Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Hypnosis - Where’s the Magic?

What is hypnosis and why does is it intrigue us so much?

There are many different definitions of hypnosis, the first result in search engines is:

A trance-like state in which a person becomes more aware and focused and is more open to suggestion.

The Oxford dictionary tells us that hypnosis is the induction of a state of consciousness in which a person loses the power of voluntary action and is highly responsive to suggestion or direction.

Many hypnotherapists would disagree with the Oxford dictionaries explanation of what hypnosis means. The idea of losing power over your actions during hypnosis is not what hypnotherapy is about in their opinion.

Hypnotists will tell you that hypnosis is to do with relaxation of your mind and body; however, you are in total control and can not be made to do anything you don’t want to do.

Hypnosis is more about making someone so relaxed that the therapist is able to speak directly to your subconscious mind, which will have a positive affect on your mind when you are fully conscious.

If for example you are afraid of spiders and you went to see a hypnotherapist to overcome this fear, the therapist would put you in a relaxed state, and speak to your subconscious mind about your fear of spiders. They would tell you that when you see a spider, they will no longer scare you etc.

If a therapist spoke these thoughts to you whilst you were fully alert, it would probably make no difference at all, but by speaking to you in a relaxed state of hypnosis, you cannot argue in your mind with the idea that next time you see a spider you will still be afraid.

Our subconscious mind is influence everyday without us really realising. We can hear a tune on the radio and think to ourselves, where have I heard that before? It was probably playing in the background somewhere where you have been.

We used to have a colleague at work who would deliberately walk into our office, whistle a tune whilst sending a fax, no one really took any notice as they were getting on with their work, however, a few minutes after he had gone, someone else (normally me) would hum the tune without really realising why and other people said they had that tune running around their head.

Oddly as it seems, the tune was planted into our subconscious mind without us really noticing.

That isn’t a magic trick, that is someone recognising that although we may be concentrating on one thing, our subconscious picks up everything that is going on around us.

The difference with us and hypnotist is that they have learned the art of this and how this can have an affect on us.

Even the stage hypnotist would like you to believe they have some kind of magic power, but infact, all they are really doing is talking to your subconcious through signs so that you will be more susceptible and amazed when they hit you with their trick.

Genuine hypnotherapists recognise that they can have a positive affect of people by using their skill, whether it be overcoming a fear, loosing weight, stopping bad habits or building up your self confidence, whatever it may be, you can at least know that there is no magic involved, and it is not a tool to make you do things you would not want to do in your normal alert state.


{hypnosis}

hypnosis quit with smoking

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Cheap International Travel Secrets

What is the real secret to cheap international travel? it's the same as the secret to doing anything for less. Learn to be an opportunist. Opportunistic travelers get to travel more, see more & do more. Of coursework, you can ignore this advice if you have unlimited currency.

I went to Ecuador because it was cheap. Honestly, are not there plenty of interesting places in this world? Why not choose eight you can travel to inexpensively? The other places will be there in the future, & you may have an opportunity to go to those places cheaply at some point.

Ecuador is my favorite international location. You can still get a decent meal for eight dollars. U.S. dollars, by the way, since that is conveniently the official currency of Ecuador now. From the beautiful snow-capped Andes mountains, to the Galapagos Islands, you'll seldom run out of places to explore in Ecuador. Travel there is safe & inexpensive.

Cheap Countries

South America in general is inexpensive, & the most affordable countries are, in my opinion, the most beautiful. These are the countries along the Andes mountains; Ecuador, Peru, & Bolivia. Argentina, thanks to it's recent economic troubles, is once again a cheap place for travelers as well.

In Central America, it costs little to travel & holiday in both Nicaragua & Guatemala. Nicaragua, in particular, has become more stable & safe for travelers in recent years. Costa Rica is a wonderful , & though it's eight of more expensive counties of Central America, that probably still leaves it cheaper than Europe.

In Asia, India is still low-cost, if you stay in the numerous hostels & boarding houses. Thailand & Indonesia are also cheap. With all international destinations, the plane tickets will be your single biggest travel expense. This is true with the asian countries. Being there is cheap, but getting there may not be.

Cheap International Travel Tips

Wherever you go, there are things you can do to keep it cheap. Eat where locals eat, for example, instead of at the tourist restaurants. To keep it cheap, eat fruit from street markets (wash it well) & packaged snacks from grocery stores.

Visit the free & cheap attractions first. It's possible you'll have so much fun that you'll seldom get around to doing the expensive things. A higher price means better quality with travel bags, but not with travel experiences.

For cheap accommodations find out where local visitors from within the country stay. Negotiating room charges is common in some areas. In Banos, Ecuador, we negotiated our room rate down from $12 to $6 per night, by paying for several nights in advance. Consider hostels, if you don't mind sharing a room. they are much more common overseas.

Busses are cheaper than taxis in any country, but be careful of crowded city busses, where pickpockets hang out. jogging is even cheaper, & it's a great way to learn about a city. ask the locals where the dangerous parts are before you wander far.

Cheap international travel is often only as cheap as your plane tickets. Use the techniques outlined on our site to save big on tickets, or search the fares to several interesting countries. If eight is $500 less than the others, consider going there. $500 can buy a few extra days, or an extra mini-vacation some other time.


Car Hire Port Macquarie Airport

Car Rental Port Macquarie Airport

Sunday, December 27, 2009

With Credit Cards Hitting Hardest, UK Consumers Tax Themselves With Penalty Charges On Personal Finance Options

A rise in costs for users of any financial service usually results in public outcry, why is it then that so many of those same consumers allow penalty fees and charges to accrue on their credit cards, when the problem could so easily be avoided?

The financial groups Defaqto and MoneyExpert have released a report in which the startling figure that one in five consumers have had to pay just such a charge, and while credit cards were the worst offender, a number of different personal finance services also incurred unnecessary charges. These services included charges for simple personal finance errors such as allowing an overdraft to go over the agreed bank limit, or investing in an inflexible mortgage and then paying off the debt early. In both cases either better preparation beforehand with regards to choosing the right provider (such as using an online personal finance database like Moneynet (http://www.moneynet.co.uk/credit-card/index.shtml ) or Motley Fool (http://www.fool.co.uk ) ) or taking advantage of financial options now readily available would have presented more flexible options which would not have imposed the penalties.

To take an example, credit cards allow greater control over your personal cash flow - you can pay now for a product or service even if the funds you use will not be available to you until the following month, at which point you pay off the credit card. Credit cards also have valuable incentives for their use with larger purchases, featuring, as the majority do, insurance options and traceability. However when you are making smaller purchases, say clothing or household products, then the use of a credit card may not be the best use of your money: searching for a suitable personal loan would most likely result in better short-term rates and the avoidance of penalties such as those imposed on the one in five people surveyed by Defaqto and MoneyExpert.

With the survey also producing the result that one in twenty consumers faced charges in excess of £100 it would seem that this problem is more than a trifle for a large portion of the UK population and that while there are a great number of personal finance options available out there, there are very often not used to the advantage of the consumer as they could so easily be with a little research.

Disclaimer

All information contained in this article is for general information purpose only and should not be construed as advice under the financial Services act 1986. You are strongly advised to take appropriate professional and legal advice before entering into any binding contracts.


Kristy Sinsara

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Lake Oswego and Other Surrounding Areas Offer Great Homes for Sale with Added Convenience

Are you looking for real estate in Portland, Oregon? There are many different homes currently on the market in Oregon – one most surely is just right for you and your family. Real estate across the state is strong. The market in Oregon is ripe for the picking and especially if you are looking in the metropolitan areas of Lake Oswego, Portland or Clackamas areas.

Imagine yourself situated in a nice community with lake front or near lake front property. The kids playing in the surf and sand, you are relaxing on your beach or on your back porch looking out over the beautiful lake. There are many Lake Oswego homes for sale, many of which boast panoramic views of the lake and the gorgeous surrounding neighborhoods. This is a place that you can easily call home and is a great area for singles, professionals, retirees or families with children.

If you are looking to live in more urban surroundings, you may want to consider relocating to the downtown Portland. The Portland area boasts a strong housing market with homes and condominiums suited for families of all ages and sizes. If you are single, a professional married couple, a single professional or a recent retiree, you will find that there are many Portland condos for sale in several of Portland’s growing neighborhoods. Specifically, Pearl District condos for sale are in growing demand. Portland has a lot to offer in a melting pot of real estate and people.

For a more rural, suburban feel, you can check out the homes for sale in the Clackamas area. The homes in this area are close enough to the city to enjoy all it has to offer while still having a feel of being away from the hustle of city life. Kids can grow and thrive, retirees can relax and professionals can have their space to rejuvenate and relax before another hard week at work in Clackamas. Clackamas real estate investments are booming and many are finding a valuable place to work and live.

Regardless of the type of home or condo that you are looking for in Oregon, you need a qualified and knowledgeable realtor to help you find the home of your dreams in the neighborhood that suits your needs. Without a qualified realtor to know where to look and what to look for, a person who has the access to files and documents on homes that you just can’t find yourself, you could spend years trying to find the right home, only to find that it’s been sold.

A good realtor can take the basic information on what your home needs are and find you the perfect home. If you are looking for a home, with a particular amount of bedrooms, bathrooms, etc, in a specific area or community in Oregon, a realtor is the best person for the job. A realtor has access to listing that are new and that are not yet listed (and some never will be) on the internet. A realtor can save you hours of time driving around looking for homes for sale in the areas you want to live in. They can find you a list of potential homes in just minutes, while it could take you hours, possibly even weeks to compile a list half the size.

There are thousands of homes for sale in the Portland, Oregon area – and one of them, or perhaps even more, are just right for you. Your realtor can help you get the home you want within the budget you have to spend and can help you decide on which area of the greater Portland area is best for you. This is especially useful if you are new to the area and aren’t sure which areas boast the best schools, which neighborhoods have activities and social events that meet your needs, or which areas are best suited for seniors.

~Ben Anton, 2008


And try also at Lake Tapps Homes for Sale.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

How to drive traffic to your website using funny videos

After a website is optimized for the search engines, some creative marketing can easily be done to help drive new traffic to your site. Many high traffic entertainment/humor websites use funny videos that are viewed for free by site visitors. In fact, many of these viral video clips that are sent around the world via e-mail originated from these websites.

The only down side to starting a funny videos site is the initial cost to build it, and ongoing update costs, coupled with the bandwidth these websites consume, which can cost between $100-$1000/month just for hosting on a dedicated server. This is because these funny videos websites have hundreds or even thousands of downloadable videos available, and every time one is viewed there is a sizable amount of bandwidth consumed.

So how do you take the idea from the funny videos platform and apply it to your own website? Webmasters can easily incorporate this creative marketing technique into their own eCommerce websites.

Think about it this way. Most eCommerce websites have one primary function: To sell a product. The key to success with an eCommerce website is to rank high in the search engines and be found by someone looking for a product. Often times when a customer visits an eCommerce site, he or she sees the same basic format. There is a nice looking home page with an overview of the company and product line, and some pictures of featured products. Then the customer can find links to other product pages as well, or do a search for a product by keyword.

But to get the customer to come back to your website and buy more products, there must be something that sets you apart from your competition. How can this be done? There are two effective methods to achieve this. In a nutshell, adding video media will bring a whole new dimension to your website to help drive new traffic and gain repeat visitors.

In the case of an entertainment website, the funny videos are the catalyst that drives the repeat traffic to the website. In the case of an eCommerce website, you can add videos to your pages that blend with the theme of a particular product.

For example, if you sell fishing gear, then you can add the funny video of the reporter in Mexico who was floating down the river, only to be repeatedly pummeled by hundreds of fish that were jumping at his spotlight into the boat. That should get a laugh from your customer, and give them something to feel good about while they are looking at your product inventory. It's kind of like a bakery. When you walk into a bakery, you are almost always enticed to buy something. It makes you feel good. Well on the internet, you unfortunately don't have the option of smelling what you see. But adding funny media can arouse other senses in a customer and make their shopping experience more enjoyable.

Another great way to help market your product is by creating 'how to' videos for your products. For example, if you sell products for sailboats, you can make a series of short 'knot-tying' videos, and feature a different type of video on each product page. This can be done easily with a digital camera that records video clips.

Here is how you can accomplish this:
1.First, set up an area where you camera is on a tripod or table.
2.Next, make sure you have a good backdrop for the video clips. You want to use an area that makes the action in the video stand out.
3.Then record the video. In the case of knot-tying, you can write a script before hand and narrate the video as you are tying each knot for the camera.
4.Then download your video clip to your computer. You can also modify the size of your video with any video editing shareware tool.
5.Simply upload the video clip to your website and link to it with a descriptive title. That is it.

One idea to make this effective is add one knot-tying clip to each product page. This will not only make the customer want to visit each page, but it keeps them interested in your website.

There is one more important point to consider. You must present the training clips so they are most effective. To do this, be sure and place them in a prominent area on each page so they can be seen. And add several lines of text under the video link with a description of the video and keywords that someone might find while searching. For example you can tag the video link with 'Instructional Video On How To Tie An Angler's Knot'.

Then lastly, you can create a separate webpage with a 'video directory' of all your videos. You want to also have search engine friendly keywords on this page as well. Then add a link to your directory page from your other pages, especially your index page.

These tips will help your website stand out from the competition. Simply by adding a few funny videos to your site, or some informative training videos that you can easily create from your home or office, you have added a creative marketing edge that goes beyond optimization.




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