What are we missing every day...

"A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist.

Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the top musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written,with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station

was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty?

Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?"

In spite of the fact that he used his outstanding ability to the full and performed some of the most intricate music ever written, only a few people even noticed the maestro and even fewer stopped to listen. The article notes:

No one knew it, but the fiddler standing against a bare wall outside the Metro in an indoor arcade at the top of the escalators was one of the finest classical musicians in the world, playing some of the most elegant music ever written on one of the most valuable violins ever made. His performance was arranged by The Washington Post as an experiment in context, perception and priorities -- as well as an unblinking assessment of public taste: In a banal setting at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend?

Journalist Gene Weingarten was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing for his outstanding and thought provoking analysis of the experiment. Weingarten discusses the ramifications of Bell's subway experience. What role does context play in our artistic perceptions? To what degree is our perception of beauty influenced by our mindset at the particular time we perceive it? He notes:

It's an old epistemological debate, older, actually, than the koan about the tree in the forest. Plato weighed in on it, and philosophers for two millennia afterward: What is beauty? Is it a measurable fact (Gottfried Leibniz), or merely an opinion (David Hume), or is it a little of each, colored by the immediate state of mind of the observer (Immanuel Kant)?

Read the full article and see some clips here: Pearls Before Breakfast


Is this violinist really that much better than any other; if his music can not snap people out of their daily trance? If he is, what other things do we miss every day as we rush about our lives, full of seemingly important things that need to be done.

There are diamonds in the rough, everywhere, if you just take a while to take a closer look. And maybe to hear the truth, you just need to stop for a moment; close your eyes and really listen.

Bobby.

Do you have TIME to read this?

What is your time worth to you?

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.

"Daddy, may I ask you a question?"
"Yeah sure, what is it?" replied the man.
"Daddy, how much do you make an hour?"
"That is none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily.
"I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?" pleaded the little boy.
"If you must know, I make £20 an hour."
"Oh," the little boy replied, with his head down.
Looking up, he said, "Daddy, may I please borrow £10?"

The father was furious, "If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I work long hard hours everyday and don't have time for such childish behavior!"
The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money? After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that £10 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.

"Are you asleep, son?" he asked.
"No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.
"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier," said the man.
"It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the £10 you asked for."
The little boy sat straight up, smiling. "Oh, thank you, daddy!" he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up notes. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again.

The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at his father.
"Why do you want more money if you already have some?" the father grumbled.
"Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied. "Daddy, I have £20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you."

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We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Share this story with someone you like.... but even better, share your priceless time with someone you love.

Just remember the value you put on your time and what you exchange it for every day. It's a wake up call for all of you working so hard and missing life itself.

I know that many think I am usually busy working, yet you'll never catch me doing any ;-) After all work is always going to be there tomorrow. I always have time for people; family and friends. Do you?

Love, Hearts and Dreams

I was asked to write an article for the YES newsletter on networking, then Andrea suggested a Valentine's edition would be better suited to love. Oh yes, a topic I'm an expert on!?! So I thought I'd write about the kinds of people that we all know, who are close to us and you might even recognise a little bit of yourself.

Check out the current Yes Group Newsletters

I also had a film review for Slumdog Millionaire published in the Coaches Community Newsletter last month as well.

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Who are the kinds of people that we all like to know and meet, who are closest to us and single? Are they like you?

There are so many brilliant people in the personal development world and I'm sure it would be easy enough to just hook them all up. Networking and meeting other singles can't be an issue, as you're already out of your house and talking to people. Most of you don't even need an excuse to high five or hug someone!

Now I know most of you don't go to networking events to specifically meet your partner, more likely to get away from the one at home... just kidding. If you aren't getting out often enough, come on over to the next YES group or crash a birthday party, a hobby of mine now!


What are the date's that most singles dread, due to peer pressure and society of course. Would it be Christmas and New Year? Birthday's? Or Valentines Day!? Some of the ladies I know shudder at the thought of being single over that period. Will their coupled up friends ask what plans they have, with the reply being another 'too busy for a relationship' excuse!

Many people I know in the personal development world have moved on from their 'old' lives and friends and now prefer the company of a new peer group on their level of understanding. They've discovered themselves and are looking for someone to complement them. Yes it's good to be comfortable in your own skin and around yourself, so why not be yourself around other people as well and maybe that special somebody. Or are you waiting for that perfect person to walk into your life? They might already be there under your nose and you've not taken the time to get to know them. Saying you've altered your old paradigms is not the same as taking action and proving it.

Are you one of those people that can't move on from a relationship that is clearly over, where you feel the need to be in a relationship because you think you can't survive alone? Or someone who gets so close and then sabotages it on purpose because they're scared of commitment? Not wanting to get too involved, as you've only ever know how to live by yourself?
Have these attitudes been serving you or is it time for a change now.

It's easy to get into a comfort zone as we all know, life is on the edge and on the other side of that zone. Even if you stretch it just a little, you'll have more options open to you.


Do you hope the stars are going to offer you a break or are you going to have to make it happen? If you've been waiting a while for the universe to deliver, when are you going to accept the opportunities already present.

Have you heard the story of the person in a boat, lost in the ocean. They pray for God to rescue them. Soon a rescue plane comes but the person waves them off and says 'It's okay God will save me.' Then comes a boat and a helicopter but they all get the same response. When they die and get to heaven, the person cries out to God, 'Why didn't you save me?' God says, 'Didn't you see the plane, boat and helicopter I sent?'
What more do you want, it is up to you to say YES! God helps those that helps themselves.

Are you not 'seeing' the people that are already in your life. Are you waiting for them to be part of your past; or would you prefer them to be part of your future?

Maybe you are wondering what other people will say or think. You want to act cool in front of your friends and seek approval. Whilst you're over in their head space, who is in yours? Does it really matter what someone else's opinion of you might be, constantly trying to please others. Wouldn't it be better to live your life the best way that you want!

You'll know whether someone might be the right person by the way that you feel about them when you meet or talk. Instead of waiting till later or next time, seize the once in a lifetime opportunity to say hi and exchange numbers if you hit it off. There may be other people you could meet in the future, but you have to remember you live in the now. And this now is never to be repeated, do you really want to miss out? They could step out the door and meet someone else, where is your later then!

When someone meets another person in their life, they have a chance to say something and a choice to make, whether this is going to be a moment that you might learn from (and live happily ever after for those that like fairy tales) or potentially regret months or years from now. People will keep turning up in your life, you will get 'better' offers BUT you won't get that same offer again, it is up to you to decide what you do.

As time moves on, you see a potential partner happy with someone else now. They might be happily married, with kids and it is too late to turn back the clock. They may have grown to be the person that you could now possibly get along with, not having given them a chance before.

These are the choices you made and it could have been decisions in the past that are showing up again in the present. Maybe they're just showing up as a reminder to you, to change your ways.


Are you going to make the same choices again, to have the same results show up in your future or are you going to take a risk and give that someone, who's momentarily turned up in your life now, a chance... Instead of replaying your old programs and beliefs, how about playing 'what if' - “what if this could be a moment to move my life forward in the direction I want.” “What if this person is the right one for me.” Find out. Do you want to look back at your life with regrets and wonder about those decisions that could have been the 'what if' - I didn't think so.

Stop making excuses or looking for the worst case scenario (I'll just get my heart broken again crap) and step out and take control of your life. Organise to meet up for a coffee, agree to go on a date, do something crazy and fun, no matter where it might lead. You might just become good friends or end up going somewhere you've never even been before!
And you're not really giving that somebody a chance to be happy with you; the person that you're really giving a chance to be happy is yourself!

Don't be just a footnote in someone's story, be a whole chapter; even better still, write your own!
The future is still unwritten, get writing your story now, the way that you want it to be...

Remember "Life's for sharing" - who is that special someone you are going to share it with? :-)


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This Valentines Day I was at another Personal development seminar with great people at Play To Win . So come along to the next one, improve yourself and maybe meet a great single too.

Guide to trading monkeys, goats, the stock market and property!?

Lessons in trading monkeys, goats, stocks and property. Bear with me on this one and I'll help you figure out where you should be putting your money if any where at all. In just a couple of simple lessons, you could be out of the jungle and have escaped being put in the zoo. I wonder how many animals it took to put this post together?

Bobby

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Lesson 1: A guide to trading monkeys

"Once upon a time a man appeared in a village and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each.

The villagers, seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest and started catching them.

The man bought thousands at $10 and, as supply started to diminish, thevillagers stopped their effort. He next announced that he would now buy monkeys at $20 each. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again.

Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms. The offer increased to $25 each and the supply of monkeys became so scarce it was an effort to even find a monkey, let alone catch it!


The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $50 each! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would buy on his behalf. In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers: "Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has already collected. I will sell them to you at $35 and when the man returns from the city, you can sell them to him for $50 each."

The villagers rounded up all their savings and bought all the monkeys for 700 billion dollars.

They never saw the man or his assistant again, only lots and lots of monkeys!

Now you have a better understanding of how the stock market and the BAILOUT PLAN WILL WORK !!!!"

It doesn't get much clearer than this................ Banana anyone?


Moral: Don't buy monkeys or be one!
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OK... Rewind and lets go again from another perspective:

Lesson 2: A guide to trading animals (monkeys -v- goats)

"Here's a story that will help you figure out the difference: One day a man appeared in a village and said that he would pay a thousand rupees for each monkey that the villagers could supply. The villagers caught all the monkeys in the neighbourhood and sold them to him. Soon a second man appeared and offered two thousand for each monkey. Since all monkeys were with the first man, the villagers had no choice but to try and return his money and take the monkeys back from him. However, the man refused. The villagers hiked up the price to Rs 1500 and then to Rs 1900 but he still refused. The villagers were at first puzzled by this refusal of the first man to make profits but they figured that there must be more buyers who were on the way to the village to offer higher and higher prices. So they hiked up the offer and bought back the monkeys for Rs 3,000. The two men then went away and the villagers then started waiting for more buyers. They waited and they waited but no one ever came.

Nearby, there was another village where exactly the same story happened, in the same way, except that the animals in question were goats.

Here too, the villagers waited and waited but no one ever came to buy their goats at a higher price. However, there was a big difference. In the first village, everyone soon realised that the monkeys were a nuisance. They shouted and shrieked, stole food and bit people and were worse than useless.

In the second village, the goat-owners were better off. The goats could be milked every day and the milk was good and healthy. When the goats eventually grew too old to be milked, the villagers could kill them for mutton.

Even though goats and monkeys had both been extremely overpriced, the goats turned out to be not such a bad deal. However, the monkeys were a complete disaster. The monkey-owners had to eventually abandon the animals in the jungle and try and forget about their losses.

And that's the difference between having bought overpriced goats and overpriced monkeys. Just like the stock markets. If you are going to be a fool and pay absurd prices because you think that a greater fool will appear in the future, make sure you buy a goat and not a monkey.

adapted from: http://www.valueresearchonline.com/story/h2_storyview.asp?str=11664 "

Image source: bradfitzpatrick.com
(I thought it looked cool on google and deserved some fair usage policy)

Moral: If you're buying animals it may as well be a goat instead of a monkey.
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Lesson 3: If you must buy and hold, buy dividend paying stocks in companies that are likely to be around for the long term. Do your own research and don't just listen to what the papers says or chimps recommend.

Or how about property that pays a rental income and grows in value over the long term!? Do your due diligence and pick up an asset that is below market value and produces a yield. You can collect money every month and let your property portfolio fund itself.

The value of land going bankrupt is virtually zero compared to over valued companies and the poor/emotional business judgement of people working in and trading them.

There is no bull or bear side of a market to gamble on, just the right side - make sure you're on it and have a good team and access to the information necessary to succeed.

Feeling too chicken to take the first steps? Don't listen to the naysayers, in a matter of fact, tell them to go take a diving duck! Join a great peer group and get yourself a coach, to help you get over your own barriers and enjoy property investing - because everything you do should be fun. Opportunity is out there waiting for you if you look and ask for it.

Dealing with loss - Facebook

Today I am mourning the loss of 100's of friends. I didn't care enough to look after them and only realised what they meant to me when they were gone.

It's not the fact that they are 'gone' forever - I just can't poke them when I feel like it, send a quick private message or leave a silly wall post.

Last night I had my facebook account disabled. Yes, I finally broke facebook! I was expecting a warning message but it never came, just an instant ban! I was sharing the link and info I'd spent the evening writing up for my last post on a handful of walls.

"- Interest rates at historic lows of 1%.
- Banks still not increasing credit supply.
- Property bargains to be had and investors are buying.
- Is the economy in a recession & can you still make money?

To read the full write up with my views and what I think
about Interest Rates, Banks, Property and the Economy. Take
a look at my blog here:
http://bobby-gill.blogspot.com - interest-rates-banks-property

Bobby"

I was punished for not following facebook rules, having had a couple of warning in the past it must be three strikes and you're out, so much for sharing and socialising.
Then again it is their playground, their ball and their rules... Shame they don't share what those rules are so you can stay within the boundaries. What is a fair usage policy?


The Bad

EVERYTHING you've ever posted is removed, discussions you've had, your admin status in groups leaving it open for squatters. Your friends list disappears, along with all their messages and all the pictures you've spent time uploading. Cherished memories taken away in a flash. How would you feel? Do you get that sinking feeling in your gut of "Oh No!"

I had grown my friends list up to about 1300 ish, about 75-80% of these I actually knew, met or had conversed with, the others had just added me along the way as serial networkers. So it wasn't a marketing list I lost but the contact details of real friends. Having told people to use facebook as their main means of communication, now I felt the fool.
Emails, telephone numbers, website links, pictures together and the good times. Where were they now except in a virtual trash can of rubbish at Facebook HQ!


The Good

I got my time back. Instead of aimlessy surfing on facebook it was taking up a lot of time. Just like any other tool, it can be dangerous if not used properly and effectively.
There were also admin nightmares of figuring out where I knew some people from and how they added me. It got to the point where I was adding anyone that asked.
Whilst other people were actively 'culling' the number of friends they had, facebook did it for me in one fatal swoop! Bye bye facebook friends....


The Ugly

All the links I'd put to my profile and for people to add me are now invalid.
What would you do if your account was removed or disabled? There's no allowances for begging.
Just like the National Lottery advert, next time it could be you!

What about other companies that look after your information, data, email and treasured memories, like google, blogger, flickr, gmail, hotmail... etc... What if they had server problems, booted you from their website or shut down. What would you do then? However unlikely, it is still a possibility.


The Smart

Do I take this as a sign and take a break from facebook? Do I join again and only add real friends this time. Or should I see how many people I can add for the sake of playing the facebook friends networking game? Who knows.

Lucky I took some insurance out ;-) Just in case something like this happened. Have dropped them an email and hopefully the nice folk at facebook will reinstate my account. Will keep you updated.


Want to keep up with me till then? Join my fanpage here:




Join my facebook fanpage to get live updates for this blog!

13 Reasons your Facebook account could be disabled

"Here's what we're hearing from people all over the world: Facebook is shutting down accounts of users who are exhibiting any behavior it finds remotely suspicious. As paradoxical as it sounds, "suspicious" often means just using the site too much! Sometimes they warn people and give them the chance to change their behavior, and sometimes the account termination is sudden and permanent. Most of the time the disabled accounts will be turned back on, whether automatically after a cool-down period, or after prostrating yourself to the FB authorities. But sometimes they'll lock it up and throw away the key.

Facebook remains intentionally vague about what "bad behavior" looks like, and so it's no wonder that people get confused, angry or despondent when they get the ACCOUNT DISABLED message. To help people avoid having their accounts disabled, I've listed the most common reasons why people report having their accounts abruptly turned off. Keep in mind, that this list is almost surely incomplete, and until Facebook changes their policy to embrace more transparency and two-way communication we'll have to live with a bit of uncertainty when using Facebook.

Here are the things that (supposedly) will get you kicked off Facebook:

1. You didn't use your real name
Don't try to use a nickname (or initials)in lieu of the name on your birth certificate, because Facebook will find you and spit you out.

2. You joined too many groups
Remember that the maximum limit is 200 groups per user. More than that just looks desperate, don't you think?

3. You posted too many messages on a wall or in a group
Even Guy Kawasaki had his account disabled--in his case for "excessive evangelism."

4. You posted in too many groups, too many user's walls
You may be axed for being too verbose in too many places. That's what spammers do, silly. On Facebook it is better--or at least safer--to be seen than heard.

5. You friended too many people
Not so long ago this was a prime cause of disabled accounts, but Facebook has instituted a maximum of 5000 friends that should protect you from yourself.

6. Your school/organization affiliation is doubtful
The overlords are sometimes not very trusting, and they may accuse you of not graduating from Harvard (or Plum Senior High School). The impertinence! Better have your diploma ready.

7. You're poking too many people
We've heard this from multiple sources, and it's easy enough to avoid. Save the pokes for people you *really* like, as mum always said. But beware the odd FB app that pokes on your behalf.

8. For advertising your app on wall posts
The line between spam and self-promotion is a thin one, but let it be known that pimping your shiny new Facebook app is definitely considered SPAM.

9. Using duplicate text in multiple messages
Some people paste a generic welcome message into friend requests to save time. DON'T DO THIS! It makes you look like a spammer. (Ironically, pro spammers are probably randomizing their messages to avoid this trap)

10. You are a cow, dog, or library
Being a real person is not enough, you must be a homo sapien. Accounts have been deleted for cows, dogs and libraries.

11. You are under eighteen years old
According to one report a user's account was suspended when they suspected her of being under 18. She was required to enter a work email address to prove her maturity, at which point her account was reinstated. [note: other users have pointed out that being under 18 is fine if you're part of a High School group, though underage home schoolers have been told to bugger off]

12. You wrote offensive content
Reports of "sudden death" on accounts have been reported by users who were told they had posted offensive content, but were not provided details of the offense.

13. You scraped information off Facebook
They have a zero tolerance policy for page scraping (i.e. pulling content off their web pages via a script). Unfortunately, they don't have a reliable way of proving it's you who's doing the scraping (IP matching is probably as good as they can get), so you may find this a difficult charge to defend yourself against.

Finally, you may be disabled for no clear reason at all. One Australian member reported this staggering experience:

"I was blocked for a little while because I was 'misusing certain features of the site' Naturally I closely examined their conditions of use etc for some insight as to what I must have done wrong. I couldn't for the life of me find anything...

"Upon request for clarification I was told that they were not at liberty to divulge which features or of course any thresholds of use. Then they warned me not to do it again or I would be banned permanently without recourse to reinstatement."

You have been warned. Remember that the hand of justice is swift and merciless.

I’m living in fear. "

Source: http://getsatisfaction.com/facebook/topics/13_reasons_your_facebook_account_will_be_disabled

Interest Rates, Banks, Property and the Economy

Not only is it freezing outside and snowing, the economy is in a severe winter as well.

March 5th 09 Update: Interest rates reduced to 0.5% and Quantitative Easing measures to boost economy to be 'tried' by pumping £75 Bn into the economy!!

- Interest rates at historic lows of 1%.
- Banks still not increasing credit supply.
- Property bargains to be had and investors are buying.
- Is the economy in a recession and can you still make money?

Here is a quick (ish) run down on the Interest Rates, banks, property and the economy.
It started as an interest rate update and a few hours later it turned into so much more. If you don't have time to read it all, skip to the section that is relevant to you.

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Interest Rates

Falling rates, going down, down and down...
Interest rates are now down to an historic low of just 1%

8 October 2008: 4.5%
6 November 2008: 3.0%
4 December 2008: 2.0%
8 January 2009: 1.5%
5 February 2009: 1.0%


Source: http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45448000/gif/_45448232_boe_466.gif


It's not really good news for savers or the economy, as there is a huge reduction in the credit supply available for spending.
The pound won't like another cut either as it is already weak against the other major currencies.

I won't even go into inflation as the government is not entirely sure how it is measured either and how to fudge it to fit the figures that they want. (RPI, CPI and RPIX)
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Banks



Source: http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45447000/gif/_45447761_key_rates_5feb_gr466.gif

Libor is what banks charge when the lend to each other and it still looks like there are still trust issues between the banks.


Small businesses are being allowed to go out of business but large companies and banks are being bailed out by governments. The money is going into the banking system but not coming out the other end.
Giving the banks money that isn't passed onto their customers leaves tax payers looking like idiots.

Bailing out companies and banks that should have been allowed to go bust is not a very smart and ethical move, the mistakes shouldn't be covered up and the entire market allowed to correct to what is an acceptable level.
Putting bans on selling bank and other related stocks short is ludicrous. The whole point of an open market is to allow buyers and sellers to help it find it's price.
This leaves the stocks overpriced (if you can't sell short and only allowed to buy, it is artificial inflation of the value!)

Quantitative Easing and pumping more money supply into the economy surely can't fix the problem can it, how much longer before it all goes bang!?
Check out this brilliant article on The End of Money. The idea isn't as far fetched as it may first appear. The End Of Money by Chris Martenson

Whereas the banks have been bailed out for their criminal behaviour, they are now treating companies and individuals like criminals. Pot calling the kettle black!?

If you are having a tough time financially then stop waiting and go get good debt advice now.
Check out this article and the below links for more info:
http://bobby-gill.blogspot.com/2008/08/maxed-out-how-much-have-you-borrowed.html
www.thedebtsurvivor.com
www.ideservedebtfreedom.com
(Mention Bobby Gill's Blog when you contact any recommended parties to make sure they look after you)

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Property

What do interest rate cuts mean to homeowners and investors?
If you can raise the deposit of 25% or negotiate a discounted deal with a seller, then rates are so low that it is a good time to take out some long term borrowing.

Already own property and on a variable rate? Great, if it is discounted rate you will be below 1% already saving you hundreds of pounds a month.
This is a good opportunity not to go out spending but either stockpiling some cash or paying off the capital on your mortgage, better still pay off other high interest debts like credit cards and loans. The extra money is a bonus and it is up to you to either invest (reduce debt) and save it - or splash out on doodads and toys. Make the smart decision now and you'll be glad you did.

Currently cash is king and those with liquidity and able to structure smart deals will be stocking up on property.

James Caan is still buying. I was lucky enough to see him speak at a presentation in London, at the Wealth Intelligence Academy last weekend.
His views were the interest rates are likely to go down virtually to zero and that there are plenty of great deals out there. For example he recently purchased a £10m property, being offered at £7 for just £4.1m because that was all it was worth to him. Nearly 60% BMV (below market value) is a great deal and this is proof that such deals are just waiting to be done.

Richard Branson says fortunes are to be made in a downturn. Assets can now be bought cheaply and the recession will provide "massive" opportunities for entrepreneurs.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/davos/7860333.stm

Usually big deals are immediately bought up by large firms and pension funds. They are not buying anymore and more likely to be off-loading their property at the moment to stock up on cash. What a great time to buy.

The current climate is only a problem for flippers and property traders, not property investors.
Investors know property always has been about the medium to long term.

Finance is a little harder to raise but deals are still there to be had. With less competition, as average investors are scared by the news, could there be a better time to buy!?

As a contrarian, like Robert Kiyosaki, my view is that it's now the best time to buy as people are desperate to sell and panicking.


It may be winter but Spring will be here soon. Look after you cash flow short to medium term and reap the rewards later.
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The Economy

Are YOU in a Recession or making money?

The UK economy (GDP) has shrunk for the second successive quarter meaning that the country is now technically in recession. I won't even look at inflation as the government fudges that each time to suit and has various methods of measuring one thing (RPI, CPI, RPIX), roll a dice and pick a figure!

McDonalds are one of the biggest winners at the moment:
Source: http://timesbusiness.typepad.com/money_weblog/2008/10/the-10-biggest.html

People are still going to take holidays, so tourism locally will increase as people will not go abroad. With a better exchange rate it will also attract international travellers visiting the UK.

Food companies are still doing pretty well and other companies that provide basic necessities, like utilities. People want to reduce their bills and increase their income so companies like this will expand in this climate.

Drop me an email to find out more on how to save money on your utilities and earn an extra income too. Utility Warehouse can save you money on your bills and household shopping!
Take a quick look at this French & Saunders video, reminds me of the PC / Mac adverts lol...
www.lowermycosts.co.uk


There is still money to be made and it is only an economic slump if you aren't prepared to look for the opportunities.
Bob Proctor says that their may be a recession on but he is refusing to participate in it. What decision are you making?

Surround yourself with people moving forward, not those sat watching TV, drinking beer waiting for things to change for them. Take a look at these Mastermind groups being set-up around the UK and get yourself a peer group that supports you.
http://bobby-gill.blogspot.com/2009/01/think-and-grow-rich-mastermind-groups.html

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None of the views or news above is good or bad. It just depends which end of the shotgun you are looking at!

And on that happy note, make sure you're on the right side ;-)


Bobby

P.S. Remember it's all just a game and you can win if you want to!

Rent to Own Options and Free Business Seminar!

Here are details on Rent To Own, events and other business seminars.
Hopefully I'll catch up with you somewhere this month.


RENT TO OWN
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Rick Otton and David Lee are the experts on Rent To Own Options. Rick is coming over to the UK in April to share his knowledge on How to Buy A House for a Pound.
And Shimon Rudich a Rent To Own Solicitor/Lawyer is speaking at the Northern Property Network Event.

Free Teleconference
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There is a FREE Teleconference on Thursday 5th February 2009
You can find the link at: > http://www.rickotton.networkbillionaire.com
About 1/4 of the way down the page, just underneath the Trump, Kiyosaki and Allen pictures, where it says "SPECIAL EVENT THURSDAY 5th FEBRUARY - Click here to join Rick's Worldwide Teleconference"

2-day training
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You can book onto Rick's 2 day event in London on Saturday/Sunday 4th-5th April 2009. Excuse the audio/video autoplay and check out the INFO packed page here:
> http://www.rickotton.networkbillionaire.com

Rent to Own Cash Flow Nights
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Rent to Own Cash Flow Night Presentations with David Lee the Cashflow Investor
Bracknell, Berkshire - Tuesday February 10th 2009
Ealing, London - Thursday February 12th 2009
Sheffield, Yorkshire - Thursday February 19th 2009
> http://www.cashflow.networkbillionaire.com <- BOOK NOW!

Rent To Own Solicitor Talk
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The Northern Property Network was postponed due to Extreme Weather Warnings. I still made it down to meet those who had plans to travel. Bob and Roger, who'd booked into the hotel anyway, had a meal with me and we had a great chat all evening on all things property and life!

Luckily for the rest of you, this still gives you an opportunity to listen to Shimon Rudich, a local Rent To Own solicitor who is still coming to share his inside knowledge.

HUDDERSFIELD - Tuesday, 17th February 2009
Northern Property Network > http://www.northernpropertynetwork.co.uk

BUSINESS EVENTS in LONDON
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Bob Proctor - Create Your Own Economy
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London, 6th-8th February 2009
This weekend Bob Proctor from The Secret is going to be in London for a 3-day event called Create Your Own Economy.
> http://www.bobproctor.networkbillionaire.com Book here

Clinton Swaine - Play To Win
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LONDON, Friday 13th-15th February 2009
Next weekend, I will be crewing at Play To Win with Clinton Swaine for a 3-day business seminar and you can get FREE Complimentary tickets using the link below.
> http://www.play2win.networkbillionaire.com BOOK HERE
To read my review go to my blog:
> http://bobby-gill.blogspot.com/2008/09/play-to-win-how-to-be-world-champion.html


I hope that's not too much info for you to digest.

I'll see the Southern Winners in London for Play To Win and
the Northern Property Tycoons in Huddersfield for the NPN.

All the best,
Bobby

The world keeps turning and life must go on...

...in this winter wonderland! SNOW - Fun for the kids, no fun for the adults.

Some see snow and it brings out the inner child of wanting to go out and stomp in it, have snowball fights, go sledging and make snowmen. Others see it as a problem, difficulty getting to work, snow to clear, getting wet and dangerous roads and travel.

Snow like everything else in life is neither good or bad, just your perspective and feelings on it make it whatever it is in relation to you.

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I got back from london sunday night and missed the worst of the weather:
http://bobby-gill.blogspot.com/2009/02/what-weekend-let-it-snow.html

Amazing how it snows and today the country comes to a standstill. People snowed in, not going to work, hoping things are cancelled. Londoners should come up north sometime as we get weather similar to this a lot more often. Saw the news reports on the news channel for 10 minutes and there will be people watching it all day... better than eastenders hey, sensationalism to keep you glued and watching the box. Must make the World News I'm sure, poor UK has snow! Aww...
And how the rest of the world copes with snow:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/4434232/Snow-Britain-How-other-cities-cope.html

Facebook has about 3 times as many people online chat today, compared to the usual I see... it's almost like school being cancelled when you were a kid and you could stay home and play out in the snow. Now replaced with online, surf and socialise. Are we getting old!?

Had a property event tuesday evening and people ringing up to find out if it is cancelled. We just need to get on with it. Hope the main speaker turns up and the majority of people booked on... else will have to come up with something fun and educational. http://www.northernpropertynetwork.co.uk/
(Update: Due to extreme weather warnings the event has been postponed for 2 weeks and it now looks to be clearing! http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/yh/yh_forecast_warnings.html
Yorkshire: Very Heavy Snowfall, Severe Blizzards & Severe Drifting Snow. Disruption to power supplies and transport is expected with a danger to life. )

It's only winter and a few little flakes of snow! Either we can choose to stay in and have a rest or get on with things and not let it bother us and make things happen. Winter is here but it's not going to last forever. The cold will kill a lot of the germs and viruses going round as well, so it's a good thing. I'm tempted to sleep it off but have things to do that won't wait for the weather.

So whether it is the weather or the economical winter you're concerned about, remember it will be over soon and you can still get on with your daily life if you want. Just another important season in the story of your life. Gold stars to everyone that made it to wherever they were going today regardless! ☆

OK, I got to do some work... just thought I'd say hi to you all! It's nice being self employed and able to work from home.

I kept telling people to take it steady in winter and hibernate... wouldn't have to worry about snow then, just being wrapped up nice and warm.

Looking forward to Summer, Bobby ☺


P.S. Don't you think Boris is just great! Mass skive sounds about right. Not politically correct but a stick is a stick...

BBC NEWS | UK | Boris: No excuse for 'mass skive'

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

London Mayor Boris Johnson has said he is cancelling the congestion charge for a day after "climatic" weather conditions brought the capital to a standstill.

BBC NEWS | Magazine | 10 ways to cope with snow

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Heavy snow is a regular occurrence in parts of continental Europe and northern areas of Scotland. Even in southern England, snow and Arctic conditions punctuated winters in the middle of the 20th Century. But how did they handle it then, and how do they cope with it now?

What a weekend! Let it snow...

It was cold as I woke up early on Friday morning, needed to borrow a car to get to Heathrow area of London - and a warning light kept coming on, so had to keep slowing down on the motorway.
Parked at hotel near Heathrow, caught tube to central London and arrived at my first meeting half an hour late. Then rushed back to Heathrow for a champagne reception, which I missed by an hour as shuttle bus seemed to circle heathrow airport forever. Stopped at a hotel 5 minute walk from venue in the cold winter weather. Ended up with a double hotel room with a bed that barely was bigger than a single and sink didn't drain properly.
Didn't exchange many details with people at 400+ person networking event on Saturday.
Got a call from a friend to cover his place at a training event on Sunday instead of going to see friends around London, so had to stay an extra night in the hotel - extra expense.
Saturday evening went to cinema with friends after getting lost as I didn't have GPS/Sat Nav and had to write directions down and still went wrong way due to miscommunication. Got to cinema and only one ticket/seat was available, difficult to share between three of us.
Air con/heating broke down in middle of night, so woke up in cold and sink still not fixed.
Sunday only had time at breakfast and lunch to grab a Mcdonalds instead of a proper meal. Freezing when I set off home in the evening. Phone battery died and it snowed on the motorway taking me longer to get back. Got in to blanket of snow in Hudds about midnight, bank letters and 295 emails waiting.

How was my weekend? BRILLIANT!!!

I think life has it in for me, by offering me such lovely opportunities, that made even all the crap above insignificant, it was an absolutely fantastic weekend!

Just hope I get time to share all the good stuff with you later to put it all into context!