Making My 1st Million Online...$1 At A Time: ‘Help me! Help me! For God’s sake, help me…’ but a...

Making My 1st Million Online...$1 At A Time: ‘Help me! Help me! For God’s sake, help me…’ but a...: By Dr. Jeffrey Lant Author’s program note. Do you remember the theme music for the 1958 Alfred Hitchcock classic “Vertigo”? That music wa...

‘Help me! Help me! For God’s sake, help me…’ but answer came there none, a tale of horror and primal fear.

By Dr. Jeffrey Lant

Author’s program note. Do you remember the theme music for the 1958 Alfred Hitchcock classic “Vertigo”? That music was composed by master mood manipulator Bernard Herrmann, one of the best. I selected this music, of course, because it accentuates the words of the article; also because I suffer from vertigo, and know the fear of falling, out of control, unable to stop. It is terrifying. You will easily find this tune in any search engine. Find it now… and play it loud. You are about not just to read but participate in a story of primal fear… and this music sets just the right mood of alarm, panic, and heartrending despair.

It was a late July 2011 evening in Johannesburg, South Africa, and the household of the unidentified man at the center of this story was in shock, sorrow and lamentations. Their 80-year old patriarch had died unexpectedly after complaining of chest pains and difficulty breathing. The family had been through this before; he suffered from acute asthma. They had urged him to lay down and rest, never thinking that these pains were any different from those which came before, that this time they signalled the end. However, they did and within just a couple of hours the family was dealing with the shock and horror of his unexpected death.

In due course the family called in an undertaker to help.

The morgue was owned by Ayanda Maqolo who asked his driver to visit the family, work with its members at this difficult moment, and take the body for burial. It was in every way a standard case, the most difficult part, as always, dealing with the grieving family and the usual “What if…” questions, wondering if they couldn’t have done more… if there wasn’t something they might have done. The driver did his best to reassure and comfort, but he was on a tight schedule… and he had things to do before taking the body away.

He therefore set about examining the body, checking the victim’s pulse, looking for a heartbeat… but, as Maqolo said, there was no sign of life, none at all. Again, it was all standard, absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. The poor old gentleman was well and truly dead, but then he was eighty and ailing.

And so the driver took the body to Maqolo’s morgue, put it into a locked, refrigerated compartment. It was now an object subject to rules and regulations, on its way to cremation. The owner locked up for the night, going home to his family, glad to be alive.

But the old gentleman wasn’t dead. He was as alive as you or me. And now he was alone, more alone than he had ever been….

Perhaps the coolness of the facility helped… but in a while the old gentleman began to stir. He thought he was dreaming… and in this dream he was on his back, confined in a small compartment, just big enough for him. He sensed he was not alone… that there was something else, many somethings near at hand. He shook himself… he didn’t like this dream… and, besides, he needed the loo, as old gentlemen do.

But in an instant, he knew that this wasn’t a dream. It was terrifying reality. He didn’t know where he was… but he knew he was trapped there. He began to scream for help; these screams didn’t sound like him; they sounded like yelps of terror and despair, sounds he had never heard himself make before. There was no answer…. nothing stirred in this facility of death, where oblivion was always the order of the day.

After a while, his strength abated; his were no longer sharp and piercing but the pathetic sounds a wounded animal makes as its lifeblood runs out and its smells death. Besides now his cool compartment smelled. A supremely clean man, he now lay in his own dirt and urine, frightened… disgusted. This was not the way in which he wanted to meet his God.

And now he passed into a new, different stage. At first, like all victims of every accident, his focus was on his escape. He was certain he would escape; that getting out was simply a matter of shouting the right number of screams… kicking the door the right number of times… and persisting. But that hadn’t worked… and he knew the acute sensation that the world and he were now disconnected and that the living were already in the process of moving on, even discussing how they would spend the little windfall his death would provide.

Now he flashed angry… He thought: they always tolerated me just for the money; they never truly loved me or even wanted me around. His vulgar daughter-in-law was the worst of all… she had always had her eye on the money. And then, alone in the dark recalling the miseries, insults and humiliations of life, he considered how easily she might have doctored his food…. or his medicine. She had motive, access, and no doubt the potion required to simulate death. He felt indignation, rage, hatred… and he beat on the unyielding bright steel compartment with renewed energy fueled by murderous wrath. If he was doomed to die here… he would go happy with her blood on his hands. This thought irradiated his withered face with a happiness formed from bile, acid and disdain.

Trapped on his back, able to wiggle fingers and toes, but little more, every sense was accentuated. It was as if he were experiencing them for the first time. He could smell the smells of old age and evacuation… and… then he remembered. When his aunt had died in a car accident when he was a boy, his father went to the morgue to identify her; he had insisted on you going too; it was a thing a boy must know. Now he knew he was in a morgue… and that the somethings around him were each a formerly sentient human, now a husk awaiting the flames… and he sobbed. For he knew that that was his fate, too.

He beat on his cage, with every ounce of his dwindling strength. For he was not ready to go… not ready to die… he had life to claim and not a moment to relinquish.

He was old, alone, buried, unheard, despairing… and yet alive.

He tried to comport himself for God, for now he knew (how had he ever doubted) that God was real and waiting… but he kept reverting to thoughts of life… and how he was being cheated of what was his, for all there was little of it left. It’s mine, he shrieked. Mine! And he thought he saw the countenance of God, smiling, beckoning… calling him home…

… and so he passed into uneasy sleep.

Then he felt, rather than saw, there was a pinprick of bright light… which motivated him to beat on his compartment and scream for assistance. His unearthly yells were heard… and frightened the workers, who always knew the devil and his helpers were real. And now they were in this very room… purveyors of mayhem and damnation. Maqolo, as owner, though frightened out of his wits, went forward and with fearful trepidation unlocked the fetid compartment where a pale, agitated but grateful old gentleman with great civility asked to be taken out… and taken home. His family was ecstatic though his daughter-in-law looked apprehensive as well she might.

The old gentleman had passed 21 hours in desperation… weighed down by doom, death a growing possibility. He had screamed for God and deliverance… losing hope, sobbing as he confronted the theft of his life. But this time, God answered the prayers of torment and dismay… and gave the man a renewed lease on life and a profound relief at the shear joy of escaping death, with a new ability to live! Live! And be grateful. Still the unloved and suspected daughter-in-law had best step lively….

Making My 1st Million Online...$1 At A Time: Don’t Just Honor Thy Parents…… Record Them!

Making My 1st Million Online...$1 At A Time: Don’t Just Honor Thy Parents…… Record Them!: Don’t let this happen to you: at your parents’   funerals, one of your relations says, “It’s too   bad we didn’t record them. It would have...

Don’t Just Honor Thy Parents…… Record Them!

Don’t let this happen to you: at your parents’ 
funerals, one of your relations says, “It’s too 
bad we didn’t record them. It would have been so 
easy to do. Now they’re gone forever!”

There are many reasons for recording a life 
history with your  parents, but two are paramount: 
there is so much you don’t know about them… and 
it’s the best way to keep your memories alive. 
There is, moreover, something soothing about 
turning on a tape recorder and hearing the 
much loved, familiar voices telling some stories 
you know… and some you’re hearing for the 
first time.

Here are some tips which will help you achieve 
the very best results when you do this important 
project.

1) Don’t wait

The worst thing in the world is saying “I could 
so easily have done this.” Instead of lamenting 
a lost opportunity, proceed now, this very day. 
There is nothing to be gained by waiting.

2) Schedule a meeting with your parents now.

Treat this event with the planning and importance 
it deserves. Schedule a planning meeting. 
If you live a good distance away from your 
parents, you may have to schedule months 
ahead. If so, do as much as you can by 
telephone or webcam. Don’t put things off 
just because one or both parents are not readily 
at hand.

3) Start brain storming the questions you want to 
cover in  your interview.

You should come up with significant questions; 
your parents should do the same. As coordinator 
of this project, take it upon yourself to gather all 
this material together. Understand that simply sitting 
down with your parents and a tape recorder and 
“winging it” produces results which cannot be entirely 
desirable.

Your questions should cover all factual information 
(birth place, birth date, name of  parents, number 
of siblings, date of marriage, etc.) as well as 
open-ended queries of the “what attracted you to each 
other?” type.

4) Select a good, quiet spot where you can 
do the recording.

Everyone should be as comfortable as possible.

Make sure you have a pad of paper and pen for 
yourself and the ‘rents as an aide memoir. And 
be sure to have a pitcher of water at hand, nothing 
carbonated please.

5) Do a short test.

For best results, do a test. Introduce yourself, 
have your parents introduce themselves. Note: 
it is advisable, if possible, to do three recordings: 
one with each parent individually; a third with 
them together.

6) Keep tapes to 60 minutes each.

Do not try to include everything in just one tape. It 
will make the tape seemed rushed, which is just 
what you don’t want. Instead, plan on at least 2 
hours, about the length of a television documentary.

Divide the time into sections including early 
years, education, marriage and children, career, 
and a general  free-flowing section about whatever 
your subjects want to record.

7) Before taping, write an introduction

Remember, you know the subjects, so do your 
siblings. But your children won’t know them 
very well and their children hardly at all. Thus, 
a good informative introduction is necessary 
with complete names, including yours.

 Take some pictures of your interview.

The more personal and appealing you can 
make the final result, the better. Remember, 
all photos must be dated and the names of 
the participants carefully printed on the back. 
This is a must.

9) Make copies of the final result and 
send to siblings, etc.

Of course you did all the work. That’s the 
kind of person you are. So do the packing and 
shipping too. Your relatives will be glad to have the 
tapes and hopefully recognize the hard work, deliberation 
and careful planning you put in. But don’t count on it!

10) Listen to your tapes when you want to 
spend some time with your parents.

The special tapes you’ve created should 
not be put in a drawer, never to be taken 
out. The great thing about tapes, no matter 
how far they fall below Hollywood production 
standards, is that they bring your loved ones 
to life, whenever you like. Play them, enjoy 
them, shed a tear, hoist a glass. These are 
your near and dear ones… and by listening 
to the tapes, you bring them back.

Making My 1st Million Online...$1 At A Time: Are you a DABBLER or a DOER? Your answer determine...

Making My 1st Million Online...$1 At A Time: Are you a DABBLER or a DOER? Your answer determine...: By Sandi Hunter Every day I talk to people who are trying to earn an honest buck in an online business. These are average people who come...

Are you a DABBLER or a DOER? Your answer determines your success in your online business.

By Sandi Hunter

Every day I talk to people who are trying to earn an honest buck in an online business. These are average people who come from all walks of life, from all corners of the globe. The common goal they share is the desire to earn money online in any number of online affiliate or reseller type programs. Although the goal is the same, the approach to making this happen is always different and so too are the results. I have outlined here the marketing approaches that I observe everyday, the ones that are effective and the ones that aren’t. See if you recognize yourself in any of these examples.

The Dabbler.

The Dabbler’s marketing approach involves putting a little bit of effort into this and a little bit of effort into that. This type of marketer will post a few blogs, send a few tweets, join a safelist or two and participate in a handful of traffic exchanges. This person has a basic understanding of what is required to market their online business. The problem is they simply won’t commit to rolling up their sleeves, digging in and doing what is necessary to consistently promote and build results. They are too busy talking about it, planning it, and getting organized. The Dabbler sometimes doubles as an excuse-machine. They readily offer up reasons for not having completed the necessary tasks to build their business. Or, they easily assign blame to others for their lack of success. It has always puzzled me how it is so easy to find reasons for not being successful. What about all the reasons why you CAN be successful? The Internet offers burgeoning earning opportunities!

The Learner.

This type of marketer is a professional online student. They read continuously, watch videos, sign up for everything to get even more details and more help. They are so busy learning, and soaking up knowledge they never actually DO anything or apply what they learn. They are never ready to START applying what they have learned. They want to study more, take it all in, buy more books, take more courses. The Internet itself, and marketing strategies are constantly evolving. You will never know every last detail about marketing and when you think you are getting close, technology will change again. Stop with the learning and start with the doing! Everyday you focus ONLY on learning, is another day you have not made a dime. Dive in, get wet, start promoting your business, products and services – now – RIGHT NOW! Yes, there is much to learn about online marketing, never stop learning but be sure to never stop MARKETING.

The Sweat and Tears Syndrome

This marketer is the saddest one of all. They promote with a frenzied intensity in short bursts spending hours in all the wrong places, promoting all the wrong things. They furiously tap away for hours at their keyboard “working their business” late into the night for 2, 3 days, maybe a week or more. Their blog is bursting with good key word content, they’ve tweeted like a mad person, they’ve bought leads with great promises from a sketchy vendor that seemed to good to be true. Exhausted, they pause and wait for the results. When they don’t get instant results, the sweat turns to tears. Frustrated they swear, stomp, tantrum and move on to the next greatest online money-making program ever – that is in pre-launch! The insanity begins again. This type of marketer has no patience, and leaps from one program to another, with no loyalty or commitment.

The Doer

The DOER is the marketer that SUCCEEDS! The DOER is the one who doesn’t get caught up in all the details. The DOER is a courageous beast. They blunder, make mistakes, but carry on. They understand the sheer power of the web to market products to the world and to profit from their labour. They understand that with the right products and tools they can sell anything! The web is fat with buyers. DOERS understand that you MUST have patience, and MUST work a business constantly, knowing this means consistent promotion every day. DOERS accept that there will be frustrating times, failures, and obstacles on the path to success. The DOERS I know, aren’t always the people you might expect. Many of the DOERS I know are average people, with very little sales or technical background. Their gift is that they are not afraid to try, they don’t give up, they dig in and work hard. There are DOERS all over the world right now marketing their products, services, and affiliate programs in all corners of the web, turning a profit each and every day. This type of marketer has tapped into the right resources, training and tools, applies them consistently, setting realistic goals carrying a positive attitude.

Here is my advise to you as an online marketer on your way to success.

Every single day when you wake up, set a goal for yourself. Make your goal realistic and measurable. Post your goal on your computer, date it.

Initially your goal may be to simply find 5 great places to promote your business. Then your goal may evolve into actually posting your ads, product, service or opportunity to 5, then 10, 20+ sites each day. Once the promotion is is place, set goals for the number of sales each day.

As your business grows never lose your focus on that goal. Don’t get distracted. Remember, at the end of the day you want to actually have made money! Tweeting, face booking, article submissions, and blogging HELP your business grow but are not direct profits in your pocket. Yes, promotion, networking and Search Engine positioning is important and you should work at this but it takes time to do this. Do not let these activities overwhelm you to the point where you forget to make money! Keep your eye on the prize.

Set a goal for a minimum earnings per day. Start off realistic. If you don’t make that amount today, set a new goal for tomorrow. When you start making money, adjust your daily goals accordingly. For those of you who are new to online marketing you CAN make money every single day provided you have the proper tools and resources to do so and of course great products and services to promote. Just make sure you are the DOER described in this article.

I will close with a quote from one of my favourite DOERS, Ray Kroc, McDonald’s Corporation. “Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get.”

Making My 1st Million Online...$1 At A Time: Rules to Blog by, for Blog Publishers and Readers

Making My 1st Million Online...$1 At A Time: Rules to Blog by, for Blog Publishers and Readers: by Dr. Jeffrey Lant Maybe HE likes all the hubbub. But will you? The calm of my Cambridge, Massachusetts neighborhood was punctuated t...