Merry Christmas!! So What Is It About Anyway?

Merry Christmas to everyone!  I hope everyone is enjoying a good time together with family and friends.  This is a season for a lot of things.  When you here the word Christmas, a lot of things come to mind; gifts, Santa Claus, snow, friends, family, reindeer, Christmas carols, holiday foods, etc.  The list goes on and on. 

But what is Christmas really about?  Is it a time of joy, peace, giving, time with family?  Is it a time of giving of yourself and loving each other?  I would say all those things are true, but there is more to Christmas than that.

Historically Christmas started with someone that had a giving heart and gave gifts to all those unfortunate.  Later the Christians adopted this tradition with the story of the birth of Jesus of the Bible.  Hence the name "Christ"mas.  This story is the real reason we should be celebrating Christmas.

Most people know the story of the virgin birth of Jesus in the manger and the visit of the shepherds and wisemen.  It is intertwined in many of our Christmas songs and carols.  But I don't think everyone knows why we celebrate this; the reason behind it all.

From the beginning of mankind, God had a plan to send his only Son to earth in the form of man to save man from himself and his sin.  That plan came to fruition around 0 A.D. when Christ was born into this world.  He came as the King of kings, but was born in a humble manger.   Some 30 or so years later he would die on a cross bearing the sins of the world, and raise from the dead three days later.  And that is why Jesus is the reason for the season.

So why do we give gifts during this season?  To be reminded of the wisemen who came to Jesus and gave Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  They have gifts worthy of a king.   God gave of the ultimate gift; His Son and we give gifts in remembrance of that.          

So when you celebrate Christmas, be reminded of a little baby born in a manger around 2000 years ago who changed the course of history and mankind.  If you want to learn more about this story, you can read it in the book of Matthew of the Bible, chapter one.  

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Helping you get the upper hand,
Peter Bunn
Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience: www.PeterBunnHasFun.com

Honoring Your Service

 It is this day that we recognize those who have served and who are serving in the United States Armed Forces.  All of us should have the deepest gratitude for these men and women.  Many have sacrificed their lives and part of their lives to keep this nation free.  I am truly grateful and it is my pleasure in honoring your service to our country today.

I know what it's like to sacrifice, go through hardships and experience challenges.  It may not be to the same scale as a US soldier, but at least I have an idea of what they go through on a daily basis.  If we look at history, all the wars the US has partaken in,  and all the situations and different circumstances they have had to fight in, we should be very thankful for them.  Without the service of these men and women, we may not be living in a free country as we are now.  That is truly an awesome blessing.

What I would like to challenge everyone today with is to find someone you know that has served or is serving in the US Armed Forces.  Give them a handshake or a hug and genuinely thank them for what they have done and are doing for us today.  If you are in the Armed Forces, go to a fellow soldier and thank them for serving along side you.  We must not forget the sacrifice.  We must not forget the resolve.  We must not forget their honor.

Happy Veteran's Day and God bless America!

Helping you get the upper hand,
Peter Bunn
Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience: www.PeterBunnHasFun.com

The Importance of Quality Time

After playing games with Jesse tonight I was reminded how important it is to spend quality time with your children.  Children crave the time you spend with them.  It builds memories they will never forget and fortifies their identity. 

I treasure the time I have with my son.  I enjoy watching him grow up and learn new things; to see how his character develops and how he reacts to things.  I know Jesse is too young to be able to remember any of this yet, but if we keep building memories as he grows up, he will have memories to cherish.

So it is vitally important to spend good quality time with your family.  You will never forget it and will never regret it.  That is just a little something I wanted to share.

Helping you get the upper hand,
Peter Bunn Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family?  Learn how to empower yourself with this experience: www.PeterBunnHasFun.com

Sacrifice: How Far Are You Willing To Go?

After watching and posting the video "The Bridge," I just had to write a post about it.  Something that moving had to be shared.  I don't know if any of you have been in a situation like that, but that was quite a sacrifice that anyone would have a hard time making a decision like that.to do.  It makes you sit back and think about your own life, "How far am I willing to go?  How much am I willing to sacrifice?  Would I give MY life to save another?"  It really makes you think.

Love is a very powerful thing, and it makes people do the most outrageous things.  Our son, Jesse, is only 2 1/2 and I love him very much, but it didn't take me very long to think about it and decide that if it came down to it, I would sacrifice my life to save his.  I would do anything in my power to protect him.  On the other hand, if I was faced with a decision like the father in the video was, it would be very difficult to decide what to do.  One life sacrificed to save many surely sounds like the best decision, but it would be very difficult and painful to make that decision.

What about you?  Do you have someone special in your life; someone you love very much?  Would you be willing to make that decision?  Think about it.  One Man did make that decision over 2000 years ago, and He did it for all of us, to save us all.  What are you going to do about it?  Just wanted to give you something to think about.

Helping you get the upper hand,
Peter Bunn
Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience: www.PeterBunnHasFun.com

Effective Listening: Do You Listen?

Do you ever say to someone, "I hear you." but when the person is done talking you can't remember half of what the person just said?  I know I do that to my wife, Sara more often then I should.  I might be hearing what she is saying, but I'm not listening, so it's as if it comes in one ear and goes out the other.  So, do you listen?  Do you know how to be an effective listener?

There is a difference between hearing and listening.  Hearing is when the sound, words or music comes to your ears, but there is not much comprehension, so not much is retained.  Listening, on the other hand, at least what people call active listening, is when you intently hang on a person's every word and try to comprehend it as much as possible.  When you listen you devote your full attention to that person.

 So you might be wondering why in the world I am writing about listening today.  Well listening should be a very important part of our lives.  (I have to admit I do not practice this as much as I should, but I'm working on it.)  It helps in our relationships, in the work environment, in the learning environment and even out in the environment.  Listening correctly helps you learn, comprehend, retain, observe, relate, etc.  It is so powerful if everyone listened the way we are supposed to we would all be much more successful in life, have healthier relationships and be more in tune with the world around us.

Here are some key tips to effective listening that will help get us on the right track:

1.  Make eye contact when someone is talking to you.  I know this may be hard at first, but it lets the person know you care and are listening.
2.  Get rid of distractions.  If you are watching TV or something and someone came in and wanted to talk you could turn the TV off or, if you just had to finish what you are watching, politely tell that person that you will listen as soon as the show is over so they have your full attention.
3.  If you aren't talking to someone, but are just outside and want to listen to what's around you, close your eyes (try to be sitting for this).  It is a known fact that when you can't see, your other senses are enhanced.  This might take some time, but it works.  Concentrate on what you are hearing and you will be able to listen.
4.  When someone is talking to you, focus on what the person is saying, but also keep in mind their body language.  These can often conflict with each other and you may have to ask questions to get clarification, which comes to the last point.
5.  Ask questions.  This not only clarifies or expounds upon what the person previously told you, but it gets you both involved in the conversation and you are most likely to remember what was said.

So let's go out there and be good listeners.  Everyone likes a good listener!

Helping you get the upper hand,
Peter Bunn
Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience: www.PeterBunnHasFun.com

Do You Add Value To People's Lives?

Some of you might be wondering, "What in the world is this guy talking about?  Value???"  But really, have we sat down and thought about this before?  What has become of my life lately?  Am I trying to help others and try to add value to their lives or am I looking out for "me?"  What am I contributing to the world that would give them something they can use and/or apply in their daily lives?  These are the kinds of questions I ask myself when I try to figure out if I have anything to give anybody that would be useful to them.

I would like to share 3 actions you can take that will bring value into people's lives and give them a sense of confidence and trust in you and what you bring to the table:

1. Listen.  To give value, you must be a good listener.  Have you ever tried to just listen to someone share something with you without saying a single word?  I know, it's hard, but possible.  You would be amazed how much you learn about someone just by listening.  Listening is a very powerful tool in learning what people are thinking and experiencing.  It also provides a great resource for ideas on types of value to provide that would be pertinent to your audience or surrounding group of people.
2. Learn.  Learning from people with experience or expertise in something that is unique or worth sharing with others is another great way to provide value.  We should be learning all the time.  That is a process that never ends and your brain never gets tired of or runs out of room for information (interesting how that is, but that's a whole other story).
3. Ask yourself, "What do they value?"  When you do points one and two, this one comes much easier.  It is always good to know your prospects and what they are asking for.  Our son, Jesse, makes that quite easy.  He always tells exactly what he wants.  Sometimes he is even demanding of it, although he is only two. :) It may be this easy to find out what people value.  Sometimes it may take some research and maybe using your listening and learning skills, but it's worth it in the end and you learn a whole lot about people.

So, again, I ask, "Do you provide value to people's lives?"  Think about it.  Maybe today is the day to start.  You would be surprised how much your life changes when you give to others instead of being on the receiving end.
 
Helping you get the upper hand,
Peter Bunn
Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience: www.PeterBunnHasFun.com

I just put up another post on my blog about visualization. Check it out at http://ping.fm/1o1lo

Do You Visualize?

I have learned a lot lately about the importance of visualization in order to reach my goals in life.  So I wanted to share what I have learned thus far to help you accomplish more than you ever thought you could imagine.

What is visualization anyway?  What does it mean?  According to Webster's dictionary, visualize or visualization means, "To see or form a mental image of. The act or process of interpreting in visual terms or of putting into visible form."  This is a great definition because it explains exactly what you do when you visualize.

So what do you mean by visualize, Peter?  Well, let me explain it this way:
When I started working on getting my home business up and running, my mentor, Juan Walker, asked me why I was doing what I was doing.  He said, "Why are you here?  Why are you doing this?"  He went on to explain that knowing your "why" is the most important thing in this business.  It's what keeps you going each day and it is the core of your daily visualization.

So the first thing I had to do was identify my why.  It came down to two things; my desire to be with my family and watch Jesse grow up and my desire to be debt free.  My next step was to create something that showed those reasons in a visual way, so I got pictures of us being together and pictures that resembled freedom from debt.  I personally picked things that provoked strong emotions when I looked at them.  I then made a collage of those pictures and posted them right in front of my desk so I would have no excuse but to see them.  Over each collage I wrote my goals and the feelings I would experience when I meet them.  I also quantified those goals with numbers and dates.  This was my "act of putting in visible form" these two "why's."

I then took this a little further to add even more meaning and emotion to the visualization process.  I chose a song for each that would invoke the feelings I would experience when I had accomplished my goals.  My daily routine now is to play each song, and as I do, visualize those feelings and look at the pictures to put into reality those feelings.  I get goosebumps every time I play those songs without fail.  That is how powerful it is.  This is what gives you that drive to keep going.  In doing this, it is always in front of you why you are doing what you are doing.

It doesn't stop there though.  I also wrote a vision statement that outlined my goals in five years.  This was written in present tense as if it had already happened.  I put as much detail as I could into it.  The more detail the better.  It is recommended to write a vision statement for five years, one year, six months, 90 days and one month.  Then you take the most relevant one and post it in places where you will see it throughout the day.  Read it first thing in the morning every day and make it the last thing you read every night.  This way it is always in your mind and you start living it.  This is a very powerful way to reach goals and this is how the very wealthy do it.  You have to have a game plan if you are going to accomplish anything.

Well, I think I've shared enough.  This is only the tip of the iceberg, but it's enough to get anyone started on the right track.  The only way to do it though, is to take action!


Helping you get the upper hand,
Peter Bunn
Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience: www.PeterBunnHasFun.com

Life Lessons Out Of The Mouth Of Babes

As a new father, I have begun to learn a lot from our son as he grows up.  There is something about the innocence of a child that can teach you so many life lessons.  I thought I would share a few with you.

 Jesse is two and a half now, and is getting where he can be quite conversational.  This has been so fun for Sara and I as he learns new vocabulary and uses it.  We have noticed a trend in him bringing what he learns from some of the kids at childcare back home with him.  He's gone through the "No way!" phase, the "Pow, pow!" phase and is still using a few others he has seemed to pick up at daycare.  These have provided us with the opportunity to teach Jesse what is good and right vs. what is bad and wrong.  Lesson number one is that there is right and wrong in this world.  Depending on how you are brought up, you learn that difference rather well or not so well.  In this case it is an important job of the parent to teach the children the difference between right and wrong and the ability to discern between the two.

Kids do the cutest things.  There is not a day that goes by that Jesse doesn't do something cute.  It's always surprising too.  I think part of it is because kids are still learning about life and things around them, and when they ask a question and comment on something, we think it's cute.  But in actuality they are just learning.  One of Jesse's favorite questions right now is "Why?"  We will explain the reason to him and then he would ask the same question about the explanation.  That goes back and forth for awhile, then we just have to smile at each other and laugh.  Lesson number two is that kids are kids and they are some of the best learners on earth.  If you want to learn how to learn, watch and listen to the kids for awhile.  They are masters at asking questions.  Asking questions is one of the best ways to learn.

There are some bad things we can learn from our kids too.  Kids naturally are selfish (remember the famous two-year-old's phrase, "Mine."), liars and can be deceitful.  I do not say this in a bad way about the kids.  There is nothing they can do about it.  It's hard-wired into them.  No one has to teach them how to do any of that.  What we do need to teach them is how to be truthful, selfless, thoughtful, caring and honest.  So the third life lesson is to learn from our kids the mistakes they make that we make as adults too in order to avoid making them again, and to teach our children to do the same.

I know this was a little different from my previous posts, but I felt the need to share.  I am proud to be a parent and can't wait to teach my son life lessons that will have a positive influence on his life and his life decisions.


Helping you get the upper hand,
Peter Bunn
Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience: www.PeterBunnHasFun.com

Pay Per Click Tips: Optimization

After a long break in posts, I am finally back.  It has been a crazy and rough last month, but I always come out on top.  What I like to say is, "Always stay positive and keep your head up."  Well, I want to concentrate this post on optimization for ad campaigns.  This is probably the most crucial part of advertising with pay per click.  This could make you or break you.

So I have already gone over how to write the ad and incorporate it with the landing page.  They must be in sinc so the ad makes sense and the landing page expounds upon what the ad implies.  Once the ad is up and running and people are starting to see the ad and click on it, it is important to monitor your campaigns.  When I first started off, I had one campaign with about 25 keywords and ad groups.  That was plenty to keep me busy.  It took me awhile to go through each one to look at the stats and make sure everything was matching up right.

One mistake some people do is monitor their campaigns too closely and get discouraged if they aren't getting results after a couple days.  It takes longer than that to get a campaign rolling.  So give it some time.  I would say two weeks.  Then you can look at the campaign and see how your keywords are doing.  I made the mistake of letting them go too long and lost some money due to that.  There were some keywords that did great when it came to click through rate, but the landing page wasn't doing too well.  So I was paying for all those clicks and not getting any revenue to pay for them.  Long story short, I learned my lesson the hard way and now check my campaigns every two weeks to make sure they are performing well.  Lessons can always be learned from mistakes.

Sometimes there may be some keywords that don't do well.  If you aren't making money off of them or have low numbers of clicks, get rid of it if you can't fix it in thirty days.  Also keep looking for more keyword phrases.  The more you have, the higher chances you have of getting more clicks and sales.

Once I got used to optimizing my campaign, I started another one and did the same thing.  I think Yahoo/Microsoft (they are joining forces to compete with Google) allow you to have up to 20 campaigns per account.  Take advantage of that.

Once you have optimized, you aren't done yet.  Here are the next steps after you have first optimized your campaign:

• In the first week, check your keywords every four hours and look for these...
  
  
  
  
  • If the ad has 40 clicks and no leads, delete it.
  • If the lead conversion cost goes above $12, pause that keyword.
  • If the conversion ratio is below 8%, pause that keyword.
• At 2-4 weeks...
  
  
  
  
  • Improve the keywords you paused and test them.  Maybe you need to change the title or the ad.  Ask your self, "Does this tie in with the landing page?"
  • If you can't get any conversions, delete it.  Don't wait longer than four weeks.

This is like cleaning out all the junk; the heart of optimization.  If this is done right, you will get results.  Don't forget to keep track of what is generating sales and what isn't.  Run the campaign for 3 months, delete keywords that aren't converting and add new ones.  It's a reciprocal process.

I leave with two more tips.  Number one, don't forget about your budget.  When starting off do no more than $25-30 a day.  Try not to pay more than a dollar per click.  Secondly, focus on conversions, NOT the number of leads you get.

A lot of what I have learned and shared today is because of my mentor and friend, Juan Walker.  Thanks to him, I am a better marketer and advertiser.

Helping you get the upper hand,
Peter Bunn
Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience: www.PeterBunnHasFun.com

Pay Per Click Tips: Writing an Ad

Anyone who uses Pay Per Click with Google, Yahoo, Bing or any other search engine knows that it's a powerful tool that can bring a lot of exposure to your business and produce a lot of leads to generate revenue and customers.  The big question is, does everyone know how to write a good enough ad to get people to click it and take them to your website?  The answer to that would be no!  I admit that I myself am not the best ad writer in the world, but with practice I can write attractive ads that will bring customers in.  You could have the best product or service around, but if you can't write an ad, no one is going to see your site and you won't make any money.  Here are some things to keep in mind while writing your ad:

One thing to remember when starting to write your ad is that you have a very short amount of space to convince someone to click.  So your wording has to be professional, clean, prompt and concise.  Another thing you have to keep in mind is the keyword or keyword phrase you are using.  That should be incorporated into your ad.  Think of keywords as questions and you want to answer that question in your ad. 

An important thing to keep in mind also while writing your ad is your audience.  Who is the majority of people that are looking for what you are offering?  What do they want?  What is their main goal?  You must know your customer and what they want in order to get their business.  Keep these two questions in mind:
   What is it and can it work for me?
   What's in it for me to move on to the next step?
If you can answer these two question rather in your ad and/or on your landing page, you are most likely going to get the traffic you want.

Also make sure that what your ad says matches up with what message your landing page portrays.  If they don't match up, you won't get any customers.  Remember to always be truthful and honest in your claims.  NEVER claim something you can't produce or say something that is not true about the product or service you are selling.  That is bad business and you will lose customers.

You must keep in mind that the internet is an ever changing entity, so if your ad doesn't work and you are not getting the clicks on it, my mentor always told me this, "Don't get mad, change your ad."   Any type of advertising is an ongoing process.  Yes sometimes you can have it on autopilot, but you still need to check everything regularly to make sure what you have is still working well.   

I will leave you with that.  Next time I hope to put a post about tips on optimizing your campaigns.  Good luck to all of you and happy clicking!

Helping you get the upper hand,
Peter Bunn
Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience:
www.PeterBunnHasFun.com

Key Points About Twitter Marketing

Are you using Twitter to market a product or service and have a hard time getting customers?  This post is intended to give you a few tips I just learned to help get people interested in what you have to offer.

 Did you know...
There is an etiquette for Twitter.  Here are some etiquette pointers.

• If someone follows you, follow them back.
• Reply to personal @ comments and direct messages.
• Thank your followers for retweets.
• Don't just advertise.  Do quotes, provide content and interesting facts.
• Balance your ads and your other tweets.

About content

You want to provide content that has quality and generates interest to your followers.  Your content should be something that would produce value that your followers can use or take something from.  Here are some ideas  where you can find some good content:

• www.ezinearticles.com
• www.articlebase.com
• www.youtube.com
• If you have a blog, you can point people towards your posts.
• Quotes and quips  (I found this site and it has some great quotes)

Remember:  Absolutely NO PLAGIARIZING when you provide content!

Building your followers list
In order to get leads and customers, you have to have a follower list and keep it growing so you have a constant flow of people to tweet with.  Here are some pointers to build your list:

• Make sure you are targeting groups that you know would be interested in what you are offering.
• Use the "Find People" feature to search for groups (eg.- mlm, network marketing, home business)
• Look at your current list of followers and follow their followers.
• Follow the followers of the Gurus like Mike Dillard, Jonathan Budd and Ryan Deiss.

I hope this has provided you with some valuable information that can help you become a better marketer in the Twitter world.  Remember, talk to your followers, be personable, be yourself and let's have some fun!

If you want some more training on Twitter, try this website: www.twenius.com
If you want training that provides information like what is in this post, click my link below for more information.

Helping you get the upper hand,
Peter Bunn
Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience:
www.PeterBunnHasFun.com

To Fear or Not to Fear

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word fear?  Is it a phobia you have?  Maybe a scary movie you watched, or something terrible you witnessed?  Fear strikes a chord in every human being, and it's not a good feeling is it?  So what is it about fear that we don't like so much?  Webster defines fear as "to be afraid or apprehensive."  I think it goes a little further than that.  Fear is a strong word that produces strong feelings.

So what are we to do with this fear?  Are we to let it rule our lives or prevent us from doing things that we would otherwise enjoy or benefit from?  I am going to try in this article to give you some tools to overcome fear; to conquer it.

Face your fear:
Whatever fear you come across, you have two choices; make an about face and get the high tail out of there or take a stand against it and fight.  Although the latter is the toughest choice, it is the best of the two.  If you don't face your fears, you will never overcome them.  Even phobias (which are an extreme and debilitating fear) can be cured.  I once saw a doctor who helped people overcome their phobias by showing them the harmlessness of their fear.  A lot of times fear, when you look at it closely is just a misunderstanding of something or someone.  Take a moment to think things through so this isn't the case.  Another good way to face fear is visualization.  A great example of this is in the movie "The Big Green."  The kid who played goalie has a great imagination and was afraid of the players because of it.  But he faced his fear and was able to visualize the opposing players as something harmless.

Be in the Know:
One of the most common causes of fear is the unknown.  This could be an unknown of what the future holds, something that can't be seen or touched, or just a lack of knowledge.  Any of these unknowns can trigger fear.  If you fear what will happen, concentrate on the now.  Work on what is happening today and don't worry about tomorrow.  That is easier said than done for some, but if you are busy with today, you will most likely not even think about tomorrow before it becomes today.  The best way to tackle fear of the unknown is to educate yourself.  If you have a fear in this area, learn more about it.  Study it and comprehend it.  This will ease fears.  If there is a fear you just can't overcome, recruit help from family and friends.  There is always power in numbers.

I leave you with this quote from the Bible as an encouragement to you, "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."  II Timothy 1:7

Helping you get the upper hand,
Peter Bunn
Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience:
www.PeterBunnHasFun.com

2010 World Cup Conclusion

Well, my predictions in the quarter-finals I would have to say were maybe half right.  I forgot to take into account that some of Brazil's key players were not able to play to help them advance to the next level.  This is the worst Brazil has played in a long time.  Another thing I forgot about was that Spain was the pick to be the winner from the very beginning.  Oops!  Big mistake on my predictions.  

The two teams that surprised me the most are my two favorite teams; Paraguay and Germany.  Both teams played better than they ever have as far as placement.  And third place for Germany is excellent for them.  I think they played excellent ball.  They had the least amount of goals made on them and I believe they were the highest scoring team also.  Very good.

So bravo to Spain for winning the World Cup of 2010.  Netherlands put up a good fight too.  There were a couple close calls in the final game and several yellow cards handed out.  What a game.  I look forward to next World Cup.  I hear it may be in Brazil next time.  Maybe I will see you there! :)

Helping you get the upper hand,
Peter Bunn
Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience:
www.PeterBunnHasFun.com

World Cup 2010

 There is no better time to talk about the World Cup than now.  We are halfway through with the quarter finals right around the corner, and the countries are starting to show their true colors.  Here are the standings so far.

2010 FIFA World Cup™: Round of 16  - Add to iGoogle

Spain 1 : 0 Portugal - Highlights Paraguay 0 (5) : 0 (3) Japan - Highlights Brazil 3 : 0 Chile - Highlights Netherlands 2 : 1 Slovakia - Highlights Upcoming matches - Quarter-finals: Netherlands vs. Brazil - 2 Jul 10:00am (ET) on ESPN Uruguay vs. Ghana - 2 Jul 2:30pm (ET) on ESPN Argentina vs. Germany - 3 Jul 10:00am (ET) on ABC Paraguay vs. Spain - 3 Jul 2:30pm (ET) on ABC FIFA.com  -  Schedule  -  Standings  -  United States Overview

 I am personally rooting for Paraguay and Germany.  It is not that these teams are really good, but my wife spent half her life in Germany (that's a given) and I have some friends from Paraguay.  Surprisingly both are still in the game.  I am sorta surprised that Paraguay has made it this far, but you never know.  They had a tough game with Japan, but they beat them in the shoot-outs!

 Here are my predictions for the quarter finals:
Brazil and Netherlands may has a close match, but I think Brazil is going to coming out the winner.
Uruguay is a good team.  I think they will make it to the semi-finals.
I know I am rooting for Germany, but I think Argentina will beat them this time.
This one is probably the toughest to predict, but I think Spain will win and Paraguay will give them a good fight.

Happy watching all you soccer fans.  I will see if I can post another related post during the finals.

Helping you get the upper hand,
Peter Bunn
Rising Leader
Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience:
www.PeterBunnHasFun.com

Health Care Part 2

As part of the second edition about Health Care and programs available to help you, I would like to include an excerpt about Social Security disability.  This is not a health insurance of any type, but it does provide an income for those who are unable to work.

 There are two different disability programs available through the Social Security Administration.  One is SSDI (Social Security Disability Income) and one is SSI (Supplemental Security Income).  Both programs provide an income, but they are a little different when it comes to qualifications and eligibility.  I will briefly explain each one.

SSDI is full disability income.  In order to receive this type of program benefits you have to have worked enough in your life and earned enough income credits.  Income credits are earned each year with a maximum of one per quarter.  Your income check is based on your work history.  There are no income or resource limits required to be eligible to receive benefits.

SSI is a supplemental income program for those who don't have enough work history or have none at all (such as newborn babies).  There is a maximum payout for this program.  Each year that amount changes.  This year it is around $672.  There are also income and resource limits that have to be met (like Medicaid) in order to receive benefits.  These limits are almost identical with Medicaid and if you have SSI will most likely be eligible for Medicaid benefits too.

The eligibility process takes several steps and I will lay out the basics.  One thing you need to keep in mind is in order to receive disability you have to have a condition that is going to prevent you from doing any type of work for at least 12 months.  Here are the steps.  These include ones you have to do and ones Social Security does.
1.  The first thing you need to do is call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to set up an interview for disability benefits.  When prompted ask for agent service.
2.  Once you have set up your interview, you can fill out some forms online at ssa.gov.  You will also receive a packet of forms to fill out and sign.  Make sure you do everything and return anything that is requested to be returned.  This is a lot of paperwork, so don't be discouraged.
3.  You may have been told of some verifications you need to have together.  Make sure you get those together.  Also get as many medical records related to your condition as possible.
4.  The paperwork is just one part of the process.  You will be assigned a claims representative.  Make sure you get the name and number.  Your case will be sent to DDS (Disability Determination Services) for a medical decision.
5.  Once the medical decision has been made, it will get sent back to your claims rep, where he will finish up the case.

Now this is just the basic steps.  A lot more goes on and the process can take over a year to finish.  Most cases are denied the first time.  Don't be afraid to re-apply or appeal the decision.  You have the right to do so. 

 So that is Social Security benefits in a nutshell.  I would like to provide a few resources to help in this process and with Medicaid:

• Social Security website - www.ssa.gov  (very resourceful)
• There is no one website with social service sites for all states, but it is quite easy to find them.  Just type in your state or county name and "department of social services."

Feel free to post any questions you may have, and I will help.

Helping you get the upper hand,
Peter Bunn
Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience:
www.PeterBunnHasFun.com

Health Care in This Day and Age

I decided to take the opportunity to use my expertise and offer some pointers and suggestions about getting healthcare when it may seem impossible to get.  I am going to break this up into a few different posts.  Otherwise this would be too long.  As some of you may know from reading my first post, I work for a company that helps patients apply for local and state programs that are available to help with their bills.  In this day and age, health insurance is expensive and practically unaffordable.  What do you do when you lose your job and health coverage as well?  What happens when you don't have the money to purchase your own policy?  Now with the new health care bill it may be a different story, but let's forget about that right now.  It won't come into effect until 2012 anyway.

For this post, I would like to make it a way of introduction of what is available out there as far as Social Service programs that can help with your medical bills.  To lay the groundwork one must understand that these programs are not available to everyone.  There are income and resource requirements that need to be met first.  Also, each state has specific programs that target a certain group of people.  For instance, Virginia (the state I live in) has a program called FAMIS.  This program is for children and pregnant moms that are over the income limits for Medicaid.  Other states have similar programs.

Each county in your state has a department of social services (some call it human services or similar).  This is where you go to get an application to apply for the program.  The most common name for the program is Medicaid.  Now some of you may be thinking, "I don't want to apply for welfare."  First of all, that is not what it is and secondly, if you really needed help wouldn't you seek out every opportunity possible to get health coverage to cover your bills? 

Every state has their different qualifications to be able to receive this assistance.  The most common difference is the income limits.  That is based on the poverty level in that particular state.  There are some requirements, though, that remain constant.  Those are meeting a category of either minor child (18 years old or younger), over 65 years old, pregnant, blind or disabled (declared disabled by the state or Social Security).  Once these criteria have been met, the application can be processed.  Expect to provide verifications of income, citizenship, identity and residence in pretty much every state.

Medicaid is a state funded program, so there is no cost involved.  This program may not provide complete coverage, but at least you won't have as big of a bill you would have without it.  In my next post I will be providing some resources concerning these programs that you can use.  If you have any immediate questions, the best thing to do is call your local department of social services (contact info usually found on your county's website).  Feel free to leave a comment or question about any Virginia state program questions.  That is my area of expertise when it comes to a particular state. 

Helping you get the upper hand,
Peter Bunn
Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience:
www.PeterBunnHasFun.com

What Drives You?

I was trying to find out what to post next on my blog that would be thought provoking and give people inspiration and encouragement.  This is what I came up with.  I hope it gives you a pick up.

What is it that gets you out of bed in the morning and makes you start your day?  What is it that gives you that little extra push you need to accomplish something or complete a task?  Do you love your job and enjoy going to work every morning?  Is there a family member that you adore and are inspired by.  Is it an expectation you have to accomplish an end game in life.  What is it?  What is it that gives you that drive to get done what you want to get done in life?

Everyone has something in there life that gives them that extra strength they need.  Some people have not found it yet.  Some have not even started looking.  Yet everyone has a dream; something they have always wanted to do or accomplish.  Whether it is becoming successful in some way, making a lot of money, flying to the moon or inventing something, everyone has a dream of some type.  What I am trying to say is, what is keeping you from making those dreams and aspirations come true?  If it is just the fact that you haven't found what drives you, now is the time.  The best way to accomplish something is to have something you can look to, something that, when you are in hard times and need some inspiration and a reminder of why you are doing what you are doing, you will have that one thing to bring you back up and to the next level.  Now is the time to find that.  Do some deep soul searching.  Search within yourself and find that inspiration.  Now it may be more than one thing.  That's great!  Once you find that, grab a hold of it and be clear what it is.  Be as specific as possible.  The more vivid you have it in your mind, the better it will serve you.  Once you have that gold nugget, start doing what you have always wanted to do and use that inspiration to keep you going.  Most importantly, don't give up. 

My Story
I am starting a new online business and I was asked, "Why are you doing this?  What is it that you want to accomplish in this business."  At first my answer was to make more money than I am now, but that quickly changed to this.  And this is my inspiration and drive:

I want to be able to get up in the morning whenever I want and have my own schedule.  I want to wake up to the voice of my son playing in his crib.  I want to be able to get up in the morning and make my family blueberry pancakes with homemade maple syrup and hashbrowns.  I want to be able to spend quality time with my family, and if we want to go to the park, be able to just go to the park.  I want to see my son ride his first bicycle.  I want to teach him how to play soccer, baseball and other sports.  I want to watch him grow up.  I want to be able to go on day trips with my wife or go on a weekend get away without having to put in vacation time at work in order to go.  That is what I want to be able to do.  That is what drives me and gives me inspiration.  And when I am down, when I have lost my way, when I need a little pick up, I recall this dream, and it gives me new life and energy and allows me to keep on keeping on so I can accomplish that dream! 


Helping you get the upper hand,
Peter Bunn
Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience: www.PeterBunnHasFun.com

Remembering our Heroes

This Memorial Day is a day to remember our heroes in the Armed Forces that have given their lives and much more for the freedom of our country.   Here are a few things that come to mind when I think of our troops.

Sacrifice
Take some time and think of all the troops over in the Mid-East right now that are sacrificing their time, their lives and so much more, so that we can live in this country in freedom.  That is a great sacrifice.  We can't forget all our veterans either.  Those that have served in the World Wars, Vietnam, Korean War, Desert Storm and many other wars and conflicts throughout history also deserve recognition and rememberance for sacrificing so much so that we could have the lives we have today in this country.  Can you imagine what this country or even the world would be like if we didn't have men and women like this?  Think about it, and be thankful.


Leadership
Some of the best leaders in this country come from the Armed Forces.  Look at our presidents.  Many of our presidents were servants in the Armed Forces.  We can even go back to some of the first ones; George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to start with.  These are people that shaped our history, and with their leadership led this country to prosperity. 

I had the privilege of hearing General Colon Powell speak no too long ago at a Get Motivated seminar.  Out of all the great speakers there, he was the best.  Talk about leadership too.  He led the Armed Forces of this country in one of the darkest times the military has experienced in history.  He has since retired, but he has taken his leadership to a new level by starting a new organization that gives back to the community.

Service
There is no word that better describes our troops then service.  That is exactly what they do; serve our country.  Webster's dictionary defines service as,"one of a nation's military forces (as the army or navy)," and also "useful labor that does not produce a tangible commodity."  Those that are serving this country, whether it be on the homeland or across the sea, do it because they want to.  They don't expect anything in return.

So when you think of our troops today, remember what and who they stand for, what they have done for us and who they are.  Honor our troops today in some way.  They are our heroes!

A must see...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTv9QgPrXCU

Helping you get the upper hand,
Peter Bunn
Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience: www.PeterBunnHasFun.com

Want to Have Success in Life? Get Motivated!

I can't think of anybody that doesn't want to be successful in life.  So what is it that keeps people from being successful?  Is their life too busy?  Do they have to much going on that they can't fulfill their dreams?  Maybe too much time is spent dreaming of a successful life, but nothing is done about it.  This probably describes the majority of people.  Many just go about life in their daily routine, and don't even try to make their life better.

So what can I do to become successful?

First and foremost you need to find something that will motivate you.  What is it in your life that you want most?  Is it to be able to spend quality time with your family?  Maybe travel the world?  Or maybe it's to make more money than you are now.  Whatever it is, be specific, yet simple.  Make some goals and put them somewhere so you see them every day as a reminder of what you are doing.

Secondly, get up off your seat and do something different.  Something maybe you have never done before, but always wanted to.  Yes, it might be a little out of your comfort zone, but it's necessary.  That brings me to the next point; change.  Change the things in your life that are preventing you from meeting your goals to become successful.  Change is hard, but it's worth it in the end.  Change can produce opportunities that will lead you on your road to success.  Change needs to happen in your mindset too.  Don't limit yourself by saying something is impossible or it can't be done.  Instead take the bull by the horns and take it as a challenge and an opportunity.  You will be amazed how this will change your perspective on life and how it will bring you one more step closer to success.

Thirdly, learn how to focus.  Having focus will give you what you need to meet your goals and complete the tasks it takes to complete those goals.  Adjust your environment in your home and at work so you can have better focus.

Finally, find people that you can share your goals, dreams and aspirations with.  Having a support team is important to accomplishing your goals and will help you when you get discouraged and feel like quitting.  A good support group equals a more confident and successful person.

So what are you going to do today to empower yourself to become a better person and successful individual?  Whatever it is, just make sure you take that first step of being proactive about it and get motivated!  Once you get that far, there is no stopping you!




Helping you get the upper hand,

Peter Bunn
Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience:

www.PeterBunnHasFun.com

An Introduction

 Hello everyone!  Since this is my first blog post and my blog is just getting on its way, I decided to make my first post an introduction about myself to help you learn more about me and my story.  So, without further due....

I was born in Lebanon, Missouri in the winter of 1979.  That winter just happened to be the worst winter they had had in over 20 years.  In fact the day I was born, my parents one some of the few that made it out that day.  Only 8 months after that my parents moved to Bolivia, South America to an American boarding school called Tambo.  It was there I spent the next 15 or so years growing up, going to school; the usual boy stuff.  

After graduating from high school,  I moved up to the US and stayed with some friends in upper Michigan while working to save up money for college.  In August 1998 I started my first year of college at Piedmont Baptist College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  I completed a Bachelor of Science degree there (on time I might add) in May of 2002 and then moved to Richmond, Virginia where I now reside.

So the last 8 years I have spent here in Richmond.  The first two were with my brother, then I met the love of my life.  We got married in July of 2004 and are still happily married.  The best thing that has happened to me, besides getting married, occurred on March 10, 2008.  Our first son was born!  He has been such a blessing and is the joy of our lives.  Now I look back and can't imagine life without him.

A little about my current employment.  I work at a local hospital for a company called Advanced Patient Advocacy.  We help patients who don't have any insurance or have limited insurance coverage to obtain government funded programs provided through the local department of social services in order to help with their medical bills.  I have been with them for over 6 years now, and it has been very rewarding in the sense that I have helped literally thousands of patients get their bills paid.  It has truly been a great journey.  If you know of any hospitals in your area that could use our services, go to this website to get more info,  www.apallc.com.  I am also in the process of starting an online business that will bring in some additional income once I get it underway.  I'm still working on my website, but if you want to check it out, you can go to www.peterbunnhasfun.com.

So that is a brief overview about me.  I hope to see you on my blog in the future. There is a lot more interesting content to come!