How To Become An Overnight Success

Taylor Hicks, Evelyn Adams, William "Bud" Post, Eldrick Woods, Suzanne Mullins, and Joanne Jo Rowling all have something in common. For at least one time in each of their lives, they were an overnight success.

Many Americans, at least, will recognize Taylor Hicks as a 2006 winner of the popular TV show, "American Idol". British subjects have cause to be proud of Joanne "Jo" Rowling who is more easily recognized by her pen name, J. K. Rowling. Those who still don't recognize her have almost certainly heard of the boy wizard she created who goes by the simple name of Harry Potter. Harry's a bit of an overnight success himself, and he has taken J. K. Rowling along on a magical ride. Who's Eldrick Woods? Oh, if I had just said Tiger Woods, you would have picked up on it right away, and where's the fun in that?

Who are Evelyn Adams, William Post, and Suzanne Mullins? We'll get to that in a moment.

There are essentially two ways to become an overnight success. Taylor Hicks, J. K. Rowling, and Tiger Woods exemplify the first way.

Taylor Hicks became an overnight success in the middle of 2006 when he won top spot on the "American Idol" TV show. That much many "American Idol" fans and music buffs around the world now know. What many don't know, or even think about, is that Taylor Hicks spent a decade as an independent artist before his overnight success. Had you been at the Playboy Mansion, the Talledega Motor Speedway, or in Auburn, Alabama on the right night, you might have gotten to hear him perform. Over the years, he did get to perform with such legendary names as James Brown, Tom Petty, and Jackson Browne. However, up until the night he won the "American Idol" competition, HIS name was not exactly a household item.

Joanne Rowling was turned down by Oxford College in her younger days and worked variously as a researcher and secretary and also in Portugal as a teacher of English. In the early 90's, she got the initial idea for the young wizard who eventually became Harry Potter, and began writing. She completed her first novel while she was unemployed. She was living at the time on what we in America would call "welfare". When she first tried to market "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", a close friend, who was on her side, advised her to "get a day job" because he didn't feel she had a chance to make much money in children's books. The first printing run was one-thousand books and half of those were sent to libraries. Today, those first one-thousand books are each one a collector's item in itself. While this ex-secretary and English teacher must surely be pleased by the fantastic income she has made from the Harry Potter books and movies, she is possibly even more pleased by the fact that in 2006, in a poll by "The Book Magazine", J. K. Rowling was selected as "the greatest living British writer."

Okay, so how did Tiger Woods get in a list of overnight successes?

Well, you may have seen a small trend in the mini-biographies of Taylor Hicks and J. K. Rowling. Although they fit into the category, even a cursory scanning of their lives shows they paid their dues for some time before success found them. In fact, the overnight success they experienced came about after years of disappointment, standing on the bottom rung of the ladder, and in some cases, not even being near the ladder.

Tiger Woods has been called by some a "golfing prodigy", and that is not an unrealistic assessment. However, even a Tiger Woods does not get to where he is today by strapping on a set of cleats and wandering out onto a golf course with a nine iron and a dream. He learns, practices, fails, assesses, moves forward, falls down, gets up, and starts all over again.

In other words, an overnight success very seldom happens overnight. The success comes after a lot of effort on the part of the successful person.

After a memorable performance, a great pianist was approached by one of the audience. The fan spoke glowingly about the performance and finished with the remark that she wished that she could play as well. Perhaps with more truth than tact, the pianist replied to the effect that she was wrong. She could NOT genuinely wish to play as well as he. Otherwise, she would practice for hours a day year after year as he did, rather than simply "wishing" she could play as well.

Overnight success is so named from its apparently sudden appearance on one's doorstep. However, success is not too good at finding people unless they have built a pathway for it to follow, and perhaps lit a beacon as well.

I mentioned that there are essentially two ways to become an overnight success, and I have concentrated on the first group for a reason. If you wish to join that group, YOU are the one in control of the situation. If you seriously want to be in the first group, you now have an idea of what you might need to do.

So, who are Evelyn Adams, William "Bud" Post, and Suzanne Mullins? They too were overnight successes. They each won a lottery.

Evelyn Adams actually was an overnight success twice. She won the New Jersey lottery in 1985 and 1986. She won a total of 5.4 million dollars. She lost it all, donating part of it to some needy Atlantic City slot machines. "Bud" Post won 16.2 million dollars in Pennsylvania but eventually wound up living on his social security. Suzanne Mullins won 4.2 million dollars in 1993. She lost all of it and went even deeper in debt through poor decisions on its use.

There's another term sometimes used for an overnight success. That term is "flash in the pan". Many people who are seeking what they see as success will often wind up as just a flash in the pan at best unless they are willing to get out the necessary tools and prepare the pathway so that success can find them.

Tiger Woods, J. K. Rowling, and Taylor Hicks were willing to build the pathway and keep it cleared. Their names will be familiar for years to come, and they can always claim the victor's laurel wreath for becoming an overnight success.

Donovan Baldwin is a Dallas area writer and a University Of West Florida alumnus (1973) with a BA in accounting and a keen interest in health, self improvement, happiness, and success. He is also a member of Mensa and has held several managerial positions over the years. After retiring from the U. S. Army in 1995, he became interested in internet marketing and developed various online businesses. He has been writing poetry, articles, and essays for over 40 years, and now frequently publishes articles on his own websites and for use by other webmasters. He has a blog on writing and poetry at Ravensong-Poetry.blogspot.com and is the owner of TexasPrepaidCellular.com.

Golf Channel and Equipment Reviews

Lake Lanier Fishing - Variety And Quantity

Located in the northern part of Georgia in the United States, Lake Lanier is one of the most popular destinations for fishing trips. With additional water being fed from the Chestatee River allowing numerous other types of fish to join the ones already in this man-made lake, it's perhaps not surprising that this stretch of water is so popular.

When it's at its fullest level, Lake Lanier can boast over 39,000 surface acres of water, which explains why so many fishermen enjoy coming here for their trips. With over 1100 kilometres of shoreline stretching between five counties, it's an easily accessible area to get to as well, making it an ideal solution for both the weekend and serious angler.

The variety in fish in the lake is what makes this waterway so appealing. Trout fishing is accommodated for here, with not only the common brown trout being freely available, both rainbow and brook trout can also be found, thanks to the cold waters that make their way from the bottom of the lake.

If bass fishing is more your angle, then Lake Lanier caters to those needs as well. Not only will you find the most common of bass in these waters, but two of the four kinds of temperate bass can be found in the lake itself, making it an extremely convenient one-stop shop for bass fishing.

Many serious anglers enjoy sport fishing, where there is a bigger challenge to catching the fish due to its size or fighting ability. With striped bass frequenting the waters of Lake Lanier and in excellent numbers, this particular type of fishing can be enjoyed in the peaceful surroundings that this stretch of water has to offer.

The different water temperatures that can be found at Lake Lanier also add to the experience, especially if it's a more challenging fish you wish to undertake. Depending on the ambient temperatures, which can range from the coldest days in winter to the hottest in summer, the striped bass will lie at various depths. If it's colder water, then expect the fish to lie deeper where there is less likelihood of a fluctuation in temperature. A spring and early summer trip will find the fish at their highest point, usually just under the surface, making for a relatively easier catch.

With the facilities on offer, such as a water park and a golf course, as well as comfortable accommodation in the guise of either hotels or lake houses, the surrounding area around Lake Lanier makes for a pleasant experience, too. Even if you have a family and they don't share your enthusiasm for fishing, there's so much more to do that everyone can enjoy a vacation there, leaving you with the reason for going in the first place excellent fishing.

Visit the Lake Lanier Fishing Guide for more information on Lake Lanier Fishing.

Golf Channel and Equipment Reviews

Idleness And Your Longevity

If you are lazy or idle, it would be next to impossible to live a long life. Idleness will not guarantee you longevity. Of course, in life, nothing is for sure. Still, it is your duty to try to live a long life: the duty is yours, and the results are God's.

According to Lin Yutang, a great Chinese philosopher, "A busy man is never wise, and a wise man is never busy."

Why is that?

Because if you're too busy, you don't have time to learn new truths, to discover new ideas, to enjoy life's little pleasures, or perhaps even to pick a winning stock. Over-busyness is not conducive to longevity health.

To that wisdom, maybe I would like to add: "A wise man is never idle, and an idle man is never wise." Idleness is not synonymous with longevity; idleness makes you age faster, and therefore you would not live longer. So in order to be wise, and live longer, one has to find the golden medium: getting things done without getting too busy.

According to John Quincy Adams, "Idleness is sweet, and its consequences are cruel." In this day and age, idleness is a luxury. How could one remain idle in the midst of the hustle and bustle of life? If you are a CEO, how could you be on vacation during your company's merger or acquisition? Idleness is the holiday of fools.

Many seniors may look forward to their retirement a time of eternal vacation. Yes, maybe you should initially go on an extended vacation. However, you should not become idle doing nothing, just watching TV, DVD, or reading a book. One may argue that one needs to relax. But too much relaxation may degenerate into idleness and inertia, a breeding ground for disease, especially if there is inadequate physical inactivity and a lack of mental stimulation. If you need to take up a sport, golf is the most ideal for an individual of any age; it is an ageless sport. It exercises both your body and mind. Other than golf, what sport can do that at any age?

Remember, as you continue to age, you lose your muscle strength and your mental capacity. To compensate for that, you need to do more work. But, unfortunately, you often do just the opposite: you simply do less. As a result, your muscles become more rigid, losing their flexibility, making you exert them less; you mind becomes more inert, making you inept at everything. It is a vicious circle, which will send you to the land of limbo, and eventually dementia, a precursor of Alzheimer's disease.

Thomas Carlyle, a historian, once said: "In idleness, there is a perpetual despair." Perhaps this deep despair of idleness experienced by so many seniors accounts for the high rate of suicide among the elderly.

Did you know that suicide is the 9th leading cause of death in the United States?

Suicide is certainly a silent killer in the aging process. If your mind is idle, you lose your sense of self-worth, which is an important ingredient in human existence. Instead of being idle, do something meaningful, such as volunteer work, starting an online business, or learning a foreign language (Research has shown that those who are bi-lingual and who constantly use two languages on a daily basis tend to develop greater immunity from the early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.).

So give you self a purpose in your existence, something to look forward to, or a reason for getting up in the morning. You don't have to do it for the money; you do it for your own sanity. Remember, if you don't use your mind, you will lose your mind soon enough.

You need to remain both physically and mentally active throughout your life if you wish to live long. To do just that, you need money and sex (my previous articles have expounded their importance to your longevity), among other things.

Life ahead of you is forever changing as you get older. To live long, you need to be capable of adapting and adjusting to these changes at different levels personal, social, and financial. You need above all: mental sharpness, which is awareness of what is going on or what is important in your life. Meaningful work is a friend of anti-aging, while idleness is the enemy.

If you're lazy, you can't be healthy. Nothing in this world is free, including your health, which is your greatest asset in longevity living. Longevity is not a gift from the above: you have to earn it. No effort, no health! Longevity is extra years well earned, and you have to earn yours if you wish to live long. You have to pay for it with a price the price of lifelong efforts and activities. Don't be idle, and live long!

Stephen Lau is a writer and researcher, who has spent years in writing research synopses of doctors and scientists in the United States. In addition, he is an artist in oil/acrylic paintings and art glass sculpture, as well as an Internet entrepreneur. Mr. Lau also has cultivated an intellectual interest in the sport of golf.

Website: http://www.longevityforyou.com

Publications: http://stores.lulu.com/booksbystephenlau

Golf Channel and Equipment Reviews

Resale Rights For Ebooks - Creating High Resale Prices

Have you ever paid a high price for resale rights for ebooks only to see someone reselling them the next week for $1 each on eBay?

Most resellers are lazy. They buy resale rights for ebooks then turn around and resell the ebooks just as they bought them -- except usually for less money because it's quick and easy.

Suppose you have to pay $47 for the resale rights on a hot new ebook. You immediately upload it to your website and shoot an email to your list, "Stop! Don't pay $47... get it today for just $7!"

If you sell 7 copies or more, you've made a profit and you didn't have to do much work. Chances are you will at least double or triple your money, even with a relatively small list.

But there are two problems with that:

1. Unless you are selling resale rights for ebooks to build your list, you have to resell an awful lot of $7 ebooks to make a living.

2. You've just made it difficult for anyone else to sell the resale rights for that ebook for more than $7.

Just because other people are selling resale rights for ebooks for a pittance doesn't mean you have to be stuck with resale rights for ebooks you could only sell on eBay for $1.

Here are three creative ways to maintain or even tremendously increase the value of resale rights for ebooks you purchase:

1. Repackaging

2. Recreating

3. Repurposing

Repackaging Resale Rights For Ebooks

Sometimes resale rights for ebooks are sold for a single ebook, sometimes you get a package. But when you do get a resale rights package, often there wasn't a whole lot of thought that went into deciding what products to put in the package. If the resale rights license allows, you can repackage it with different products to create a themed product.

Maybe last week you picked up a resale rights package that had an ebook about dog training. Then you remember that a resale rights membership you joined has a great looking ebook with private label rights about making doggie treats. Think that dog owners might want to make some nice treats to reward their dog as they are training them? That's probably a much better match than the ebook about copywriting that originally came packaged with the dog training ebook!

On the other hand, you just picked up some nice Web graphics with resale rights. That sure would go better with the copywriting ebook! Then you remember you also have a sales letter generator with software resale rights. You also just read an article about how Web 2.0 is the coming thing.

You spend about half an hour surfing and learning more about Web 2.0. Then you log into your favorite resale rights membership site and discover they have resale rights for ebooks about MySpace, YouTube, and Squidoo. You dust off your copy of Photoshop, download an ecover action script from the resale rights membership site, and spend the afternoon creating some new graphics for your hot new products, "The Web 2.0 Web Master Pack" and the "How To Train Your Dog But Still Treat Your Best Friend Right" package. You set the price at $97 for the Web 2.0 package and $27 for the dog training package.

Recreating Resale Rights Products

Sometimes you don't just get resale rights for ebooks. Sometimes you can also can get private label rights. Repackaging works great, but wouldn't it even be more effective if at least one of the products in the package was only available through you?

You're in luck. You check the license for that copywriting ebook and realize you have unrestricted private label rights. You can claim authorship, modify the content in any way you want, or do just about anything with it. Looking at the copywriting ebook, you realize it's a great ebook on copywriting, but it really doesn't cover creating sales pages for the Web. You add some content and some screenshot graphics to help illustrate.

Then you download a free trial of Camtasia and spend a couple hours creating several videos on how to use the Web graphics and sales page generator, and how to use MySpace, YouTube, and Squidoo. And you change the price to $197.

Repurposing Resale Rights Products

You've created two new products that no one else has. But you're wondering about that dog training package. Maybe there's too much competition for those keywords. You check Google. Even in quotes, "dog training" returns 1,620,000 results! You realize you should have checked Google first. Time to double-check that license. Great, you have private label rights for the dog training ebook as well! Your dog training package is about to become a "German Shepherd training" package. There are only 27,200 results in Google for that!

But then you start thinking... why stop there? You could have dachshund training and Chihuahua training. And there are only 5760 results in Google for "Great Dane training." Just how many breeds of dogs are there? You pull out your calculator and start counting your anticipated millions.

As you think about, it hits you. You can do the same thing with "The Web 2.0 Web Master Pack." You open a Notepad window and quickly type in:

• The Web 2.0 Web Master Pack
• Building Your Medical Practice With Web 2.0
• Promoting Your Legal Practice With Web 2.0
• How To Promote Your Local Business With Web 2.0

You can think of more later. For now, you want to add some extra multimedia to the ones for the doctors and lawyers. Remembering how much doctors and lawyers charge, you set a price point of $297 for those.

Sitting back for the first time in hours, you realize that the sun is rising. You've been up all night working on this. But you're not tired. In fact, you feel better than you've felt in a long time. You started out with resale rights for ebooks just like everyone else. But now you have some premium products no one else has.

Then it strikes you. You could have just thrown the original products in a package and listed them on eBay with a Buy It Now button. You could have gone to bed early instead of staying up all night. You could have sold resale rights for ebooks just like everyone else. You probably would have made at least a dollar or two by now.

Mike Adams is the owner of PLR-Content.com, a membership site that provides private label rights article content, private label eBooks, and master resale rights for eBooks. As a special offer for our readers, Mike would like to offer you a free membership at PLR-Content.com. Come on over and grab resale rights for ebooks so you too can create high resale price ebooks: http://www.plr-content.com/

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