All Forum Posts by: Shana Gray

while on the topic of communicating clearly, and thinking clearly, for effective action...

my personal opinion of Obama in spite of promises, media attention and campaigning etc., he has no clue about business or how to fix the economy. we are the business people. we, not he, can fix the economy. if he doesn't want our help that's fine. we don't really need his. we should try to stop him from making a big mess though.

I tend to focus and look at things until I understand them clearly and can see through them. then I focus and take action from there, in all directions that I feel will be effective, in ways that will have the most impact with the least time commitment.

really enjoyed the post above, thanks :) I'll pass that along...

Karen, I approach things by thinking like a real professional artist or business person. I think in an organized way how I can have the most impact, right now today, and the most effective means to communicate my message right now. you can pick up books or take courses on all that, especially on promotion, or just sit down and clarify goals and figure out the fastest means to achieve those exact goals.

treat it like you would a quick business plan:
what is it you want to achieve? (e.g. educate the public, communicate clearly to politicians, etc)
what is the most effective way to achieve that? (results-based)
who do you target? (the ones who will have the most active and effective change)

for example, me coming here and motivating change among American business people at biggerpockets and facebook would probably spark more economic change in the USA economy than just about anything else I can do, other than my own business. we have to stick together, and make decisions to achieve change.

I also write the White House and send very clear info about how to fix financial situations etc to make it clear to Mr. O that he is on the wrong track (and CC to Republican John McCain). check some of my other posts here at biggerpockets for some of that. I've written the media too (but they won't print me lol but they certainly do get read, my stuff is hard to miss).

as far as people who don't understand, I try to take my vocabulary and explanations to a level that they can understand. I don't try to change people's point of view so much as I point out truthful facts and let them draw their own conclusions which may take days or months for them to realize when they think it through. I try not to spend too much time with any one person esp if I'm not getting anywhere. I try to focus, go where the most people who can take what I have to say and run with it, will see my ideas. I try to communicate so clearly that my point can not be missed, and will be remembered (takes clear thinking and focus). and focus on what will get the most results. I bite my tongue on less important matters that distract from my main goals (saves me tons of time, misunderstandings, and from getting sidetracked). I hold myself accountable for people's reactions and real results as much as I can, and try to adjust anything that is not working effectively. I only have so much time and I'm human (not perfect) but heck I would rather achieve some of my goals than none of them, 95% right and get results than wait until I'm perfect and do nothing.

hope these tips help. these are just ideas that help me focus. will hopefully help people think clearly about what we want to achieve and go do that.

also I've learned some tips from our Canadian PM. during his campaign, the media asked him what his views on abortion were. he said that his personal views on abortion were complicated and were not part of his campaign. it was never mentioned again. he has been very successful in focussing on the most important things in running our country. if you do your research you can find out his conservative family values. but that was not what he is here to do. he is focussed, practical, efficient. he knows how to prioritize and get the job done.

Take a look at this, we Canadians succeeded at this

http://www.petitiononline.com/CANADIAN/petition.html

326189 Total Signatures

we did not ask permission of any political legislation for this right, we just did it. freedom of speech.

after all the politicians work for the people not the other way around. and without our support they will fail.

(more details on the 'latest obama attack' thread)

the result of this petition was a dissolving of the coalition (3 opposition parties) after parliament was shut down for weeks.

Back to the original topic for a minute. I wrote this after reading the first page. If we want some focussed action in the midst of a crisis we have to have very clear objectives and carry them out in the fastest most effective way possible. I like to cut through the clutter that way in my daily life.

ONE
Canada's model
our democracy was hijacked by our last incompetent "liberal" government and gone for about a year. enough Canadians became aware of it that we voted in a Conservative minority government in the election who have taken great strides in regaining our country from international drug dealers and gangs and out of touch politicians. our economy is back on track. a recent attempt from our three opposition parties to come together to hijack and overpower the current conservative leadership was followed by a great public outcry and was prevented. I saw many comments from people who will never trust or vote for these opposition parties ever again. some of us even wrote to the Queen asking for intervention. we have succeeded in foiling and holding back the opposition's plans to destroy our democracy. and become aware of the need to continue to do so.

http://www.petitiononline.com/CANADIAN/petition.html <- go back and read the comments, they are great!

the solutions are in taking a strong stance together for the causes of what is right, our constitutional rights, and our freedom, and solving our problems in the right ways.

TWO
if Obama got elected by recruiting the masses who don't normally vote, then the solution to uneducated voters, is education...
(and I'm not talking about government sponsored "re-education", but real education and truth from a free nation)

-not just about political ideologies (communism, fascism, capitalism, the constitution, etc), tho this is really important, maybe start here
YouTube
what is…socialism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQoeRQl0HGQ
statism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGUjRtyuBEs&feature=related
fascism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm3hcK9IcYM
globalism coming
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDUpjdeZVn0

-but also about real issues, how economy works and real solutions, thinking clearly. starts with educating ourselves, looking at the problem, creating a mission and executing it. (perhaps anyone of us could write a book for the average joe on how to fix personal financial situations.) so to teach people to fish not just ask for handouts of free fish might be a good, clear goal. and maybe explain why that is important.

unfortunately our real competition is CNN etc, and to overpower their influence we have to be organized. most of Obama's campaign was done through the internet, recruiting and promoting and advertising. I think internet/YouTube is the most effective means I've seen yet considering the audience we might hope to reach, popular media, radio, and our influence of word of mouth on the internet and in our communities, etc.

THREE
what I see in the USA is the current Republican opposition is well unified and taking a stance to put the truth out there and try to hold Obama accountable to the public in regards to his extreme spending ideas. also 33 states declared sovereignty to make it clear that they will not give up firearms or join any involuntary military.

http://www.mrstep.com/politics/az-wa-mo-nh-ok-claiming-sovereignty/

I do think Obama can be and should be held back in a great way by the American population. and hopefully in the next election the general population won't be so dumb as to believe in media brainwashing tactics. we have some time until the next election, but what we need today can be done today as much as possible by making our voices heard, getting the truth out there, and coming up with and promoting real solutions, and holding back any negative directions as much and as long as possible.

FOUR
I think maybe for the first time in history people are getting involved in political stuff because we have to. if things were going well we wouldn't even be talking about it, we'd be out sailing or something. but we have to act now because our current politicians/leaders are not going to fix the problems they've created unless we make them do it, honestly, and correctly. and I have no problem stepping up to the plate to make my voice heard and demand accountability from politicians, get my ideas out there, and do what I feel needs to be done and what I can do to step up to some real leadership and influence in a time where that is sorely needed. I think everyone who can should, and should get everyone they know who can, to do so too. this is a crisis, not a movie. we are the players in the story unfolding. so choose your roles and get in the game for some real positive change.

BOTTOM LINE
1. what are the real issues
2. how can they be solved
3. what is the best way to carry this out
4. get to it

I don't think 'greed' is really the only reason why people are motivated to succeed financially, most of us I would imagine succeed in other areas in our lives than just financial, and because of that I think it is more of a desire to accomplish or to live our dream or to create the world outside that we see of ourselves on the inside.

Some of us were born to create and achieve and to grow wealth. I think the laws of nature show that things continually multiply and this world was created with abundant resources.

People who create businesses and gain wealth usually do so by providing for others something they want or need.

The issue I have with Obama's approach is that he seems to know how to work the system (ie live off the system) rather than actually how the system works. I don't see him creating productivity figures just spending and moving money around. That is not going to fix the economy and if he doesn't listen to business people and focus on future growth then we will have to do what we do and try to better the financial situation for ourselves and our communities/states/countries with or without his help.

Yes I agree, Lee, Richard, your post is hilarious. lol!! :)

that article Josh posted is pretty funny too. thanks!!

interesting...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html#Econ

been looking forward to seeing these viewpoints, watching now... I would rather watch intelligent stuff like this anyday regardless of viewpoint, than people on TV losing their minds following Obama like sheep over the edge of a cliff...

I understand that under Clinton's gov, restrictions were taken off the banks that caused the financial crisis, that Obama conveniently blamed Bush for... logical since housing prices typically rise for 10 years before they dip. timing is everything.

I understand there is prophecy in the Holy Bible concerning a world government and that may shed some light on all of this.

re: obama is the maximum puppet, yes he is, entertainment industry 100%.

according to Wikipedia, Clinton was impeached. could Obama be impeached? he is not an American from what I have been hearing.

also that bit about serving country in the military? wow. did you guys see the stuff recently that the media were afraid to touch, about 30 states declaring sovereignty, putting into legal writing that they WILL NOT give up their right to own guns, and WILL NOT be drafted into any kind of federal military.

re: really big numbers, I have heard the bigger the lie, the more likely people are to believe it, I think that is why Obama has been so successful with all his huge BS, it's unbelievable. the economy is not nearly as bad as they make it out to be on the media. there's a serious problem within the system, and right now, this system seems to be running (or bribing) Washington, and from there affecting main street.

Great question! (btw, so everyone knows...USA + Nato troops are loved worldwide as protectors of mankind. shame on negative media, I have seen this begin to change already as Democrats who criticized the war are now responsible for it and are now taking responsibility.)

USA is exceptional in that you can make your entire living without ever leaving USA, different from Canada and European countries. Because of this, most USA companies do not really focus on exports until they have outgrown the USA market. So larger companies are the ones who typically export. However, anyone can. I have bought many products on Ebay from USA and though most advertise that they will only sell to USA (needs to be a shift in mindset), when I write and ask if they will ship to Canada most are happy to do so. I would recommend that they list as will ship to Worldwide rather than USA only. That may seem like a small example but it represents the shift in mindset that needs to take place and explains why USA is known for consumption rather than producing exports. Part of the reason for this is because USA is a bit self-focussed in their media rather than focussed on worldwide but this has been changing in recent years. (My Australian friend used to joke that USA world news is about New York and Chicago! lol true that...it all started when USA decided to be independent, and that is good, but in a global economy now needs to communicate and trade globally at least to some extent.)

Being from Canada, we are close neighbours with the USA and have a free trade agreement, so we get a lot of American products here. But if you look at American presence worldwide, is there Walmart in Europe? very many McDonald's outside N.America? These are huge companies. In 2003 Jerry Springer represented American media in the UK (thank God that is changing due to the internet and technologies lol). I think USA has a lot more to offer to the world. I am esp fond of reading American books! No other country worldwide can compare with the volume and quality of American books published, and these really should be available worldwide. There is so much the world does not know about America (only what they see on their news). So even though it is getting better, America can seriously push more exports, even in little ways, and reap huge rewards. Most smaller American companies, and medium too I would think, do not export. And if what I heard on the news is correct, small business is the lifeblood of America. America does not need the world as much as the world needs America, but that means the markets are wide open. Some people might fear competition in some businesses but if that is the case, find ways to work with people in other countries to support each other rather than take over. e.g. distribute through existing channels.

If USA is 5% of the world's population, companies might be missing out on 95% of the market if they do not export.

The one thing I would be sensitive to is different cultures and laws, in Europe, guns are not popular, so American movies without guns might be more widely accepted than action flicks with guns. Cultural awareness is good. Also in China the laws of copyright do not seem to apply in reality from what I have heard... artists have difficulty collecting royalties. Learning these subtle differences can make a huge difference in perception of products in other countries and ability to succeed in business in worldwide communities. Other than this one point I think it is a full 100% green light for Americans to get more involved in international trade, after all, other countries have been doing this for generations, and there are always new products and companies on the markets from everywhere.

a low point in Canadian history was our last liberal government...for the last year we weren't a democracy. we voted them out and Canada has been improving massively and steadily ever since.

re: Don, I think the lack of confidence is in the market and the economy, not the president.

actually take a look at how much confidence other governments have in Obama's approach to economy. Canada, Europe, China, don't have much confidence in Obama. neither do most USA business people, or military, for that matter. aren't business people the main people to look to for economy, and military for national security? how did that get past the voters? oh yeah, Obama looks good on TV and tells everyone whatever they want to hear at any given moment.

re: I don't listen to him because listening to him is like watching a toilet overflowing so much crap coming out of his mouth it's not even funny.

I have an acquaintance with Obama's exact personality...a career criminal. loads of charisma, everyone loves him, don't believe a word he says. don't let him in your house or anywhere near your money or friends phone numbers. no offense to Obama but he's got a lot to prove before anyone who has any real knowledge of money management will trust him.

but since he's a politician and we're the business people I still maintain it's up to us to improve the economy. Obama who? the puppet in the white house? whether we do it for the entire country or just ourselves and our communities, either way, I'm not going to wait for Obama to grow up and figure out how to lead or manage money before I start taking action. easy for me to say as I live in Canada, okay, but I have done and will continue to do business in the USA.

If USA lost their freedom and independence and financial strength due to one bad government, it would be a crying shame for the entire world.