Why You Should Be More Like a Drug Addict... Going for It... the Remedy for Fleeting Happiness... and Much, Much More
By Michael Masterson
As I explain in today's essay, you can learn a lot about wealth building and success from your average junkie. Don't believe me? Some of these guys make as much as $900 a day. What's your typical payday? Also today, I explain why what you eat has a huge impact on your energy levels. Then I give you a technique I learned from one of my mentors for getting the most out of meetings. Finally, I've got a useful business tool you can use to figure out when to kill or continue a new product. This tool cost me millions to learn. You get it free -- if you pay attention! Later in the week, we hear from David Cross. He will tell you how he defeated a competitor who was dominating the market with cheaper products, a fraction of the operating costs, and attractive packaging. David did one thing and his sales skyrocketed. This is a trick that can apply to any business, including yours. From Robert Ringer, we learn why throwing caution to the wind and just going for it can pay off big time. Forget about "what ifs" and embrace action. Dr. Srikumar Rao, a new member of the ETR family, makes a compelling case for something I've been saying for many years: Seeking "happiness" means you will never find it. And besides, he says, it's closer than you think. And finally, Bob Bly warns Internet marketers worldwide of the perils of... learning too much about Internet marketing. If you have a sneaking suspicion this has something to do with my "Ready, Fire, Aim" philosophy, you're right. ---------------------------------------------- Highly Recommended ---------------------------------------------------- The Relaxation Technique that Eases Stress in Seconds You're stuck in a boring meeting… a long line at the bank… or bumper-to-bumper traffic… Your blood pressure is rising. Your stress is through the roof… But with one unconventional (and often misunderstood) technique, your frustration, anxiety, and stress simply slip away. You'll feel peaceful, in control, and happy within seconds. Any time. Anywhere. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "People need motivation to do anything. I don't think human beings learn anything without desperation." Jim Carrey As a teenager, I had the impulses of a junkyard dog. If someone looked at me the "wrong" way, I started barking. This resulted in many scraps -- most of them with bigger and more skillful fighters. I managed to "win" a great many of them, however, because I was able to tap into something inside me that fueled my aggression. Something like that exists in the realm of wealth building. I'm talking about something inside you that can transform you into a money-making megalomaniac (MMM). As an MMM, you will never: - have another sluggish moment
- feel confused about what you need to do
- doubt your ability to make money -- or hesitate to go after it
I have used this secret (I call it the Junkie's Secret) to fuel my entrepreneurial ambitions in the past and I use it now to motivate myself to write books and make movies. Today, I pass it on to you... Consider the Humble Coke Addict Take an ambitionless, aimless young man in his 20s. He's a high-school dropout, which means he's functionally illiterate. Having been deprived of a good family, he is also angry. To make matters worse, he's no "Good Will Hunting." He's dumb as a dishrag. Let me ask you: What is this young man likely to do for a living? You guessed right. Nothing. But if he were to work... if he could be forced to work through some amazingly successful government program... how much money could he make? You guessed right again. Minimum wage -- $7.25 an hour or about $50 a day, before taxes. Now take that same stupid, lazy kid and give him a crack-cocaine addiction. How much money could he make then? You guessed it again. He could make a freaking fortune! In the 1980s, I lived in what is sometimes referred to as a "transitional" neighborhood in Washington, DC. For several years, I had the opportunity to observe the incessant, almost compulsive, money-making activities of junkies. Day in and day out, these uneducated, drugged-out, degenerates would go out into a very unfriendly world and hustle. They panhandled. They stole. They ran cons of every possible variety. And they made lots of money. Many of these jokers, according to an article I read in The Washington Post at the time, were making $300 to $400 a day to feed their habits. (These days, they'd probably have to pull in $600 to $900.) That made an impression on me. I mean, hell! They were making a lot more than I was. And I had two degrees and three jobs. An Impressive Accomplishment The more I thought about it, the more amazing it seemed. These were total losers whose primary desire in life was to numb themselves into a stupor. Yet they were making more money on the streets of DC than anyone I knew who worked in a fancy office. I had a good idea of how junkies earned their money. But I couldn't for the life of me figure out where they got the emotional wherewithal to do it. So I decided to talk to some of them. It wasn't hard. A dollar would buy me five minutes of conversation. A dollar and a cup of coffee would buy me 15. I eventually befriended three of the neighborhood junkies. An old man named George who had once worked for the post office. A young man named Dean who had never worked a legitimate day in his life. And a mother of three named Desiree. (At least that's what they told me their names were.) They all "worked" on 14th Street, the main corridor for hookers and drug addicts. Before I went to work every day, I would walk over to 14th Street and spend a few minutes with George, Dean, or Desiree. Gradually, I figured out their money-making secret. It was a combination of three very old-fashioned and virtuous habits. Three Habits of Highly Successful Crackheads George, Dean, and Desiree worked even longer hours than I did. Back then, I was working 12 hours a day. These three worked every waking hour -- 18 to 20 hours a day. Each of them worked with a single-minded purpose. Although there were moments when they nodded off, 90 percent of their conscious time was focused on getting the money they needed for the next fix. I had a dozen interests and alternate ambitions. They had only one objective. But the most important difference between them and me had to do with something deeper. Their addiction was much stronger than my ambition. They would do WHATEVER IT TOOK to achieve their goal. If you study the lives of America's most successful people, you will discover that they too: 1. worked long and hard
2. stayed focused on one goal
3. made sacrifices to achieve that goal Read the biography of Andrew Carnegie and you will see these three habits repeated throughout his life. Watch a documentary about Warren Buffett or Bill Gates and you will find the same thing. It's something to think about, isn't it? Working long and hard is important to success. Having determination and focus is important too. But to achieve really big goals... to climb into a whole new category... you have to do more. You have to have the willingness to do whatever it takes, including things that are risky, uncomfortable, new, worrisome, or even dangerous. Junkies don't get the respect they deserve. Imagine what the addict's life is like. You wake up on a park bench smelling of urine. You stretch, rub the sores on your face and forearms, and say to yourself, "Up and at 'em, boy. Today you are going to go out there -- to that cold and unfriendly city -- and get your hands on six hundred bucks." Could you do that? Day after day? I couldn't. Not unless I was addicted to something. How to Tap Into the Unappreciated Power of the Junkie You can have the junkie's gift. And you don't even have to smoke crack to get it. Somewhere inside you a fire is smoldering -- the desire to break away from the past, start your own business, and take charge of your future. If you leave this fire alone, it will eventually burn itself out. Your life will slip by meaninglessly. When you die, your dreams will die too. But if you fan the flames of your desire, the fire will grow. And that will turn you into a money-making megalomaniac. As a wealth-building entrepreneur, you will be unstoppable! It is damn hard to get a new venture going. It is difficult because it is different. And because it requires you to go beyond your "comfort zone." Take a look at your "to-do" list for today. There is probably something on it that has something to do with that business you've been wanting to start. You know it is important to your future. You have highlighted it. Yet you are reluctant to do it. But if you want to achieve more than you have ever achieved, you have to be willing to do more than you have ever done before. You need to commit yourself, put in the hours, stay focused -- and, yes, do those unpleasant but very necessary tasks. So do this right now. Pretend for a moment that you ARE a junkie and that you absolutely, positively must achieve that goal. Failure is not an option. Set aside your qualms. Ignore your fears. What is it that you would do to succeed? Got it? Good. Now ask yourself, "Why am I not doing that?" Do you have a moral objection to what needs to be done? A fear of failing? Face your feelings squarely. Think about how they are blocking you. If you do that fully and honestly today, you will have accomplished a lot. P.S. The "Junkie's Secret" is one of those things you won't pick up in business school. But it is an essential trait of any entrepreneur who wants to have a business that brings in life-changing profits. For more of my contrarian, "off the cuff" secrets, come to Info-Marketing Bootcamp this November. I don't lecture. I share with my fellow success-seekers the tricks I've picked up over my four-decade career. Bootcamp is coming up in just a few weeks and seats are going fast... ----------------------------------------------Highly Recommended --------------------------------------------------- Early to Rise's $500,000+ Gamble We're betting on your success at our Information Marketing Bootcamp this November. In fact, "we'll see you and we'll raise you"! You see, we've put the 12 gurus we've invited "on the spot." If you don't learn from them how you could make at least your first $10,000 in revenue with your online business by May 2010... we're going to give you back your entrance fee AND give you another $1,000 for your trouble.
Check out all the details on your "sure thing" here. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Keep Your Business Strong by Eliminating the Weak End of Your Product Line
By Michael Masterson
If you want to increase profits, trim low-profit-margin items from your product line. They are probably eating up limited and valuable resources that could be better used elsewhere. Tom Monaghan, the founder of Domino's Pizza, tells a story about the early days in his first pizzeria: "One night, most of my employees didn't show up, and I didn't know whether to open or not. Someone said, 'Why don't you just cut out the six-inch pizzas?' We had five sizes, but most of our business was the smallest, the six-inch. It took just as long to make as the big one and just as much time to deliver but cost less. "I decided we would try that," said Monaghan. "We never got busy that night, and yet we made 50 percent more money than we ever had. The next night I cut out the nine-inch pizza, and all the bills caught up. I learned then that keeping things simple could be more profitable." You should continuously be asking yourself two questions: 1. How do I increase my business's most profitable activities?
2. Is it really worth it to maintain the low-margin activities? The answer to the second question, by the way, is "No!" Cut your losers short and let your winners run. Make "survival of the fittest" your credo. Defeating Fatigue: Answer These Three Questions
By Michael Masterson
There's nothing wrong with feeling tired. It's your body's way of telling you "Give me some rest." But staying tired -- week after week -- is a health problem, one you don't have to live with and shouldn't. If you have been feeling tired for a while, answer these three questions: - Are you getting seven to eight hours of quality sleep at night?
- Are you eating a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet?
- Are you getting enough B vitamins?
If you answered "yes" or "I don't know" to any one of these questions, you need to know this: Most people understand the relationship between sleep and fatigue, but few realize the huge effect diet has on energy levels. There is an easy fix. Reduce or eliminate sugars and high-carb starches -- bread, rice, pasta, etc. They strip your body of stored energy and turn it into a fat-storing machine. And eat lots of protein -- eggs, fish, and meat. That kind of diet will keep you lean, supercharged, and focused all day long. It works because it not only delivers quality proteins, it's loaded with vitamins B12 and B6. You need B vitamins to be able to fall asleep easily, wake up refreshed, and zip through the day. And as you age, your ability to absorb these nutrients from food decreases. So if you are over 40 -- to be on the safe side -- consider taking a good B complex supplement every day. Know What You Want to Accomplish Before Every Meeting
By Michael Masterson
JSN was one of the best negotiators I ever worked with. How did he do it? He took the time to prepare for every business meeting. He thought out what he wanted to accomplish during the meeting. He considered every possible obstacle that might come up, and figured out how he would respond, jotting down notes on an index card. As his right-hand man at the time, I was usually in on these prep sessions. I remember how odd I thought it was to spend so much time plotting out his position. That was when I was younger and completely disorganized. Now, of course, I realize it's why he was so good at negotiating. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Latest News - Investor's Daily Edge's Andrew Gordon has been in the office this week. And he's been talking to anyone who will listen about his Group of 88. It's made up of the safest and most mature companies -- those with the biggest and most reliable returns in the market. He's shown us the data, and it's very exciting. You should check it out. Only his readers will get the scoop.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Straight to the point." "What a great simple short article with such a powerful pitch message. So easy to beat around the bush, but you got straight to the point using scarcity, proof, and simplicity. "LOVE IT." Chris Brisson ---------------------------------------------- Highly Recommended--------------------------------------------------- Increase Your Wealth by Managing Risk like the Pros Do - You can't take all the risk out of investing. But you can take much of it away. More importantly, you can remove the worst aspects of risk – those that cause fear and result in bad investment decisions. ETR'S own Charles Newcastle has developed a quick and simple four-step "risk removal" system that could bring you 132%+ gains in a matter of weeks. Find out more here… --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Words That Work: Degenerate A degenerate (dih-JEN-uh-rit) -- from the Latin for "to decline" -- is a person who has lost the moral and ethical qualities considered to be normal or desirable. Example (as used by Michael Masterson today): "For several years, I had the opportunity to observe the incessant, almost compulsive, money-making activities of junkies. Day in and day out, these uneducated, drugged-out, degenerates would go out into a very unfriendly world and hustle." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We want your feedback! Let us know your thoughts on today's issue. Email us at: AskETR@ETRFeedback.com | 
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