Andrew Mazer

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Read Slowly And Carry A Big Wallet

I have a vivid memory of my 2nd grade teacher making this comment: “Andrew was the last one to finish reading but he’s the only one in the class who raised his hand to answer every question I asked about the chapter you all just read.”

I remember feeling embarrassed seeing from the corner of my eyes, the other kids in the class closing their books and raising their eyes toward the teacher indicating they’d finished the classroom reading assignment, and I still had much yet to read.  But that day I felt proud and I realized I was actually the only one really reading.

Today I read more than ever, mostly to keep up with the what’s new in internet marketing.  There’s also quite a bit of personal development mixed in and I try to keep a little  fiction and biographies on the menu.  It’s not unusual for me to have 2 or 3 books going at once.

Intrigued by the notion of speed-reading, I’ve invested in a couple of courses in the past but I just can’t wrap my arms around the whole idea.  Although I drool at the idea of being able to read a book in a couple of hours (I’d be happy with being able to read one in a week) I just don’t think I’m cut out for it.  I feel like I need every word. I don’t want to miss anything!

In a world where the average person reads less than a book a year, I feel confident when I say slow readers are better than “no-readers”.

What’s my message? READ.  By reading for just a couple hours per week on a given subject, anyone can become an expert in it.  It can be life-changing.  (That means: don’t read the trash, read something enriching, educational, inspiring…my advice)

I get most of my books on ebay or Amazon and I’m not ashamed to tell you I buy used books (because they’re dirt cheap).  The books I choose purchase are usually titles I here other people I respect reference in their books, conversations or seminars.

Here’s what I’m reading (or recently finished):

  • Sermon On The Mount by Emmet Fox
  • Robinson Crusoe by Daniel DeFoe
  • Maximum Achievement by Brian Tracy
  • The Greatest Miracle In The World by Og Mandino

That’s about 2 books per month.  I would like to read a book a week but I DO consume a lot of online content, a multi-page newsletter, some educational audio and video as well.  Not bad for a slow reader.

I would love to know what you’re reading!  Please share!

I’m Andrew Mazer and I think you’re either growing or dying.  I prefer growing.

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External Links On Your Website

Using external links on your website is like telling your visitors to go some place else.

What are external linkks?  External links take people AWAY from your website and many website developers use them thinking they help search engine optimization. WRONG!

The only good they do is for the website you’re sending them to.  There are a rare few exceptions to this and I’ll explain shortly.

how to use external links
Are you sending people away fro your website?

Backlinks are a powerful search engine optimization technique.  When you link to another site, you are giving THEM a backlink.  This is not helping you. This is only sending your website visitors to another website which may end up in them getting lost and forgetting about your site all together.

You want  OTHER websites to link to your site.  Again, external links from YOUR website to OTHER websites is only doing THEM a favor.

If your website developer created a page  called “Resources” or “Links” or some facsimile and it’s got links which will carry visitors from YOUR website away,  I highly recommend you remove them all right away.

Here’s are the exceptions I told you I’d explain:

  1. When you have a reciprocal link arrangement. A reciprocal link arrangement is when you and another website owner each have links to one another’s website.  Just as a massage therapist may wish to put a business card on the bulletin board in the waiting room at a chiropractor’s office, it’s a form of cooperative marketing. You’re not competing but you share similar types of clientele. There’s intrinsic value for both parties.
  2. When you’re trying to get people to your social media pages.  If you’re using a social media strategy to boost your business, obviously this is an acceptable reasn for en external link.
  3. When you are a commissioned affiliate for other companies’ products.  This is useful if YOU are getting traffic to your website and have other people’s products to recommend. You can get commissions for sending traffic to other websites.
  4. When you have something to show off.  An example may be to link to an article you we’re featured in on another site, or a piece of work you did for someone else.

For example, I wrote an article on ezine articles and I want people to read it so I will link to it here from my blog. http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Use-External-Links-As-An-Online-Marketing-Strategy&id=7595888

The most important links are backlinks TO your website.

In my Domain Authority Blueprint, I teach you how to get quality backlinks which ARE meaningful to Search Engine Optimization and also what internal links are and how to use them.

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Pursuit Of Happiness

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

Happiness only happens when one is engaged in something which, while in the process of doing it, is fulfilling.  If this process is taking him toward a final end goal and then the goal is reached, then what?  Surely, there’s a point of satisfaction and perhaps some celebration.  But how long will the happiness continue?

This is why I can never understand the pursuit of retirement.  This is also why peoples’ lives often end so shortly after retirement.  Their purpose dries up. Their need to wake up each day and be part of something is drastically diminished and the aging process and mental collapse escalates.

The early astronauts, after they returned from missions were found to become depressed.  What next, after you’ve gone to the moon?  All their physical and mental preparation, all the time they spent involved with one another, their support teams, all the meaningful, structured daily events were finished.  Since that phenomenon was discovered, now astronauts come back to other purposeful work.

People who retire from their careers should never do so until they have planned their future.  Most will say they want to take more  time to spend with their family, and that’s all very nice and good.  But where IS the family?  They’re probably out living their lives, and their careers and the retiree finds himself alone most of the time.  Lets face it, even the best of marriages can hardly stand 100% companionship, so the new lifestyle of being at home rarely works out very well.

People are meant to provide purpose on this earth, not just for themselves and their family but for their environment.  Sitting around watching TV ain’t gonna cut it.

Productivity is happiness.  Purpose is happiness.  Rest and complacency isn’t.  Happiness is the pursuit of doing something and being something worthwhile.