Six Degrees of Separation Fact or Fiction

Six Degrees of Separation

Six Degrees of Separation Fact or Fiction

Well, according to researchers Jure Leskovec and Eric Horvitz is is FACT.

In a study commissioned by Microsoft, they examined records of 30 billion messages among 180 million people across the world. They looked at how many links it would take to connect 180 billion different pairs of users of Microsoft Messenger. They found that the average was 6.6 links and that 78% of the pairs could be connected in 7 steps or less,

Tax Office In Tray for 11 years!

Australian Taxation Office

Tax Office In Tray for 11 years!

I was surprised to receive an email from the Australian Taxation Office last week.

Well I wasn’t surprised to get a letter from them as we have become regular correspondents over the years, but more correctly about the subject of the email… a company that was deregistered in March 2003.

The email asked if any details had changed and said I should update the company's GST registration…

So I rang the number on the email and after a relatively short 55 minute wait, got through to a young guy who was extremely helpful. I asked what had triggered this email and he said, “It has probably been sitting in someone’s in tray for a while and now they want to finalise the matter.”

Now I couldn’t see his face but I am sure he said it with a straight face… the last activity was in March 2003 and the company it referred to had been deregistered in March 2003. so, it had been waiting to be finalised for 11 years!!!

I wonder if that is a world record??

Google’s 8 innovation principles.

Peter Diamandis
Author: ABUNDANCE

Peter Diamandis writes a daily email and this mornings is headed Google’s 8 innovation principles.

He suggests we print out the list on place them on a wall within easy reach and test each new idea against them.

You can find the ideas at:

https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/8-pillars-of-innovation.html

or see a video of Peter talking about them here:

http://www.exponentialtimes.net/videos/peters-abundance-espresso-shot-21-googles-8-innovation-principles

Personal Legend… what is yours??

The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho

Personal Legend… what is yours??

Many years ago I read a book which talked about having your own “Personal Legend.” Maybe you have read that same book?

Wikipedia says:

The book is an international bestseller. According to AFP, it has sold more than 65 million copies in 56 different languages, becoming one of the best-selling books in history and setting the Guinness World Record for most translated book by a living author. [figures are from 2007 and The Alchemist is still in the New York Times best seller list]

So there is a fair chance you have read the book or have hear of it. What is the book?

Written by Paulo Coelho, The ALCHEMIST is said to have inspired more people than any other modern book to look for and seek their personal legend.

Looking for some inspiration to shine light on the future?? Pick up a copy of The Alchemist and read about Santiago’s quest for the treasure which he must travel to the Pyramids in Egypt to find… let me know how you go.

About Wayne Mansfield:

Want EFFECTIVE Social Media? Contact Wayne Mansfield at wayne.mansfield@gmail.com Recognised globally as a leader in Social Media with a KLOUT score of 82 placing him in top 0.1% of influencers in World Social Media Network of influence touches 50 million world wide... invited by leading innovators and global though leaders to share Social Media Influence... shouldn't you be using the BEST too? Available for keynote speeches worldwide. Talk soon. +61 (0) 429 823 325

My writing place

My writing place

Journal for today

Tools are important as a writer but I think having a dedicated pace to write is MORE important. Over the last few days I have been writing in an area that the rest of the family use… and it didn’t feel right… so I made a decision. SET UP A WRITING DESK away from my WORK desk in my office area of my house. It is already a large area with three work areas and maybe a dozen screens when youncount PCs, iPads, tablets and laptops. So space isn’t an issue, rather distractions are the problem.

I just wrote in my journal:

“Shifted my stuff to the second desk so I don’t get in the way of Joanne. Also it is a WRITING and THINKING place as distinct from a WORK PLACE. So need to fix light - shift over the lamp and also get a new mouse mat. It already feels RIGHT.

Do you have a special place where you KNOW you are in the right place to Write… let me know

So you want to go to space

Clay Anderson at ISS

Your dreams can come true…

Clay Anderson announced to the world on his 10th birthday, after watching Apollo 8, America’s first manned flight in 1968 that he was going to be an astronaut. It took him until June 8th, 2007 to realise his dream… 39 years!! Now that is persistence.

In his book The Ordinary Spaceman, due for publication on June 1st, 2015, Anderson talks about having applied to NASA fifteen times over fifteen years to become an astronaut before his ultimate selection.

Having held true to his dream for 40 years, Anderson offers a unique perspective on his life as a veteran space flier, one characterized by humility and perseverance.

What’s it like to travel at more than 1300 KPH, riding in a supersonic T-38 twin turbojet engine airplane? What happens when the space station toilet breaks? How do astronauts “take out the trash” on a spacewalk, tightly encapsulated in a space suit with just a few layers of fabric and Kevlar between them and the unforgiving vacuum of outer space?

The Ordinary Spaceman puts you in the flight suit of U.S. astronaut Clayton C. Anderson and takes you on the journey of this small-town boy from Nebraska who spent 167 days living and working on the International Space Station, including more than forty hours of space walks.

From the application process to launch aboard the space shuttle Atlantis, from serving as a family escort for the ill-fated Columbia crew in 2003 to his own daily struggles—family separation, competitive battles to win coveted flight assignments, the stress of a highly visible job, and the ever-present risk of having to make the ultimate sacrifice—Anderson shares the full range of his experiences. With a mix of levity and gravitas, Anderson gives an authentic view of the highs and the lows, the triumphs and the tragedies of life as a NASA astronaut.

The overall message is that you can achieve whatever you want, regardless of where you start in life, when you combine perseverance, diligence, the right skills and the will to achieve.

Bigger Goals Are Easier To Achieve

Burgers are Better at Burger King

Have you ever heard of the N-Effect? It says that when we think we have lots of competitors our overall performance decreases. Another way of saying that is where lots of people are competing for the same thing, everyone does less well.

I presume that’s why fast food is so ordinary and that everyone is universally bad… is a Big Mac significantly different than a Burger King Whopper or are they, after decades of rivalry, equally inedible?

The N-Effect says that it is easier to get a 10X improvement than a 10% increase in performance.

So, when setting goals, go for the outrageous. Firstly if you do this with an optimistic mind set it will inspire you and  secondly, there will be very little competition for the scarce resources required to achieve your goal.

So, my challenge to you is this… is your goal big enough to excite you and encourage others to help you? 

And on a personal note, being the first is such an exhilarating feeling Author: Wayne Mansfield Want EFFECTIVE Social Media? Contact Wayne at wayne.mansfield@gmail.com Recognised globally as a leader in Social Media with a KLOUT score of 82 placing him in top 0.1% of influencers in World Social Media Network of influence touches 50 million world wide... invited by leading innovators and global though leaders to share Social Media Influence... shouldn't you be using the BEST too? Available for keynote speeches worldwide. Talk soon. +61 (0) 429 823 325

Luck is a system

How To Fail at Almost Everything

Have you ever read a Dilbert comic?? The chances are that you have. Well I recommend that you read Dilbert’s creator Scott Adams book “How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big”

Adams talks about affirmations and luck interceding. And I think he makes some very good observations. Let’s investigate some of those.

Initially Adams says that you need to be an optimist to take AFFIRMATIONS seriously. If you are not an optimist, he argues, why would you bother making positive statements about future outcomes.

So let’s have a quick look at why optimistic people seem to be luckier than pessimistic people.

Firstly, optimists tend to notice opportunities that pessimists miss. And in the act of noticing more opportunities, the outcomes could be considered to be luck when things go right.

This tendency to notice opportunities has the effect of creating a more energetic life as Optimists imagine their future success and, as a consequence tend to take more risks, or in simple terms, give more things a go.The consequence of an optimist taking more risks is that they become a target for luck to find them…

So, are you feeling lucky today??

Should I share with you that I am ....

Get Paid to share TSU

Yesterday I started sharing with my network a couple of new opportunities that have come across my desk.

It has been some time since I have bitten the bullet and done this… can you imagine why?? Fear of rejection and ridicule probably is at the top of the list and personal acceptance issues like “What will they think of me now…”

Today I feel much better that I have shared the ideas but yesterday those dark thoughts kept coming as about 10 people told me they weren't interested and some actually invented new words to describe their derision of how low I had stooped.

However, as I warmed up two thoughts kept coming to mind.

Firstly, progress is just outside of your comfort zone. This felt uncomfortable and it was obviously outside my comfort zone…

and Secondly, my mantra from my series COLD CALLING FOR SCAREDY CATS kept chiming in my head “Every NO gets you closer to YES!” and I remember the only way to get enough NO’s is to ask lots of people.

So, onwards and upwards… it will be OK in the end, and if it isn’t OK it is not yet the end!

Karma Comes to Those Who Wait

The Google Challenger

Whilst listening to the James Altucher’s podcast this week I heard an interview by James with Gabriel Weinberg,the founder of DuckDuckGo.com the alternative search engine.

James commented that the DuckDuckGo searches returned significantly different results to Google. And as vain as I am, I decided this morning to DuckDuckGo me - that doesn't have the same ring as “Decided to Google myself”, does it?

And yes, the results were much different with an author using my name as his pen name having more traction than myself. That Wayne Mansfield writes books about the steamy side of life and features prominently in searches for books on the subject in the context of Gay and Lesbians storylines. Anyway, not a subject I am personally interested in but one that generates huge incomes for the successful writers of the genre.

However, that distraction aside, I did find a listing I had never seen before where in a comment on the JoelComm.com blog, a compatriot of mine, and someone who I had done business with as a client of his, felt it necessary to give an opinion of about me. It was suitably embellished with a personal insight that, I would suggest, was as much fiction as those tales told in my namesakes books.

I wondered to myself why he would have done this?? And I thought there just might be some legacy goodwill that the comment might be removed if I asked nicely So I searched for information on this person and his business using Google.

And KARMA had done its job. The third listing on the Google was a SCAM report which I feel was probably the result of someone using leverage over a an outstanding account. Sure enough when I checked further I found the person's current website where he was complaining about the “shredding” of his reputation by a freelancer in India whit whom he had a payment dispute.

It was prophetic because he claimed it was unfair, it was permanent and it had caused damage in an instance to a 20 year unblemished business reputation and career. And in my opinion, all of these comments in the SCAM report were most undoubtedly false, but the harm was done and the comments will continue to have a negative residual effect.

Karma is such a powerful thing, wouldn't you agree??

Decision made, I will now just continue about my own business and let sleeping dogs lie. In a perverse way, all the negative comments on the internet about myself mean people are talking about me and that gives me influence. In an odd anomaly, influence on the web is often rated by the algorithms in a neutral way. so, whether the talk is positive or negative, the talk in and of itself gives you influence and third party rating services like Klout and its influence score reflect in a positive way that commentary. So, as I write this article I have a 83 Klout score, of which my extensive negative wikipedia listing makes up a significant, but glading, after 10 years,reducing portion.

I just love KARMA… don’t you.

Oh, and by the way, I recommend you do a DuckDuckGo.com search on anything you want a different perspective on... like what the web says about you!!

RELEARNING time

Alvin Toffer

My favourite quote is by Alvin Toffler:

"The illiterate of the 21st Century won’t be those who can’t read or write, rather it will be those who cannot learn, UNLEARN and relearn."

This week there was an article about a business run by Robert Nelson, called Proactive Accounting Services, which has been shut down. The opening paragraph reads:

After two decades of trying to convince accountants to be proactive and add value, business coach and consultant Rob Nelson has given up.

The article goes on to say “On Friday, staff set fire to every piece of Proactive marketing collateral they could lay their hands on - - a symbolic cremation for a business that has served Mr Nixon well.”

Some 40 years ago I wrote material for my friend Paul Dunn about how to market his telephone course Ring Ring which became Results Corporation and Mr Nixon learned his trade there. Paul pivoted 10 years ago after selling Results and is now changing the world with B1G1.com. Nelson is moving into cloud based software.

I am moving to a new phase of my adventure LifeTALES where we will assist people to turn their past, present and future life into a source of income to live life to the full.

So, I have done the learning, the last 6 months have been a very painful UNLEARNING process and I invite you to join me on the journey to RELEARN so we can enjoy the most prosperous time ever on Earth. All aboard for lifeTALES.

First World Problem - take 2

New way to serve meals
on Qantas maybe cardboard
is cheaper than real plates??

When I finished my around Australia tour on Wednesday evening, it was very apparent that Qantas staff are hurting as the company lays off GREAT people so that the costs of business can be aligned with the low cost aviation model with which they compete.

In Brisbane, on Monday afternoon as it came time to board to travel south to Melbourne, I politely enquired whether Bobby had been successful in reinstating my status to GOLD Frequent Flyer. The delightful young lady on the check in said there had been no change to my status but she would get the supervisor to have a look. The supervisor was another delightful older lady BUT she wasn’t having any of my proposition that as I had shown a solid 15 years of loyalty flying antas at every opportunity, she was not going to bend any rules.

“100 people have lost their jobs here at Brisbane even though we had done the right things by customers” she informed me. “We have 10 million Frequent Flyer members and they are known to “stretch the truth” and I am not calling you a liar Mr Mansfield but because of what some people are doing I am not able to help you.”

To which I said, as you do, “I am not the 10 million Frequent Flyers, I am me and I have been loyal. Not only that, but in September 2001 I paid for lounge access and you have kept my money for 14 years… and I believe my request for my status to be re-instated is a reasonable one. I have flown international out of Perth BUT Qantas now doesn’t fly out of our most prosperous city to ANY international destination - NONE. So, I think someone should look at this.”

This request was because on this trip I was being asked to pay $40 for my second piece of luggage which was just 8 kilos of a total of 21kilos. If I had packed differently I would be 11 kilos UNDER my 32 kilo weight limit. Their, the check in staff, answer was to advise I could take the same piece of luggage on as cabin luggage AT NO CHARGE…

But my pride was now hurting… had I been stupid to be loyal to Qantas… after all I was only 1 of 10 million Frequent Flyers a group prone to stretching the truth.. I relented and took my bag with me and travelled to Melbourne, tail between my legs, avoiding the $40 surcharge.

I did have a little bit of a fright though as the lady tried to confiscate my Gold Card as the expiry date on one side was September 39th. However the card now doubles as Qantas Cash and that side expires on November 30th….

All this would have to wait until Thursday when I was home again and I could ring the Qantas Club staff that “looked after these matters.”

First World Problem downgraded from Gold to Silver [Qantas]

Mmmm customers a distant second??

It seemed like I hadn't travelled as mush as usual this year, and it was confirmed when I booked my flight to Brisbane on Friday... it said SILVER where as since September 1st 2001 it has said GOLD or PLATINUM. Shock and horror.

I called the Qantas Club and explained to the guy on the other end that if Qantas actually flew to international cities from Perth... they have given all their flights to Emirates!! I would have stacks of status points to maintain my GOLD level.

He agreed that I still clocked up lots of flights with Qantas, had been loyal for 15 years, and, whilst usually  the answer was "no we can't do anything" he would strongly recommend to his supervisor that they should reinstate my GOLD. He would request it immediately and took my phone number so he could ring me back.

Well obviously 15 years of customer loyalty hasn't counted because here I am in the Qantas Lounge now a tattered SILVER member and the penalties of lack of status already are starting to bite. My 2 pieces of luggage weight only 21 kilos but because they are 2 I was presented with a $40 excess bill!

I might have to start considering Virgin who have upped their game lately with Lounges and included food and wine and entertainment and they are $20 on average a flight cheaper.

I will given them a call from Brisbane in the morning and see how my "reinstatement" is going.

Would you do THIS for money?

Money for Nothing

Do headlines really hold the secret to how many people read your emails??

This provocative headline has got me thinking. What would people do for money and in this fast changing internet would the money come fast?

I know that prime numbers work so I searched Dr Google for the 11 best ways to make money fast on the net… here is that list. Mmmmm bit of a bummer. Nothing really jumped out as being easy or quick… How times change [or do they]

Let me know what you think by commenting.

DONT FEED THE TROLLS

Just reminded... IGNORE THE TROLLS because if you don't you just encourage them!!

Sometimes that advice is hard to heed...

11 Ways to Skin a Cat

Sphynx Cat 

Obviously the skinning of cats has become a “lost art” so here are some suggestions… 11 in fact… of how to skin a cat…

And if you are wondering where the saying “more than one way to skin a cat” came from, you will have to research 17th Century British english sayings… and mostly the saying means that there are more than one solution to any problem.

So, lets get started on 11 ways to skin a cat:

1. With a sharp instrument like a knife, shard of glass, teeth or a small explosive if you want to achieve tasks quickly.

2. Use powerful vacuum cleaner and suck cats insides out, leaving just the skin.

3. Simply click your heels three times and say “there is no cat like a skinned cat” and if that does work, tie one end of string to a doorknob, the other end to the cat’s skin and slam the door.

4. invite the cat to play strip poker and cheat

5. Convince the cat that “all cool cats are getting skinned” and help the cat remove its skin.

6. Sneak up behind the cat, and clap very big cymbals, therefore scaring the cat “out of his skin.”

7. Get instructions from the nursery rhyme “Three Little Pigs” and then huff and puff and blow the cat’s skin off.

8. Get a very sharp samurai sword and slice the cat’s skin off.

9. Tell the cat that the current craze is for cats to get tattoos but the cat needs to shed its fur so you can see the tattoo.

10. Wait for a very hot day and invite the cat to play strip poker. Then I suggest you cheat because cats are very smart.  

11. Search Google images for furless cats, and print off hundreds of pictures of furless cats therefore shaming the cat into shedding its fur.

If none of these techniques work, get a dog.

Devil is in the details..

Napoleon Hill OUTWITTING THE DEVIL

After struggling for a few weeks to get traction I have decided now is as good a time as any to “pivot.” For nearly 20 years monthly seminars have been what I do. However, in the last 2 years, they have been less and less popular. So, I have made the hard decision to move towards creating residual income from membership sites. Maybe I should have done this earlier but when something is working, even when it is working less and less, it is easier to hold onto that than to leave it behind and start a new journey.

So, ringing in my head is “learn, unlearn and relearn…” and the trepidation of going into the unknown… I will get back to you about how I go… I just picked up for a second reading Napoleon Hill’s NEW classic OUTWITTING THE DEVIL. I hope it sheds some light on the new path as reading THINK AND GROW RICH did when I first read it on November 11th, 1975.