Archive for October, 2010
What is reality?
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I have had a number of interesting situations in the last week or so that have brought home to me just how badly people are being affected by the last 2 years. Clients and friends are finding themselves on the receiving and delivering end of:
Being ripped off in property deals by normally reputable channels:
Reaching points of despair through money worries without any seeming solution:
Making unreasonable demands and threatening various things to others to try and deal with their frustration over their situation and………..
generally not taking a reasonable or pragmatic view on life.
The change in some people and the shift in peoples behaviour has been enormous and seems to be accelerating over the last month or so as the reality of the worlds problems become clearer.
The problem with this, or I should say my deep concern about it is that is can destroy the person who changes and also damages so many relationships long term.
I watch people devouring each other and ruining friendships over money without any thought of the relationships history and value.
Now don’t get me wrong I am not condoning letting people off things holus bolus, but we only hurt ourselves when we demand our rights in isolation.
For example I have some situations in my own world that I just can’t fix right now. I want to do the right thing, and eventually I will, but the last 18 months have significantly altered my financial position so some things just are impossible at the flick of a switch that were easy to do 2 years ago. Fortunately most people in my world understand we have all been using the Titanic’s deck chairs and the best chance of success is an orderly exit to another boat, not setting fire to the life rafts.
But I see so many people just buried in pain and expressing it in destructive ways.
I don;t have a solution, the world is in a mess, a lot of us have lost a lot of money,a lot of things have and are going wrong in lots of areas and we can’t fix that.
But my prayer is that we can choose to work with and dare I say it, “love” one another enough to work together and put people at least on an equal footing with our rights and needs.
IF we don;t work together as a community we will destroy ourselves, of that I am certain and sadly I see it happening.
Let’s turn this ship around before we hit the iceberg 
Stay Inspired and Stay Safe ~ Dean Letfus
Get a grip, really!!
Posted by: | CommentsWoke up a bit feisty this morning so watch out
You know it really is time we gave ourselves a good shake and started doing some serious planning.
FACT: We have been consistently lied to by the media and even governments who are trying to persist the myth that the recession is over. I’ve recently travelled to a dozen nations and the recession is worsening daily. 2010 is much worse than 2009 ans 2011 is likely to be worse again. But we’ve had 2 years to get used to it so we need to get on with our lives, our investing and stop waiting for some mythical turn around to appear overnight.
We can adjust our strategies to find things that work right now and start recovering what we’ve lost, but we have to decide that s what we are doing and……
FACT: There is no such thing as luck or a free lunch. Right now if we apply ourselves we can get great results. It will require work and time but the results will be worth it. I am travelling a lot right now to create opportunities for myself to make money because that is what is required in this environment. Think big, think globally, do whatever it takes. Work hard, work smart, stay focused.
FACT: Property Investment will always work. It has been the cornerstone of wealth creation for hundreds of years and no amount of government tinkering will change that. We just have to learn to surf the curly waves and keep away from the sharks, but getting out of the ocean for good is dumb!
FACT: No one else is going to design your life with your best interests at heart, (except God), so you will have to design your future yourself and learn what you need to learn to execute it.
FINAL FACT: Nothing happens in this world without God knowing about it. He allows us free will to stuff things up and sadly sin makes the world a less than perfect place but we can trust Him to help us get through the bad stuff and enjoy the good stuff. This world isn’t going to end till God says it is so in the mean time, live life, enjoy it, plan for success, start the race, find a smile and……..
Stay Inspired and Stay Safe ~ Dean Letfus
Action Takers
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Had a wonderful evening inspiring a bunch of investors in Invercargill last night.
But the best part was listening to their stories of that they are doing right now. Converting schools to flats, buying land and developing it to cope with rental demand, industrial subdivisions, you name it, they are doing it.
Maybe it’s something they put in the Southland water that enables them to ignore the doom and gloom and simply get on with creating their financial futures, but whatever it is, it’s great.
I know that we create our own reality so I am not surprised to see people getting such good results in this environment, but it was surprising to see so many people in a small town doing so much.
It just proves that we get the results we believe we can have and take action to achieve.
So here’s to the Mainlanders, thanks for inspiring the inspirer
Stay Inspired and Stay Safe ~ Dean Letfus
Double Trouble
Posted by: | CommentsHi everybody. I rarely promote things on my blog but it just happens that I am involved in 2 of my favourite things in November and hoped you could join me for at least one of them!
Are YOU ready to step up?
First up I am recently back from a trip to Memphis to see first hand the investing opportunities there. They are stunning. I watched as Australian investors bought three and four houses at a time returning anything from 10 to 25% net yields.
There are so many good things about the right sort of investments in the USA that I will be discussing them in detail at “Property Pulse” in 2 weeks.
Not only will you get together with me but Dolf De Roos will also be speaking in person. I met with Dolf in Phoenix 2 weeks ago and he is both inspiring and educational. Like many of us his mistakes have taught him more than his successes and he has a depth of wisdom you need to hear about investing in NZ and globally. (Dolf was heavily affected by the CHCH earthquake and is still a kiwi at heart .
So get on over to
http://www.propertyevent.co.nz/
and book for 2 days of rocking investment inspiration, networking and education PLUS the chance to win a freehold section in Memphis!!
Just remember if you win you’ll be expected to pose and do your impersonation of Elvis saying “Thank you very much!”
And secondly………
You are SAFE with SNI.PR
I am excited to announce the SNI.PR convention in November as well!
Okay so you all know that there are a 3 things in life that I love those being:
- My Wife & Family
- God
- Property
Since the start of last year I’ve had a new love as well, you’ve probably seen me talking about it on Facebook or even at events. That love is Internet Marketing and more specifically the software solution Sni.pr which has helped me go from 10 sites to over 300 in a short space of time. Now I’m not trying to get you to buy Sni.pr or anything like that, Shaun Stenning (who most of you should know by now) is coming back to Auckland in November to run his very first Sni.pr Convention event. The reason I’m letting you know this is mainly because I’m going to be there myself but also to ensure that you get your behind to the event as well. It’s actually a special event:
- It’s the very first time Sni.pr Convention ever in the world
- It’s has two special guest speakers coming along to speak who will blow you away
- It’s has two of the worlds best Internet Marketers coming to share their strategies
At your normal event all you’ll get is people sharing with you small parts of a strategy, just so you know enough to be excited but have no real direction on how to do the strategy. I’ve been speaking to Shaun recently and he’s told me that the convention is completely different, the aim of the convention is to give you a clearly defined path to your online success with strategies and action plans that you can use right away to either get your business online or increase the traffic and income to your current online business.
So team, hope I’ll be seeing you at the Sni.pr Convention (and hopefully the VIP dinner), make sure you book your seat now!
BOOK HERE
So I hope to see you next month and let’s get on woth getting on to making 2011 our big year.
As Buzz says:
To Infinity and Beyond
Stay Inspired and Stay Safe ~ Dean Letfus
Thanks Sam!
Posted by: | CommentsToday in New Zealand is a public holiday thanks to this man:
His name is Samuel Parnell and he is generally credited with creating the 8 hour work day. New Zealand was the first country in the world to allow workers to reduce their required daily hours for 12 or 14 to only 8.
Officially recognised in 1890 Sam had felt there was an injustice to workers for many years.
According to Herbert Roth in the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, Parnell’s interest in a shorter working day dated back to 1834, when he was working in a large joinery establishment in London. London carpenters then worked 12 and even 14 hours a day, and wages and working conditions were bad. A union had been formed but, because it failed to agitate for reduced working hours, Parnell refused to join and left to start in business on his own account. He later emigrated to New Zealand, settling in Wellington. Roth writes:
“ Among Parnell’s fellow passengers was a shipping agent, George Hunter, who, soon after their arrival, asked Parnell to erect a store for him. “I will do my best,” replied Parnell, “but I must make this condition, Mr. Hunter, that on the job the hours shall only be eight for the day.” Hunter demurred, this was preposterous; but Parnell insisted. “There are,” he argued, “twenty-four hours per day given us; eight of these should be for work, eight for sleep, and the remaining eight for recreation and in which for men to do what little things they want for themselves. I am ready to start tomorrow morning at eight o’clock, but it must be on these terms or none at all.” “You know Mr. Parnell,” Hunter persisted, “that in London the bell rang at six o’clock, and if a man was not there ready to turn to he lost a quarter of a day.” “We’re not in London”, replied Parnell. He turned to go but the agent called him back. There were very few tradesmen in the young settlement and Hunter was forced to agree to Parnell’s terms. And so, Parnell wrote later, “the first strike for eight hours a-day the world has ever seen, was settled on the spot.” “ Other employers tried to impose the traditional long hours, but Parnell met incoming ships, talked to the workmen and enlisted their support. A workers’ meeting in October 1840, held outside German Brown’s (later Barrett’s) Hotel on Lambton Quay, is said to have resolved to work eight hours a day, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., anyone offending to be ducked into the harbour. The eight hour working day thus became established in the Wellington settlement. “I arrived here in June, 1841,” a settler told the Evening Post in 1885, “found employment on my landing, and also to my surprise was informed that eight hours was a day’s work, and it has been ever since.” The last resistance was broken, according to Parnell, when labourers who were building the road along the harbour to the Hutt Valley in 1841 downed tools because they were ordered to work longer hours. They did not resume work until the eight hour day was conceded.”Parnell died a few weeks after official recognition in 1890.
Members of the Eight Hour Day Committee, which organised the first New Zealand Labour Day celebrations in 1890. David Patrick Fisher (left, front row) was a leading member of the Committee, and the elderly Samuel Duncan Parnell (centre, front row) was its figurehead — Alexander Turnbull Library
I guess what is most interesting about all this is the fact that we need another Samuel Parnell today. In spite of books like the 4 hour work week and the explosion of the wealth creation industry the fact is that many people work very long hours still. To look at stats worldwide it appears that the average hours per week is around 34, however my observation in any of the countries I have visited recently is that most people work nearly double that.
The other huge change that isn’t allowed for when examining current working conditions is that in Parnell’s day to have your wife working was unthinkable. So today we have probably close to 80 hours a week average worked per household.
And we call it progress
Stay Inspired and Stay Safe ~ Dean Letfus
Jaw dropping Aussies
Posted by: | CommentsI spent today in Memphis wth a group of Australian investors, some of whom were already Memphis property investors but had never visited here.
IT was funny watching the same incredulous looks on their faces when they saw how much property and yield could be achieved for so little outlay.
One gentlemen bought three houses in 45 minutes, all for less than the cost of half a house in OZ .
Another gentlemen had been investing in Memphis for a while and said he had one property yielding 42% so he decided to come and get some more.
So I am leaving today but have fallen inlove with Memphis, her people, her real estate and her music.
Last night we went to Beale St and heard guitarists and harp players that were just unbelievable.
The Memphis Real Estate "A" Team
So much talent just playing in a club for tips was incredible.
This might be a working class town but it has world class hospitality and world class musicians. ( I could go on about the shrimp, crawfish and catfish too but I won’t ).
Off to LA today then to where my real heart is in Fiji. Talk to y’all tomorrer…
Stay Inspired and Stay Safe ~ Dean Letfus
Lose our way, get back up again
Posted by: | CommentsI tend to “think” in terms of music often so couldn’t get the song below out of my head after contemplating the last 24 hours in Memphis.
One of the things I love about US culture is their general attitude to life. Fundamentally there is an optimism in their lives that is awesome.
If something goes wrong their focus is on getting going again, as the song points out.
And their economic culture facilitates this mindset. Yesterday I met a man who just went through a $53 Million USD bankruptcy.
Less than 6 months later he is back in business and firing on all cylinders.
(There is a down side to this in terms of responsibility, but it is mindset I am referring to today ok?).
It is a tangible thing I observe here where life is basically good and the world is basically a positive place. These are the foundations of good mental health and for all her faults it is wonderful to see this culture so embedded in the US.
So we can learn this anywhere of course and embrace it to our benefit. My favourite artist sums it up well, enjoy the song!
Whatever you are going through right now can be processed 2 ways:
or…….
Your Choice
So Stay Inspired and Stay Safe ~ Dean Letfus
