Viral Storytelling with The Story Lady, Ronda Del Boccio

Today I am excited to introduce you
to nonfiction author Amir Makin.  Amir is the author of A Worthy
Muslim:  Quranic Tools Needed to Overcome
Oppression and Imperialism in Order to Institute Justice.

You can purchase Amir’s book at AIC
Publications and Amazon.

Blurb/summary of book

This material
provides an examination of the Islamic way of life and offers solutions to
problems concerning situations of injustice which underprivileged minority
communities in different parts of the world regularly experience. Socioeconomic
issues such as racism, poverty and legal system imbalances are analyzed. The
author compares these issues with the religious texts of Islam and identifies
imperative tools needed to successfully overcome and conquer them. What
does Islam say about tyrants? Why is Islam not a religion? The answers offered
here address these questions and more.

The book also explains how oppressed communities can
handle and overcome oppression by seriously examining the practice of true
Islam. The author analyzes the difference between what is incorrectly perceived
as Islam and the way of life called Al Islam while also detailing how different
prophets implemented Quranic teachings when standing against injustice.
Information is then used to examine real world situations of oppression that
occur in today’s climate with a particular emphasis on the disadvantaged and
impoverished of American society from not only a socioeconomic standpoint, but
a psychological and spiritual vantage as well.

Do you set writing goals and write them
down?

First, allow me to
express my thanks to you for being able to share this side of me with your
audience. I always set goals by asking myself first what true message am I
trying to convey, what audience am I addressing, and if a layman were to read
my literature would they be completely lost, if so then I’ll modify my writings
to provide a basic education on the subject matter so unfamiliar readers don’t
feel ignored. 

Do you set goals for your physical, mental,
emotional and spiritual aspects of your life with specific action steps and
deadlines?

I establish daily
spiritual goals in my life. I believe in developing one’s spirit first which
can enhance the intellectual and psychological as well. The main one is to make
right today what I did wrong yesterday. If I can enjoin what is right and
forbid what is wrong then I’m satisfied with the man I am. I get regular
inspiration from the Qur’an when it comes to self improvement from the approach
of optimizing one’s manhood development as well.

What aspects of your own life are woven into
your book?

Since the book
deeply examines oppression and many of its depravities, I’ve definitely included
instances of oppression that I’ve experienced and observed such as racism, or
religious discrimination that may come as a result of misunderstanding a
concept of jihad.

How do you spark your creativity?

I am generally
motivated by current events, especially affairs attributed to the Middle East or Iraq or Africa. What I normally do is look at how these
situations are reported and try to understand the information that is suspect.
This search fuels a great deal of my creative fire.

How do you relax?

I normally try to
distress by watching episodes of Mission Impossible. I like the intriguing
plots of that era. I also relax by reading success stories of entrepreneurs and
those who have risen above all odds. This serves to help keep me motivated, and
energized about future possibilities. But my most relaxing moments are with my
family. Ramadan (month of fasting) is also an extremely relaxing time for me
because this is time where four of the five pillars is Islam can be practiced
at one time.

What do you enjoy doing with friends?

I enjoy watching
football games on any given Sunday, where we all gather at someone’s home,
potluck style and leave off the worries of our own personal lives and for those
3 hours the only thing that matters is what happens on the screen.

What quality do you most desire to develop
in yourself as a person?

I’d like to improve
my ability to not take all things so seriously, be a bit more jovial. My uncle
was really good at this and since he passed away I have thought about being
able to do this much more frequently than ever before.

What themes and/or issues predominate in
your work?

I pride myself on
writing about things that many are afraid to discuss or unwilling to address. I
often write from the theme of overcoming the devastating effects of
colonialism. Additionally, I address areas where social justice has been
forgotten and the results felt by those powerless to change it. I’m very much
into trying to stop the “little guy” from getting stepped on, and it’s time
that books on Islam by independent authors began to articulate similar
positions.

What is better about your life now than it
was 5 years ago?

Five years ago I
didn’t have a family, now that I do, I have a better sense of collective
responsibility, and a greater understanding of what it means to be selfless as
opposed to the selfish mentality that comes when you only have yourself to be
concerned about.

What was the most important lesson you
learned about yourself as a person during the writing of your book?

The most valuable
lesson for me is that I need to adopt an attitude of perfection. This means
that in whatever I seek to accomplish I must try to make it perfect in every
way and in all things, regardless of its intended purpose.

Thanks Amir
for stopping by the blog that shows you how to awaken the hero within YOU!

Tags: mentoring, Kama Sutra of Storytelling, home based business, story coach, folklore, host

Tags: entrepreneurial authoring, legend, host, mentor, story coach, spiritual tradition

There are a lot of affirmations products, and indeed a lot of free affirmations available on the web, but there is nothing else like the Best Affirmations program.  It is, indeed, a program and not just another list of phrases like “I am gorgeous” or whatever.  I know both of the authors, and I can wholeheartedly recommend their products to you.

The Best Affirmations Workbook teaches you to recession-proof your mind by teaching a step by step program for strengthening the power of your mind.  Over the course of a month you will do a different- and also quick and easy - task for that day.

Thoughts shape your reality perhaps more than you realize.  My mother’s husband constantly speaks fear.  Prices are going up and gas is high and how can he have enough money for retirement and the like.  He is caught in an employee-mindset and in fear. 

Am I saying that your thoughts will lower the price of gas?  NO of course not!  However, what you focus on expands, so if you look for all that is wrong or difficult, that is what you get more of.  YUCK!  I don’t want more scarcity thinking.

The Best Affirmations Workbook is not mumbo-jumbo fluff-talk.  It is practical.  It guides you step by step and day by day into amping up your mind. 

You get to decide whether you can or cannot make the changes you want in life.  It’s up to you and your own mindset.  The cool thing to me is that the program is very affordable.  for under $15 you get the workbook in PDF format, the audio recorded in a Grammy Award winning sound studio, plus other surprises.  Check it out now!

Your thoughts are either paralyzing or freeing you.

From the site:  We have an amazing special on right now.
For only $14.95 you get $109.40 worth of products—
products that we guarantee will get you back into positive
production—not fear-based “recession” think.

 I had the supreme pleasure and FUN of interviewing co-author Dr. Patricia A. Ross on the radio.  We have the best synergy.  This is a powered-up wild ride for an hour about how you can recession proof your life.  Listen now!  You can also download it from the show’s main page.

Tags: MLM, writing help, legend, leadership training, network marketing, Ronda Del Boccio

One of my friends is in the Blogging Idol Contest & has $30K of  prizes so far with more coming in all the time.  His blog is about marketing, so drop on by Big Jason’s Big Marketing Blog and sign up for his feed to get blog updates (at least while he is running the contest!).

I’ll tell you what a few of the prizes are in a minute, but perhaps you’re not sure what a feed is.

Don’t be scared of a feed.  It’s just a way to have the content you want delivered right to you.  What this means in terms of the contest is that you’ll receive his blog updates by email.

OK so what are the prizes?  Go to the site to read them all, but here are a few.  Some of my favorite people are offering a prize, and what Jason is about to find out is that I’m giving one too.  I won’t tell you what it is yet.

Here are some of many prizes from the biggest name dropper I know.

Quoting Big Jason on  his blog…”

Complete Website and Copy Critique with Million Dollar Copywriter Ray Edwards ($4500) - Ray is a Direct Response Copywriter, Speaker, Author, and Marketing Strategist. His clients include Jack Canfield, Alex Mandossian, Frank Kern, and Mark Victor Hansen (there are more, but jeez, then it would start to sound like name-dropping)Ray is going to give your website and sales copy a thorough critique and record everything on video for you to keep. And that $4500 value is the initial value. I’m not going to speculate on the long-term value of this prize because you’ll probably wet yourself.

Complete Website Copy Critique and 1hr Private Consultation with Rachel Rofe ($2000) - Rachel is a direct response “copywriter to the stars”. She’s been endorsed by some of the world’s top copywriters and has been responsible for the copy behind several six figure launches.Rachel is going to give your website copy an in-depth critique, as well as an hour consultation to discuss your marketing, call to actions, and overall message.

2 Copies of Word of Mouth Transformation from Mark Joyner ($997) - Mark is known as the godfather of internet marketing.Find out the difference between inspired and incentivized word of mouth. Then discover how to get more of the right kind of word of mouth for your products and services.

1hr Private Consulting with Ben Mack ($600) - Ben Mack is the author of the best selling business book, Think Two Products Ahead, a two-time American Marketing Association award winner and visionary online entrepreneur. Credited with taking Yomega Yo-Yos from $8 million in sales to $120 million in one year as a former corporate advertising executive, Ben Mack will teach you branding secrets the big ad agencies don’t want you to know and how to leverage those secrets for bigger profits.Forget everything you think you know about branding and prepare to have your profitable business mind ripped wide open.

1hr Blog Consultation by Ritu Pant of Axiium.com ($500) - You may have not heard of Ritu before now, but I found out about him from Ms. X..Ritu will help you take your blog to the next level.

1hr Facebook Consultation by Mari Smith of Facebook Fortunes ($500) - Mari is a facebook business coach.

You’ll work together with Mari in her private Webinar room where she’ll walk you through the entire process of setting up and optimizing your Facebook Profile and Facebook Page. You’ll implement the steps real time so by the end of the sessions you know what to do on your own to build a loyal following of people interested in your products and services.

Tags: writing help, business development, mentoring, story, network marketing, entrepreneurial authoring

I am going to Gateway to Wealth in Orlando next week and went to Allegiant Airlines to book my flight.  It LOOKED like an excellent price, but what they don’t tell you is that on top of the taxes, there is a fee to select your seat.

Yes, I said they charge you from $11-$15 to select a seat, and there is no way to take the luck of the draw.

for crap sake, why don’t you just charge $25 more for the  ticket?

Then I tried calling the airline to find out if there was a way to bypass paying $22-30 simply to select a seat in the back of the plane (because that’s where they all are), and here’s what happened.

I listened to 17 minutes of hold music.

I heard a ring and thought, “Oh good, I’m about to get to talk to someone!”  Then do you want to