers who have obtained a Master’s degree in education through a college or university. Again, teacher’s pay increases at this level.
* Substitute certificate: Regulations regarding substitute teaching vary greatly from state to state, and within localities. Many states require a specific amount of college education and successful completion of a course in classroom management. Long-term substitute jobs, such as working for someone on maternity leave, often call for experience in the specific subject, and possibly a four-year college degree.
* Early childhood certificate endorsement: An endorsement is added onto your teaching certificate stating that you have passed certification exam(s) related to that specific field. Early Childhood certification qualifies teachers to work with children from birth through third grade. Coursework for this certificate emphasizes child development.
* Elementary school certificate endorsement: A teacher must pass an elementary subjects certification exam and possibly one in specific subject areas besides. This endorsement qualifies teachers to work with children in grades 1-5 (or up to 8th grade in a self-contained classroom.)
* Middle level school certificate endorsement: This endorsement indicates successful completion of a middle school (grades 5-9) teacher’s certification exam. Most middle school teaching jobs also require endorsement in a specific subject such as math, science or English.
*Alternative Route to Teacher Education (ARC): The ARC program was created in the late 80’s to address the severe teacher shortage in the U.S. IT provides a means for adults with college degrees in other areas to obtain teacher certification without obtaining a degree in education. The program provides teacher training and student teaching opportunities. Many states have their own versions of the ARC program, and can go under different names such as TAPP (Teacher Alternative Preparation Program).
Many traditional colleges now offer at least a few of their teaching courses in a distance-learning format, and some have complete degree programs online. For this reason, more working adults are pursuing teaching as a career. Whatever type of teaching certification you are interested in, you can likely complete some of your coursework via the Internet. The best source of information on specific licensing requirements and routes to certification is your State’s Department of Education. DOE websites generally offer many resources related to certification, including listings of colleges that offer accredited degrees, article to ARC programs and to the licensing agency for your state. Former teacher and test expert Robert McKenzie has published widely on teaching and exams. Visit his website for more information on Teacher Certification exams.
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Steps To Effective Delegation With Management Training
Author: Frank OTools
Title: Steps To Effective Delegation With Management Training
Article: Through both management training courses and time management training courses one of the key areas managers must learn is the effective art of delegation.
Time management training courses teach us the importance of managing time through gaining more minutes or hours in your working day by becoming good at delegating. Whereas management training courses teach us the skills of delegating in order to develop staff.
Whatever the reason or delegating, whether it be to gain more control of your working day and manage your time better or whether it is to effectively manage your team the skills needed are the same.
Delegation does not mean doing nothing yourself and abdicating work, but it does mean managing time more effectively and managing your staff. On Time management training courses you often hear Manager say I haven’t got time to delegate, or I am the only one that can do the task, or I don’t really have anyone with the skills.
The truth is generally that they have not sat back and looked at how they could delegate.
Those who are successful at delegating and improve their time management skills are those that ask themselves the following questions:
Is there someone who can do any of the above tasks better than me?
Is there some one with training that I can develop to carry out the task?
Is there some one who may do it different than me and maybe not quite as good but still acceptable?
Other things to discover is not only your own time management but the cost of the task, in other words if there is some one paid less than you, who can carry out the task then it makes management sense to allow them to carry out the task.
The key steps to Time management through delegation are as follows:
Identify the task to delegate: Generally delegate the whole task if possible
Flag the idea to the individual: Choose some one who is willing and able
Sell the task: You may need to sell the benefits to the individual to carrying out the task in terms of their own development
Organize and control the task: Ensure the task is organized and you have also agreed feedback times and meetings to ensure the task has been carried out.
Management training courses will always teach you the control is vital, ‘what gets checked gets done’ but the real beauty of learning to delegate effectively is the additional time management skill you will have in your management armor to increase your own time and manage time effectively
Would you to learn the effective art of delegation with time management training? Frank O’Toole from Premier Training is helping people to achieve with training courses, let’s achieve.
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CCIE Training: What Candidates Need to Know
Author: Jerry Glynn
Title: CCIE Training: What Candidates Need to Know
Article: CCIE training is very intense, and for good reason; it is Cisco’s highest professional certification level and opens the door to many unique career opportunities. There are three different levels of Cisco Certification, each with their own sub categories, Associate, Professional, and Expert. Expert describes the CCIE certification level. It is estimated that there are only about 17,000 professionals in the entire world that hold this level of certification which is considered to be the highest level of IT certification, and has the highest salary track record in the profession.
CCIE training is available from a variety of companies, and candidates have several learning options to choose from. If you don’t have time for a traditional classroom centered training program, you can opt for an online course, complete with supplemental workbooks and training DVDs in some cases. It is important to schedule some time for actual hands on preparation, training, and practice, however, whether you chose to rent rack space or build your own practice lab.
While there is no formal requirement for taking the two part certification test, it is recommended that candidates have at least three to five years of IT experience. Many candidates build Cisco labs of their own to practice in, or rent time at locations where they can hone their skills. Passing the CCIE requires in-depth knowledge of many real-life networking situations. There is simply no substitute for being exposed to, designing, deploying, and troubleshooting a wide range of complex, real-world networks.
Candidates must also pass a qualifying exam to apply for CCIE certification, and then must pass the CCIE expert exam in their given track, as well as a laboratory component in which candidates demonstrate skills in different pressure-intensive scenarios. Candidates should be able to install, configure and maintain Voice solutions over IP networks. The CCIE Voice track, however, does not certify an understanding of the infrastructure over which VoIP solutions are implemented. Candidates need to keep in mind passport and visa details if traveling to another country to take the CCIE lab exam as well as factoring in the cost of the travel.
Your CCIE training will be essential in ensuring your success on the exam, so be sure to choose a program carefully, taking the time to evaluate your schedule and needs, as well as your individual learning style and areas of weakness and strength. Careful preparation will increase your chances of obtaining this coveted certification. For more information, check out the leader in CCIE training products
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Mastering Your Mind Power: Do Affirmations Help Or Hinder?
Author: Harold L Lowe
Title: Mastering Your Mind Power: Do Affirmations Help Or Hinder?
Article: Having made the declaration that you can never fail, I wish to be very clear. As you develop your plan for mastering your mind power, remember that your mind is a goal seeking, goal achieving, mechanical like entity. It never seeks failure. It knows absolutely nothing about what you call failure. It only knows how to materialize the emotionally charged goals (thoughts, images, and beliefs) that reside in your subconscious mind whether you consciously, deliberately placed those goals there or not. If you did not consciously place them there, someone else did!
When I began to consciously take more control of my mind power, I chose to use affirmations to implant my goals. Other methods for establishing goals were available to me. They included hypnosis, self hypnosis, as well as subliminal media, but since I desired to have as much conscious control of the process as possible, I chose affirmations.
When I began using affirmations, I was employed as a buyer in a public school district in northern California, earning less that $1,500 a month. I was motivated enough by a desire for more income to devise a 5 year goal of earning $35,000 a year. I stumbled across some information that provided pictorial representations of my new goal which I cut and pasted unto a goal sheet. I then crafted three affirmations and began my goal-implanting program.
Needless to say, I got off to a very rocky start. Each time I repeated an affirmation, I almost immediately received what appeared to be a never ending stream of negative thoughts that indicated to me that I was wasting my time. There was no one who previously held my position whose income had grown to my goal level in five years. In fact, I had heard of only a handful of people in my industry throughout the entire state that had done so and they usually had to relocate to different areas of the state.
Those thoughts would usually carry over into my work day and into my leisure time as well. Since I did not see many options, I stuck with the affirmations and would do what I could to fight off the countering, negative thoughts.
A short time into my program, I learned that those negative, counter thoughts are called tail-enders. If those highly emotional tail enders were not neutralized, they in fact became or reestablished themselves as my true affirmations. Thus, more of the conditions they represented materialized in my experience.
In spite of the re-occurrence of the tail enders, I was motivated enough to continue with the affirmations. I did not reach my $35,000 a year goal in five years. It actually took me just over six years, but my income leaped over the $35,000 goal to $37,500! I became sold on and a big believer in the help affirmations provide.
This I know for sure. You can claim or reclaim control of your own mind power. You are the most miraculous of all living beings on earth. You are the owner of a mind that is so stupendous, that as you truly begin mastering your mind power and consciously using it, there is no dream that you can dream that you cannot achieve.
Harold L Lowe retired at age 62 when his six-figure income position was eliminated. He now wishes to share some of what he has learned since then and some of his experiences as well through articles. He is now studying The New Think And Grow Rich with the author, Ted Ciuba, a founding member of the World Internet Summit. To Claim A FREE Copy Of The Book That Inspired The Movie/DVD/Book, The Secret, Go To:
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