It’s one thing to create some great new product that the world needs, but it’ll surely collect dust if your packaging lacks efficient communication. Packaging your invention is all about communicating the details, so don’t make assumptions that the person you’re trying to reach already knows what you know.

I always enjoy watching talented inventors, engineers and designers describe their creations to colleagues. There is always an assumptive “you know what I mean” going on as they skip the details during the description phase of the explanation, which eventually leads to a communication break-down. I find the best way to overcome these sorts of problems is by bringing in a person who has no working knowledge of the project. Now, talk to the stranger, a clean slate with no predetermined notions of your invention. I think you will amaze yourself when you sit back and take notes on how they talk about the new product.

Watch how they analyze the invention, discovering its features and benefits. As an inventor you’ll notice that your whole demeanor and language selection will change, almost like you’re talking to a child. It’s right then and there you’ll discover the genius of communication. You have to throw all the jargon out the window and remove preconceptions. Encourage this person to ask questions. Act as the teacher, because when you teach, you must re-evaluate everything you know on the subject and present it in an easy-to-understand format. Teaching is learning, so hopefully the exercise will teach you how to communicate your invention.

Remember, people don’t buy what they don’t understand. This makes things especially difficult if your invention is something consumers have never seen before. In that case you’re responsible for showing the problem a user faces and how your creation solves it, using language they understand. It’s not as simple as it seems, but having fresh eyes look over your invention, as I described earlier, helps you know how to market and communicate it.

In my mind David Ogilvy was the king of advertising and his wisdom still reigns true today. If you get a chance you should read every scrap of material he ever wrote on the subject of packaging and advertising. It’s valuable, and it will help you greatly to study a bit of marketing when thinking about your invention in the long term. By the way, according to Ogilvy new products were the toughest and I agree.

“Don’t bunt. Aim out of the ball park. Aim for the company of immortals.” David Ogilvy.

For nearly 20 years, George Davison has focused his life on

Confidence is when an individual feels self-assured in their mental and physical capabilities. It has been proven that CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies have a higher level of confidence and self-esteem. Confidence is a characteristic that can unlock the door to success. Not only is confidence needed to succeed at work but confidence is required in all aspects of a person’s life. A confident person will not be afraid to show interest in a special someone or will not be afraid to take a life-changing risk in order to accomplish their hopes and dreams.

Confidence can be thought of as a means of power. One that is confident will experience more success and live a more satisfying life. So many of us are plagued by having a low level of confidence. Someone who suffers from a lack of confidence may feel that their work is not good enough or that they are not smart enough or attractive. These negative thoughts that were just mentioned can stop someone right in their tracks. A lack of confidence can lead to a roadblock that stops an individual from living the life they always dreamed about.

Start building confidence today through hypnosis. Hypnosis is a proven method that can help an individual build confidence. Hypnosis works on a subconscious level of the mind. The subconscious mind stores over four-hundred million pieces of information that affect our personal attitudes, beliefs, values and thinking. When an individual is placed into a deep state of relaxation the subconscious mind is highly receptive to new perspectives or ideas. Positive suggestions, confidence-building statements, motivation and a direct plan to build confidence are received by the subconscious mind.

An individual while undergoing hypnosis will form positive thinking and behavior patterns that thetherapylounge.com/treatments/build-confidence build confidence. Hypnosis is an amazing experience that has many rewarding benefits. Many people who have undergone hypnosis have experienced greater self-esteem and confidence. Hypnosis is a calming process that alleviates stress and anxiety while relaxing the whole body. The process of hypnosis is safe, gentle and positive. People of all ages can benefit from hypnosis.

If you desire to build your level of confidence then, as a practicing hypnotherapist, I recommend that you seek out the services of an experienced hypnotherapist in your area. Hypnosis is a positive experience that will enable you to lead a more confident, happier and healthier life. Take hold of your life through hypnosis.

Steve Burns is the founder of thetherapylounge.com The Therapy Lounge.

Prior to starting The Therapy Lounge, Steve enjoyed a successful career in business. His first major project was to help establish, grow and then sell an international technology consultancy. He subsequently started his own Internet publishing and technology business, which he floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2000 and went on to grow internationally.

His fascination for personal development led him to finally leave the corporate zone to pursue a full time career as a therapist / executive coach. After training as a Clinical Hypnotherapist, Ericksonian Hypnotherapist, NLP Master Practitioner and Health & Success Coach, Steve created and opened The Therapy Lounge based in NW London, on the borders of Hampstead, Highgate & Kentish Town.

Sometimes it seems that the responsibilities that we have for coworkers, company, career and family are in tragic conflict. How can we balance the requirements and the responsibilities between personal and professional lives? There are a limited number of hours in a day, so how do we measure them and where do we draw the line?

A good friend of mine was contemplating a very difficult decision. For several months he had been planning to take a vacation with his wife and two children. During the week leading up to his vacation his management asked repeatedly for him to cancel the trip or to send his family on it without him. The management even went so far as to offer a bonus if this trip would be cancelled. He explained this dilemma to me as we were leaving his office and walking through a dark parking lot after he had just completed another fourteen hour work day.

My good friend shared with me that his last vacation was seven years ago. He had spent the last three weeks managing two shifts of operations Monday through Friday. For the last five years he also worked Saturday, Sunday or both days on the weekend. The people in the organization looked up to his unselfish dedication and continuous effort. He never asked anyone to do something that he was not willing to do himself. The consistent display of individual responsibility was an inspiration to everyone in the company. It was a tough decision for him to take personal time when so many other people looked up to him for guidance.

We paused for a moment beside his car and I shared a personal story in memory of Harold Burwell.

Harold Burwell was one of my managers at a very early time in my career. Harold also worked nights and weekends. He was always available for his employees with advice or a sympathetic ear. At the company Christmas party, Harold would dress up as Santa Claus and pass out small gifts to every member of his staff. In the summer, Harold would surprise his employees by catering a picnic in the parking lot. Quick with a smile and a joke, he also demonstrated a consistent personal commitment and dedication for each and every one of his employees.

One weekend Harold arrived early and was working alone in the office. As he concentrated on the financials and reached for his keyboard, his arm accidentally spilled his fresh cup of coffee across the desk and into his lap. Steam rose from his trousers as his eyes widened and a flurry of angry words escaped through clenched teeth. Harold dashed to the restroom, took off his pants and rinsed them in the sink. Then he draped the trousers over the stall and went back to his office wearing a white button down shirt, boxers, socks and cowboy boots.

As Harold was busy using paper towels from the restroom to wipe up the rest of the coffee from his desk, chair and ledgers, he heard a familiar voice. He quickly sat behind his desk just before his administrative assistant put her head in the doorway and issued her morning greeting. From behind his desk Harold straightened his white button down shirt in a very businesslike manner, smiled and waved with a pleasant greeting in return.

By the time that I arrived at the office that day, several more people were already walking around and catching up on month end activities. For several hours Harold remained seated behind his desk, reviewing the financial statements and making notes. If anyone came by his office, Harold would wave and smile with a polite explanation that his was very busy and needed some privacy to concentrate on the numbers for a big report that was coming up. Then he would roll up his sleeves, rearrange his paperwork and stare intently at the documents on his desk.

As the sun was going down and evening was upon us, I put my head in Harold’s office and waved that I was leaving. Harold asked politely if there was anyone else left in the building other than the two of us. When I responded that we were the only two remaining in the office, Harold jumped up from behind his desk and bolted toward the restroom. A few minutes later he reappeared, wearing his dry trousers and a grin that spread from ear to ear. This was only one of many laughs that we shared.

A few years later, Harold was on a business trip to visit some important clients when we received a phone call that he died in his sleep in the hotel room. Several days later a caravan of cars proceeded in solemn procession from work to his funeral. Many of us stood in the rain and comforted one another as they lowered his casket into the earth. As flowers and tears were left behind in reverent memory of a kind and unselfish man, we noticed that his own family did not attend. After several more days passed, we packed up his belongings from the office and shipped them to his wife and children. We carefully wrapped each picture, each ceramic figurine that had been crafted by small hands several years ago and each precious memory that had slowly gathered dust on the bookshelf in his office. On top of the of the personal belongings we placed a note of sympathy that was signed by everyone in the office, each with a personal comment or memory of the man who had touched so many of our lives. I do not think that the card was ever read or even discovered.

As I shared this story with my good friend in the empty parking lot, we quietly reflected on the other responsibilities in life. The people who mourn you when you pass are the people who love you the most while you are alive. These are the people who need you the most in their own lives. Where do you need to be? Who will miss you when you are gone? How much have you made these people a part of your own life? Creating a proper perspective on priorities comes from recognizing all of your responsibilities and giving the proper portion of your life to those people who cherish it the most.

Thankfully, my friend went on vacation with his family and knocked the dust off of some precious memories.

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Words of Wisdom

“If I had to live my life again, I’d make the same mistakes, only sooner.”
- Tallulah Bankhead

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”
- Soren Kierkegaard

“Creating a proper perspective on priorities comes from recognizing all of your responsibilities and giving the proper portion of your life to those people who cherish it the most.”
- John Mehrmann

In respectful memory of Harold Burwell

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John Mehrmann is a freelance author, industry expert and President of Executive Blueprints Inc, an organization dedicated to developing human capital and personal growth.

We’re all looking for the magic words that will give us what we think we need to live in this world. We look at friends, family, people in the media – famous or otherwise, thinking they have the answers that will lead us to our deliverance, whatever we perceive that to be. All that you’ve ever wanted, and more, can be found by looking to only one source – the one found inside of you. This is the source whose quiet voice you can hear, if you stop looking outside long enough to be still and listen. It can, and will, point you in the direction of your dreams – the ones you feel deepest in your soul.

It’s true that you can’t see this source with your physical eyes – but you can see its results. You can’t see healing occurring in your body, but you can see when a broken bone heals. From these results, you can see evidence that a source of intelligence, beyond our understanding, exists.

You have personal power which can’t be seen, but you can learn to focus on it and use it to bring the results you want to experience into your life – and these results you can see. Here are some steps you can take to begin seeing the results of your own personal power.

1. Practice awareness of what’s going on around you and how your thoughts are affecting your life experiences. Do you see more pain and suffering when your thoughts center on worry and fear? Do you see more happiness around you when your thoughts center on love, beauty, and gratitude?

2. Be willing to see things differently. Your perception colors your willingness to see what appears to be real versus what can be real for you. You have the personal power to change your mind about what you want to be real in your life. For example, we are all aware that there is a war going on in the world. But for most of us this war is not present in our physical space right now. Your perceptions about the war may have you focusing and worrying about the possible outcomes. This will only add to the energetic turmoil that’s already present in the world. Learn to trust your feelings and quiet, inner voice to guide you to what will bring the most peace and happiness into your life, where you reside physically right now. This will, in turn, add to the energy of peace and happiness in the world around you.

3. You see what you expect, and you expect what you have been moving towards energetically with intention. If you begin to expect great things to happen in your life, great things will begin to appear. Accept no substitute for the essence of the feelings you want to experience. You may need to do inner work to uncover what those feelings are for you. You may need to dig deep inside of your psyche and learn what you truly value the most in life. This is work worth pursuing. The substance of the feelings that will make you happy and fulfilled is much more important than the form you think will produce those feelings. Forms can, and will, change. Your true substance, who you really are, will not change. Be diligent for the feelings you want to experience, but realize that ultimately the form that produces the essence of the feelings you want may be different than what you were expecting.

4. Your life is a series of choices you have made. Right now you’re making a choice to be fully present as you consider the ideas in this e-magazine. Each choice you make has an outcome that you will live and grow within. You have a choice of which way you’ll go, in the direction of living from love, or from fear about something you perceive to be a problem in your life. For me, that fear was “not enough” financial security to follow my dream of freedom from a traditional corporate job – freedom to choose what I wanted my life to look like. Finally I felt that I had to make the choice for love, or trusting that I would be taken care of, no matter what outside appearances told me. This was a defining moment for me, and I chose to love myself enough to trust what I couldn’t see at the time. What choice are you afraid to make? What can you do that will make it easier for you to make the choice for love?

5. Personal Power is connecting to what is true for you, at a soul level, and living that truth in your everyday life. What’s real at your soul level may feel irrelevant, when you are in the middle of an experience that must be lived through. What’s important is that you live it with awareness of your connection to your Source, which will help you to make the right choices. That’s where the good in your life has, and will, originate. If you look back on your life, you’ll see the evidence that points you to what will make you happy. All you have to do is be aware, pay attention, take action, and stay focused on only what you want. When you become distracted from your goal by negative self-talk that says, “You can’t”, or “You shouldn’t”, cancel those thoughts immediately, release them and look to what is true for you.

The bottom line is that you are in charge of your thoughts and emotions, and you can have what you want, when you are aware of, and have faith in, the intelligence of your Source and Universal Principles.

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Sandy Reed is a Certified Life Coach who provides personal coaching, teleclasses, tools and resources to assist entrepreneurs and women in the telecommunications industry in living from their personal power. Her passion is helping her clients create more happiness, money, time, and freedom. She publishes a bi-monthly e-magazine, “Find Your Power, Love Your Life…”