BOLLYWOOD SURKHIYAN

Free Publicity – How to Get People to Read Your Newsletter

One way to continue to get free publicity is to send a newsletter out to your customers and other contacts. Thanks to the Internet and email, you can create and send a newsletter essentially for free. Newsletters not only promote your products and services, they can establish you as an expert.

But it’s one thing to send out a newsletter, it’s another to get people to open and read it. That’s why it’s critical to have quality content. Here are some of the types of things you can include in your newsletters to keep them interesting:

How-to Articles — help your subscribers learn how to do something that relates to your business. Financial planners can give tips on investing, choosing stocks, tax issues and so forth. Personal trainers can offer exercise and nutrition tips.

Surveys — people love to give their opinions. Ask your customers their thoughts on a variety of topics.

Milestones — tell your readers when you’ve sold your widget 10,000, 25,000 times or more. You can also mention time-related milestones such as your 10th or 25th year in business.

Flashbacks – Relate anecdotes about what your and/or your company were doing this day X number of years ago. They can be serious or funny.

Product knowledge — tell people how they can better use your products or services.

Questions — solicit questions from your customers and prospects about how they can better benefit from your products and services.

Case histories — share how your product or service helped someone solve a problem.

Testimonials — without being too hard-sell, include a testimonial or two in each edition.

Sales — Tell people you are running a sale.

Coupons — put in a coupon that people can print out and bring in to your place of business. While you’re at it, encourage people to share the coupons with their friends. It could bring you new, long-term customers and clients.

These are just a few of the things you can put in your newsletters. You don’t have to use them all in each issue. Just a few. Mix them up so that each new newsletter will arouse interest and curiosity to help you get more and more free publicity.

Learn the Strategies From Those Who Really Know Internet Marketing

The biggest secret of successful online entrepreneurs lies in their income, effort and time leveraging mechanism. A lack of leveraging strategy implies hours of burned energy to achieve minuscule and negligible results. You are trading time for money if you don’t have a mass and perennial distribution system to take care of your information and product dissemination.

The income trap syndrome occurs when for instance you put in 10 hours of time and effort and get remitted only for those 10 hours of work that you could handle. This means you have merely traded time for money and you can expect to earn only for a maximum of 24 hours a day since you obviously don’t have more time. A complete contrast to this phenomenon is the wealth creation by the use of technology and other focused marketing systems through which you work for 10 hours and generate income worth 100 hours by cognitively leveraging time and efforts. This is how you can truly create permanent wealth and not mere temporary income.

Running an online business on autopilot is a sure-shot mechanism of achieving success in the online business domain over a long period of time. It’s an on-going process where you set up the business once and reap its benefits for years to come. An online business on autopilot generates passive or residual income for the entrepreneur through which continuous income is generated thus giving the business the power of leverage. If you put your business on autopilot, this allows you to have a number of businesses operating simultaneously. You can sell informational content in your area of expertise to a market eager to lap up any specialized knowledge that is relevant to them. Network marketing wizards while imparting superior training on autopilot online businesses have changed the fortunes of online businesses overnight by reaching out to the target customer base quickly and efficiently. Learn the technique of moneymaking while reaching out to a focused group by a mechanism that repeatedly seeks to sell on your behalf. Never ever doubt you could do this and you will succeed.

Though you may be intimidated by the exhaustive stock-pile of information available on the internet on online marketing strategies and skeptical of the incredible success stories, you could be the next example of a starkly successful entrepreneur with the right marketing technique. Anyone can do this, even you!

Here’s What Industry Insiders Say About PPC Advertising

Paid advertising is a vast field of opportunity for every individual who wants to expand his business and grow with the trends of the market. Today the world is digitalizing itself and moving forward opening new doors in the paid marketing industry. There are many techniques for research on the Google AdWords campaign with immense technology advanced paid marketing strategies and campaigns which can run online without any restrictions and with a smooth functioning process.

Let’s now understand more about a particular ad by Google named PPC Advertising.

Concept of Google AdWords: –

Google has come up with an advertising word tool called “Google AdWords”. It has a bunch of words collected which are bid the highest by online users. Google AdWords is also known as Paid Marketing. The advertisers have to pay to bid those keywords which are present in the paid campaign. Less-Effective keywords reduce the ad rank of the business.

Google AdWords sets the budget bar as per your requirement. You can choose the bid on the lowest rated word also and run your campaign with low budget as you desire. In the world of AdWords, impressions, click strategy, keyword planner plays the major role for a successful paid marketing on a digital platform.

Search Engine Marketing: –

The conceptualization of SEM is done to elaborate the functioning of paid marketing on Google search engine. The major examples of SEM are Google, Bing, Yahoo wherein they allow the advertisers to advertise but through various methods like: –

1.) PPC: Pay Per Click (Advertise is taken into consideration)

2.) CPC: Cost Per Click (AdWords are taken into consideration)

3.) CPA: Cost Per Acquisition (Impressions are taken into consideration)

The most relevant form of advertising through a search engine is PPC Advertising. Pay- Per- Click marketing strategy reduces the wastage of money to an extent. In this paid marketing strategy ads are shown to the users as per the keywords entered by them in the Google search engine. The advertiser’s money will only be deducted when a user will click on their respective ad and will visit the page. The advertiser cannot boost his ad by paying more to go ahead of his competitors. The whole PPC marketing revolves around the keywords used by the users. Thus it is also known as

“Keyword Marketing”. PPC Campaign is effective as it reaches out to a potential audience which is genuinely interested in the product and the ad gets proper exposure in the industry through this marketing tactic.

Importance of PPC Advertising: –

1.) PPC Campaign has a hyper-specific audience that clicks on a particular ad of his taste of interest.

2.) From the monetary aspect, it is well-secured tactic wherein deduction happens on a click.

3.) There is no unwanted impression or surfing happening by clicking the paid marketing ad.

4.) PPC occurs with full authentication through ad auction, each and every keyword is auctioned for a search engine to determine the advertisements validity through Search Engine Result Page (SERP).

PPC Advertising Examples: –

Olay BB Cream had come up with a PPC Marketing tactic which involved site links, an offer, and a trademark.

The mixture of these three elements makes an ad look reliable and eye-catchy because of the stated offer. Site links give an opportunity to the user to click wherever he is amenable to look for the stated product. The registered trademark can accelerate your rank in the search engine.

An Audi PPC Ad Campaign had site links, verbs and social extensions which uplifted the ad in the search engine.

Site links are a sure game changer as they give freedom to a user to know the insights of a product in a more systematic pattern.

Verbs from the ancient times have described an item’s quality in a much better way than writing a simple line. Audi had created one single line that stated “Experience New Audi Luxury Cars and Models at Audi USA.com”.

A social extension with a huge amount of followers changes the game on the Google platform in a wink of a second.

Conclusion: –

A PPC Campaign is the most effective and economical way to deliver paid ads. It is a backbone for growing as well as the giant business’s marketing model. Keywords for generating an ad can be auctioned by bidding and the rank of the business can be known from the Google search engine.

PPC Marketing gives a niche market audience that engages in a product and uplifts the features of it at the same time. It allows displaying ad in a specific demographic or a country globally or locally with time and day preference. It helps in targeting customers and redirect them back to advertiser’s website.

3 Tried & Tested Insider Keys to Captivating Your Audience

Do you know that the average attention span of a human is less than that of a goldfish? Wait, you had heard that already, but you forgot, didn’t you? I know I did.

In 2015, a Microsoft led study concluded that the average human attention span has fallen from 12 seconds in 2000, to eight seconds over the last 15 years. The same researchers also found that the ability of humans to multitask has improved.

Your job as a speaker is getting more difficult with each passing year. Your audience is now checking the stock market, texting their family, dispensing a treat on their connected dog app, maybe even taking a selfie while they are supposedly listening to you. Phew! Is it any wonder that you now have to work twice as hard to capture their attention? No matter how good you already are, you will have to skill up your game significantly.

#1 Have a conversation

I work with a business leader who captivates audiences. Every time he makes a speech, he steals the show. Audiences can’t have enough of him, and other speakers prefer not to take the stage after him. I asked people why they love him, and the universal response is he makes them feel like they are having a personal conversation, the message directed specially to them.

If, like him, you want your audience’s unwavering attention, converse with your audience, don’t just talk at them. Speak, then pause and listen. Keep your audience active and focused on you, making them a part of your speech.

Here are some easy and fun techniques we use to involve the audience:

· have a show of hands

· use technology to conduct an “in-room” live poll

· leave some blanks on your slides and invite the audience to guess or fill these in

· ask for volunteers to help you demonstrate a process

· after you share an idea, give them a minute to practice it

· share an idea, and ask the audience how they would apply it to their own situation

#2 Tell a Story

I heard you groan, didn’t I? It seems like storytelling is the new “it thing”, and everyone wants in on it. Yes, that’s because it works.

Everyone loves a good story. It’s the earliest form of human communication. Stories are how children first learn to understand the world around them, and it works just as well later in life. So, use a story to set up your theme, weave a thread through your speech, and direct your audience’s attention to your key messages.

Recently, I was prepping a speaker who wanted to showcase the value of industry ecosystems as enablers of the Internet of Things. To set up this assertion, we told a story from India’s struggle for independence. The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, aka India’s first revolt against British rule, may never have come to fruition if in 1851 the East India Company had not laid the foundation of a railway network in the country. For decades, there had been escalating unrest among various sections of Indian nationalists, and it was manifest as isolated small-scale protests scattered across the country. These uprisings had failed to capitalize on each other’s momentum?-?for lack of communication and coordination.

The Sepoy Mutiny began in the barracks in Meerut, when the soldiers rebelled against the use of cow and pig grease on bullets. At any other time, this is where it would have started and ended?-?but this time was different. The railway network?-?which connected a few major cities in the northern and central parts of India?-?enabled news of the uprising to spread. It also allowed for congregation of the various mutiny leaders in a short period of time, and transformed a localized mutiny into India’s first war for independence.

We then drew a parallel between this episode and how different industry clusters are going to ride the network (internet) and collaborate to build the Internet of Things. This helped the listeners to visualize the network as an enabler of ecosystems and growth.

#3 Timing is Everything

The way people process information is changing. A 2010 study asked students to self-report lapses in attention while attending three lectures, with different speakers and teaching styles.

The results revealed a pattern of attention loss, with “spikes” at

· 30 seconds into the lecture, indicating a “settling in” period

· about five minutes after the initial distraction

· seven to nine minutes into the lecture

· nine to ten minutes in, just a couple of minutes after the last spike

I have found that it is possible to keep your audience engaged, when you use attention-heightening techniques to counteract these attention lapses. Nudge the audience into active listening by varying the tone and pace of your delivery. Display a striking visual or write on a flip-board to keep their eyes focused on you. The conversational / interaction tactics we discussed earlier work particularly well at these times.

Covid-19: The Elephant in the Room

There’s little doubt that the Coronavirus pandemic has dramatically changed the way you live and the way you think about things that you previously took for granted. For most, becoming infected will result in symptoms similar to a bad case of the flu, while some may have no noticeable symptoms. However, a small percentage of folks who become infected will suffer tremendously, and some will die. Early in the year, as the virus was just reaching our shores, we observed other countries as they were further along the “curve.” We were told that this virus could be fatal, but mostly to the elderly who were already suffering from other chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and COPD. It became critically important to protect our vulnerable seniors, particularly those in community living housing or nursing homes. We scolded the young who partied on beaches over spring break, bringing the coronavirus back to their homes, family, and grandparents.

Then the other shoe dropped when we learned of young Americans becoming hospitalized and even dying from this “old person” illness. Why are young people dying in the U.S. yet other countries don’t report the same statistics that we’re seeing here? Are other countries not reporting accurately, or is there something different about the virus when it arrived in the U.S.? Why do we see such high death rates, (Coronavirus deaths as a percentage of population) in our large cities that exceed the rates of other countries?

While we in the United States may choose to ignore the elephant in the room, other countries warned of our vulnerability.

Being overweight is a major risk for people infected with the new coronavirus and the United States is particularly vulnerable because of high obesity levels there, France’s chief epidemiologist said on Wednesday.

World News

April 8, 2020

Americans are among the world’s most vulnerable to coronavirus because of their rising rates of obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure

Dailymail.com

Published: 18:58 EDT, 30 March 2020

Other countries talk about America’s obesity problem, but here in the U.S., we blame the bad outcomes of the virus on high blood pressure, diabetes and pre-diabetes, race, poverty, etc. However, it’s rare to hear that being overweight is an independent risk factor even though it underlies almost all of the chronic illnesses that make us vulnerable.

Dr. Robert Eckel, president of medicine and science for the American Diabetes Association, told Business Insider that a “sophisticated internist” in New York City told him at least 90% of the people under age 50 he’s seen ventilated due to COVID-19 were obese.

Business Insider 4/11/2020

Yes, America, we’re fat and we don’t want to talk about it. But there’s good news amidst the bad… We can learn from this pandemic and change our habits and lifestyle to become healthier and boost our immunity at the same time. Amazingly, often losing just 10 pounds can reverse type 2 diabetes and improve most other chronic illnesses. And maintaining a healthy weight is not only protective for Covid-19, but also for other viruses and influenza infections.

So let’s not waste any more time America! You can get on the path to health right now by scheduling a free health consultation to learn the steps you can immediately take to improve your resistance to this and future viruses.

Mobile Oil Change Businesses Are Very Hard to Succeed In

There have been many people who have come and gone in the mobile oil change business. It always looks easy from the surface and is relatively inexpensive to start with minimum investment compared to most other businesses. But most mobile oil change operators rarely make it past the first year. In fact most do not make it past the first several months. One has to wonder why such a good idea ultimately ends in failure. Lets take a closer look.

First the profit generated from oil changes is not enough to sustain a healthy business. After you calculate the cost of goods from the total bill there is rarely is more than twenty five dollars net profit made from your typical oil change. And that figure does not include the gas used driving to the actual location. You have to be doing a lot of oil changes per day for you to make a decent profit to support your business and your personal expenses. Most quick lubes make even less due to their substantially higher overhead yet make up for it in large volume. Most successful fixed locations are doing 60 oil changes on a bad day. A mobile oil change company, with most of the time one or perhaps two people working it, does not have that luxury. The most your typical mobile oil change van can do is ten oil changes per day and after that the operator is exhausted. And even if a person could consistently do ten oil changes per day he still has to generate those oil changes from somewhere. They do not magically appear. Do you have a plan how to do that? Most start out thinking corporate campuses will provide tons of business especially if its marketed by the companies there. In reality that rarely works as advertised and you will be lucky if you get 10 customers in one year from a huge corporate campus. The end conclusion is that the net per oil change is just too low to make a viable business from it without a massive amount of volume.

Second, many mobile oil change operators are not very good salesmen. They are usually very honest people and ones who are very passionate about what they do and you gotta love that but I have found that most owners of mobile oil changes are terrible at the sales end. They are usually the type who try to charge way less than the going market rate and think they can tell a few people about their “awesome service” and wait by the phone. That never works. You have to go out and get them. You have to do a copious amount of cold calling. You have to talk to a lot of fleet managers and sale yourself first and then your service. Most in the mobile oil change business do not fully understand this or never really apply themselves to this side of business. Its probably the most important part not just in the mobile oil change business but any business for that matter. I will go out on a limb and say that if you are a great salesmen you will do well running a mobile oil change business or franchise. If you know about cars but not sales then I recommend working for a new or used car dealer for 2-3 months and get the experience. It will be tough and gruesome but that is the quickest way to get good a pure hard core sales without a lot of the “fluff.” Then open your mobile oil change company.

Third, the weather cannot be understated in limiting what mobile oil change operators can do. There are few states that have decent weather throughout the year. Half the states get really cold several months out of the years and the other half get really hot throughout 3/4 of the year. Both are equally discouraging. A fixed location can turn on the air or turn on the heat. Their operators work in a controlled environment. You do not have that luxury. You may have several fleets planned for one day and it can be pouring down rain that day. Have you thought about changing oil in 0 degrees. Your hands will not be able to grip that oil filter or wretch its as hard as a rock or you cannot feel them. Or changing hot 150 degree motor oil in 100 degree humid weather on a vehicle where it’s oil filter is in the middle of a hot engine manifold and you have to burn yourself to get to it? Do you clean it off and skip it or burn yourself to get to it? That will happen.

Having mentioned these three major hurdles, and there are more, I will say that it is not impossible. I have made a success of it. But I wish that someone would have been straightforward with me before me and my partner spent over $80,000 getting into the mobile oil change business. We were sold on a lot of unreal hopes and dreams from Jet Set Life Technologies about great wealth using a flawed model involving oil extreme. They set us up with a nice van and their product is good but their whole system is flawed from the bottom to the top. We found a way to make it work but sadly 90% of the mobile oil change business operators do not. The success rate is very small. Understand whats really involved and if you think you can grind it out and not make any money for 2-3 years, go for it.

Confessions of a Mortgage Insider

Have you wondered why the mortgage and banking industry are in their current shape of disarray? Did you ever wonder how some people managed to get something for nothing and leave us the average tax payer footing the bill? Are you curious why the once respectable mortgage industry became so corrupt and brought the US economy so quickly to its knees?

Denny Andrew’s first book, Confessions of a Mortgage Insider, explores how the mortgage brokerage industry went into a spiraling failure that resulted in a complete meltdown of epidemic proportions. Confessions of a Mortgage Insider uncovers more than the excesses of the industry. It explores the people and personalities of those who worked in the industry through the personal stories of leaders, followers, slimy wheeler-dealers, and the victims. It tells the story through the eyes of mortgage broker Rick Agnew. Agnew goes from naïve freshman loan application agent to a diamond level broker whose life is filled with fast cars, fast women and fast parties. His up close and personal experiences with the industry open his eyes to the rampant fraud and chicanery of the industry.

Part story collection, part instruction, and part personal discovery, Andrew’s book is a fun and interesting book that makes you angry with the money lust of the brokers, makes you cry for those who are victimized, and laugh at the antics of Rick Agnew the half man/half naughty child protagonist. Using illustrative stories and hilarious hi-jinx this book instructs even the most casual reader on the dangers of the current mortgage failure to the housing market. This book can be that ‘tell all’ source the casual reader has been seeking to establish some sanity from the current economic crisis in the mortgage industry.

Confessions of a Mortgage Insider prompts the reader to really assess where they are currently in their mortgage and financial stability and then to make a specific plan to get where they want to be. Living in the house of your dreams is not just a wish if you plan carefully and shop wisely for a mortgage and a mortgage broker, according to Andrews. The American dream is not over…it has just become something that once again is only realized through hard work and a good savings plan.

The mortgage bubble has been broken and according to Denny Andrews, it is not a bad thing that the party is over. His exposure of the ugly secrets of such a sleekly designed profiteering machine clearly illustrates the symptoms of our society’s pervasive illness: excess. This fast moving book encourages responsible lending and commanding the life choices that promotes accountability and fiduciary common sense. Andrews captures the madness and mayhem through his original stories and then provides sound business advice that everyone can understand.

Title: Confessions of a Mortgage Insider Author: Denny Andrews Publisher: Aviva Publishing Date: 2008 Price: 24.95

How to Trade Cryptocurrencies – The Basics of Investing in Digital Currencies

Whether it’s the idea of cryptocurrencies itself or diversification of their portfolio, people from all walks of life are investing in digital currencies. If you’re new to the concept and wondering what’s going on, here are some basic concepts and considerations for investment in cryptocurrencies.

What cryptocurrencies are available and how do I buy them?

With a market cap of about $278 billion, Bitcoin is the most established cryptocurrency. Ethereum is second with a market cap of over $74 billion. Besides these two currencies, there are a number of other options as well, including Ripple ($28B), Litecoin ($17B) and MIOTA ($13B).

Being first to market, there are a lot of exchanges for Bitcoin trade all over the world. BitStamp and Coinbase are two well-known US-based exchanges. Bitcoin.de is an established European exchange. If you are interested in trading other digital currencies along with Bitcoin, then a crypto marketplace is where you will find all the digital currencies in one place. Here is a list of exchanges according to their 24-hour trade volume.

What options do I have to store my money?

Another important consideration is storage of the coins. One option, of course, is to store it on the exchange where you buy them. However, you will have to be careful in selecting the exchange. The popularity of digital currencies has resulted in many new, unknown exchanges popping up everywhere. Take the time to do your due diligence so you can avoid the scammers.

Another option you have with cryptocurrencies is that you can store them yourself. One of the safest options for storing your investment is hardware wallets. Companies like Ledger allow you store Bitcoins and several other digital currencies as well.

What’s the market like and how can I learn more about it?

The cryptocurrency market fluctuates a lot. The volatile nature of the market makes it more suited for a long-term play.

There are many established news sites that report on digital currencies, including Coindesk, Business Insider, Coin Telegraph, and Cryptocoin News. Besides these sites, there are also many Twitter accounts that tweet about digital currencies, including @BitcoinRTs and @AltCoinCalendar.

Digital currencies aim to disrupt the traditional currency and commodity market. While these currencies still have a long way to go, the success of Bitcoins and Ethereum have proven that there is genuine interest in the concept. Understanding the basics of cryptocurrency investment will help you go in the right direction.

What to Expect From the iPhone 8

Apple is expected to release the next generation of its iPhone series later this year.

The new iPhone 8 series, if rumors are correct, will be different in size and feel.

DigiTimes cited a source indicating Apple will launch three models in different sizes. These include 4.7, 5.5, and 5.8 inches. The phones are expected to be released in the second half of 2017.

The phones will have a curved display something like the 5.5 inch Galaxy S7 Edge.

The tech giant expects to sell a lot of these new editions. Some 60-70 million units are expected to be sold for the larger version alone.

Some believe the smaller two versions will actually be called the 7s and 7s Plus, as Apple has done with previous lines.

The iPhone 8 could be the special 10th anniversary edition as the company unveils a special phone to mark the decade old milestone.

Many reporters who follow this space say iPhone 8 will have an OLED screen. The screens will be supplied by Samsung.

The screens could be made of plastic instead of glass. Some believe the wrap round style OLED screen will have imbedded sensors for things like gesture recognition.

An article from PCADVISOR in the UK quoted Robert Scoble, a well-known tech strategist, who posted on Facebook that the phone screen will be a clear piece of glass where holograms can be put on top of the real world much like Microsoft HoloLens does. There will be a new kind of interface with a pop into it headset. The headset will have a sensor on it.

He quotes sources indicating the battery and the antennae will be hidden around the edges of the screen. Apple will fit in some of the pieces even while most of the chips that make up a phone are in a pack/strip at the bottom of the phone.

The article points to a report of a patent for a bezel free phone. The technology could feature a display technology that uses pixels capable of self-lighting (like OLEDs) arranged on a flexible surface with gaps in between.

Other rumors include a report that Apple will ditch the home button for a system that places the fingerprint sensing technology under the screen.

Both CNET and Apple Insider claim that Apple will forge the iPhone 8 from steel.

A new iPhone red color is also on tap, according to Japanese site Makotacara. This is in addition to the usual black, jet black, silver gold, and rose gold options.

The camera is thought to be a continuation of the dual lens set-up. Business Insider reports Apple is thinking of integrating augmented reality (AR) into the camera app.

Additional predictions include the new line of phones could feature wireless charging. The physical home button could also be removed.

Facial recognition and/or iris scanning is another possibility. Security could include biometric data storage, capturing the fingerprint and possibly the photo of the thief who stole the phone.

Some believe Apple is creating an electronic SIM card to replace the physical SIM cards used today. The benefit will provide the user with more flexible roaming and eliminate the need for specific SIM cards for each operation.

Pricing is still in limbo but many believe one or all of the so-called iPhone 8 series will be Apple’s highest priced phone to date.

Apple rarely misses with their new phone introductions and the new iPhone 8 series will be something the tech world is watching with the greatest of anticipation.

Why People Don’t Seek Mental Health Treatment

Because of the increase of school shootings across the United States, there is an ongoing debate regarding solutions. One of the most looked at causes behind mass shootings are the mental state of the shooters themselves. Most mass shooters have some things in common with each other.

1. Grew up in a fatherless home

2. Was on prescription psychotropic drugs

3. Had stressful events going on in their lives

For category #1, the solutions are obvious. We need to revamp the family law courts in way that there aren’t “winning” parents and “losing” parents. I speak about this topic in-depth in my published report sent to the U.N. titled, “Global Human Trafficking in The Family Law Courts”, which can be found on Amazon.

However, for the sake of this article, I want to focus on the mental health aspect. It is undeniable that our school systems and our healthcare systems are handing out psychotropic drugs like candy! Kids who aren’t paying attention in class are quickly prescribed Ritalin. Depressed teenagers are quickly give Prozac; the situation for adults isn’t much better.

Let’s look at modern rappers like, “Lil Xan”, “Future”, and the recently deceased 20 year old rapper, “Lil Peep”, who died from a Xanax pill laced with Fentanyl. The rapper was seen on Instagram frequently swallowing hand fulls of Xanax pills daily. His young fans who idolized him are most likely following suit.

According to the “business-insider” news site, the United States of America is the world’s leader in prescribing anti-depressant medication. According to one of its articles published, it was found that 12% of all Americans are on some type of drug used to treat mental illness.

There are pros and cons to these numbers. Take South Korea for example, a very developed nation, yet it is ranked #3 for suicides. In the Korean culture, seeing a doctor for depression is a social stigma that shows weakness, especially on part of a male. It isn’t surprising considering that 80% of all suicides in the world are attributed to men. Because mental illness is pretty much ignored in South Korea and among males in general due to society pressures to remain “stoic”, people are killing themselves left and right.

On the other hand, the United States, which is ranked between #30 – #40 (depending on the study), for suicides. So, there is some evidence that perhaps anti-depressant medications can work. Or is it merely cultural? Jamaica often ranks at the very bottom of the list for suicide rates despite being a poor country. Although the poor, the communities are very close knit, and their culture is very cheerful. Perhaps it’s because marijuana is legal to smoke in the country! Who knows!

But, I do know one thing; anti-depressants and other drugs used to treat mental illness carry many side-effects. “Suicidal Thoughts”, is often listed as one of the major side-effects of Prozac. Imagine that! A medication designed for suicidal people which may cause suicidal thoughts! There is no doubt that taking psychotropic drugs alters the brain chemistry, just like alcohol or any other intoxicant.

It is in my opinion that occupational therapy, talk therapy, and community interaction are among the best treatments for depression. However, yet again, there is a draw back to these types of therapies as well.

Anytime an American sees a counselor for depression, suicidal thoughts, or any mental health concern, they are then “logged” and “stereotyped”. Those who frequent a mental health counselor could have such activities used against them in a custody battle or those who seek to purchase a firearm.

Imagine you are battling depression, so you go see a counselor, only to have it used against you in the future. This is why many, myself included, fear the idea of seeing a mental health specialist during times of great stress. Once you visit these people, you are very “labeled” and will be “marked”. If you find yourself facing any future litigation, the courts can uncover your medical records whereas they will say,:

“Ahhh! You went to a mental health counselor several times for depression! You aren’t fit to own a gun or have custody of your kids!”.

In some cases, this may true, whereas in others, it could be an unfair stereotype. When people mentioned that they see a counselor or take anti-depressant medication, people will often sneer at you or perhaps take a step back. We associate mental health concerns with schizophrenia or severe manic depressive types. The fact is, we are all suffering with some form of mental illness.

If you are too happy, the doctors will say you are “manic”. If you are too grumpy, they will say you have “type A” personality. If you are too sad, they will say you are suffering from severe “Depression”. It is much like going to a mechanic. If you talk long enough, they will find something wrong with you!

The truth is simple. Visiting a mental health counselor could result in you losing rights to your child, to your firearms, and your reputation as a person. It is a sad truth. Under our current system, most people do not seek help for fear of being demonized.

The top ways we can prevent mass shootings is by encouraging a friendly community, surround yourself with loving people, do your best to be involved parents, seek natural therapies to mental health disorders over drugs if possible (Sports, work therapy, etc..). If you are hearing voices or are frequently attempting to complete your suicide, then you should certainly seek medical intention.

Requiring mental health screenings to purchase firearms sounds like a great idea until you realize that most don’t seek help so that they can purchase a firearm! Why not screen people’s health condition before they purchase alcohol, get a driver’s license, or board a plane? Mental health can make nearly any activity dangerous. Our country must stop looking for “quick” fixes and start looking at the true cause of our demise.

Our fast-food, sex-violence, entertainment, glorification of misunderstand anarchism. There is “freedom” and then there is “responsible” freedom. Make choices in life, however, make those choices in respect of how it will affect your society at large. Legislators cannot solve these issues. These issues are ones that will require families to step up, unite, and take back the reign of traditional values without going overboard.

A middle ground between progressive thought and traditional values must be balanced. We mustn’t be afraid to advance our society, but we must also not totally disregard traditional ways of living which have served our humanity for so long.

Lastly, we must encourage more anonymity within our mental health departments. Must like the “confessionals” at a Catholic church. If people can be anonymously treated without so much of a paper-trail to stigmatize them, I am sure that many more people would step forward and ask for help.

As a boxing coach, this job often requires me to be a counselor, talking with my students, building up their confidence. If you are depressed and need help, but do not trust or fear doctors, a great alternative in my opinion is to stay active in group settings. Building relationships are essential in combating mental illness. In poor countries, suicide rates are often low because their communities are so tight knit. They may be poor, but no one is as lonely as the isolated modern man who types away in his cold artificially lit office cubicle.