That’s a really good question! Over the years our family has lost numerous computors, printers, scanners and monitors to a power surge. Yes, we had them plugged into surge protectors and thought they were safe. However, as we found out surge protectors protect a computer only one time. Once a power surge went through, they’re done*. You might as well plug your computer (or any other electronics like tv, scanner, printer, etc.) straight into the wall outlet.

A few years back, after our 3rd of 4th computer had been fried by a power surge, we called Juvio to find out if any of the data could be saved. That’s when the technician there gave us the great advice to invest into a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) Battery Backup Surge Protector. Ever since all our electronics have been plugged into APC Surge Protectors.

Well, until two weeks ago, when I found my computer plugged into a regular surge protector strip by our son, after coming back from vacation. By the time I noticed it, it was too late. That afternoon we had numerous power surges and I just knew I had lost yet another computer. I unplugged it immediately and when I tried to turn it back on a few hours later there was no sign of life. Hoping for a miracle, I tried a couple of more times during the week. Nothing. The results were always the same.

So, my husband and I went out and bought – yet another – computer. When we took it to Best Buy to have the old data transfered over to the new computer we were in for a big surprise. As soon as the technician hooked it up and turned on the power…it came back to life and started right up. How could that be? I had tried the same thing several times at home to no avail. Even changed power cords. It was dead. (Funny thing, the same thing had happened to the young lady infront of us in the customer service line.) But whatever had happened, I was very happy that it worked and I still had all my data.

The tech told us that sometimes that happens after power surges hit a computer. Guess we were lucky. He also reaffirmed the importance of having your electronics plugged into uninterruptible power supply so they receive an even amount of power. No spikes, no lowes. Spikes from power surges can destroy electronics…as we found out numerous times.

You can find APC Surge Protectors at Best Buy and Walmart.

P.S. * As we found out from our friendly tech at Best Buy, there are also new (regular) surge protectors now that do work more than once and have a “reset” button. However, they do not protect your computer more than a couple of times. So, since there’s not that much difference in price you might as well invest in an uninterruptible power supply surge protector.

I would love to hear your comments. Especially if something similar has happened to you.

“Why Doesn’t Everyone Else Think Just Like I Do?”

By Bob Burg

The sages asked: “Would you be offended if, when walking into a room, you noticed that no one else has a face exactly as yours? Why then would you be offended when others don’t have a belief system exactly as yours?”

Interesting point, isn’t it? So often, we’re upset because somebody didn’t do something, act a certain way, or handle a situation as we would have handled it. Have you ever said to yourself, “I can’t believe he did it like that–anybody else would have done it like this!” (You probably have never done that…but I know I have.) Actually, “anybody else” would not necessarily have done it just as you or I would have, but we genuinely do think they would.

Have you ever been upset because a prospect didn’t respond with total excitement to a particular aspect of your business opportunity that you believe is a major benefit? It baffles you:

…that while you see “financial freedom” as the end-all be-all, he only wants to know more about the health benefits of the products.

…that while you are going on and on about how much more energy people are discovering in themselves after taking the company’s flagship supplements, she stops you and asks how long

The Power of Discipline

Millions of people say that they’d like to write a book someday – a novel, their life story, a children’s book, a murder mystery, or perhaps a self-help book. Of these millions, perhaps a million of them actually do it in any given year. Of this million, almost 300,000 of them get published (in 2007 the figure was 291,922). Each of these books has less than a 1% chance of being stocked in an average bookstore, and the average book sells about 500 copies. (Publishers Weekly, 2006) In other words, once you write a book, getting it published is a long shot. And if you get it published, making it successful is an even bigger long shot.

Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen learned this the hard way. They spent three years gathering stories and editing them for a collection they called Happy Little Stories. By the time they were finished, they were $140,000 in debt.

Then they found a literary agent who agreed to represent them and he set about sending the manuscript to publishers he thought might be interested. The response was unanimous: “no.” One publisher said, “Nobody buys anthologies anymore.” Another said, “It’s not topical enough.” Yet another said, “We just don’t get it.”

And finally, the worst “no” of all – their literary agent dropped them. After pitching the book to dozens of publishers he came up empty-handed. “I can’t sell this book,” he told them. “Nobody buys short stories.”

That could have been the end of the story for Canfield and Hansen. Undoubtedly, most authors would have given up by now – but not these two. Instead, they decided to try to sell the book themselves.

They made 200 copies of their manuscript, stuffed them into their backpacks, and headed to the annual American Bookseller’s Association convention (now called Book Expo America). They roamed the aisles of the huge convention center, button-holing every editor and publisher they could find. They handed out dozens of copies of their manuscript, but still no takers.

Finally, after two days of non-stop hunting and schmoozing, they met Peter Vegso, owner of a small publishing house in Deerfield Beach, Florida – Health Communications, Inc. (HCI) This publisher was in the business of doing primarily recovery books (12-step), but they had fallen on hard times, as the recovery movement peaked and waned. On the verge of bankruptcy, Vegso had put his company on the market to sell it.

In the meantime, he was still trying desperately to save it by expanding into a broader category of spiritual books. Vegso agreed to take a chance on this collection of happy stories. After all, he figured, he didn’t have much to lose.

After much discussion, they changed the name of the book to Chicken Soup for the Soul, and in 1993 HCI published it. Then the hard work for the authors began in earnest. As Hansen says today, “Making your book successful is 5% about writing a good book, and 95% marketing.”

He knows what he’s talking about. He and Canfield lived it. For the first year after the book was published, both men lived, breathed, ate, and slept their book. They were monomaniacs with a mission. They had bet the farm on their book – mortgaging their houses to the hilt – working non-stop, day and night, to make their baby successful.

They went to their hometown newspaper, the Los Angeles Times, and walked through the newsroom one afternoon, handing out copies of Chicken Soup to every reporter and editor, hoping that someone would write about their book. No one did.

They spread the word: sending out press releases, doing book signings, promoting their book in their seminars and workshops, and hiring publicists and others to help them make their book successful.

Canfield and Hansen did everything they could to take their baby to the top, and in fourteen months they made it. They arrived at the Nirvana of books and authors – the #1 spot on the New York Times Best-seller list – where they remained for two years.
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We all face adversity in our lives. It’s not a matter of if…but when. And during those times we need encouragement and inspiration to get us through. The Chicken Soup story is one of many in BJ Gallagher’s new book, The Best Way Out is Always Through…The Power of Perseverance. I love it! And it’s gotten rave reviews since it was released a few weeks ago.