The social bookmarking system (Digg, Stumbleupon, Reddit, etc.) is broken, and it has become so top heavy that "gaming" the system and unfair advantages given to "power users" have become the only real way to achieve success, a.k.a. a lot of traffic to your website.

For my regular Today is that Day readers, this post is not going to be about personal development or self improvement. However, it IS going to be about achieving success via your website, so if that is of interest to you, then please keep reading.

A quick Primer on Social Bookmarking

For anyone who doesn't understand why people are spelling "Digg" like that, or anyone who doesn't understand why Stumbling is a good thing, this section is for you. :)

In short, social bookmarking is a system where you find a blog post or a web page that you like, and you cast a "vote" on sites like Digg, Stumbleupon, etc., which lets other people know that you think they should also check it out.

If someone else likes that content, then they also vote on it, someone else joins in and does the same, yet another person casts a vote, and the process continues like that over and over again. The more "votes" that page gets, the more traffic that it gets as a result.

Traffic is the key to success on the Internet. There are other factors, to be sure, but even if you have the best website in the world, if no one ever finds it, you are just spinning your wheels. 

So, the general idea is that by voting for content, you help the creator of that content to get more traffic to their website. In return, often the creator of that content will vote for your content as well, and a nice reciprocal stream of traffic is created. That stream of traffic grows larger and larger the more times that people vote for your content.

Sounds great, right? So what's the problem? 

1) There is too much voting going on

People have a tendency to think that if something is good, then MORE of it must be better. Sometimes that is the case, but often it is not. When it comes to social bookmarking, more is NOT better, and in fact, the entire process can backfire on you.

Social bookmarking sites are looking for extraordinary content, not just run of the mill stuff. It doesn't matter how great of a writer you are, every single thing that ends up on your blog or your web page is not "vote-worthy". Social bookmarking has become so competitive that people are asking for votes for every single thing that they put up on the Internet, which entirely defeats the purpose of the entire social bookmarking industry.

How you can fix it:

Only vote for content that is TRULY outstanding or useful, and only ASK FOR votes on content that is truly outstanding or useful. Just because you have a fleet of "voting buddies" doesn't mean that every single thing that any of you write is worth sharing with the world at large.

Yes, put up all of the content that you want on your blog or your website, but don't clog up the social bookmarking system by voting for everything that comes your way, or asking for votes on every single thing that you write.

p.s. - Practice what you preach in this regard. Don't sweep other people's content under the rug while only being partial to your own. 

2) There are too many social bookmarking sites

Digg is the most heavily-trafficked social bookmarking site (at the moment), followed closely by Stumbeupon. Both of those sites have a lot to offer, yet both also have short-comings. I won't get into the details of that since that is a discussion all by itself.

The same "more is better" mentality that I mentioned above has permeated the social bookmarking website creation sector. Although there are several large(ish) sites such as Reddit, Del.icio.us., and Propeller (to name a few), there are dozens of smaller sites that have popped up as well.

Since most people with websites or blogs want as much traffic as possible, everyone is scattering to get votes at as many of these sites as possible. Again, that seems logical, but it's really not.

Each of these sites has their own unique communities and ways of doing business, and it is simply not possible to be an active member in twelve different social bookmarking communities - not if you have a job and/or a life, that is.

People who are trying to become popular on all of these different websites are just compounding the problem by once again "clogging up" the social bookmarking system, not to mention annoying their social bookmarking friends by asking for votes on so many different websites all the time.

How you can fix it:

Stick to a small number of websites where you are building up your community involvement, and ONLY interact on those websites (for the record, check out the Digg, Stumbleupon, and Mixx buttons below to see me practicing what I preach).

Become an active member in those communities by providing OUTSTANDING content for those communities to vote on, and also vote on other OUTSTANDING stories that you find there. Keep your chosen communities "clean" by not muddying the waters by voting for a bunch of crap content that no one really cares about, and certainly don't provide that type of content yourself.

If you really want to try out more than just 3 or 4 social bookmarking sites, then simply build up your presence in one community, and then move on to other communities later. 

3) The contact systems for these websites are broken

Most Digg users have hundreds (if not thousands) of "friends" on Digg, yet the Digg system will only let you send "shouts" out to 15 people at a time letting them know about the content that you want them to check out.

Stumbleupon will only let you send a message to ONE person at a time.

Some of the other sites don't have a messaging system at all.

The entire idea behind social bookmarking is to share outstanding content, yet these websites make it very difficult for you to do that. The reasoning behind that is probably so that hundreds (or thousands) of people don't start spamming each other every day.

The solution to sharing content with people who may be interested enough in your content to vote for it is to make sure that they are interested to begin with!

Adding friends on social bookmarking sites is nothing more than a "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" arrangement, and often that leads to seriously one-sided efforts. One person votes for their "friend's" content all the time, while those alleged friends rarely return the favor. 

How you can fix it: 

Get involved in social bookmarking groups where all members agree to give due diligence to each other's vote requests, and then manage the entire process via email. Using email requires each person to actually make an effort (what a concept!), rather than just blindly using some broken contact system that includes zero accountability on either end of the equation.

Yes, I can hear you now: I already get too much email!

I am involved with several of these email-only groups right now, and with the exception of Digg (where until today I was using their broken "shout" system) I spend approximately 1 hour per day reading and voting on my friend's requests. When I send emails to those same people asking them to check out my stories, it results in an absolute flood of traffic, because my email partners reciprocate my efforts by voting for my content that is worth voting for.

If you aren't willing to take the time to open an email, click a link, and then cast a vote once you get to the site, then you aren't going to have time to do the same thing using any of the site-specific content sharing functionalities, either.

By doing the entire process via email, you can ensure that your social bookmarking partners are reciprocating your efforts, because it is easy to keep track of who is active and who is not. Even if you have an extremely active email network of social bookmarking partners, it is not difficult to keep track of who is voting for your content.

WHAT TO DO NEXT:

If you want more information about this entire process, or if you already understand and want to start getting the best possible return on your time investment when it comes to social bookmarking, then do the following:

1) Join my personal social bookmarking network. My email address is aaron@todayisthatday.com. Send me an email and let me know that you want to exchange content for social bookmarking purposes, and I'll add you to my distribution list. In return, I will look at every piece of content that you send me, and any content worth sharing will get voted on.

2) Instead of (or in addition to) joining my personal network, start one of your own. Contact other bloggers or website owners and tell them that you want to exchange social bookmarking efforts. Most will be more than happy to. Social bookmarking is a free and easy way to get loads of traffic to your website.

3) Take the information from this post back to Digg, Stumbleupon, or any of the other sites, and use it to be a better community member. Vote for outstanding content, share outstanding content, and leave the crap content behind.

p.s. - To my present social bookmarking partners: I WILL NOT BE USING any of the shout/share/messaging features on any of the social bookmarking sites anymore. If you want to share your content for vote consideration, send me an email and I WILL check it out, and vote for it if it provides value!

Is it possible to manifest a miracle? To answer the question Can you Manifest a Miracle?, you must first answer one simple, yet all important question:

Do you personally think that it's possible to manifest a miracle?

If you personally don't believe that some universal energy (God, the Law of Attraction, Buddha - whatever your definition is) has the capability of creating what you ask for, then you can stop reading right now. No amount of information about how to manifest a miracle is going to help if you don't believe that it is possible.

Photo Credit: LilGoldWmnAlso, the question of what exactly constitutes a "miracle" is obviously another question that will be subject to each individual person's belief system. Are we talking about a Divine Intervention here, or are we talking about something more "down to earth," such as changing a life of squalor into a life of splendor?

Personally, I believe that anything and everything is possible, and that the term "impossible" describes nothing more miraculous than something that we have not yet figured out how to do.

History is replete with examples of so-called "faith healing" and "miraculous" cures for terminal or debilitating illnesses. Scientists and medical doctors admit that there is no proven method of repeating these amazing occurrences, but a lack of an explanation does not change the facts of those stories.

Whether you believe that a religious deity of some kind is behind the wonders of the human race, or if you believe that all conceivable wonders are merely the result of having a proper understanding of the laws of the universe, one fact remains clear in all cases: 

In order to manifest a Miracle into your life, you must first BELIEVE that miracles are possible.

Now the question becomes what is it that you have to do in order to create a level of belief that allows you to harness the universal laws, or to take control over the divine powers that govern your life? What do YOU have to do in order to manifest a miracle?

I personally believe that human beings are capable of literally anything, and that it is our doubt about our abilities that limit us, not the abilities themselves.

So, in order to tap into whatever you personally call the power that works miracles, you must first remove the self-limiting doubt that is keeping you from wielding or directing that power.

When people watch movies like The Secret, You Can Heal Your Life, or What the Bleep Do We Know?, they are often not so much looking for the methods of creating miraculous lives as much as they are looking for proof that doing so is even possible.

In that regard, other than The Secret itself, no product has ever convinced me more of my own infinite power - or should I say reminded me - than Gary Evan's Manifest a Miracle.

No, Gary is not some prophet, messiah, or even the graduate of some high-profile school of spirituality where they teach you how to wield the hand of God or any such nonsense. What Gary is, however, is someone who has proven conclusively that "if you do the work, you get the reward".

In Gary's own words:

"A pot of gold isn’t going to fall out of the sky and fall on your lap. Realistically you’re going to need about 30 minutes every single day to follow the Manifest a Miracle proven formula." 

I checked out Gary's "proven" formula, and it boils down to this: If you have the faith, and you do the work, then you get the reward.

Most people who buy "life-changing" products will then read the book, watch the movie, strap on the audio, etc., but then they don't follow through. They get all wired for success, but then they never plug themselves in!

Those same people, consequently, are the people who say that miracles are impossible. I don't know about you, but I see a correlation there…

Is Gary Evan's Manifest a Miracle program the next best thing to chomping on Eucharist wafers and praying to your Lord on bended knee? No product made by man will ever take the place of the word of God, for people who believe in such things.

However, right here on planet Earth (as opposed to the promised land), there are ways to manifest miracles, and Gary has a pretty firm grasp on how us common folk can actually get the job done.

p.s. - Although I obviously believe in Gary and what he teaches other people, I am also a "commoner" just like you. If you go through Gary's Manifest a Miracle program, yet you still think you know of a better method than Gary's to bring about miracles, not only will I personally reimburse you, but I'll buy whatever product you claim is better than his, and I'll give that product a review right here in front of God and everybody.

How's THAT for a ringing endorsement?

How would you like to remember this post?

Quotable Quotes and Merchandise for the Offline World

Is your quest for personal development fueled by the desire to attain some specific goal, or are you merely on a quest to "better" yourself?

Most people have something very specific that they are striving for as they walk down the path of personal development, even if an overall betterment of themselves is a welcome side effect to the process. I submit to you that despite the often discussed value of specific goal setting, that it is the general betterment of ourselves that is actually the hidden driving force in our personal development efforts.

Photo Credit: lusiYes, there tends to be a specific end result that we are after, yet by allowing the goal itself to be the motivating factor, we put an implied limit on who we are, and what we can accomplish in life. Are we to allow ourselves to be defined by the accomplishment of a measurable task, even if that task is huge in its scope and its potential influence on ourselves, or even the world at large? Or, would we be better off to dig deeper; to find our own personal buried treasure, with the attainment of our goals being merely one of the results of our efforts?

The Million Dollar Mindset program talks a lot about how our personal growth is the true desire that is being expressed when we chase after things like financial success, career advancement, fulfilling relationships, etc. After all, once we've obtained all of those things, what is next? Would we then just sit back, smug and satisfied in our success, and give up trying to do anything else with our lives?

Hardly. Rather, it is an integral part of the very human spirit to expand beyond our present capabilities, and to constantly be reaching towards the next step in our individual evolution, as well as the growth of our race as a whole.

In order to do that, however, we must dig deep within ourselves, and we must do the very things that are the most difficult for us personally. After all, if Harmonic Wealth^® - the successful attainment of wealth in all areas of our lives - was easy to attain, wouldn't everyone already have done that?

Here is a 3-step process for finding your own buried treasure; your own seeds of Greatness!

1) Don't listen to other People

Give up the notion that any other person on the planet knows what is best for you, or what you are capable of. You are the only person who has ever known - or ever WILL know - your life as intimately as you do.

Yes, there are people who can help you, advise you, and mentor you. Yes, there are other people who you can look up to, seek counsel from, and even emulate. Yes, there are other people who will be a part of your success, or perhaps even partner with you.

However, in the end, there is not another soul alive who can predict what you are capable of. By listening to other people's beliefs about what you can do, you will be denying the very truth of your own limitless ability to have, do, or be anything that you desire.

We are unlimited beings!
             - Rev. Dr. Michael Beckwith

2) Look to the Past

Although I personally hold the Tony Robbins inspired belief that there is no such thing as failure (we always succeed in attaining a RESULT, as Tony says), I also know that all people have points in their lives when the result they obtained wasn't exactly what they had planned for.

Those are simply areas of your life where you have not yet unearthed your treasure!

• If financial independence is one of your goals, but you have not yet attained it, then there is plenty of growth potential left in that area of your life.
• If you have yet to find the fulfilling and joyous relationship that you have dreamed of, then there is plenty of room for growth there as well, and plenty of happiness to be had, too!
• If you have tried many times to find your "place" in the world, or your "calling," yet you are still struggling in a career that doesn't bring you joy, then that is obviously an area where can still allow your true gems to shine their magic.

Find areas of your life where you have sought success in the past, yet not been 100% successful, and you will also have found areas of your life where your hidden treasure is still waiting to be brought to the surface!

3) Ignore your Inner Demons

As you now consider striving for success in any given endeavor, you will probably have some unwanted company along the way in the form of self-limiting beliefs.

Self-limiting beliefs are conscious as well as subconscious feelings that cause us to lose confidence in our ability to attain whatever it is that we desire. These self-limiting beliefs are especially strong if we have tried to accomplish something in the past, yet were unable to attain the level of success that we had hoped for.

The more times that we try to do something, but then don't manage to do it, the stronger our self-limiting beliefs become. In fact, many people have self-limiting beliefs that are so strong that they will eventually give up trying altogether.

However, like all beliefs, our inner demons are completely of our own creation. They have no tangible presence in the world, and they can be permanently vanquished by the simple act of consistently believing the opposite of whatever the self-limiting beliefs are trying to tell us.

Consistency is the key here, however. Making a "stand" against your self-limiting beliefs is almost a complete waste of time. Most self-limiting beliefs have been ingrained in our conscious and subconscious minds for a very long time, so undoing them will take more than just a fleeting effort.

Affirmations and visualization are both extremely powerful allies in your quest to vanquish your inner demons. Use them often, and use them with feeling. Before long, you'll wonder how you ever believed in anything other than success!

Does all of this mean that you shouldn't set timed, and measurable goals for yourself? Of course not.

However, the next time you fantasize about that dream car, that perfect relationship, that big promotion, or that financial success, take the time to ask yourself:

Do I really want all of that stuff, or is it that I want to be the type of person who can have those things?

The answer might surprise you!

Click below to remember what you learned!

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Quotable Quotes and Merchandise for the Offline World

One of the most well known success principles is that you should always begin with the end in mind. Whatever it is that you want to accomplish, you start with that, and then work backwards to determine the steps needed to attain that goal.

However, many people do the exact opposite. Rather than focusing on how wonderful it is going to be once they have attained success, they instead think about how badly they don't want what they already have. Let's throw another proven success principle in here and see if that adds up:

What you focus on grows.

Photo Credit:  ror_dIf you are going to grow whatever it is that you are focusing on, yet your entire success journey begins by you saying "I am so sick of {BLANK}…" then you are already on the wrong path. You are focusing on what you DON'T want, rather than what you do want.

On the other hand, by keeping a constant focus on creating a better life for yourself, your attitude towards success becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The thoughts, feelings, and actions that make up your success-oriented lifestyle will all be centered around positive, empowering thoughts, rather than serving as constant reminders of the lifestyle that you are wanting to leave behind.

Relationship Success Principles

How many times have you heard someone say that they are so tired of being alone, and they can't wait to find their Mr. or Mrs. Right? How many times has the incompatibility with one person been the very driving force that causes the search for a "new and improved" mate?

In both of those instances, the true desire is to have a happy or fulfilling relationship, yet the focus is instead on the loneliness, or the present mate who isn't getting the job done.

If what we focus on grows, then all we will get from that type of attitude is more loneliness, or yet another mate that we are not 100% happy with.

On the other hand, if we start our relationship quest from a position of power, and focus utterly and completely on what we want the new relationship to be like, then that is exactly what will ultimately manifest into our lives.

Career Success Principles

How many times has your desire to get away from your present job been the rocket fuel that blasted you into a feverish search for a new employer? How many times have you dreamed of owning your own business because you were sick of the "rat race" that is an integral part of almost all corporate positions?

Again, the focus in those instances is totally on what is NOT wanted, rather than what is wanted.

The proof that what you focus on grows can be plainly demonstrated by the fact that most people still don't like their jobs, even after escaping the negative situation with their previous employer. Sure, the circumstances have probably changed, but before you pull out the "I love my job" card, answer this question first:

Would you do it for FREE?

Health and Fitness Success Principles

Have you ever decided to go on a diet because you couldn't fit into your favorite jeans anymore? Did you ever decide to start exercising because you couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded? Has some bad news at the doctor's office ever been the catalyst for you to clean up your nutrition and/or exercise habits?

All of those instances are focusing on the same thing: what you DON'T want:

• You don't want to feel fat and uncomfortable in clothes that you used to enjoy wearing.
• You don't want to feel like you can't perform basic human movements or activities.
• You don't want your cholesterol score or your risk for a heart attack to climb even higher than they already are.

Negative. Negative. Negative. Focus on what you DO want, because whatever you focus on is exactly what is going to come about.

• Focus on looking lean and sexy.
• Focus on having plenty of energy and vitality.
• Focus on a healthy lifestyle where better marks at the doctor's office are just a side effect, rather than the driving force for your activities.

In each of the above examples, and in any other circumstance that you can imagine, focusing on the negative will only bring about more negativity. Yes, you can modify the details by simply changing your scenery, but putting clean sheets on a dirty bed doesn't make the bed any cleaner than it originally was!

If you want positive changes, then think, feel, and ACT in a positive manner, rather than just reacting to whatever negativity it is that you are wanting to be rid of.

Successful people create success. They don't sit around waiting for their lives to be miserable first.

Click below to remember what you learned!

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Quotable Quotes and Merchandise for the Offline World

One of the biggest problems with the things that people learn on the Internet is that once they close their web browser, their reminders to follow the advice they received disappears.

The information about how to create a super-wonderful, all-star, non-stop happiness type of lifestyle has already been documented THOUSANDS of times on the Internet. Everything from "Top 5" lists to the "Top 50 Ways to…" are all screaming their way around the cyber world right now, even as you read these very words.

To help people "bridge the gap" between their keyboard and their 3-dimensional lives, I have come up with a system for taking the highlights, wisdom, and/or "Top (whatever)" lists that are posted here at Today is that Day, and getting that information out into the real-world - where it needs to be!

This is a brand-new idea, and I am still working out the logistics, but the basic idea is to take the most empowering quotes, the highest bits of wisdom, or even just the smarmy comments that sometimes slip their way into my writing, and get that content onto various real-world objects where it will serve as a consistent reminder for you to live your life in a certain way.

In addition, many of us (all of us?) know other people who could benefit from empowering information, self improvement gifts, etc., but there is presently a very small amount of original empowering content that can be gifted to other people. The tired old "success quotes" have been said and done, while original inspiring content is something that is hard to find once the web browser closes.

Stay tuned for the full-on implementation of this idea, which will start appearing at the bottom of present as well as future blog posts here at Today is that Day. The full implementation will take me awhile, but it is my intention to get started on the process in the next week or so.

In the meantime, I have a few empowering phrases already plastered on coffee cups, mouse pads, tile coasters, etc., at the Today is that Day Self Empowerment Gift Store.

I will be adding A LOT more content to that page in the coming weeks and months, and I will also be adding blog post-specific products as I write new content here on the blog. Whenever possible I will use the colors or graphics of the site and/or of the specific blog post in order to make the merchandise more fun and attractive.

So, in short, stay tuned for more, and in the meantime check out the present merchandise that is available, and don't forget to think of others as well! Who doesn't need a coffee cup or a mouse pad that says "Today is that Day when I….Remember that my life is mine to create however I please."?

Today is that Day Self Empowerment Gift Store