Hi Persuader,

I am a sponge. I love to learn. I love to expand my mind. I love to evolve. Current technology allows us to soak up as much information as we desire through a variety of mediums, constantly. The problem is, there's a lot of junk out there too, like, way too much to sift through and this junk seems to be growing exponentially.

With that in mind, I have a list of websites that I'd like to share with you which I have found to be absolutely transformative and phenomenal.

In previous posts I mentioned Twitter and Facebook. These are two of my recent favorite websites I've encountered. In addition, a student recently keyed me into www.tut.com. I LOVE THIS SITE. I'm recommending it to everyone. I signed up for their 'Notes from the Universe' and have incorporated the quotes they send out into my daily life even going so far as to create a document in which I copy and paste all of the quotes I've received so far and reread often.

Tut.com sends out a free e-mail every day. The things that it says to me are so strikingly touching that I sometimes almost can't get over it. One of my favorite ones says, 'It's up to you, Kenrick. It's entirely up to you. And this just might be all you ever have to know. The Universe.'

It's profound. I feel like the universe is really talking to me. It's been a real blessing to me and I think you might really like it.

Another recent discovery is this site with 40 Tips for A Better Life. Though not as profound as tut.com, I happen to like the positive message this sends out and the tangible, doable, small steps that can be taken which can all add up to an amazing transformation. http://www.glennong.com/post/32984296.

Here's a cute site that I think has a lot of really great information for goal setting and manifesting the things you want in life. Of course, my belief is that the quantum universe system I offer in MAXpersuasion is the best way to map out your success, if you're looking to make small successes, this site has some nice ideas. http://successfromthenest.com/content/goal-setting-success/

It's becoming clear to me that I'm a big fan of lists. Well, here's another one: Seven Secrets of the Super Organized. http://www.dumblittleman.com/2007/06/7-secrets-of-super-organized.html . In a previous post I spoke to the power of having an uncluttered life -- reducing, organizing, having systems and places for everything. The underlying benefit for this is that you free up the flow of energy, eliminating things that allow you to procrastinate, and all of that time can be focused on the real, juicy, exciting stuff to be accomplished in life.

As I further my explorations and come across good stuff, I will keep you updated, and I would love any of your suggestions for sites that have impacted your life.

Until Next Time,

Kenrick E. Cleveland

Hi Persuader,

When I was a kid I was raised on a farm. I used to help my grandpa plant fruit trees. Some of them were hybrids - really cute little trees.

I remember saying to him, "Grandpa, we worked hard in the garden this year and I can't wait. I'm going to really enjoy the tomatoes and the carrots and all these vegetables, but what I really want are some of these apples that are going to come on this tree. It seems to me that the tree is pretty little, but I guess because it's a dwarf tree it's still going to have apples."

And my grandpa said, "Well, you know, you first have to plant the tree and then the tree has to mature a bit and then it will be producing apples and you'll be able to eat the apples, but that's going to take a couple of years. These trees don't produce immediately. It's going to take a couple of years."

In our businesses, some of us don't have to wait a couple of years to reap the rewards. But we do have to plant the seeds and we have to nurture it, water it and we have to take care of it while that's happening.

I don't mind working hard, putting in the time, the sweat, the financial investments for more education and state-of-the-art equipment because I know, ultimately, that apple tree is mine and that fruit is going to be delicious and will sustain me in every way.

What is it that will carry you through the growth period, enabling you to work and do what needs to be done such that you can reap the "apple" - the time and freedom that you really want?

Many of my students have been with me for years. I've watched them as they've - for lack of a better word - blossomed into amazing persuaders. We've all grown together. And as we take on new students of all different persuasions - realtors, financial advisors, copywriters, - we are able to see the amazing richness this diversity brings us.

It's not a farm with only carrots. We've got variety and that variety shows us how to apply persuasion in so many different facets of life. We are amazing resources for each other and I am particularly excited about what we bring to each other through the forums, the blog, and at the seminars and in the Elite Coaching Club.

Sir Isaac Newton said, "If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient attention than to any other talent."

Patient attention. This is a concept I want to explore with those of you who feel they are struggling with a huge amount of information that seems to be opening itself up to you.

I caution my new students all the time, not to be too hard on themselves for not getting it all right away. Not only is it training the other-than-conscious mind to experience undue stress, but it's really counterproductive. Despite your current level, if you're on the calls, if you're doing the light and sound sessions, if you're thinking about persuasion and your skills daily, then you are getting it. It's sinking in. Please believe me.

And while I suggest that this is all sinking in, I'm also going to tell you that if you're not making the most of this - say by not doing the home play or by not coming to the quarterly meetings, or not showing up for the weekly calls - then something needs to be adjusted.

In order to "get it" you need to be present. You have to have the "attention" part in play for it to begin to bear fruit.

With that said, if you are receiving these newsletters in your inbox every few days and you're feeling as though you need to step it up a notch, then look into my Persuasion Factor program to learn how you can really get involved and actively learn this material.

Until Next Time,

Kenrick E. Cleveland

Hi,

You'll notice under the title of each article a line of stars.

If you hover your mouse over the stars you can click to rate the article.

When you read an article, I'd love to have you rate it. It's quick and easy. And, you can also post comments about the article.

I want to hear from you. Tell me your thoughts, post comments and rate the articles. Go ahead and give it a shot and try it now.

"Do not worry about holding high position; worry rather about playing your proper role." ~Confucius

Hi Persuader,

This is a really great exercise to use to explore values and beliefs as they relate to dealing with your affluent prospects.

It has to do with the idea of social positions - of being "one up", "one down", or "equal" in social levels to another. Because there are so many variants to social position, these are just generalizations, but if you just think of them as one up, one down, and equal, you'll get it and you'll see amazing results with your affluent prospects.

I remember when I was nineteen years old and I wanted to go run a health spa for the company that I was working for. I went to see the vice president and I sat down with the guy and he says, "Well, what can I do for you today?"

And I said, "No, it's really what I can do for you. I realize you're probably going to think I'm a smart aleck, but I don't really care because here's the deal: I'm your number one salesman in the company. I hold every record there is to hold. Now you're going to make me the manager."

He looked at me and said, "Yeah right."

And I said, "I don't think you're hearing me. Now you're going to make me the manager and if you don't, I'm going to take the European Health Spa right next to one of your strongest clubs and I'm going to run yours to the ground."

He looked at me and asked, "Are you serious?"

"I'm dead serious."

He said, "You can't do that."

To which I replied, "What's stopping me?"

He said, "You're not good enough."

So right then and there I said, "Goodbye."

I got up and walked out and did just that. And then I recruited all the sales staff I had hired and trained and brought them with me. And then the company had a fit and tried to get me back.

What do these social positions mean?

There's no judgement involved. One person is not "better" than the other, it just has to do with who has the most power in the situation.

This has to do with logical levels of thought as well. If I elicit criteria from you about selling your house and I get to the higher level value of, let's say, freedom. Freedom is not equal to "I want to sell my house". It's what you want to accomplish by having your house sold.

If you want to move someone off of a particular position, get a higher value of what they're talking about already and use that value to move them. That's the way you can move people from one thing to another. To do that you have to learn how to jump up and jump down effectively.

Are you approaching everyone because you're a "sales person"?

Are you approaching them as if you are one down, like "Please, I hope you could possibly find the time to listen to a few minutes of what I say and if you're not interested I'll leave you alone."

That's baloney.

You've got to learn to come in basically at equal and then quickly put yourself into a higher position if you really want people to get your value. And if they don't get your value, they're not going to buy from you.

This doesn't mean you're going to come in like an arrogant fool. Maybe you have to go one down to begin with, but realize that these are positions in your head and you had better get good at traversing between them.

Sometimes you'll go down for a minute then you'll go equal, then you'll go up for a while. You'll alternate between levels. Make it fluid.

Learning how to maneuver societal position will really help you to do better in your life because you're not just locking yourself into whatever feels right for you today, you're actually thinking about it. In turn, you become a more effective persuader.

Until next time,

Kenrick E. Cleveland

Let's continue our discussion that we began with The Fundamentals of Forgiveness article. This is an extremely powerful subject that I want to give a good amount of attention here.

You've heard the saying, "a person takes three steps forward and two back". How would you like to eliminate the need to take the two steps back?

Here's the key: Focusing on something will draw more of it to you. When you focus on anger, it draws more of that to you. When you focus on being a money magnet, it draws more money to you you. So it's not surprising that forgiveness allows us to focus on positive things in life while leaving the negative behind.

I want to talk about how we can use forgiveness to benefit ourselves in very pragmatic ways.

Where do you want to get ahead in life but find your progress blocked? This would be a perfect area to use the tool of forgiveness.

You've had a lot of trials and tribulations, a lot of anger and resentment and witholds where people have kept from you what they should have given you; and where you've witheld the understanding from yourself that you should have given yourself, and so on. The good news is...

Forgiveness doesn't have to be done in person with those whom you've upset or who have upset you. Please hold in your mind this thought uppermost:

The first step in forgiveness: you have to be sincere about it. You have to be willing to let it go. This isn't the act of forgiving, it's the genuine deal. And if you find that you're not fully letting it go, then you haven't yet fully forgiven yourself or others. This is going to really create results in your life.

For this exercise you'll need a piece of paper and a pen...

Think about yourself first. Can you identify times when you did something to someone, or just did something that you're not proud of? Write them down.

And how about times that you've wronged others? Write them down.

How about times that you were too hard on yourself? Write them down.

Write it all down - a list of all the things that you can think of. For each one, write specifically what you did and to whom.

Then write how you have carried that with you, because obviously if you remember it, you've carried it with you. So, how have you carried it wit you, in the form of what? Anger? Guilt?

How have you blamed youself or how have you been hard on yourself as a result? You want to basically state that you are now forgiving yourself, because when you forgive yourself first you're going to find it easy to forgive other people.

And then take what you've written and turn it into a letter to yourself and read it making sure that you've said all you need to say.

Now, this next step is crucial to the process of forgiveness and the power of influencing yourself and others...

Once you've gotten your letter written and it looks really good, the final powerful step is to take it outside, where it's safe and you have some privacy and read your letter aloud to the universe and state clearly what you've done and that you are forgiving yourself for it.

Release it all.

Once you've read it then light it on fire and burn it up. And as you do, you're setting all of that negative energy free. You're releasing all the anger and bitterness and resentment that you've held onto about yourself.

When nothing remains but ashes, give a statement of thanks and deeply appreciate yourself for freeing up the negative energy so you can strongly move ahead in your life. Dwell in the energy of freedom and marvel at how much lighter, more energetic you feel.

Once you've forgiven yourself, it's time to forgive others...

Think about how others have done you wrong. Get out your pen and paper. Think about the areas in your life where you seem to not be getting results.

Can you identify times when someone did you wrong? When they really screwed you over?

How about a job. We've all had jobs where we've just been screwed. How about times when you've felt cheated or taken advantage of? How about times when you've felt unappreciated? How about times you were lied to or were told what amounted to be untruths?

Write a list of those people and for each name, write a separate letter. You may have a bunch of letters here but that's okay. Start with the biggest offenders first. The ones that have made you the most upset in your life first.

Write out your forgiveness for them. And for each person, you're going to write them a separate letter. What did they do to you that you have carried with you in your heart? How did you carry resentment about this issue? What negativity were you wishing to happen to them? Say it clearly.

And finally...

Now that you've formally and completely forgiven them on all levels for what they did to you, it's time to go back out to your private, safe place and read all the letters. Burn them, releasing all of it. Then, spend a few moments basking in the sense of freedom and release that you experience.

Once we've cleaned out the trash, we have so much room for abundance and prosperity to flow directly to us. And this is what makes a solid foundation for your persuasion skills to really have an impact on your life.

Forgiveness is in itself a form of persuasion - we are persuading our unconscious to release the negativity it's been harnessing for so long, and to grasp the positive hope and excitement for the future. Only then can we truly be free from the mental blocks that hold so many of us back from achieving the life we desire.

"Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future." - Paul Boese

Without getting too personal, I would absolutely love it if you would post any results you've had with this exercise to the blog, whether this is something new to you or something you've already experienced. We will all benefit from each other's comments.

Until Next Time,

Kenrick E. Cleveland

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The world's #1 persuasion resource is finally here! After much diligence and hard work, our new blog-powered site is up and running for you at

www.MAXpersuasion.com

As soon as you get a spare moment, come check it out. You'll find invaluable information on how to effectively influence the affluent.

Don't forget to tell us what you think. We love hearing from you and appreciate your feedback.

Have a Profitable Day,

Kenrick Cleveland