Ghostwriting - Making Money by Being Invisible

My bookcase take up one whole wall in the family room, from floor to ceiling. It shows my eclectic reading tastes... fiction, non-fiction, Harry Potter next to murder mysteries and metaphysical literature. Also there are books I've written for the business sector - on negotiation, writing letters, communication skills, real estate sales and a lot more. The business books, however, have other people's names on them. I'm merely the ghostwriter.

These days, I've moved from writing fiction and being a ghostwriter to a new career as an information marketer on the Internet. (What is an "information marketer"? Just what it sounds like. I do extensive research to find out what information people are searching for, and then I find a way to create it, package it and sell it to them. It's a bit like ghostwriting, really, except that I'm doing it for myself instead of someone else.)

My experience as a ghostwriter was invaluable for doing what I'm doing now. So was my experience in writing fiction. Fiction writers make excellent ghostwriters, because they use their skills to bring scenes and people to life in non-fiction. You see, people love to read about people.

Not things.

Not places.

Not strategies.

Rather, they like to read about the people behind all these things: this is what brings non-fiction to life. If you are a skilled fiction writer, then you can easily adapt your talent to ghostwriting. And the happy news is this: you will probably earn a lot more as a ghostwriter than you ever will writing fiction.

"Ghostwriter" will be only one of the terms for what you do. Sometimes you will find yourself acknowledged as a "consultant"; sometimes as a "copywriter". Most often, you will not get any recognition at all... because that's why people hire ghostwriters: they want to produce a book (or e-book or article or a report) without having to slog away at the actual writing. So... they hire a professional.

Really, the label is not important, and nor is whether you get acknowledged for what you do. What is important is that you get paid regularly for doing something you enjoy. Plenty of people would kill for a job like that!

Any competent writer can earn a steady income from ghostwriting. You can establish a ghostwriting career online or offline - but I would recommend that you start ONline, if you haven't done this before. Thanks to the Internet, it's possible to establish a portfolio of work and get up and running within weeks. Yes, that's right: not months... weeks. If you already have a few samples of articles or work done for others, then you're off to a running start!

Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Start Building Writing Credits.

My first work in ghostwriting came about because I had a portfolio of published articles. What I did not have was a background in journalism. I learned how to write articles by reading how-to books and articles in writers' magazines, and by analyzing the structure of articles in a range of magazines and newspapers. Then I started sending my work out. Luckily, you don't have to take as long as I did to build up credits. You can write a number of articles on different topics, post them to article sites on the Internet, and earn yourself an 'expert' rating within DAYS.

2. Talk About What You Do / Network.

ONLINE: (1) join in forums and mention that you're a ghostwriter; (2) email your friends and acquaintances and asking them to put the word out; (3) create an email signature that advertises your ghostwriting services; (4) set up a website to promote your services, and (5) take the fast route and sign up at Internet sites where potential clients post work.

OFFLINE: (1) Always mention what you do (you never know who knows somebody who knows somebody etc etc...); (2) Do a mailout to businesses in your local area; (3) Put an ad in the paper; (4) Join professional organizations where business people go (the local Chamber of Commerce; Rotary etc)

3. Create a Professional Image From Day One.

Make sure that your work is as close to perfect as you can make it: DEFINITELY no typos or grammatical errors. Sample articles, book outlines, reports etc should be attractively presented and easy to read. As soon as you start getting work, make sure you MEET YOUR DEADLINES. This is crucial!

Invest in quality equipment. With a computer, a high-quality word processor and a laser printer, you can produce not only books and articles, but also proposals, fliers, and an attractive letterhead for your business. For fast, efficient online research: a broadband connection is well worth the additional expense. These days, an entry-level broadband connection is almost as cheap as dialup anyway.

4. Organize Your Material.

As your client base increases, you will find yourself speedily becoming an "expert" on a dazzling variety of subjects. Keep your subject matter organized by client, by subject or both. Eventually you will be able to save time by looking up previous articles - but always give it a new slant.

5. How to Decide What to Charge for Your Services.

Initially, I suggest you charge modest fees and concentrate on building up your client list and your reputation. As a rule of thumb, decide on what you would like to earn in an eight-hour day, then derive from that an hourly rate to use as a basis for costing work. If you start working for online outsourcing agencies, you will be able to get an idea of what to charge very quickly - you'll be able to browse the jobs posted and the bids being made.

6. Time Management - a Dual Writing Career?

You can tackle ghostwriting full time, or create a dual career (use ghostwriting to give you a part-time income while you write your novel). You will find that mastering the art of writing pacy, entertaining business articles and books pays off in all your writing. Your editing skills will improve as you get used to cutting articles and copy; your fiction-writing skills will help you in writing anecdotes for articles. The essence of managing a writing career in different fields is forward planning. Keep a desk or computer diary, a pocket diary and a wall planner. Write in deadlines, assignments and consultation times (and make sure you transfer the information from one to the other). Always have a mental map of what is due in the next week or two. Write out a 'to-do' list each morning, and rank jobs in order of importance.

7. Different Clients, Different Styles.

Different clients like to work in different ways. I had one client who cheerfully admitted he "couldn't even spell, let alone write". For him, I worked from audio interviews or a few brief points on a page, and did a lot of research. Other clients sent me each chapter as it was finished, then I set to work fixing elements of style and tone; re-writing or adding anecdotes, and making suggestions about structure. When it comes to Internet clients, you're likely to find that they want a swift turn-around (2-4 weeks for an e-book of between 50-80 pages with straightforward research). Information marketers will often provide you with a list of questions to be answered or points to cover, and require you to do the research.

8. Confidentiality.

If you want to be a successful ghostwriter, it is VITAL that you maintain confidentiality. Unless your client gives you permission to use his or her name as a reference, don't do so. Some people are happy to acknowledge you as a 'consultant', but not as a ghostwriter. That's their decision. As a ghost, you're supposed to be invisible.

You'll find plenty of work out there a good ghostwriter if you set about looking for it. You don't need to work from 9-5 outside the home in order to pay the mortgage or put food on the table. If you need to earn an income, why not choose a job in which you can use your skill with words? You could find that ghostwriting is the perfect solution for you.

(c) copyright Marg McAlister
www.EssentialGuideToGhostwriting.com

Sick of not earning a decent income from your writing? Send for Marg McAlister's 7-day e-course, the "Mini Guide to Ghostwriting", and find out how to get started in ghostwriting right away. mini-ghost@aweber.com

Customized Services is What makes a Vacation Rental the Best

The home away from home but a little bit more better is what the vacation rentals should be. They should be a lot functional and provide you with a lot of facilities and amenities that you would find in your home and a little bit more. This article looks at what makes these chalets or condos the luxurious properties which the clients crave to rent each time. Luxury could mean very different based on the locality the property is in. If you are in a Ski resort you would want the hot tubs and the cozy fireplaces to make the stay a wonderful experience. If you are in one of the exotic places deep in the jungle where Mosquitoes and insects have the best of the place; then luxury means a simple Mosquito net and a small spray to get these pesky creatures out. In this article let's see what it means to spend time in luxury in the beautiful ski resort area of Whistler.

Whistler is a famous ski destination with thousands flocking to meet the snow each season. The acres and acres of mountain terrain and the pristine lakes added with the availability of good rental properties make this a perfect vacation spot. The core of this article is what makes a few properties like the one listed in WhistlerDeluxe.com stand out. The custom services make a huge difference and the luxury you are offered is directly proportional to the care and services offered in these properties. Luxury comes in many forms and sizes. For folks with kids the luxury in this resort is having nannies from reputed folks when they go out and get the real vacation. Parents need their personal time without worrying about the kids this is one of the major hits offered by these luxurious properties. Don't mistake me, the regular stuff like the cozy bed, and the fire place and hot tubs come first, but the custom services make this the real trip to remember. The other attraction is the service offered by these folks to deliver the best food right at the home. This gives you that little extra bit of time with family in the vacation home. The next that is useful for many folks is restaurant bookings. This is one hot commodity in the crowded ski areas. Unless you get the insider help in these bookings you will end up in one of those dingy unwelcoming tables or corner shops.

The availability of Maid Services in your vacation rental is one more service that upgrades your stay to the luxurious side. These are offered in the big hotels but finding a reliable and cost efficient maid service for your vacation home is one of the things that only the deluxe properties offer. For the folks with a family, the day care and sometimes baby sitting offers is what makes the trip a real vacation. Ah how good a feeling and what a break it will be to be with your whole family on a vacation. And now and then when you need that little bit of private intimate moments you could always sneak out. Sneak out giving your babies or children to reliable folks and enjoy the ski, or enjoy a good meal in the restaurant. That is what I call Luxury, look for these or demand these from your vacation rental folks.

Author suggests the custom services offered for Whistler Vacation Rental in the website whistlerdeluxe.com. Some of Whistler's best chalets and condos for rent; if you want 5-star vacation rental accommodation, this is the place - http://www.whistlerdeluxe.com.

Author does freelancing for many websites and can be contacted through the no fee free freelance website FreelanceFree.com

Dead Man Walking

One of my favorite movies is "The Green Mile". A memorable scene was when the presumably guilty murderer was being brought into the jail and they announced his arrival as "the dead man walking." His sentence was already passed on him even before he was properly accused. As humans, we tend to judge others just by the way they look. Our carnal eyes can only see from the inside out, and are blind to seeing what's on the inside of us! In our own mind's eye, we are blameless, but woe to the other person who doesn't meet our perfect standards.

This was true of this prisoner who was accused of rape and murder of two young girls. The prison guard who was making the announcement was himself a deadman walking because he was blind to his own faults. All he could see was someone who he assumed to be guilty because this prisoner wasn't what he thought to be "normal".

The truth is, no one is normal by sight, everyone falls short of perfection and God doesn't look at the outward appearance. God looks at the condition of our heart, this is what determines if we are dead or alive in this life or the next.

Until we have been redeemed, bought and paid for by the blood of Christ, we are all dead men walking. Before salvation, we are guilty of sin, there is no presuming our innocence or guilt!

"You foolish man! Every time you plant seed, you sow something that does not come to life, unless it dies first." 1 Cor. 15:36 (Amplified)

As Paul the apostle points out, we are all being foolish if we believe that until we first die to self, our flesh, our carnal desires that we could be living at all.

God gives us perfect examples of this theory. There is nothing that hasn't already been made perfect by God and when we stop and listen, we will learn valuable lessons to His Word. One lesson I learned from the perfect balance of nature was through the planting of seeds to grow some pepper plants for my garden. I had saved some seeds from a pepper and let them dry out before I planted them. I put a group of seeds in seperate containers and watered them daily. After a few weeks, some of the containers started producing new life, but some of them remained unproductive.

I kept hoping that the next day would show signs of life, until finally it hit me...the seeds that had been planted were not fully dead in the first place, and therefore would not live again. In this simple lesson I started to think how profound it really was.

How much we are like those seeds! Unless we die first to ourselves we will never be brought back to life, an eternal life with Christ. What exactly does it mean to die to self? How is this done? It takes sacrifice and obedience to God. It's doing His will and not our own. In order to accomplish this, we must first learn to do three things. These three things must become our whole meaning for living.

First, we must earnestly seek God. It's going to Him first in all situations and in everything we do. Matt. 6:33 tells us to seek first the kingdom of God in all it's righteousness and all else will be added unto us. When you make this a focus point in your life, you will soon discover that God will supply you with everything you need, which are His attributes that will give Him glory when others see you going through trials with Grace. To seek Him first is to run to the throne and not the phone for opinions of others. God is jealous. Yes, He gives us other people for their wisdom and advice, but it's also waiting on Him for His advice and not acting out on our own.

Secondly, we must ask Him to show us a true heart. If we have to, ask Him to forgive you and show you whatever may be blocking your blessings. God, through the Holy Spirit will convict us of things that we perhaps never even knew was there. His convictions should not be confused with condemnation. God doesn't condemn the sinner, only the sin. His convictions are to enlighten us and bring us closer to Him. His convictions are to lift us up to another level. Condemnation however is what the enemy uses to bring us down in guilt. God gives us peace about our sinful situations by forgiving us, not to make us feel as though we aren't worthy, because we aren't worthy on our own. The devil is a liar and wants to keep us in the dark about our sins.

Thirdly, we must submit to God. This calls for dropping to our knees and letting Him have His own way in us. We belong to Him anyway and to act as though we are the boss of us, is only foolishness in the first place. This submission is the start of a new life and things will start to change surpernaturally. He will make our paths straight and clear when we approach Him in humbleness.

"The body that is sown is perishable and decays, but the body that is resurrected is immortal. The natural body is sown and the spiritual body is raised." 1 Cor. 15:42-43 (Amplified)

"When the perishable puts on the imperishable and this that was capable of dying puts on freedom from death, then shall be fulfilled the Scripture that says, 'Death is swallowed up (utterly vanquished forever) in and unto victory." Isaiah 25:8 (Amplified)

"Death, where is thy victory? Death, where is thy sting?" Hos. 13:14 (Amplified)

These scriptures tell us that in order to be resurrected into new life, we must first die to ourselves. Christ took the death of our sins away, when He said these three small words on the cross, "It is finished." He defeated the enemy and when we are saved by the blood, we will no longer know the sting of death, it will be our victory!

To remain in sin will be to experience the sting of death. It will be inevitable unless we become children of God through His Son Jesus. Hell is a very real place. It's eternal torment, darkness, lonliness and a place where one's sins are lived over and over for eternity. The pain is immense and there is no turning back at this point, the sentence has been handed down by the Judge who sits on the throne in heaven.

But thank God, He loves us all so much to give us a way out of this dark and bleak situation. To confess our sins and give them to Christ will insure us of our place with Him in His kingdom of heaven. This is the victory of our death. Heaven is also a very real place. Revelation chapter 4 talks about the church after the rapture when God's children are taken up together at Christ's return. This is where we will all be joined at the banquet table as Christ's Bride and oh what a ceremony it will be!

Ask yourself today, are you a dead man walking or will you be resurrected into eternal life? If you're not sure, ask God to forgive you and confess Jesus as your Savior. Since no one knows the hour or time of His return, there won't be a second chance to reconsider where you will be. Those who are left behind will have to survive the most horrendous 7 years in life's history called the great Tribulation. Do you trust your life to be left in the hands of the Anit-Christ? It's not "If" it will happen, it's "When" it will happen. God's Word doesn't lie, know what the truth is!

Vivian Gordon, an inspired writer. She is called to reach out to those who are hurt and have fallen away. She has been called into the ministry of teaching God's Word and is an intercessory prayer warrior to pray for those who need healing and wholeness. She is also persuing a dream of writing and publishing Christian children's books; currently working on her first one.

15 Ways To Get Really Motivated

First, recognize that motivation is an inside job. The word motivate means to impel, inspire, hope, stimulate, incite, propel, spur, goad, move, induce, prompt, instigate, fire, provoke, actuate, cause, egg on, drive, excite, and to trigger. Don't wait for someone to motivate you, here are 15 ways you can motivate yourself.

1. Set daily, weekly, monthly, yearly and lifetime goals. A goal is a goal if it's writing. Goals get you going in the direction that's right for you.

2. Listen to a motivational tape. Record into a tape recorder your favorite quotes, anecdotes and personal success stories. Play back your tape frequently. Nothing is more motivating than the sound of your own voice. Try it!

3. Get motivated to make better telephone calls by buying Art Sobczak's new book, "How To Sell More In Less Time With No Rejection." To order call Art at 402-895-9399.

4. To overachieve every quota you are given take this advice. First write yourself a check dated for 12/31/05 payable to yourself and write how much you want to earn on the amount line. Make three laminated copies and put one in your briefcase, auto console, and home office. Second, always aim higher than the quota you are given. If you adjust your aim, the results will follow.

5. Buy an inspirational book of quotations and keep it in your car. Read three quotes daily. Remember - inspirational words usually inspire us.

6. Invest 15 minutes daily to read books and articles about the selling profession. This is gourmet food for your brain. Don't skip a day.

7. Get a mentor, preferably one outside of your company. The truly successful people never go it alone.

8. To jack-up your sales performance, prepare your own laminated cue cards. Create cue cards for making appointments, your 12 best questions, for handling the price objection, and for asking for the order. Each cue card should be prepared word-for-word. Your performances will sky-rocket.

9. Buy a composition notebook for your car. Record your successes, failures, and daily observations about your selling environment.

10. Read the "The Ancient Scrolls" an inspiring book by Tim Connor. To order call 800-222-9070.

11. To get motivated about improving your personal financial situation, set a personal net worth goal and write it on a spread sheet, then review it monthly. Self worth increases proportionately with net worth.

12. Tell your family if you achieve 110% or more of your annual sales quota - you'll take them anywhere they want to go on vacation.

13. Tell your family when you reach a new monthly sales record milestone, you'll take them out to celebrate.

14. Select one song that really gets you moving and play it every morning as you back out of your driveway.

15. Make a dinner date with your spouse tonight then go some place special.

Every day is a great day, especially if you don't see your name in the obituary section of the paper.

It's easy to make every day a masterpiece when you're motivated.

Jim Meisenheimer is the creator of No-Brainer Sales Training. His sales techniques and selling skills focus on practical ideas that get immediate results. You can discover all his secrets by contacting him at (800) 266-1268 or by visiting his website: http://www.meisenheimer.com

This is the Power of PR

The power of public relations is its ability to alter individual perception, resulting in changed behaviors that lead directly to your organization's success.

Its power really lies in doing something positive about the behaviors of a business, non-profit or association manager's important outside audiences ? behaviors that MOST affect his or her operation.

That's how external stakeholder behaviors are created that help achieve managerial objectives. In particular when managers persuade those key outside folks to their way of thinking, then move them to take actions that help the manager's department, division or subsidiary succeed.

A basic public relations blueprint looks like this: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.

So, two key messages radiating from that fundamental premise are (1) your public relations effort must involve more than special events, brochures and news releases if you really want to get your money's worth, and (2), the right PR really CAN alter individual perception and lead to changed behaviors that help you succeed!

A variety of results can flow from this managerial approach to public relations. It can generate follow-on activity like customers making repeat purchases; stronger relationships with the educational, labor, financial and healthcare communities; improved relations with government agencies and legislative bodies; prospects starting to work with you, and even capital givers or specifying sources looking your way

You can even see results such as community service and sponsorship opportunities; new proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; enhanced activist group relations, and expanded feedback channels; rebounds in showroom visits; and membership applications on the rise, not to mention new thoughtleader and special event contacts.

Because those kinds of results can be expected from such a high-impact blueprint, your PR staff ? agency or staff ? must be committed to you, as the senior project manager, to the PR blueprint and its implementation, starting with target audience perception monitoring.

Certainly you agree that your most important outside audiences really must perceive your operations, products or services in a positive light if you are to succeed. So be certain that your PR staff is completely onboard for the whole effort. Be especially careful that they accept the reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your unit.

Review the PR blueprint in detail, especially the plan for monitoring and gathering perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Questions like these: how much do you know about our organization? How much do you know about our services or products and employees? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the interchange? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

The perception monitoring phases of your program can obviously be handled by professional survey people IF the budget is there. But you can always choose to use your PR people who are also in the perception and behavior business and can pursue the same objective: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

Let's talk about the public relations goal. You need one that addresses the aberrations that cropped up during your key audience perception monitoring. In all probability, it will aim to straighten out that dangerous misconception, or correct that gross inaccuracy, or do something about that hurtful rumor.

Of course, when you set a goal, you need a strategy that shows you how to get there. You have three strategic choices when it comes to handling a perception or opinion challenge: create perception where there may be none, change the perception, or reinforce it. A bad strategy pick will taste like ketchup on your pecan pie, so be certain the new strategy fits well with your new public relations goal. For example, you don't want to select "change" when the facts dictate a "reinforce" strategy.

Here's some really hard work for your PR team, because they now must come up with some carefully targeted, corrective language. Words that are compelling, persuasive and believable AND clear and factual. You must do this if you are to correct a perception by shifting opinion towards your point of view, leading to the desired behaviors.

After going over your message for impact and persuasiveness with your communications specialists, work with them to select the communications tactics most likely to carry your words to the attention of your target audience. You can pick from dozens that are available. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others. But be sure that the tactics you pick are known to reach folks just like your audience members.

Taking no chances with the time-honored warning that the credibility of a message can depend on how it's delivered, consider introducing it to smaller gatherings rather than using higher-profile tactics such as news releases or talk show appearances. When the calls for progress reports get loud enough, you can respond by returning to the field with your PR folks for a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. Using many of the same questions used in the first benchmark session, you'll now be alert for signs that the bad news perception is being altered in your direction.

Should things slow down, you can always accelerate matters by using more communications tactics along with increased frequencies.

In this way, you employ the unique power of public relations in just the right way. You alter individual perception, resulting in changed behaviors that lead directly to your organization's success.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net. Word count is 1085 including guidelines and resource box.

Robert A. Kelly ? 2004.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communi- cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net

Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

Just Average

What do you mean average? Not good? Just doing good enough?

That's what came out in Joshua's report card recently. Looking back, I wasn't too bright a child either. Sure, I did well enough in the BIG exams but my toes curl in fright when I think about MY OWN report cards when I was younger. Let's just say there were more reds than blues (or blacks) in there and my favorite letter begins the word "Favorite".

My parents did not see much of my report cards, during those days because I would hide them in my closet. I would go back to school telling my teacher that I lost my report card. My teacher would issue me a new report card the next semester. The cycle repeats itself the next semester.

This is not the first time I am receiving my son's report card. I received the first one last semester and we (my husband and I) giggled over it a little. I looked, relooked, analyzed and checked everything in the report. Was I proud of the report? Erm, half-half. I was proud that my son made it this far and it warrants a report. I mean, someone is GIVING me a report?not the other way around.

It sort of makes me feel like a President or something, you know. And it confirms my status as a "Mother-with-a-school-going-child". But I was rueful about what was actually IN the report. I gripped the report tightly in my hands and stared at it ? someone is reporting my son's progress to me and this is dead-serious business!

This is what the teacher had to say about Joshua's performance in school. "Joshua's progress is slow but steady. He is proficient in his numbers and phonics but weak in his motor-skills". My focus was on "slow" and whatever the teacher said next in the report was irrelevant.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY SLOW? A thousand things went through my mind: You mean, he's not good enough for you? Do you mean he's not even average? Does it mean he's not performing as fast as he should? Did she mean that his other classmates are performing far better, a little better or outrageously better than him? Why did she start off with "slow" and then end with "weak"? Does this mean she thinks he really sucks in school?

Then my mind wandered off to other kids in his class? How are they doing? Are they able to form words by themselves without help? Can they READ? Can they do simple maths already when my son is still struggling to differentiate between 6 and 9? Can the other kids count to 100 when my son can only count to 10? WHAT WHAT WHAT?

Yup, this mother is worried that she is raising an under-average kid? Is it her fault? Not enough fish? Too much chicken? Not enough pork? Not enough vegetables in his diet? Maybe I should give the kids three tablets of Multivitamins instead of One.

It bugged me, to say the least. It shook me and made my mind whirl uncontrollably to think of the possible contributions I have made to his slow progress.

But you know what? Does it matter?

Joshua is THREE and a HALF years old!!! What was I doing when I was 3 ?? Did I even realize that when you place letters together, they form words? Can I even count to FIVE (I am quite sure I can count to THREE)? Is there actual pressure on my poor son to perform in KINDERGARTEN? He's not even due for kindergarten yet.

To my knowledge, there are parents who send their toddlers (18 months old) to school and I am like, what? These parents may be using the preschools for various reasons and most of them are valid ones.

Then how come time for the report card, and everything catapults out of place?

Give the guy a break! He's not even dry by night yet and you expect him to spell "Mississippi"? I can't even spell it right without using the Thesaurus function in the Microsoft Word program, ok?

But I AM definitely proud of that tyke. For instance, he can count till 15?except for the three-teen, two-teen, one-teen, five-teen?.etc. But it works for me. Does it matter now?

He knows "M" makes the sound "mmmm?". Does it matter when I say "M is for Mommy" and he says "No, M is for Monkey" and I say, "M is for Mommy too" and he shouts and growls like his tail is on fire. Does it matter?

Probably not. "M" can be for "Monstrous", for all I care.

Marsha Manung is a freelance work at home graphic designer and writer who resides in Selangor, Malaysia with her husband, Peter, and 2 kids, Joshua and Jared. She is the author of "Raising Little Magicians" and "No products to sell" and other work at home books. Visit http://www.marshamaung.com for more information.

A Forty-Five-Second Meditation

Is Meditation Too Much Time And Trouble?

If you haven't meditated before, you might think it's too much trouble to learn. If you do meditate, you know it can be difficult to find the time to do it consistently. So is there really a meditation you can learn right now that can be done in 45 seconds? There is.

Three Deep Breaths

Try this: breath through your mouth, and notice how your chest expands; then breath through your nose and you'll notice how your abdomen goes out more. You see, breathing through the nose causes the diaphram to pull the air to the bottom of your lungs. This delivers a good dose of oxygen into your bloodstream, and into your brain. It also tends to relax you.

This is why meditators breath through their noses. It's healthier, and it is the basis of this forty-five-second meditation. You simply close your eyes, let go of your thoughts (to the extent possible), and take three slow, deep breaths through your nose, paying attention to your breathing.

The Rest Of The Story

Now, this won't get you into a deep meditative state, especially if you've never meditated before. Is this a reason not to do it? Not at all. You'll get what you get out of it, and that almost certainly includes a clearer mind and a reduction in stress.

Make it a ritual. For example, each time you get into your car, quietly do your three deep breaths. Having a regular "trigger" like this to remind you will keep you from procrastinating so often that you eventually forget to meditate altogether (isn't this typical when we don't make a habit out of the things we want to do?).

Want it to be a deeper experience? There's nothing wrong with just enjoying the relaxation created by three deep breaths, but you can go further, if you wish. Longer meditation will help, of course, but that isn't the only way.

If, when you have more time, you learn mindfulness, how to relax more fully, or better ways to let go of distractions in your mind, you can more effectively use that forty-five-seconds. You may even be able to get to that "alpha" state (brain wave frequecy of 8 to 12 hertz) during your short meditation.

Don't worry if some say this isn't "real" meditation. We walk before we run, and not everything has to be difficult to be of value. Why not do a forty-five-second meditation right now?

Steve Gillman has meditated and studied meditation for over twenty years. You can visit his website, and subscribe to The Meditation Newsletter at: http://www.TheMeditationSite.com/newsletter.html