I am an avid audiobook listener, who is in love with Audible.com. I use their site to browse non-fiction titles, including business books, motivational and self-development titles.
I recently came upon a compilation of audio books by Earl Nightingale called The Essence of Success on Audible. He is a master motivator who has inspired thousands, probably millions of business leaders and wealthy people in this country. He is the co-founder of the famed Nightingale-Conant corporation.
This audiobook is just what I have been looking for — straight to the point, no-nonsense motivation with clearly outlined tips and advice for how to get ahead in life. I highly recommend this audiobook for anyone who is looking to make a big move in a new direction.
Keep in mind that if you’ve never tried Audible before, The Essence of Success audiobook (valued at about $59 as of this posting, and worth every penny) will be free when you start a new account using your Amazon login. Just click here to download Mr. Nightingale’s audiobook with a free credit.
Starting up a small business, even if it's just on the side, is no longer an option -- it's a necessity. Why? Because everyone needs an additional source of income in our new economy. Click here to sign up for educational and motivational posts to keep you on track.
Did you know that some experts believe that listening to audiobooks in your industry of choice can give you the equivalent of a college education? Zig Ziglar talked about this in one of this famed speeches. In my personal experience, listening to audiobooks every day for a year can give you the same level of training that someone would receive pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
Think about it — when you go to college you’re basically sitting in a lecture hall (barely) listening to a guy talk for an hour or two. Then you go home and read materials based on the same things your professor was talking about in lecture hall. Besides taking an exam at the end of the semester, how is this that much different from self-educating yourself with audiobooks?
The Message Sinks In…
I’ve been consistently listening to audiobooks for the past year or so. In that time I feel as if I’ve acquired a superior body of knowledge in my field of interest (marketing, writing and communications). Though I was formally educated at an Ivy League college I feel as if the vast majority of the knowledge and training that I use today is due to a) experience and b) listening to books on tape.
The audiobooks that I prefer to listen to are a mix of motivational, scientific, informational and educational works. A few of my favorites include Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends & Influence People and all of Les Brown’s speeches on personal achievement. I listen to those on repeat.
When it comes right down to it, they all pretty much have the same general themes: making your life better, making more money and getting better at what you do. Something special happens when you listen to this same message over and over again: you start to believe it can happen for you.
Learn While You Live
When you’re studying a book, you have to set aside a special time to sit down and do so. Maybe, just maybe, you can turn on some music in the background while doing so.
The great thing about audiobooks is that you can accomplish a variety of other tasks while listening to your book. You can drive to work, workout, run around a track, prune your garden, mow your lawn, cook and even write or work while absorbing these books. There’s some kind of “left brain, right brain” activity going on where you can take in the message while doing other things.
Compare the Costs
As more stories hit the news about how kids are graduating with loads of college debt that they’ll never pay off, I think that we’re going to have to evolve as a society to a better way of getting educated for success. According to CollegeData.com, the average cost for a college education at a private institution as of 2013-2014 was $30,094 per year. The lowest cost is just under $9,000 for a state college (state resident). So the average student can expect to pay between $36,000 to $120,000 for a 4-year education at a private institution.
The cost of your average audiobook is about $15. Listening to three educational audio books per week for a year will cost about $45 per week or $2,340 for the year. Even if you were to purchase one book a day for a year it would be an investment of $5,475 compared to $30K.
Sometimes you have to look at things from a different perspective to find a better solution. Whether you’ve never gone to college or you’ve already gone to college but still feel like you’re not adequately prepared for success, consider investing in an audiobook education for the next year and beyond.
Starting up a small business, even if it's just on the side, is no longer an option -- it's a necessity. Why? Because everyone needs an additional source of income in our new economy. Click here to sign up for educational and motivational posts to keep you on track.
This is a quick review of Les Brown’s audiobook “No Boundaries” — now available at Audible.com .
About the author: Les Brown is a motivational speaker known the world over. He hits home with listeners with his honest, no-nonsense and often humorous message about personal success and achievement.
My favorite highlights from this audiobook are as follows:
– Les makes a very real joke about how it’s best to be nice to your kids and tell them you love them when they’re young, because you never know if the time might come when you can’t get up from bed and they have to take care of you… “Remember that time when you beat me!” I laughed so loud at this that it got my neighbor’s attention.
– Les talks about his early influences that helped him become a success after being called “the dumb twin” by his peers and deemed “educable mentally retarded” by his teachers.
– I could relate to the part when when said that we often have a lot of stuff going on in our heads that even we don’t know it’s there, and that this “stuff” could be holding us back from achieving our dreams. This “stuff” makes it so easy for us to give up.
I highly recommend the audiobook No Boundaries by Les Brown and his series of other audio titles if you’re looking for motivation and inspiration to keep moving forward as a new small business owner. Stuff happens along the way, but that doesn’t mean you should stop and give up. You might just need to make a few adjustments to your plan.
Starting up a small business, even if it's just on the side, is no longer an option -- it's a necessity. Why? Because everyone needs an additional source of income in our new economy. Click here to sign up for educational and motivational posts to keep you on track.
The law of attraction is a theory that says we attract things into our lives based on the way we think and communicate with the world (but mostly our thought process). Having a positive thought life creates a positive real life. The ideas behind the law of attraction can be applied to your business activities. Here are three principles of the law of attraction and how you can use them to jump start your small business.
FREE for First Time Audible Listeners
The Way You Start the Day Defines the Day
What is the first thing you think of when you start the day? Is it positive or negative? Do you think about what a horrible day you have ahead or do you think about all the wonderful opportunities that lie ahead for your small business?
The very first thought that you have in the morning before you even get out of bed can determine how your day will go managing your business and your employees. Even when it’s a struggle to do so, tell yourself something positive about how your day will go before you get up and head to your small business office.
Visualization
Another idea associated with the law of attraction is that you can visualize your way to success. Do you have a clear idea of where you want your small business to be in three, five or 10 years from now? If not, go somewhere quiet for at least 15-20 minutes. Close your eyes and start meditating on it. Visualize every detail that you can think of, from the chair you’ll be sitting in to the figures printed on your business bank account statement to the car you’ll be driving to your state-of-the-art office. Do this every day until it’s like you’re actually living life in that other reality. Something powerful happens when you do this visualization exercise regularly — it becomes more and more like a real possibility.
Practicing Gratitude
One of the most important tenets of the law of attraction is that you need to show gratitude on a daily and consistent basis. As a small business owner there are countless people who you can show gratitude to in the course of a day. Thank your employees for a job well done. Thank your suppliers with a special note or card for getting your items to you a day early at a good price. Thank your social media followers for sharing your content by offering them a discount. Thank your repeat customers with free stuff. Show your gratitude in every way, every day.
If your small business needs a boost, try incorporating these principles of the law of attraction in your daily business activities. You may be very pleasantly surprised at the results.
Starting up a small business, even if it's just on the side, is no longer an option -- it's a necessity. Why? Because everyone needs an additional source of income in our new economy. Click here to sign up for educational and motivational posts to keep you on track.
Audio books can be a major source of inspiration when you’re in the process of starting up a small business. If you’re looking for free audio books, one of the best options is to use your existing Amazon.com account to log into Audible.com .
Listening to an audio book might be just what you need to get motivated to keep growing your small business. Along the way you may come across obstacles that discourage you and make it seem as if your company will never turn a profit. This is why so many small businesses fail within the first 5 years.
They say that it’s always darkest right before the dawn. When you’re hitting roadblock after roadblock, you might be right on the cusp of something big. That’s where listening to motivating and education books on tape (now on iPhones, smartphones and iPads) can really come in handy.
As of this publishing, Audible.com is offering a free audiobook to new users. They know that when you listen to one good book you will be inspired to want more.
All that you need to get your complimentary audiobook is to log into the Audible.com site with your Amazon ID (click here) and go shopping. If you decide that you don’t want to continue receiving books each month, you can just cancel to avoid being charged.
So take advantage of this special offer while it lasts if you’re interested in free audio books. They will keep you motivated to keep moving forward, give you new ideas for your small business and relax your mind when it’s going 100 mph.
Starting up a small business, even if it's just on the side, is no longer an option -- it's a necessity. Why? Because everyone needs an additional source of income in our new economy. Click here to sign up for educational and motivational posts to keep you on track.
