#your brain is 100% CONVINCED that your life is in peril

[takemetodragonstone]

there’s nothing like a phobia-induced panic attack to really wake you up in the morning

[bewitchingbooktours]

A Warrior’s Kiss by Celia Breslin - Haunted Halloween Spooktacular

Celia’s Must-See TV Shows For Halloween

Halloween month is the perfect time to binge some paranormal TV shows. Add these to your binge-list.

* Chilling Adventures of Sabrina -

Good vs. evil, angsty teens, wacky witches.

* iZombie -

Dark comedy with zombies quarantined in Seattle. Brain cuisine jokes.

* Legion -

  People with powers and power struggles. Surreal, sometimes scary, and totally quirky and compelling.

* Legacies -

Teen werewolves, vampires, witches at a boarding school fraught with peril.

* Lucifer -

NetFlix saved this fab show, serving up one sexy devil and a strong female lead.

* The Magicians -

College students/magicians tangle with supernatural forces and other worlds. 

* Stranger Things -

An alternate dimension, monsters, plus government experiments, and one tough girl with wicked powers, oh my!

* The Umbrella Academy -

a dysfunctional family of funny, flawed, and powerful superheroes. Quirky, action packed, and 100% entertaining.

Happy viewing and Happy Halloween!

A Warrior’s Kiss

The Cupid Dating Agency

Celia Breslin

Genre: Paranormal RomancePublisher: Celia BreslinDate of Publication: August 4, 2020ISBN:  9781393477938ASIN: B08FFCWNF2Number of pages: 116Word Count: 28K

Cover Artist: Brantwijn Serrah

Tagline: She’s chasing her dream. He’s after her heart.

Book Description:

French teacher turned entrepreneur, Nicolette Durand has one goal in mind when she leaves the big city for a quaint town in the California wine country, and it has nothing to do with men. Intent on converting the antique store she inherited from her aunt into a booming new business with her bestie, Nicky doesn’t care how many dating edicts the cupids send her, she’s simply too busy. Then a hunk of surly angel crashes into her life. Literally.

Ezekiel is less than delighted when the Almighty assigns him and his elite team of warriors to Earth with instructions to help the cupids. Now Heaven’s top soldiers are running two businesses, including a gastropub where speed dating events are a part of their mission. But Zeke may have to rethink his surly position on this earthbound gig after he meets the kind, considerate and curvy biz owner next door.

Nicky is sure she has no time for a relationship, not even with the gorgeous hunk of heaven who rocks her world, but Zeke is determined to convince her otherwise. Too bad a supernatural disaster and thousands of Hell’s minions intent on destruction and mayhem might stand in their way…

Amazon

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     BN

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     Scribd

     Vivlio

Excerpt:

“Think he’s dead?” The whispered question quieted his internal whining.

Nice voice. Soft and smooth, like velvet. Feminine. Clearly, he wasn’t alone.

“He sure looks dead.” A second woman replied, louder and with a chuckle.

He suppressed a scowl and kept his eyes closed. She thinks this is funny?

Bodies shifted behind whatever his head had cracked into, edging closer to either side of him.

“There’s no blood, though,” she of the velvet voice murmured. “Shouldn’t there be blood? […].”

Ah, their business neighbor. She came to a halt near his head, her body heat and peaches-and-honey scent saturating his senses. He should open his peepers and say something, see if the female looked as good as she sounded and smelled.

Shit. Where had that reaction come from? He had no room in his life for a woman, especially not a mortal woman.

“Maybe we should check for a pulse,” the one Peaches had called Maya suggested.

“I’m not touching his body.”

Fast reply from Peaches. Jesus, did he look so horrible? And double Jesus, why did her opinion matter? He must have hit his head harder than he imagined.

“C’mon, girlfriend. It’s a big, beautiful body. How can you not want to get your hands on it?”

Listen to your girlfriend, Peaches. No. Wait. Belay that order.

“Really, M? One-track mind much?”

He tensed to haul his ass upward, but a soft, gentle hand landed on his shoulder, feather light, then slid down his bare arm, kicking up a riot of electric sensation along his skin. He should move, but damn if he didn’t want to see what she would do next. Or touch next.

Warm fingers palpated his inner wrist, right over his madly beating pulse. Racing for her? A human female he hadn’t even laid eyes on? Shit. […]

Eyes shooting wide, he sat up.

About the Author:

Celia lives in California with her husband, daughter, and two feisty cats. She writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and has a particular fondness for werewolves, vampires, the Fae, and warrior-class angels. Her stories are action-packed and typically include one of the many varieties of romantic entanglements: fated mates, second chance, rescue romance, opposites attract, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, and more.

When not writing, you’ll find Celia exercising, reading a good book, hanging with her family, or indulging her addiction to Joss Whedon’s TV shows and movies, as well as everything in the Marvel Universe franchise.

Web site: 

http://www.celiabreslin.com

Blog: 

http://www.celiabreslin.com/blog/

Twitter: 

http://www.twitter.com/celiabreslin

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/CeliaBreslinAuthor

Goodreads: 

http://www.goodreads.com/CeliaBreslin

Pinterest: 

http://www.pinterest.com/celiabreslin/

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/celiabreslin/

Newsletter:  

http://eepurl.com/bxqwRL

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[stopsubstanceabuse1-blog]

[Professional] Amazon AWS Certified SysOps Administrator - Associate AWS-SYSOPS Dumps Questions Exam Dumps & AWS-SYSOPS Dumps Questions Questions and Answers

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[Professional] Amazon AWS Certified SysOps Administrator - Associate AWS-SYSOPS Dumps Questions Exam Dumps & AWS-SYSOPS Dumps Questions Questions and Answers

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[finsterhund]

Here lies 2018, a creatively bankrupt year for Finsterhund, but maybe that is for the best.

This year was um... bad... I think. But that doesn't stop me from really being hopeful for the future. I have a dark confession though. I feed off of negativity in a way that scares me and I don’t know how to face it.

Here’s my thoughts about the past year and my hopes for the future. Warning: it gets dark.

This year we moved into a “temporary house” another one, but this time it was one I actually cried because of how much I was actively afraid to live here. That didn't convince my roommates though lmao. No proper bedroom lighting, having to walk through a dark forest to get to the bus stop, and suspicious neighborly activities were things that I had to deal with here. It is oh so fortunate that I will be moving.

After 2017; the Year of Wannabe, being lied to about my dog dying, and getting groomed by someone who was nice to me on the internet (again) I was an emotional wreck. I was paranoid that abusive people like Wannabe, his artist, my dad, the guy I thought was my friend, and others similar might cause issue or be even more of a problem this year. Fortunately, the horrible fears I assumed may transpire and ruin everything did not rip through Internet Land(tm) but I was still kept in a constant state of paranoia.

The antifandom didn't return either, with the exception of a vindictive troll called Zachary. You’ll probably notice that my posts about him trailed off relatively recently. It was revealed that he was dealing with verbally abusive parents. While they don’t excuse his actions, they certainly explained them. I only hope with time he gets out of that environment and learns to express opinions in a healthy way. That’s something I still struggle with. For similar reasons.

A youtube gaming channel did play HoD and spread some false allegations against the game’s devs “as a joke” which was pretty sick and not actually a joke. False allegations are bad. They diminish when people do actual real bad things and make the people who do those bad things feel empowered to say “you are just a call out post maker who hates free speech” and things like that. But fortunately, people who aren't completely stupid didn't believe it.

So despite nothing really serious happening this year, I was still considerably anxious. My mental state has been slowly and surely getting worse every year I’m not medicated, and my physical health has been blatantly declining too. The symptoms of my weaker immune system have been getting worse, and my appetite has been getting bigger. I've found out recently that unlike regular depression and most mental illnesses and disorders, cabin fever can cause heightened appetite and food cravings. For the longest time I felt invalid because my mental illnesses are supposed to take away my appetite, not make it worse, but by finally acknowledging that I suffer from longterm cabin fever, I've come to terms with the fact that it does indeed make sense.

Now to find a way of dealing with cabin fever... haha... ha...ha.

But my situation left me creatively bankrupt. Paranoid, anxious, and very tired. I still did draw and try to write, but that gradually became harder and harder as my laptop began to fail in the summer. In fall, finally, when Microsoft forced that October update, the hard disk stopped for good, and I lost the considerable amount of things left that I hadn't yet backed up. Despite getting a replacement that I can still draw and write with, a big chunk of my passion died with that hard disk. I’m very sentimental, I don’t let go of things easily. The end of an era can make it so that the new era takes way too long to start up from the rubble.

Interestingly enough however, is that the same creative affliction and severe negative downward spiral that killed my ability to draw and write after the death of my laptop also happened to Wannabe’s Artist, for no reason, who sub sequentially just started tanking emotionally. This is something I've noticed a few times. The people who hurt me having bad things happening to them that follow the same trend of bad things happening to me. Wannabe’s computer being plagued by the same Windows 10 updates that killed mine, Wannabe’s Artist losing her passion.

I've come to the conclusion that the reason why the universe forces me to suffer is in order to make the evil people who have done bad things to me suffer as well. It’s a form of balance. I must take the same bullet that they do. I know this is likely my paranoia and psychosis talking, but I really feel that if karma does exist, that is how it works. I take comfort in my suffering, because it has to be this way. Good can only exist because of suffering also existing. If I am to be a lighting rod, I hope that the good that comes as a result of my pain is powerful and beneficial to the other people who receive it.

The internet censorship has gotten worse, but considering where I stand on certain issues now, part of me thinks that’s for the best. Am I willing to sacrifice certain freedoms in order to ensure that evil people don’t feel welcome? Well, I don’t know, but it was nice seeing Wannabe’s Artist almost get banned from multiple websites and actually get banned from several. She made a new tumblr account and it promptly got banned. She made ANOTHER new tumblr account and lost in in the purge. Despite me not liking censorship, there’s a strange poetic justice watching it claim someone you don’t like as the result of nothing more than their own actions.

It’s strange how perspective can change how you think about things. Your world view can shift with one different experience. I hope that I have not been permanently shifted into being a combative person because of this.

There’s a really strange and extremely malicious and negative but still gratifying comfort in knowing that awful people who ruined your life are suffering just the same as you. We all are little mortal beings made of flesh being buffeted around by a cold uncaring world. It was the same feeling I got watching the security footage of my predator birth father being tasered after punching a police officer. Police brutality is wrong, I’ll never say it isn't. But the fact that it is wrong doesn't mean that he didn't deserve it. There’s a sickness deep in my heart to derive enjoyment in the suffering of others, something that I feel destroys what little purity I've managed to hold onto and hoard away and value so highly as a remnant of what I used to be, but I don’t know how to fight it. It feels instinctive to be honest, like gratification or release. I’d like to say that only genuinely awful people suffering make me feel like this, but even some people who I just don’t like will have bad things happen and I’ll have to stop myself from feeling enjoyment from it. Is there a way to cure this? Prevent it? Is it selfishness or is it entirely subconscious? How do I even start not feeling this way. I don’t know. I don’t want it in my life. I want it to stop. But it just fills me before I have a chance to tell myself it’s wrong.

Do I feel awful, guilty, and ashamed that I feel this way? Of course. Do I know that it’s wrong to feel this way? Also yes. At this point though, my vicious hatred of those who have done me wrong is a very powerful motivator. To live just to spite them, to go through hardships to sit back and watch them do the same. To see that those my paranoia-riddled brain deems “powerful beings of abuse” being tripped and cut and crushed by the same mortal perils that make it hard for me to keep on going is a better psychosis cure than anything I've had access to this year. “If it bleeds, we can kill it” that sort of thing. Humanizing these big imposing evils by remembering that they are people, just like me, is the key to getting over my fear of them. The same problems I face are faced by them. How then can they be agents sent by an organization or monsters specifically created by the universe to torment me? We’re all just little dudes. Them included.

I hope with time I can learn to stop delighting in the hardships of others, even if these people are bad, have done bad things, or have done me wrong. It’s a toxic mentality to have those thoughts, even if it’s the fire I need to dig myself out of the pits I've fallen down into.

This year I “lost” a good friend of mine. Lili. I have no way of knowing if you are safe, if you have gotten better, and I refuse to entertain the alternative. You stopped coming online completely and I briefly received anonymous messages from a relative saying you were deathly sick, then nothing. I think of you every day and pray you are alright. I miss you a lot. I hope you’re happy and healthy wherever you are.

This year I had a friend have a cancer scare, and I lost someone I had grown to consider a friend at the beginning of spring to cancer in the summer. I don’t know how to process it. I don’t handle death properly. I've more so been numb and in denial of it. I’m afraid of losing people I care about. They’re the only good in the world to me.

I deny my own mortality, I joke about it, I crave it. But it comes into my mind when I’m trying to sleep too. Apparently I have just short of ten years left, if estimations about atrophy are to be believed. But I am not a statistic, I’m a person. I think “Since I am going to die soon anyways why couldn't I die instead of this person? Why couldn't I be in the hospital. This person deserves to live. They do good in the world. What will I do?” But at the same time, I think “How will I manage to live my dreams in just ten years. How will I have a full life? Maybe they’re wrong and I’ll be 100 years old when I am dead. But what if it is true and I’m just starting to live when it ends? What happens when it ends?” Every year pushes me closer to facing that, and I don’t know how. Once my metabolism slows, what will that mean for my heart? Will it be another fluke where “life finds a way” or will they be right this time? It scares me. It really does. My current plans are expecting that I will need mobility assistance devices then. I deny the expedited mortality. But I think about how I haven’t accomplished much and I feel a strong sense of loss.

Unfortunately, and probably a big reason for my downward spiral was that I set my hopes up for something this year that wouldn't happen, and didn't happen.

2018 Marked the 20th anniversary for Heart of Darkness, and I practically begged and pleaded to the universe, wished on every wishing star, and did everything short of selling my soul for a remake, sequel, art book, remaster, anything.

Needless to say, these efforts were in vain. I watched as other beloved games that I had fond memories of like Spyro and Crash got remastered, hoping and pleading that HoD would follow suit.

And it didn't.

I set myself up for disappointment, which ended up making me feel hopeless as the “Great Heart of Darkness Year” could never have turned out like I had wanted. My mentality for life is usually “expect the least, always be pleasantly surprised when something happens” but for this year I let optimism and hope fly a bit out of control, and sooner or later if it’s not met with real results it’s going to come crashing down.

I’m making it sound like the year was completely awful only made bearable by it also being awful for my mortal enemies, but that wouldn't be entirely true.

I got some really good art at cons, from friends, and just regular fan art that other fans have made and posted. I did get to do some fun things every once in a while, even if my seasonal depression has numbed them all in my mind right now. I’ll come back to this post and add them.

Right at the beginning of the year, (or was it the end of the last year?) I got to have a skype call with Eric. THE ERIC. And he complimented my Andy hat. I didn't post my write up about the call because I felt it wouldn't be fair to overshadow such a wonderful event with all the negativity that was happening at the time the post was finished. So I waited... and waited... and waited... and never did post it. Maybe I should rectify that. And rewrite the post because it was on my old laptop when it died OTL I felt bad because due to my inability to sleep at night I probably looked exhausted to Eric. I hope he didn't think I was bored. But he made HoD, and it’s blatantly obvious how closely I identify to Andy, so it’s likely he understood the reason I looked like a zombie. Sorry Eric. I was excited beyond belief inside. I just didn't let it out verbally for fear of being rude.

We did get to see the Saturn disc. It helped me retain some positivity after this holiday season drug me down into a dark hole.

Was it this year that I got my computer chair? It might not have been but I’m so thankful for how it saved my back and stopped my chronic pain from making it impossible for me to sit and draw that I’ll thank it anyway. Thank you chair.

I’m really grasping at straws but I know there were lots of things I just can’t remember now. I’ll add them later.

My friend Fishy(Rob) was absolutely incredible to me for the entire year. Offering great headcanons, compassionate support, words of encouragement, and donating to me to always ensure the HoD website stays online forever. For Christmas he also sent me Tiny, who I’d like to say has finally gotten along with Whisky stuffy and they can share my bed now no problem. I also report that I loved all the candy he sent me and it was all amazing and I’m now a fan of macadamia nuts. It’s because of Fishy that I didn't completely lose my passion for writing and drawing. I’m going to be posting my finished fanfic after I sleep this morning.

I mean it when I say that Fishy is one of the last great lighthouses shining in the horrible turbulent storm that is whatever the hell my existence has become at this point. Every day I think about how we are friends and it makes me feel happy.

This year I reconnected with my oldest friendship. My funky mushroom pal XP I hope we will get to visit again sometime soon.

I did try to remain close with my friends, but I feel I did drift apart from some friends. I know it’s not either of our faults, life happens, but I want you to know that it wasn't your fault. I just got tired all the quicker this year. Slow, tired, easily overwhelmed. Hopefully next year I can be energetic and close. That’s how I want to be.

My resolutions for this year are probably still the same or similar to last year but I forgot what they were.

Stop being so paranoid and obsessive and scared.

Don’t give up on creative endeavors

Maintain and strengthen my friendships

Get my service dog

Get medications. That’s really important.

Get to see doctors regularly. With my issues I should be seeing one once a month. I haven’t seen one in over a year.

Do things, eat things, see things more

L I V E

Stop taking everything so seriously.

Talk more to Fishy and my friends in general.

Stand up for myself, even to people who are in authority or who I trust.

Learn to let things go.

Make some great HoD stuff.

Don’t put off fun things like video games because I don’t feel I “deserve” them.

Permanently kill the part of me that delights in the suffering of others. I don’t know how, but I’m gunna try. I want to be pure again, and as much as I feel that that was stolen from me, it’s mine to reclaim and I've just gotta work hard for it.

Purity is a state of mind. I need to live that state of mind and realize that that will be infinitely more important than biting and lashing out in an effort to “avenge” it.

With that being said, I really do feel that a lot of my problems can be negated by having access to mental health specialists, doctors, medicine, fresh air, things to do, exercise, and more regular meals. I hope that the new year will bring more availability to these things as they will prove to be very important in improving my health and mood.

In closing, I am immensely grateful for my friends, for Heart of Darkness, for the people who made Heart of Darkness, for dogs, for art, for the internet (only sometimes, other times it’s a curse), for food, for iced tea, and for the good moments this year had because of these things. As always, thank you for the people who stayed with me despite this severe turbulence. I really cannot begin to thank you for your patience. Staying with me despite how I am shows a lot of faith that I still have a chance to improve and get better and live life on the right track. Thank you for believing in me. I’ll try not to let you down in 2019.

Love you all.

[cashific-blog]

25 Mistakes First Time Entrepreneurs make and How to Avoid them: An Ultimate Guide

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25 Mistakes First Time Entrepreneurs make and How to Avoid them: An Ultimate Guide

Excited and passionate first time entrepreneurs launch their startup. Think everything will go well and his startup will turn out to be the best of the rest. Flawless beginning. Correct decisions. Journey without hurdles. But, mistakes will demarcate reality and idealism for you. Some silly mistakes, while some being gross. Before you step in this new world, or have already entered it, be sure to avoid these 25 mistakes!

1. Good Friends? Yeah. We will make an amazing co-founding team!

While some people want to do business with friends, others refrain from doing so. It’s hard to be very objective with friends and heated discussions might bring disturbance in the relationship and business as well.

How to avoid – Instead of taking someone from your circle and known ones, search for potentially strong and competent people, be it unknown.

2. Getting paralyzed by their fears

Richard Branson said how to convert failure to success, “The best entrepreneurs usually have a few battle scars and war stories to tell. Remember to take the positives from your business and apply them to your next business.”

How to avoid – Be confident and strong. The way you take it decides the success. One must try to minimize the adverse effect of failure and maximize his/her gain from the experience.

Also Read: 8 Most Effective Online Marketing Tactics for Your Business Endeavor

3. Always looking for perfection

Well, though perfection is needed greatly, but the level exceeds in first time entrepreneurs. They will overthink without implementing the real thing. Should I open the store now? Is it the right time to follow this strategy? These questions will always keep them away from the actual execution and outcome.

How to avoid – If dilemma is what is troubling you, launch an MVP (Minimal Viable Product). Test the outcome, take feedback, improve your service and launch it in the market. Things take time. You have to be patient.

4.Trying to convince everyone with their product or service

This is one major mistake by first-time entrepreneurs. They will try to introduce new versions of product or service for everyone. But when you try to please everyone, you please nobody.

Brian Chesky, founder of Airbnb said, “Build something 100 people love, not something 1 million people kind of like.”

How to avoid – When you think of an idea, the next thing which strikes the mind is the target market. Get a clear idea of who your target audience is and their habits, education, lifestyle and income. And launch a product accordingly.

5.“Yes, I know everything”- A first time entrepreneur

This is the harsh fact about first time entrepreneurs. Pretending that they know everything lead to their own disgrace. Confidence is good, overconfidence is peril. Being a first time entrepreneur is a great thing in itself, but ask for help when you need it, and share and connect. This is the essence of startup community.

How to avoid – Always consider yourself bound by the power of learning and sharing. Everything and nothing are something very vague. Be ready to accept ideas and listen to people patiently.

Also Read: 10 Worst traits possessed by even the greatest entrepreneurs

6. Working morning to night and night to morning, BUSY BUGS

The word ‘hardworking’ takes an all new dimension in the life of first time entrepreneurs. Though hardworking is a must, but not more than maintaining a balance in life. Your work should be your priority, however do not miss enjoyment in life. Small breaks will keep new ideas flowing. Do not neglect your health conditions and compromise with sleep. If your body is at ease, mind will sync with it.

How to avoid – One individual cannot do everything in the company. Make a small but dedicated team. Divide the work and conquer the problems. Prepare a schedule for yourself, not a very tight one. And most importantly, Treat Sundays as holidays!

7. They are madly in love with their idea

Startup is Love. Love is startup. Susan Scherreik, director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the Stillman School, Seton Hall University said, “The fledgling entrepreneur lives in the glow of giving birth to a beautiful dream of an innovative product or service, and he or she does not want to hear that the baby is ugly. Carried away with the idea, the new entrepreneur overlooks how and when he or she can actually execute this idea and turn a profit. Unless the idea can make money, you don’t have a business—just a money pit.” He emphasized that over passion and excessive emotional attachment to the idea is the biggest mistake.

How to avoid – Well, there is not much you can do to avoid this completely. However, passion with hard work and love with dedication is the best remedy to succees.

8. Money Management is a mess

An excellent quote by Efren Li Cruz, “It’s not really what you have, but how you manage what you have.” First time entrepreneurs either spend more than they require or spend less than the optimal. The main thing lies in balancing money in a smart way. There are ones who spend money freely to earn money. Second type of people are the ones who do not spend until they have some minimum amount. Both can be harmful in extreme cases.

How to avoid – Do not spend on anything that comes your way. But, do not invest in quality products and good people. Consider the future and present before taking decisions. Hire an accountant and jot down all the cash flows regularly.

Also Read: 6 mistakes to avoid if you are planning to raise seed funding

9. More focus on product than customers

This is one loophole for which first time entrepreneurs might suffer a huge loss. They emphasize more on what they have created rather than the ones who will use their creation.

How to avoid – You must keep your customers in mind while setting the products. You might want to add a lot to innovations and add-ons. But , it is completely useless if the customers do not need it. Think carefully and act wisely.

10. Lack of a business model and well defined plan

Many startups lack a basic business model even after launching it. Work is decided as per the requirement and it goes on like that. But, it is essential to keep a business model which can be modified and updated as per the current position.

How to avoid – The first thing to do before launching it is create a basic business model incorporating details like sales and marketing strategy, breakeven analysis, funding details and so on. And keep on appending it accordingly.

11. Putting too much money into branding

There are first time entrepreneurs who focused too much on branding and advertising their company. This in turn is a drain of a large part of economy. Some sort of branding is completely fine, but consecutive branding with no significant productive result should be stopped immediately.

How to avoid – Innovative ideas sell themselves independently. And if not innovation, then branding must be done in a limit. There are examples where businesses have gained visibility due to branding. But, your plan and strategies are different. Give a close study of your plan before investing heavily on these things.

Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks said, “The most powerful and enduring brands are built from the heart.”

Also Read: 9 Success Secrets Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Children!

12.Too much obsessed with the competition

Famous saying by Raes, “If you spend all your time looking at your competition, your product will end up looking like your competition’s ass.” And that is the condition of first time entrepreneurs. If you are busy tracking the moves of the competitors, you are restricting your brain. Observe, but not so closely and regularly.

How to avoid – The best thing to avoid competition is to reach great heights by taking unique moves. If you do what others are doing, it makes you like them. Strive to bring difference in your strategy.

13. Ego clashes in the Workplace

Heated discussions and deliberations are common in a startup. And many a times, things when taken personally result into serious disputes.

How to avoid – Be the master of your emotions. If ego finds a way in the company, you will never be able to work whole heartedly. Do not get deep into arguments and stop thinking that it will hurt your self-respect.

14. Listening too much or No listening at all

It is good to take feedback from experienced entrepreneurs and experts, as well as from your customers. But being dependent on the feedback, and postponing the decisions is again tragic for the first time entrepreneurs.

How to avoid – Make sure the feedback process is smooth and beneficial for your company. Take the feedback into your considerations without stalling the functioning of your company. You can take feedback while executing independent tasks in parallel.

15. Having small margins

First time entrepreneurs want to play it safe. They set low margin initially to grab a whole lot of customers might appear to be good. But, your customers will not be delighted when there is a hike later. It becomes difficult to survive then.

How to avoid– Consider all the types of cost like production cost, maintenance cost, wages and salaries and operation cost. Is there any chance you would survive with a low margin for long. Clearly, a no. Prepare the cost sheet and set a price smartly and widely.

Also Read: 5 common mistakes you must avoid when pitching to VCs

16.Thinking you can do everything yourself

Due to over enthusiasm and gaining the tittle of being a new entrepreneur, you aim to do everything from programming to marketing. Indeed, a single person doing everything and experts handling it will produce completely different outcomes.

How to avoid – Dividing work clearly does not mean you are disposing your responsibility. Be there to supervise everything. Hire experts to take care of their domain. Trust your team mates. Until and unless you do that, the team will never be actually successful.

17. Choosing a Bad Location

The reason behind cities being startup hubs is because of the standard and the people who live there. And startups prosper there because they do not have to cultivate a startup culture there. Good cities give the chance to come across people from various background and experience and you have diversity at your hand.

How to avoid – The location depends half on the idea and half on the target customers. Once that is decided, research about various cities, which have a strong startup force, along with the facilities you need.

18. Idea derived from the rest

“Best startups generally come from somebody needing to scratch an itch.” – Michael Arrington. Most of the new entrepreneurs tend to launch something that already exists. Imitation contains no value in the startup world. And because of this copy pasting, first time entrepreneurs have real hard time in everything that comes along.

How to avoid – Instead of copying, try to create and innovate. Talk to people and find their problems. Once you arrive at some concrete solution, do not forget to ask yourself, “If the customer was you, would you love it ?”

19. Not hiring the right fit

Remember the saying by John Doerr, “Your biggest challenge will be building a great team.” Indeed, it is difficult to form a team, but it is difficult to integrate them into a single unit. Often, successful entrepreneurs have laid on the perks of having a strong team.

How to avoid – Look for passion, instead of skills. Hire the best talents for your company and then your goal lies in getting the maximum out of them, and giving them the maximum you can. Motivate them and be patient. Do not be short tempered in these cases.

Also Read: 5 most basic but very important steps to successful entrepreneurship

20. Poor Investor Management

The general trend is that entrepreneurs are busy finding investors for their company right after launching. In fact, there have been cases when founder was removed from the company, because the investor held more than 50% stake in the company.

How to avoid – Before you approach a VC firm or angel investor, be clear about the in and out of the system. Gather sufficient knowledge before approaching them. Also, consider the future and current status of your startup. Investor will have an indirect control on your company thereafter.

21.Keep comparing with other startups

Rightly said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” First time entrepreneurs will compare to other startups, not even related to their domain, and think about it. They will find out strategies as to what the other one must have done instead of introspecting. Comparing your beginning to someone’s middle is not baseless. In fact comparing with anyone seems pointless, because everything that glitters is not gold.

How to avoid – Comparison will consume that extra portion of time which could have been counted in your success. If you see other companies, your competitors advancing, it is time to find your ace and play a smart game, instead of being the analyzer at that point.

22. Simplicity does not exist

Complex sophisticated models and ideas is the key to success as per new entrepreneurs. While people look for simplicity, they think of a contrast to it. Companies like RedBus, Practo, Housing took out a simple solution to a problem.

And very correctly, Jay Levy has pointed out, “Young founders tend to complicate things too much, from structuring partnership agreements, financing, leases, etc. This is not a place to be creative; keep it simple, follow the norms and be transparent so everyone is on the same page.”

How to avoid– While thinking of a solution, if you get 100 ideas, choose the most simple one. Avoid complications. Apply the basic principles of economics while lending or borrowing. Make the agreements and contracts as transparent as possible. Often, they are misleading and you are trapped.

Also Read: 10 Smart ways by which you can raise funds for your startup

23. Losing focus

Entrepreneurs like Yosef Martin consider losing focus as the biggest mistake. Owing to low returns, unfulfilled expectations often distracts entrepreneurs and they think of switching to other businesses. It is difficult to resist a passion without any sort of boost, but successful entrepreneurs have done it.

How to avoid – Progress reports are meant to motivate you, and not to be taken as a disappointment. Take them as challenge and work. Not everything is under your control. Things take time to happen. Patience and determination is the key to success.

24.Launching either too late or too early

If you are waiting for the right time, even if it comes, you will not realize it. Launching as early as possible is not going to help either. The more prepared you are, the less hurdles you have to overcome. But, if you keep preparing and working without launching, it does no good either.

How to avoid – Before launching, few things are a must. If they are checked, you are good to go. Have a deep insight into marketing, be active on social networking sites, track your progress continuously, be ready with a concrete business model, and interact with your audience.

Also Read: 6 quick steps startups should take for revenue generation

25. Avoiding the team

No matter what happens, good or bad, the founder must always be visible in the company. If he can construct his company, he could be one reason for collapsing it. There are many entrepreneurs who are so busy that they hardly pay attention to their team. While there are some who do trust their team and believe in oneself only.

How to avoid – Consider the team as your strength. Do not avoid petty issues of the employees. Take decisions and aid them while they are in problems. If something wrong happens, do not try to hide it from them or avoid them. Sharing it with your team will only help you achieve at optimal solutions.

Would like to share a few mistakes of first time entrepreneurs? Share it in the comment section.

Rashika Daga

Engineer by mind, writer out of passion. An avid reader, keen observer and extremely enthusiastic in exploring new things. In a long term relationship with love and enjoyment.

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Richard Reis

"I write this not for the many, but for you; each of us is enough of an audience for the other." - Epicurus http://richardreis.me/May 16How Less Helps You Do More — Minimalism And Your Brain

Hello dear,

By the end of this letter, you’ll know something that’ll make you wealthier, but also think better.

This knowledge changed my life. I’m excited to share it with you.

Many of my friends know this, but minimalism is something I have been a big fan of for quite some time.

Now, I hate calling it “minimalism” because the word comes loaded with whatever past meaning you attached to it.

So from here on, whenever I say “minimalism” I want you to think “no clutter” or “no sh*t lying around”. Whichever you prefer.

With that big, fat, elephant out of the way, we can begin.

Why minimalism?

Two reasons:

I believe it’s an amazing “brain-enhancing” technique.

It saves a ton of money (this is, after all, a finance series).

I think #2 is self explanatory. Let’s dig deeper into #1, it’s very important.

Why is minimalism an amazing brain-enhancing technique?

“A messy room equals a messy mind”.

As it turns out, that’s true.

Psychologist (check out the insane CV) Dr. Jordan Peterson’s favorite advice is “clean your room”.

In fact, Dr. Peterson gets letters from people telling him how cleaning their room changed their life!

I’ve experienced the benefits personally, and it works.

Here’s a direct quote from Peterson:

“My sense is that if you want to change the world you start from yourself and work outward because you build your confidence that way.

I don’t know how you can go out and protest the structure of the entire economic system if you can’t keep your room organized. […]

The world presents itself as a series of puzzles, some of which you’re capable of solving and some of which you’re not. You have many puzzles in front of you that you could solve but you choose not to. Those really are the things that weight on your consciousness, knowing ‘oh I should do this’, but you don’t.[…]

It’s like, don’t be fixing up the economy, 18 year-olds. You don’t know anything about the economy. It’s a massive complex machine beyond anyone’s understanding and you mess with it at your own peril. Can you even clean up your own room? No. Well, you should think about that.

Because if you can’t even clean up your own room, who the hell are you to give advice to the world?” — Dr. Jordan B Peterson

I couldn’t agree more.

Sidenote: This may seem odd, but I have a hypothesis as to why minimalism/ cleaning your room is effective for better thinking.

This insight came to me from meditation. I know that when someone meditates effectively, the brain regions known as Default Mode Network’s (DMN) activity diminishes. These regions are what make you ‘daydream’ (aka not focus): “I shouldn’t have said that to Bob this morning”, “I regret not asking that girl for her number”, “that a**hole who cut me in the freeway last week could have killed me”. Meditating (basically) shuts down those voices and allows you to focus on the present (which makes you more effective).

Soooo doesn’t the same brain activity increase when your place is messy? “oh I should vacuum this floor”, “those dishes look dirty”, “damn, my closet is a mess”.

My hypothesis: A messy place increases activity in the DMN, which doesn’t allow you to focus 100% (making you less effective). This could explain why when you ‘go minimal’, you focus better (and most people say it’s life-changing).

If everyone had a clean room/ apartment/ house, the world would be a better place 🙂 (I just gave a great PhD thesis for some neuroscience student out there).

Do you understand the importance of minimalism now?

If you’re home, perfect! Look around you, is there something you’ve been meaning to clean? Does opening your closet stress you out?

This physical clutter is probably also cluttering your brain. Hence why you can’t focus.

If so, what follows is tactical advice that will help you clean in record time.

When should you “go minimal”?

Many bloggers will tell you to start slow and gain momentum.

This… may work.

Unfortunately it didn’t work for me. And I believe it won’t work for you either.

Why? Most people are lazy when it comes to tidying (come on, how long have you been thinking about organizing your mess?)

Therefore, the best solution I found came from the ginormously popular book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” by Marie Kondō.

In case you don’t know Marie, here’s a nice summary from Tim Ferriss’ awesome (recent) interview with her:

“Her books have sold more than seven million copies and have been published in more than forty countries.

Kondo’s methods have become so famous that her last name has become a verb, ‘Kondo-ing,’ and people who share her specific values are referred to as ‘Konverts.’ She has been named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people.”

Yeah, wow.

Marie’s philosophy is much closer to mine. If you want to declutter your life, pick one day and do it all at once.

“When you tidy your space completely, you transform the scenery. The change is so profound that you feel as if you are living in a totally different world. This deeply affects your mind and inspires a strong aversion to reverting to your previously cluttered state. The key is to make the change so sudden that you experience a complete change of heart. The same impact can never be achieved if the process is gradual.” — Marie Kondō

How to declutter1. Pick a day

Pick a day, any day. And start early in the morning (this will energize you).

“But I’m too busy.”

I think that most people who are “too busy” miraculously have enough time for other things like cable TV or Netflix.

Unless you have 5 kids, work 3 jobs, and are a single parent, you’re not “too busy”.

“Too busy” is also a polite way of saying “this isn’t a priority for me”. But if you weren’t convinced from the intro that cleaning IS a priority, chances are you’re just being lazy.

2. Put it all on the floor

If this sounds like a song title, it’s because it’s the fun part.

“Where do I start?”

Marie Kondō recommends going by categories, not rooms.

“Don’t start selecting and discarding by location. Don’t think “I’ll tidy the bedroom first and then move on to the living room” or “I’ll go through my drawers one by one starting from the top down.” This approach is fatal. Why? Because most people don’t bother to store similar items in the same place.” — Marie Kondō

The correct sequence she recommends is this: clothes, books, papers, miscellaneous items, and mementos.

Go around your house looking for everything that fits in each category (and put it all together at once on the floor).

Don’t touch items in a category unless you’re done with the previous category. There are many reasons for this (though too long to include here), if you really want the details get Marie’s book. If not, just trust me.

Easy.

3. Discard

“Now I have every item in a category on the floor, what do I do?”

This is what makes Marie so special. She talks about the concept of “sparking joy”.

Grab each item one by one, and ask yourself “does this spark joy?” If it doesn’t, it goes in a trash bag.

“Why does this work?”

Because (this might blow your mind), people own things they don’t really like! *gasp*

I know right? People actually have clothes, shoes, books and/or other items in their homes that they don’t really like all that much.

This is why I like minimalism; everything you own is something you love.

I love my “uniform” (I wear the same clothes every day), I love my whiteboard, I love my yoga mat, heck I even love my blender!

I don’t understand why people keep their closets full of clothes they “kinda” like, their kitchen full of ugly utensils they dislike, and their bookshelves full of books they’ll never read.

This is why you have to look at each item and ask yourself, “do I love this?” (or, even cuter, Marie Kondō’s “does this spark joy?”) and if the answer is “kinda” or “no”, in the trash bag it goes.

By the end of this, some people end up with 10+ full trash bags (I’ve been there).

Getting rid of them is an AMAZING feeling. You’ll see.

4. Store

I don’t mean in a storage unit (how dare you).

I mean now that you only kept things you love, find a place for them and organize them well.

Here’s an example with clothes.

That’s it. That’s my entire wardrobe (year-long baby).

I just picked what I like best, and stuck with it.

Going to a high-school where we all wore uniforms taught me it’s soooo much more convenient than having to worry about what to wear every day. This is why I wear a “uniform” to this day. Besides, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Obama made it cool (so I’m not “weird” anymore I’m “avant-garde”).

Sidenote: Wondering where I got those sweet folding skills? Learn how Marie Kondō does it here (t-shirts and tank tops), here (pants), here (sweaters and hoodies), and here (socks and stockings). Hell has a special place for people who occupy space hanging clothes than can be neatly folded.

Common But’sBut what if I want to buy something new?

The idea should be for you to only own things you love (what a concept).

Stop accumulating, surround yourself only with your favorite stuff.

I’m sure most people wear 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time.

Therefore, why not keep the 20% you love and get rid of the rest?? You’re not really using it anyways and it’s cluttering your space and mind.

The end result is for you to only be surrounded by the things you love (or… spark joy).

This also means most of your items will be high quality.

Now I’m not saying own as little as possible (we can’t all be enlightened like the Buddha, or Jesus).

What I am saying is a lot of your purchases were impulsive, kinda like stress eating. Except instead of accumulating fat, you accumulated clutter.

The clutter is stressing you out. Get rid of it, and see what I mean.

But I’m a girl

Sidenote: This is a common “but” I’ve heard very often from different friends who all happen to be female. So, I have to include it.

Until further DNA evidence, being a girl doesn’t mean you have to have lots of clothes. To prove it, here’s the awesome YouTuber, LightByCoco, showing the concept of a capsule wardrobe.

You might “enjoy” shopping. But re-read the intro and see why it’s never a good idea to surround yourself with clutter.

I’ve found that guys and girls tend to wear their same favorite clothes over, and over, and over again.

So, get rid of all that other stuff you never really wear! Your mind (and closet) will thank you.

But I don’t have enough space for all my stuff, I live in a small apartment

So do I. Living in a small apartment doesn’t mean anything.

It just means you have way more crap than you need. And that’s a bad, bad habit.

It simply means that even if your house looked like this (look at that space! And no clutter! Wow):

You’d still find a way to make it look like this:

Messy people are messy independently of where they live.

Most people see empty rooms and feel the need to fill, “oh some flowers would look nice here”, “oh maybe I need a lamp”, “I wonder if I need paintings on the wall”.

Stop!

That’s how you end up with a ton of items you don’t like that much. Stop the madness.

But I have kids

The “I have a partner and kids” is a bad excuse.

Joshua Becker is a minimalism blogger who’s married and has two kids. He’ll prove anyone who uses the “I don’t live alone” excuse is wrong.

But my roommates are messy

I’m a big fan of leading by example.

Begin with yourself. Clean your mess. Others will follow.

I shared a 3 bedroom house with 18 people. I found that when I tried to keep things clean, others would follow.

It wasn’t always perfect, but it’s better than blaming others.

But can’t I store most of it in a storage unit?

You’re just trolling me.

Kidding, but what about rebound?

I’ll let Marie Kondō answer this one.

“Rebound occurs because people mistakenly believe they have tidied thoroughly, when in fact they have only sorted and stored things halfway. If you put your house in order properly, you’ll be able to keep your room tidy, even if you are lazy or sloppy by nature.” — Marie Kondō

Sometimes (I mean once or twice a year), I may end up with a little more stuff than I need. Recently, after losing 35lbs I kept large clothes that are too big now, for no good reason!

No one’s perfect.

The key is to simply grab your trash bags and get to work 🙂

But, trash-bags?? Does that mean I should throw everything away?

Of course not, here’s what I do:

Try to sell it on eBay. If no one wants it after 30 days I:

Give it to Goodwill if it’s clothes.

Give it to the local thrift store if it’s other items (books, gadgets, CD’s…)

Throw it in the trash if it’s too much trouble.

But never, never, ever just leave stuff lying around.

And that’s it for today!

Today, we learned:

The amazing psychological benefits of a clean space.

How to declutter.

How to organize.

How not to make excuses for owning a bunch of things you don’t even like.

See you next week, be well.

R

P.S.: It turns out decluttering doesn’t only help the individual, it can benefit entire cities! A friend of mine recently shared with me the Broken Windows theory.

Before 1985 New York City was as violent and dangerous as Gotham. By 2001, crime had dropped significantly (and kept dropping for the following ten years!). What led to this huge crime drop? They cleaned the city (no graffitis, no people demanding payment after car window cleaning, and no public urination… among other things).

A clean, clutter-free environment does indeed make the world a better place🙂

Your mother was right, clean your room!

Is this helpful? Please ❤️ it below, comment or Tweet me 😊 Hearing from your fellow readers and you is what makes writing these letters such a joy.

[bewitchingbooktours]

ORIGINS by Celia Breslin - Haunted Halloween Spooktacular

Celia’s Must-See TV Shows For Halloween

Halloween month is the perfect time to binge some paranormal TV shows. Add these to your binge-list.

* Chilling Adventures of Sabrina -

Good vs. evil, angsty teens, wacky witches.

* iZombie -

Dark comedy with zombies quarantined in Seattle. Brain cuisine jokes.

* Legion - 

People with powers and power struggles. Surreal, sometimes scary, and totally quirky and compelling.

* Legacies -

Teen werewolves, vampires, witches at a boarding school fraught with peril.

* Lucifer -

NetFlix saved this fab show, serving up one sexy devil and a strong female lead.

* The Magicians -

College students/magicians tangle with supernatural forces and other worlds. 

* Stranger Things -

An alternate dimension, monsters, plus government experiments, and one tough girl with wicked powers, oh my!

* The Umbrella Academy -

a dysfunctional family of funny, flawed, and powerful superheroes. Quirky, action packed, and 100% entertaining.

Happy viewing and Happy Halloween!

ORIGINS

Tranquilli Bloodline

Book 3

Celia Breslin

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal RomancePublisher: Champagne Book GroupDate of Publication: September 9, 2019ISBN:  9781393477938ASIN: B08FFCWNF2Number of pages: 250Word Count: 94,000Cover Artist: Melody Pond

Tagline: The Chosen One is home. Bad little vampires beware…

Book Description:

In HAVEN & DESTINY, San Francisco nightclub owner Carina Tranquilli finds love and fights her vampire family’s enemies. Now, in ORIGINS…

En route to reunite with her estranged father in Italy, Carina is kidnapped by a human organization intent on vampire genocide. Beaten, starved, and forced to fight fellow captives, she finally manages to escape. Along the way, she encounters the group’s leaders—their identities shock her to the core.

Once home, Carina warns her family of this new threat, but dear old dad is missing. In his absence, the Tribunal, the governing body for all vampirekind, lies in disarray, with an old enemy making a bid for her father’s throne. What’s worse? The usurper wants her for his queen…and slave.

With a human-vampire war looming on one side and a vampire-vampire battle brewing on the other, Carina will have to rally her troops, take back the throne, and fulfill her destiny as the Chosen One. If not, her whole world will fall, taking everyone she loves with it.

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Excerpt:

The car stopped. […] I couldn’t convince myself to step out. […] What if this was a freaking, injection-induced hallucination? What if I was still back in the damn prison?

Besnik helped me out. […]

The mansion’s mammoth double doors eased open. The man illuminated in the doorway chased away the numbness, pumped my heart so hard it might pound right out of my chest. He opened his arms wide, calling me. My lips curled upward in the first true smile I’d cracked since the last time he’d held me in his arms. That man, my man, loved me more than any other on this whole damn planet.

“Alexander.”

I ran to him.

Alexander’s arms closed around me, his hold so tight I could barely catch a breath. Tremors ran through his hard body, again and again.

“Carina,” he croaked, voice sandpaper rough. “Carina.”

Nuzzling his neck, I planted fevered kisses along his tan, heated skin. He’d fed recently to be this warm under my lips. Temptation had me licking his pounding pulse, nipping at the vein. Couldn’t resist it. My fangs slid home.

Energy exploded between us, our mate bond bursting to life and tearing away whatever magical wall had separated us for far too long. My bite, the catalyst, his blood the cure. Awash in the force of our reunion, Alexander staggered then clutched me closer while I pulled out of his neck and laved the rapidly healing holes.

As our power continued to bubble and stitch us back together, he whisked us into the grand entryway, planted my ass on an ornate, antique cabinet, and devoured my mouth like a starving man. His hands roamed everywhere, searching, cataloguing, as if to reassure himself this wasn’t a hallucination, that I was really here, in his arms, relatively unharmed.

The more he kissed me, the more those wonderful, golden threads of our connection resurrected inside me, around me, between us, and I felt like freaking Sleeping Beauty awakened from her magical slumber by a kiss from her fated handsome prince. The silly thought made me giggle against Alexander’s seeking mouth, and then I was crying while my love cupped my face between his hands, wiped away my tears with his thumbs, and pressed tender kisses to my forehead, my cheeks, the tip of my nose…

“Alexander.” I fisted his shirt tight. Please, God, let him be real. “I… I don’t want to wake up.” Please, don’t let this end.

His smoky blue eyes bored into mine, his brown hair spiked in every direction, a bit longer than in my memory. It’s not a dream, baby. You’re here. You’re home.

Oh my God, I can hear you. I swiped some willful bits of hair away from his forehead, touched his full lips, ran my fingers along his strong jaw, taking in the whole handsome, bad-boy package. You’re back in my head. I’d never been happier to have someone inside my mind. Silence was seriously overrated.

And back in your arms.

About the Author:

Celia lives in California with her husband, daughter, and two feisty cats. She writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and has a particular fondness for werewolves, vampires, the Fae, and warrior-class angels. Her stories are action-packed and typically include one of the many varieties of romantic entanglements: fated mates, second chance, rescue romance, opposites attract, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, and more.

When not writing, you’ll find Celia exercising, reading a good book, hanging with her family, or indulging her addiction to Joss Whedon’s TV shows and movies, as well as everything in the Marvel Universe franchise.

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