Wayne Mansfield marketing seminars

This week I went to a Web Marketing seminar.
The Ad came through my email; Internet Marketing – Beyond the Basics. $249. 3 hours with Wayne Mansfield, Australia’s Internet Maverick.

The sales letter looked good; I would learn all these wonderful things to get people streaming to my site.

An hour into the seminar I started to feel as though I had been “SUCKED IN”. The presenter Wayne Mansfield was obviously a very successful Web Marketer. He told us in the first half hour about his “Run In” with the Australian Government and the laws on Spam and the millions of dollars his company and he had been fined.
I am watching the clock tick by. Thinking ‘am I going to get $249 worth of info, so that I can bring my web site alive.
On the first page of the hand out book, I learn that Google have stopped counting the number of web pages at 14 billion.
This is my Competition and Growing.
Mr Mansfield then went on to talk about “The Long Tail”. I wasn’t sure I understood what he was alluding to.
Fortunately there is plenty of references on the net, I did a Google search.
At 3.30 pm we stopped for a Tea, Coffee, sandwiches and muffin break.
I’m watching the time click by.
I wonder if they give us all the beautiful food to make us stay longer in the tea room and less in the seminar.
By 4.00pm I am staring to think, I haven’t really learnt anything ‘Beyond the Basics’. $249?????
If I divide up my money, maybe $49 is room hire, nice sandwiches, booklet and pen, that leaves $200 for Mr Mansfield’s time and his Host Richard Gee.
I suppose I am naive. Why would a man who makes Millions of dollars each year waste his time for such a puney amount?
Then in the last hour all is revealed. Mr Mansfield is doing a sales promotion for his Company Blog Quest. For $3000 his company will launch my web site on to the net, and earn me 1000’s of dollars.
I left the seminar remembering nothing is free in this world. We have to pay to get what we want.
My only conciliation, if I write this blog, mention Mr Wayne Mansfield’s name enough times, my ranking in Google search engines may increase.
I’ve got nothing to lose.

Today I saw a poster advertising a spiritual weekend $250. Included, 2 nights accommodation, and two days of wonderful activities; rites of passage, aligning with soul purpose, vision quest…… Maybe this would be better value for money.

The Art of Sacred Communication.

Practicing the art of sacred listening
Listening
When you are talking to someone, be with them fully, focused on what is being said, not with what’s going on in your head.
This is called listening. Listening is not passive. It is an active part of dialogue and it works both ways.

Ask yourself – am I listening from my heart? When you are listening from your heart there is no tendency to interrupt or push or to make your opinion heard. You are just listening. The whole of your body is listening. Your soul is listening.

Blocks to Listening

Comparing.
Comparing your self to the person speaking. You are smarter/more competent and therefore you are a better person. Or they are better – proving your unworthiness.

Mind Reading
Figuring out what the other person is really thinking/feeling. Often this involves making assumptions about how others are reacting to you.

Rehearsing
Thinking about what you are going to say next.

Filtering
Listening to some things and not to others. Hearing only what you want to hear.
Half – listening, while thinking of something else.

Judging
Applying labels to another person – often negative labels.

Dreaming
Being triggered into your own memories by something the other person says.

Identifying
Referring everything to your own experience. Talking about a similar experience of your own instead of responding to the other person’s experience.

Advising
If you come up with advice and suggestions as soon as someone stops speaking, you have been problem solving instead of listening.

Think about these the next time you are listening.

Are you guilty of one of the above?

Being 'Human', it is very differcult not to.

Talking Sticks

Today I had Quality Time with my 12 year old daughter. We didn’t do anything special; it was a day where we lived along side one another, doing our own activities.
We shared eating times together. We went to the supermarket.

It was a great day.

Being with her today reminded me of the time when we made “talking sticks.”

The talking stick was used by the North American Indian tribes. It was honoured and respected and passed around at council meetings. Whoever was holding the talking stick had the right to be heard uninterrupted. Nowadays the concept is used in groups so as to avoid discussions degenerating into mayhems.

This idea can be used in your home.

In busy household’s children can feel that they are not listened to.
If a child has something that they would like to share with you, sitting with the talking stick gives them the knowledge that they have your undivided attention.

MAKE YOUR OWN STICK
It is fun to make your own stick; so why not go for a walk with your child. Explore along a beach or forest. Let your child find their stick, explain that is has to be functional, and able to be comfortably held in their hand.
Decorate your stick; get out your craft box, find ribbons, wool, feathers, beads, paints, felt pens, etc;
Now ask your child to choose materials or do drawings on the stick that represent aspects of their life.
Suggestions: Their favourite animal, what they like doing; dancing, singing. Think about symbolizing virtues, such as love, kindness, honesty, sharing, co-operation, patience.

The idea is to make their stick personal. something they can relate to.

I hope you enjoy.

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Mother's Day 2007

Mothers Day.
It is a beautiful day where I am. The sun is shinning, there is no wind,
the birds outside my window are singing their morning song.
Today I will ring my Mum, wish her a Happy Day.

I will honour myself. Give thanks, for the wonderful healthy confident, children that I have.

Today I will Honour the Great Mother; Mother Earth, Goddess Gaia.
I will go for a walk in the forest. Sit with my back to a Large Kauri Tree and give thanks for the abundance in my life.

I will say a Prayer for
Mother Earth
Mother Earth, Gaia, whole and beautiful,
Creator of my universe, how simple you appear to me,

but foiled with intricacies beyond my very soul.
Mother Earth, so green and blue to my human eye but looked more closely,

you are of golden – white hew.

To sit with you in silence, is but a beginning of my inner listening.
To sit with you in silence is to give away my human sadness and troubles.
To sit with you in silence is to awaken my inner spirit.
To sit with you in silence is to feel your inner beauty,

To witness your strength and power.
It is no mistake that you are circular, there is no beginning there is no end, and life is a continuous cycle, in balance.
Sitting with you Mother Earth reminds me that I am not alone, that there is a spirit larger than myself at work,

A universe larger than my immediate self interest and concerns.
I thankyou for these gifts you bring to me, provider of all that I need.
As Above, so below, Earth, Fire, Air, Water.
I honour You, Goddess Gaia, Mother Earth.

I hope you have a Happy Mothers Day.

May we all live in Peace
May we all live in Harmony
Maywe all live a Free and Enlightened life.

A Thorn in My Side

A Thorn in My Side

Jessica (12yrs) summed it up beautifully in a little story she made up about my life with her Dad. The beginning, the middle and the ending was spot on with symbolism and thoughts.
I have expanded on the theme.

One day when I was out walking in a forest (couldn’t see the wood for the trees); I stumbled and fell into a gorse bush. I felt this stabbing in my right side and I knew immediately that a thorn had stabbed me.
Not being able to reach it, I said to myself, “I will get it out later, when I have someone who can help me”. And I forgot about it.
By the time I got home, I realised that the Thorn didn’t feel so bad; it masked the pain that I felt deep inside, it distracted me from having to think about all the worries in my life. So I grew to enjoy this Thorn.

So I thought only about the Thorn and gradually it worked its way deeper and deeper into my body. Sometimes it would hit a muscle and I would become paralysed for awhile, but with physical therapy I would recover. Sometimes it would hit an artery, momentarily stopping the blood from travelling to my brain, and I would have times of wandering if I was going insane.

But, I would tell myself that, “one day, the Thorn will settle it will be happy; I was providing a great nesting ground, supporting it.”
So for many years the Thorn travelled through my body, for a time resting and enjoying the comfort and warmth. But my Thorn was restless; it would take off again, hitting another tender spot. This went on for 15 years. What I didn’t know was that my Thorn was sick and slowly poisoning all of my body.

Six months ago my Thorn hit a major nerve, this time crippling me.
A critical moment, enough was enough; it was time to start extracting the Thorn.
Cut it out, squeeze all the puss out.

I knew this was going to hurt, like any surgical procedure.
The healing and rehabilitation may take many years, but it will be worth it.
My Quality of life will improve.
The Quality of life of those near and dear to me will improve.

So I have arrived Home.
I would like to thank all who have helped me to extract the Thorn in my Side; Beverley, Amamelia, my parents my children, all the authors of the self – help books I have read, Julie, my friends, My Lawyers, Accountant, Doctor. Grandmother Moon, Mother Gaia, the spirits of the birds, animals, (Beau & Buddy), The dark Goddess, The Archangels; Hope, Faith, Charity, Lady Masters; Kwan Yin, Lady Nada…..
May all Beings live in Peace
May all Beings live in Harmony
May all Beings live a free and enlightened Life.

Namaste
www.qualitytime4u.com