Teen suicide is a much bigger problem than you are aware of, I’ll bet.

Why is this?

The media, for one, has a responsibility to keep some of the more frightening and disturbing aspects of suicide very low-key… statistics show that, after a news story about a suicide, the number of suicides goes unnaturally higher for a time.
Same with things like spree killings, or racial attacks…

It seems that by publicizing a deviant or taboo behavior, the media manages to validate the behavior for those who might already be struggling with
the desire to act out.

Result?

Less is made of the shocking truths about teen suicide than perhaps should be. For example:

• The third leading cause of death for 15-to-24-year-olds is suicide.
• Every day, more than 80 Americans commit suicide- and 1500 more attempt it.
• America lost more teens to suicide last year than the total number of soldiers lost in the Iraq war.

Don’t you think this problem might be taking more seriously if more people could be made aware of these facts?
While it is not the intent of the Impact Team to shower the media with these chilling statistics, we do feel it is vital to bring more awareness to this quiet killer.

Some of the obstacles we’re facing as a society…

“Not MY Child…”

Sometimes as parents we tend to deny with our mind what our heart is telling us. There are obvious indicators in almost all cases of suicide attempts. (A comprehensive list of warning signs can be found on this website.)
It may be that we feel personally responsible for our child’s happiness and well being, and refuse to accept what we see when our teen seems unhappy, maladjusted, or withdrawn.
It may be that we don’t connect with our teen at a level that is comfortable for them.
It may be that we tried too hard to be the enforcer, or tried too hard to be the friend, and didn’t get the balance right.

Whatever the case- as a parent we have a duty, born of love, to listen and respond to the needs of our children… even when the need is communicated in an unspoken way.

We must be sure to be accepting - of our shortcomings and our childrens’.

The ‘Troubled Teen’ Years

I was there. You were there… Remember that awful confusion as bones stretched, hormones changed, teeth shifted, social pressures grew tenfold while your social skills grew in tiny increments?
Some of the struggles of simply being a teen can mirror the struggles of a teen thinking suicidal thoughts. Feeling left out,  not pretty, not good at sports, not smart enough… these are depressing issues for a teenager.

I know I may have said it out loud a couple of times when the world seemed too hard as a teen: “I wish I were dead.” Now, I never had a real suicidal moment in my life- but I felt a lot of despair in my time.

Because these years are already so emotionally volatile, it can be a real challenge to spot these warning signs for what they really are.

We must strive to be aware - of what our children are facing and feeling.

Who To Turn To

Teens themselves have a hard time understanding their feelings, let alone communicating them to someone else! Often coming from an “everybody hates me, nobody gets me, no one understands” place, a teen considering suicide has already more than likely decided there are few, if any, people that are trustworthy enough to reach out to. In many cases, it might be another teen– who may not be equipped to help- who is the potential lifeline for a suicidal teen.

A teen in trouble may want to reach out, but have no real knowledge of where to turn. This is another one of our jobs. To be available and accessible.

The Impact Action team, and the family it is building, hopes to accomplish many things on this journey. We have a website filled with resources and information at:

http://speakupsavelives.org

Two of our primary goals are:
1.) A greater awareness of the severity of this silent killer, and
2.) To offer to anyone the following simple plan for proactively and positively creating IMPACT in your daily life, using the GIVE method:

Greet-say hello, make eye contact, pass a smile on to the people you encounter.

Include- Include yourself in the world around you, and invite others to be a part of what you are doing.
Reach out, especially if you see someone starting to withdraw.

Validate- This can be as simple as a ‘thank you’ or a genuine complement. Let others know you
appreciate them.

Empathize- Be a listening ear. We can’t always relate to the problems or stories of another,  but often all
you need to do is be fully present as you hear them to truly help the person sharing!

Honestly, use this simple acronym to remember what you can do every day to make a difference and perhaps save a life!

Each of us need all of us… and all of us need each of us.

Keith deBolt-
Impact Action Team

Keith teaches new marketers and business owners how to think, live and work like The Boss…watch for his upcoming book, “Oh, No! I’m The BOSS!” Keith can be found at: http://marketingstep1.com and http://themarketermindset.com

Creating Major Impact.

What a lofty goal, huh?

Not really…. we all create impact whether we mean to or not.

Even if we do nothing.

Sometimes, especially if we do nothing!

I want you to help me and a very special
team of people I am working with right now–

You see, I am in an amazing position in this moment:

I can help change someone’s life forever.

Directly.

It is always my aim to help change people’s lives in some way
whenever I encounter them. My websites are designed
with the new or struggling marketer in mind… I live my daily life
with the idea that everyone I meet is amazing in some way, and
if I can help them to know that, I have done my part.

But- this is different.

I am working with Ken MacArthur, a renowned internet marketer
and now a best-selling author, in a very powerful project.

There is a team of 18 of us who are going to be taking one very
powerful and influential message, whether it comes from an individual
or a small organization, and making it national. Global.

As a part of a training folded into a live event, we will be
selecting some lucky and deserving soul/group and bringing them out with
national exposure and serious marketing savvy.

Here is what you can do:

Tell us who you know who might fit this scenario.
Do you know someone, have you heard of someone who has a
lifting, inspiring story to tell?
Someone who has an amazing light, a gift to share
that could change the world?

We will begin reviewing the suggestions
we receive very soon, and you might have the name of the
one we select right there in your mind!!!

Take some time and think about it–then post below
the name and story of the person you think might deserve the
national spotlight for the project they are working on,
the cause they represent, or the service they offer to the world.

Be sure to let us know how to get hold of you,
in case we need to find out more about your suggestion.

I am dead serious here.

Help me help you help someone who can make a real difference.

I have a team of writers, marketers, publishers, ad specialists,
agents, and more just waiting to make this happen.

Post below- You might know the person we are looking for!

Thanks…

One of the biggest, most effective ways to get past Information Overload is to turn your focus toward your goals.
Not clear on what your goals are?
Let’s get to work.

(here it comes…that awful “write down your goals” thing….)
Use a Pen and paper and write down your 3 top goals you would like to accomplish in the next year.
Not just money goals, but what-having-money-will-bring-you type goals….

• Replace your old clunker car?

• Take the family on a vacation?

• Cut back your hours at your J.O.B.?

• Walk away from the corporate world?

• More time to witness your baby’s growth?

• Quality time with your spouse?

• Replace your appliances?

Write it down–

Now that you are in the writing mood, let’s dig deeper….

What do you see yourself doing in 2 years?

Write it down….

• are you running a full time online operation? How many employees do you have?

• Are you speaking publicly?

• Are you spending a month in a foreign country?

• Are you dining out every Friday at those fancy restaurants you keep driving by?

Okay, one more time….

Let’s think five years out–
What do you want to accomplish in the next 5 years?

• Build your dream home?

• Put your kids through college?

• Scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef?

• Paying off your parents’/kids’ mortgage?

Write it down here…

It is going to be necessary for you to know exactly what you want the end result to be.
The secret behind every overachieving, successful person is this:
The relentless pursuit of specific goals.
And in order to achieve your goals, you need to have a clear picture of what they are!

Having gone through that exercise, you are hopefully beginning to get a grasp
on what your goals are. This is good!

Now, let’s take this exercise to another level. More immediate.
Sure, it’s great (and necessary) to have long term goals to motivate you in the present,
but the power of goal setting works its magic in the short term, too.

Here is exactly how to become more productive-
and I know I am not telling you anything you haven’t heard before…

Write down the top 5 things you want to get done tomorrow.

List them most important to least important….

Write them down!

Now, leave this list where you will see it first thing in the morning–
Tape it to your computer screen if you are an obsessed email checker or web surfer…
Tape it to your t.v. if that’s where you usually start your day…
tape it your robe, tape it to your sock drawer, tape it to your mirror,
tape it to your coffee maker…. you get the point.
Make this ‘to do’ list one of the very first things you encounter in the morning upon rising.
Get your mind fired up and ready to start tackling these tasks.

Next, start in on the first thing on your list–
don’t even read the second item until you have nailed number one.
Get the first one done and then cross it out. Literally.

Now, move on to number two. Don’t look at number three….

and so on.

If you are unable to finish them all,
set the list aside until you can pick up where you left off.
If you do not get everything done in one day,
simply transfer any unfinished tasks to tomorrow’s list.

Write out tomorrow’s to do list.

Tape it…. oh, you get the point.

You absolutely must not underestimate the power behind
daily goal setting and written ‘action lists’ or ‘to do lists’….
This will undoubtedly change your results, and your life.

Still a doubter?
Give it a try.
Do it every day for seven days.
See where you are then.
Make sure you use a pen and paper and write it out by hand-
there are scientific studies that show that the act of physically
writing something down plants it deeper in your subconscious mind,
and you will be more apt to ‘own’ it.

Give it a shot.
I bet you’ll be amazed!

Focus on your goals, manage your time well, and you will
be more productive than you ever have been– and wealthier, too!

Action is the shortcut.

I have probably said that before, right?

Well, that is only because it is true.

I have another one for ya-
Try this one on:

There is no such thing as failure.

How does that feel?

Here’s the point….

Failure as we see it is always just
a lesson. There is a point to any failure.
There is amazing value in failing.

Don’t you just love witty sayings?

Well, stop loving them
and start absorbing
and owning them!

Honestly, it is great to hear something
inspiring… that moment of lift,
that ‘high’ you get when someone
says something that
resonates with you or sounds ‘right’…

But the challenge comes when you try
to apply these wonderful concepts

into your own life.

YET, this is where you will
actually change your life.
Change your income.
Change your lifestyle.

I would encourage you to
actually do some of the work
inside you,
the positive thinking/goal-setting/
list making disciplines that are the
biggest and baddest tools
in every successful person’s toolbox!

This is my constant message:

If you are trying to create a successful
business, the first steps are always
going to be in you.
Getting your thinking centered
around what is positive in your life
and believing that the world has a
tremendous amount of abundance for YOU.

Your beliefs, your self identity and self worth
will determine YOU.

Your circumstances, your job, your looks,
your income, your car, your kids-
all of these things are not you.

Unless you BELIEVE that…

Your posture.

There is another powerful tool
to help you use your positive energies
to reach your goals.

There are so many little tricks to help
get your mind focused and your energies flowing in
the direction you truly want to go…

But you really have to want to move forward!
Who is in charge of your life?

YOU.

Isn’t that exciting?

Who do you think
a lot of internet marketers
are making their money from?
I’ll give you one clue: YOU.

So you are looking for honest internet marketing help…
you are on some lists of some marketers who are making money…
they are constantly telling you about
the next great product you are going to want to snap up–
it is from Marketer XYZ, a friend of theirs….
and will skyrocket your profits!

Have your profits skyrocketed yet?

The things you need to keep in mind are:

1. 0nly YOU know what you need.
And only you can make informed decisions about your
next phase of business building.

2. The skill of good marketing is a skill you
are trying to learn. What the people getting your wallet
out of your pocket are doing is exactly what
you will want to be doing.

You may not like every marketer’s tactics, but
you better be appreciative and aware of every trick
that works on you.
You will want to be at least that effective
when you are running your campaigns.

Learn from the great ones.

Learn from the not-so-great ones.

And only buy what you need…
when you need it.

Who is in charge of your business?

Only you.

Keep that focus coming!

This Marketers-who-market-to-marketers thing
has gotten shamelessly ridiculous.

The Pre-launch/Launch/Post-Launch
pounding that occurs for nearly everything
is already burning itself out.

We even had a massive
Pre-Launch Hype Machine go down
for a product that teaches you
how to have a massive
Pre-Launch Hype Machine.

It’s like a cash-sucking, ATM machine,
bank account-exploding salesletter
that sells you a product to show you how to write
cash-sucking ATM machine, bank account-exploding salesletters….

This whole incestuous niche has dazzled
and smoke-and-mirrored and exaggerated
and sensationalized and idolized and pedestalized
until there is no sense of reality anymore.

There may not even BE a reality.

Honestly, the time is long overdue to take a step back
and re-evaluate what is going on in this war-torn niche–
my suggestion, as a place for the relatively uninitiated to start, is to:

 think like a Marketer and not like a Mark.

All this overblown sensationalism that
hits you from every angle is a good study,
as long as you are looking to learn from it
and don’t get too emotionally involved
(as in pull out your WALLET on auto-pilot).

Each of us know where our level of integrity
will allow us to go.
If you feel that someone has crossed a line
in their marketing practices ,

cut ‘em loose.
You aren’t going to miss much by being on
six lists instead of forty.

Choose the voices you let in wisely.

Learn from those who resonate with your own set of values.

Let someone else Overhype and Underdeliver….
You got your own style.

Now go read the Internet Marketing Cure!
This is a free download and is really kicking up some
great responses from even some of the marketers
who might be guilty of some of the stuff he’s exposing…

 

To your ever-increasing focus!