Alux Articles

10 Simple Ways to Find Out If Your Friends Have
Good or Bad Intentions

13 OCTOBER 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Do You Think Your Friends Have Got Your Back? Here Are 10 Ways to
Know If Your Friends Are Real or Not.
Friends are an important part of our lives. Good friends are there for us, making the good
times even more fun, and the hard times more bearable. But not all friends have our best
intentions at heart.
We’re looking at 10 alarm bells that might help you realise your friend is more of a frenemy
than a BFF.
Alux is a channel loaded with all kinds of great advice and information to improve your life
daily. Comment on this article if you’re an inspired person, and don’t forget to subscribe to join
our community of future billionaires.
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not subscribed yet, you’re missing out.
Don’t waste your precious time in reading this lengthy article. Switch over to the simpler video
version of this text:
With that said, here are 10 Simple Ways To Find Out if Your Friends Have Good or Bad
Intentions.
1
Equal Measure
A friend for life is someone that is there for you when you need them, and equally someone
you can lift up when they need a boost. They pick up the bill when you’re out of work, and
vice versa, it’s a yin and yang thing, if you think about it.
In the case of a friend without the best intentions, you will find that it’s not an equal balance.
You take them to the airport without a second thought, but when you’re jet setting they don’t
reply to your message asking for a ride. Or when you get together to catch up, no matter the
topic of conversation, it always seems to revert back to them and their life.
Friendship has to be give and take as in… from both sides, not one person gives and the
other person takes. If it’s a one-way street, then your friend is more in it for themselves.
2
Boundaries
Maybe in middle school it was a friendship badge of honour to borrow your friends’ clothes
without asking and assume every bit of your free time will be spent together, or even that your
friend gets a say in who you date.
Most of us grow out of this level of friendship into more healthy boundaries and more casual
approach to closeness. It is then understood, while your friend is welcome to invite you
places, or share their opinion on your boyfriend, you won’t necessarily agree, because you’re
autonomous.
And that’s what friends usually like about each other. If you find your friend encroaching on
your independence and you feel bullied into doing things or making choices that don’t sit well
with you, then you might want to rethink the friendship’s boundaries.
3
Gossip
No matter how you spin it, you can’t trust a gossip. If they have an opinion and all the intel on
everyone and are happy to share it, you can be darn sure that they gossip about you too.
This kind of person often strong arms you to tell them your darkest secrets or the details of
your life. But this isn’t to support you, but rather because they thrive on the drama and love to
have some juicy new beans to spill to gain status.
Be wary of sharing your private business with someone who talks about other people’s
secrets, it’s not long before they broadcast your news too.
If you’re starting to recognise one of your friendships in these points, don’t be devastated
about letting someone go, stick around to the end for why it’s easier than you think.
4
Respect
A friend who has good intentions wants to see you thrive and grow. Even though they might
not always agree with you, they have your best interests at heart and want to offer you sage
advice.
Someone who isn’t looking after your friendship but rather stroking their own ego, can often
belittle or insult you to come off superior or funny in a crowd. This isn’t a true friend, and you
don’t need to stick around as their punching bag.
Life is hard enough without your friends making it worse. Find yourself friends that will have
your back, defend your honour and offer kind advice that encourages you to self-improve.
5
Jealousy
Have you ever had a friend who tries to prevent you from having other friends or
relationships? Well, that’s not a good sign. No one person can fill all roles for you, that’s why
it’s great to have a bunch of friends from different aspects of your life.
Friends from school and college, family friends, siblings and cousins, neighbourhood friends,
friends from the office and your kids’ school, and then friends with an interest like sport or a
hobby. This way you don’t have to rely on any one person or put unnecessary pressure on
anyone else. It also gives you a great amount of perspective if you have a challenge or need
advice.
Toxic people struggle to share. It’s mainly out of fear that other people will make them less
central in your life, and perhaps even point out some of the unhealthy patterns in their
friendship. Someone who wants to keep you to themselves isn’t doing it out of adoration for
you, but out of an unhealthy need in them. And that’s not a good intention to build a friendship
on.
6
Negativity
Friends don’t have to agree on everything. So, if a friend always insists you share their
opinion on everything then let’s agree to agree that you’re in a bad place with them.
It’s exhausting and uninspiring to be around someone who wants to argue with you about
everything. Its near impossible to plan a trip you will enjoy with someone who has a “my way
or the highway” mentality. It just puts everyone in a negative space of being on the defence.
You shouldn’t have to defend yourself to your friends. Obviously, we don’t mean that your
friends shouldn’t challenge you to be better, but friendship is a safe space to make mistakes,
and still be supported. It doesn’t have to come with conditions. More on this coming up.
If you do have such uninspiring friends in your circle, then you might wanna check
out How to deal with backstabbers or negative people..!
7
Truth Be Told
You shouldn’t need to be a CIA detective to be able to unravel the facts in a conversation with
a friend. The reasons for people lying are many, and we’re not going to go into that here. But
the effect of a friend who lies is that you can’t trust them.
Often before you realise their lies, they might hype themselves up, or convince you to do
things you don’t want to.
Friends who have good intentions won’t need to lie to you. They won’t need to convince you
to do something so badly that they tell you “Alternative facts” about the matter.
Letting someone like this go, no matter how great you think they are, doesn’t have to be a big
deal, stick around to the end to find out why.
8
Acceptance
Friendship doesn’t mean that you’re a carbon copy of someone else. Healthy friends accept
that everyone has things about them that you like, and things that you don’t. They accept
these differences or even flaws.
Toxic friends will pressure you to change, to emulate everything that they like, think and feel
about everything and anything. From fashion to music choices, they will use some of the
techniques we mentioned before like belittling or lack of boundaries to steam roll you into
submission.
9
Competition
The most common frenemy trait is when your friendship is an escalating competition you
didn’t sign up for.
We’re not dismissing that having a little healthy motivation to keep up with your friends can
feel a bit like competition, but that’s not the unhealthy kind we’re talking about here. If your
friend makes you feel like every move is constant one-upping of each other, then you’re in a
bad space. It’s exhausting and isn’t at all the safe space you should be fostering as friends.
If you want to be a better friend, we suggest you watch our video 15 Ways To Be A Better
Friend.
As viewer, MiamiMichelleable commented, “We always need good friends to do things with
and be there for us when the good and bad happens to us.”
10
Trust Your Gut
When it comes to wondering if your friend has good or bad intentions, nothing beats good old-
fashioned intuition. If you have to go through a check list, then you probably already know the
answer.
Trust your gut and invite people into your life who want to see you thrive and succeed in your
personal, professional, and spiritual life.
Question:
How did you know your friend didn’t have good intentions?
10 Mind Blowing Ways to Increase Your Lifespan

12 OCTOBER 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Ways to Increase Lifespan Have Been a Mystery to Many for Quite a
Long Time. Here Are 10 of Them For You.
Mankind has long been on a journey to discover the “Fountain of Youth,” while many of
course, put it down to sheer fantasy… like the abominable snowman or the Loch Ness
Monster.
However, the fountain of youth does exist – it’s water, pure and simple. But we all know the
benefits of drinking plenty of water, and we all know the benefits of eating plenty of fresh fruit
and veg, brown vs white bread, no smoking and so on… so, let’s forget about those and delve
into some really unique ways that you can live for longer.
Skip reading this long lifeless article and switch over to the simpler video version of this text:
Without further ado, let’s get straight into the article.
1
Fasting
Right, so we’ll begin with the most controversial of them all… Fasting. Two prime examples
were brought forward by TikTokker, themaxreeder. Doctor Yoshinori Nagumo, born in 1955,
doesn’t look a day older than 40. He is a firm believer of fasting and even wrote the book,
Being Hungry Makes You Healthy: One Meal a Day and You’ll Look 20 Years Younger!
If he’s perfect image isn’t enough to make you consider it, then look at Dr Nun Amen Ra. He
is also in his mid-60s and looks phenomenal. We won’t lie, some say he is a quack… but
quack or no quack – to look like that in your 60s is an achievement in itself.
According to Doctor Yoshinori Nagumo, fasting releases sirtuin. There is controversy
surrounding this finding, but as explained by Science Direct, “Sirtuins (Sirt) are a family of
histone deacetylases that have been shown to regulate organismal lifespan as well as
oxidative stress and DNA damages.”
Research continues.
2
Move to Okinawa or Sicily
Your place of residence influences your aging process enormously.
In the states, moving south of the Mason-Dixon line is a death sentence. Mississippi, in
particular, will have you heading through the pearly gates far earlier than you expected. The
Centres for Disease Control released data confirming that the lowest healthy life expectancy
was in the South.
Forbes affirmed that some of the unhealthiest places to live include Mexico City, Moscow,
New York City, Washington D.C, London and Zurich.
Rather head to Hawaii, Sicily, or Okinawa… and there are so many factors about living there
that will help you live longer; from the right kinds of foods to safety, good healthcare and
beautiful beaches… a perfect recipe for living a healthier, longer life.
3
Don’t Be a Bachelor Forever
You might not be sold on the idea of marriage just yet, but if you’re keen to live a little longer,
it seems that marriage may be the answer.
There’s an incredible book called “The Longevity Project, Surprising Discoveries for Health
and Long Life from the Landmark Eight-Decade Study” written by Howard S. Friedman and
Leslie R. Martin.
This book studied 1,500 Californians across eight decades and came to some interesting
conclusions. For example, you won’t die from working long hours at a challenging job, in fact,
the reverse was true. It’s the prudent and persistent that are better off over the years than the
“happy go lucky” type and finally, while getting married means a longer life for men… the
same rule doesn’t apply to women.
Go grab a free listen on Audible by heading to alux.com/freebook.
4
Grab a Beer, Cup of Joe and Some Chocolate
Life wouldn’t be worth living if we were denied all the good stuff, right? The occasional beer,
our daily cup of coffee or a bit of chocolate for our sweet tooth, are all important factors when
it comes to living a longer, healthier life.
Coffee has been proven to deter certain cancers and chronic diseases, including Alzheimer’s,
and Parkinson’s disease. Regular coffee drinkers were at a lower risk of death as confirmed
by a 30-year study done by Harvard School of Public Health involving over 300,000 people.
The journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, further affirmed that moderate
drinking was linked to the lowest mortality rates, after studying 1,814 participants over 20-
years.
And of course, decent chocolate is crammed with antioxidants… but like anything in life….
Everything in moderation.
5
Floss
Show of hands, who flosses their teeth every, single day? Right – as we expected – not very
many. Flossing goes far deeper than removing a popcorn kernel from your teeth, it can
actually add 6.4 years onto your life expectancy.
Health Line confirms that flossing not only removes plaque and reduces the risk of cavities
but also helps prevent gum disease, reduces bad breath, and could assist heart health.
Dr. Michael Roizen has written several papers and books where he has highlighted the
benefits of flossing and how neglecting flossing could lead to the development of other
diseases in the body.
It makes no sense to skip something that literally takes a couple of minutes to do, Aluxers.
6
Go Shopping
Since Covid, we’ve all become a little wearier of hitting the malls or supermarkets… and for a
short time, that’s totally acceptable. But by opting for online shopping over in-store shopping
forever, well, that’s not doing your health any favours.
The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health released a study that confirmed that
people who went shopping every day were at a lower risk of death. The authors of the study
confirmed that “In shopping venues, socializing with or watching others can provide social and
mental benefits…”
While we’re not suggesting you splurge on the daily, we are saying that a simple exchange
with the cashier when you buy a loaf of bread, helps you to feel less lonely and leads to living
a little longer.
To have a splendid shopping experience at the best shopping sights, check out Top 10
Best Shopping Streets In The World.
7
Have Healthy Parents
Yes, we know you can’t work on your current parents, but you can be the healthy parents for
your offspring.
There are several studies that confirm that what parents are exposed to in terms of their food
and toxins in the environment, can influence their children.
If parents just focus on making healthier decisions in terms of what they eat, how they go
about consuming food, and their relationship with food – then their children will emulate the
same moving forward.
If this is something you’re having a hard time with, we do encourage you to seek professional
help.
8
A Big Derriere Is a Healthy Derriere
There’s no doubt that staying physically active leads to a prolonged life – but that doesn’t
mean you have to exercise so much that you don’t have fun anymore.
Business Insider confirms that “Over-exerting yourself could actually undo the results you
worked hard to get, and worse, could damage your heart and arteries, lead to injuries, and
make you addicted.”
So, where are we going with this? If your rear-end is on the slightly larger scale – don’t worry
about it and definitely don’t overdo the exercise in trying to make it smaller. Researchers from
Oxford University studied 16,000 women’s bottoms… all legit research… and confirmed that
the bigger the butt, the better. They found that bigger butts meant lower levels of cholesterol
and lower risk of mortality.
We finally found the truth in Sir Mixalot’s “I like Big Butts.”
9
A Good Laugh and a Decent Sleep
There’s an Irish proverb that says, A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for
anything.
Laughter is a miracle worker for staying young and living longer, and sleep is certainly under-
rated. So, why not head out to a comedy show and then come home and have a great night
sleep.
Not only does laughing burn calories, bonus, but according to research done in Japan and
Norway, could make you live longer. Laughing is said to boost the immune system, helping to
stave off deadly diseases. It also reduces inflammation which are triggers for diseases like
cancer and arthritis… which is no laughing matter.
10
Make a Lot of Money
One of the leading causes of stress is… money, or rather, lack thereof. This constant stress
triggers all sorts of unhealthy physical, mental, and emotional problems – all leading to
untimely deaths.
So, as simplistic as what making more money sounds, it’s one of the things that will genuinely
keep you alive for longer.
You eliminate the stress and anxiety. You can afford to eat healthier, take a much-needed
holiday, afford better healthcare, send your kids to a decent school… and you get the picture!
As the saying goes, money can’t buy happiness, but it can pay the rent.
Question:
Aluxers, what can you add to our list of ways to prolong one’s life expectancy? We’d love your
input on this article in the comments below.
10 Financial Things That Should Be Illegal
11 OCTOBER 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Here Are 10 Financial Charges That We Think Are Unfair to Be
Demanded from a Broke Person.
Big corporations get away with murder and if you’re poor or broke, you’re the one getting
murdered. Why do we say that?
Simple – poor or broke people rarely get a break. Debit orders bounce, and guess what?
You’re charged for that! So, let’s oversimplify it – you’re already struggling to pay a bill or
several bills, and you’re charged extra because you can’t pay it??? Umm, something isn’t
quite adding up…
It should be illegal to waste time reading this long boring article when you can switch over to
the quick little video version instead:
With that out of the way, here are 10 more financial things that should be illegal!
1
Planning Ahead Is Not an Option
Right, so you receive a pamphlet or an SMS telling you that you can buy 3 big bags of diapers
for the price of 2 big bags of diapers. That’s a good deal because diapers are expensive.
However, when you don’t have much money, you can’t even afford one big bag of diapers.
You have to buy those ridiculously small bags with 10 diapers inside until you have another
small amount of cash to get another bag of 10 diapers. You see the cycle here… so, this
“special” only works when you have money, which seems counter-productive, doesn’t it?
2
Overdraft Fees
The only time we’re forced to use the overdraft facility is when we’re cash-strapped… but no
surprises, that’s when the banks like to remind us of our financial grievances and then charge
us even more on the overdraft.
This is pretty ridiculous when you take into account the monthly bank charges you’ve been
paying the bank for your entire life, and the minimal interest you receive on your money –
when you do have a little boost on the odd occasion.
This should be a value-added service, or a “thank you for your business” courtesy that all
banks offer their clients. In fact, can you imagine the high number of people that would switch
bank providers if this service was available?
Banks certainly know how to charge for extras, and we’ll share one of the craziest things they
charge for a little later.
3
Late Rental Fees
Aluxers, have you ever been late for rent, through no fault of your own, and then been
charged an extra $50 for the “inconvenience” you put the landlord through?
It’s pretty sh*t, and unfair especially if you’re a first-time offender and you’ve been diligently
paying your rent every month forever.
Every country has their own rules and regulations regarding late fees, but as explained
on Avail.com “Late fees are legal as long as they are written in your rental lease, and they
follow local laws regarding the amount you can charge and when you can charge it.”
The bigger picture is this, sadly… your paycheck is late, your rent is charged a late rental fee,
your debit orders have bounced…and before you know it, your finances are in terrible
shape… yet again.
4
Paying for Sanitary Products
There’s long been a debate about why condoms are given away for free and sanitary pads
are not. Headlines like “Sex is a choice, menstruation is not,” are often used to drive the point
home.
While there is truth in those statements, it does eliminate the continual need to also protect
people from STDs like HIV or HPV.
So, instead of cancelling one for the other – both condoms and sanitary products should be
free and easily accessible to everyone.
According to the BBC, Scotland is the first country in the world to provide free sanitaryware to
women with the “Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill” getting the go-ahead in
November 2020.
5
Riding in an Ambulance
As if having to be transported to hospital isn’t bad enough, when you’re done with the
traumatic experience, you’re in for another traumatic experience… the account.
CNBC reported findings of a study that confirmed “79% of patients who took a ground
ambulance could be on the hook for an average fee of $450 after their insurance paid out. By
comparison, air ambulances can cost the average patient $21,700 after the insurance pays
out.”
And Aluxers, that’s before your other unexpected medical expenses as well.
So, best not to do anything silly, like… we don’t know, having a heart attack or something.
It’s crucial that you keep your health in check in order to avoid these financial charges.
Check out 15 Health Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making.
6
Insulin
If you have type 1 diabetes, you literally cannot survive without insulin. If you have type 1
diabetes and you’re broke… you won’t be able to survive either because you won’t be able to
afford a vial of insulin which costs on average $285. Each month, a person with type 1 will
need between 2 and 4 vials.
Not too long ago, Colorado made headlines when they capped the monthly cost of insulin to
$100 per person, according to Business Insider. The article outlined why the drug was so
expensive, but pointed out that… “medical researchers who patented their invention in 1923
wanted insulin to be affordable for even the poorest sufferers from diabetes.”
And while the debate on insulin is certainly a talking point for another day, the unrealistic
rising costs of the life-saving drug is something that should be illegal.
7
Bank Fees
Banks certainly use many unscrupulous methods to make their money. They like to pack on
the additional and hidden fees at every opportunity that presents itself.
So, one of the craziest things that banks for… is you not using their service. If you have an
account with a service provider, and it’s been inactive for a period of time, a nice little $10
account to you should jolt you into action.
Here are just some other examples of fees that many believe should be illegal!
Paper statement fees, ATM withdrawal fees, debit card usage fees, minimum balance fees,
account closure fees. Sometimes, even after you’ve closed an account, you will still be privy
to the odd financial charges you didn’t bargain for.
8
Towing Fees
Aluxers, have you ever had a vehicle towed? It’s a truly awful experience seeing your wheels
being winched up the metal platform and being driven away, while you cry – either internally
or way out there, ugly cry – because you know you’re in for a bill of note.
And it’s possible that you get lucky, and the actual tow isn’t the deal-breaker, but rather, it’s
the storage costs while you get your life sorted out that’s the major problem.
Some places charge as much as $100 a day – that’s $100 a day for nothing! Rates differ, for
sure… so expect anything from $32 a day, as is charged in Sacramento or $100 is what you
can expect in Oakland.
9
Absurd Lawyer Fees
Can you imagine if every industry charged like lawyers do?
Let’s take the writer of this article as a random example. They open the email from their
producer with the topic. Great, that’s $10 onto the bill. They email their producer and get a
reply. Another $10. They respond to a WhatsApp from the voice-over artist, and it’s $5… and
then once the article is published within a timeline, there’s another $10 cost on… that’s
without the bill for writing the script.
It’s insane, isn’t it?
But that’s how lawyers charge. You get charged for them opening and reading your email,
replying, answering a call, printing a piece of paper, and before you know it, you’ve won your
case, but your legal fees are so high, you may as well have not even bothered.
10
Student Loan Interest
Aluxers, the controversy surrounding student loan debt and its interest, is huge in the USA.
Just recently, a new act was put in place called the Public Service Loan Forgiveness
program. This program, although mostly unmet according to many reputable sources, aimed
to relieve the student debt for people working in non-profits or the government.
And while the idea sounds admirable, it’s been a tough blow for those who have managed to
settle their debt at a great cost.
The argument is that the money saved from paying back the debt will still make its way into
the economy, is perfectly legit, but there’s room for improvement and fine-tuning.
According to Nerd Wallet, “The average student loan interest rate is 5.8% among all
households with student debt… With a 5.8% interest rate on $30,000 of student loans, a
borrower would pay about $9,600 in interest throughout 10 years.”
While we understand the importance of paying back a loan, the exorbitant interest charged
could make or break the financial situation of most borrowers.
We strongly suggest you take a listen to “Destroy Your Student Loan Debt, The Step-by-Step
Plan to Pay Off Your Student Loans Faster” by Anthony ONeal, for incredible inspiration to
clear your debt without hoping you get lucky with the Public Service Loan Forgiveness
program.
Question:
Like we said Aluxers, these are just 10 examples, and we know there are so more. Which
financial charges do you think should be made illegal? We’d love to hear from you.
10 Reasons Why Success Scares People

7 OCTOBER 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Does the Idea of Getting Success in Life Scare You to No End? Find Out
Why.
Success can seem like a great idea, especially if you keep it in the distant future. But when
you are suddenly standing face to face with the reality of success, then you realise just how
scary success actually is… and just how comfortable and familiar mediocrity can be.
But fear isn’t a good enough reason to keep Aluxers from ditching their dreams.
So, let’s stare fear in the face together and look at 10 Reasons Why Success Scares People.
Don’t forget to show us you’re onboard by commenting, if you want daily motivation be sure
to subscribe if you aren’t one of us already.
Success might have exhausted you already. Head over to the faster and ‘easier on the eyes’
video version of this text:
With that said, let’s jump straight into the article.
1
It Makes Your Life Feel Lacking
When your friends from college are racking up awards, finding the answers to the universe
and sporting a picture-perfect home life, it can make you feel like your life is lacking in a few
areas.
Perhaps someone who started with you at the same time at work got a promotion, you might
suddenly realise that you haven’t made the most of this employment opportunity. The truth is,
seeing success around us when we aren’t moving forward in life can remind us that we’re
kind of stagnating or missing out.
2
It’s Envy-Inducing
It’s easy to deal with some of the “out there” success stories like Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk, but
when your friend from high school is bringing in millions and rolling with a seven strong luxury
car fleet, it can hurt.
Seeing success close to home points out just how few luxury cars you have in your life, and if
the figure is less than seven, it can make you feel like you’re lacking.
This might seem like one of the most common reasons why success is scary, but there is a
much more common reason we’ll reveal if you keep reading.
If you want to know more about why people feel uncomfortable regarding others’
success, check out Why the Average Hates Success.
3
Success Changes People
Have you ever worked with someone, and they were promoted, and it felt like they changed?
Success does change people, for sure, but it isn’t always an unjustified change. Blaming
someone for being on “management’s side” when they receive a promotion is a little…lame.
Of course, they are more aligned with management’s higher goals. That’s the point of moving
up the ladder. Naturally they won’t be able to take extra breaks or cover for you like they used
to.
Get real about what you want, and if you’re part of Alux, we can assume you’re striving
towards big goals.
Which is a good segue to the next reason success scares people.
4
It Seems Only for a Select Few
Success can play tricks on us when we’re on the outside looking in. Success can look like it is
reserved for a select few who have some unexplainable advantage. These successful
messiahs seem to possess the secret answer to how to turn hard work or ideas into a
success.
That’s not the truth though. Success is just the end of the journey. If you ask any successful
person, there would have been numerous failed attempts, plenty of mistakes and a life time of
self-doubt before they struck success.
We suggest you listen to The Decision, Overcoming Today’s BS for Tomorrow’s Success by
by Kevin Hart on Audible. It will really give a greater in-depth look at this exact point. Get your
free listen on alux.com/freebook.
5
Success Seems Elite
Successful people can seem like the untouchables behind that red rope in the VIP section.
They can seem unapproachable and part of some elite club, and that’s scary. But successful
people are just you and I, but a little further down the line.
The truth is some of the most successful people are actually some of the humblest folks you
will come across in life. While they might tend to keep a few people between themselves and
the general public, that is often because they genuinely have a jam-packed schedule and
need any spare time they can get to think over matters.
6
Success Shows Us What Could Have Been
One of the most confronting parts of success is when it shows us another reality of what
could have been in our own life. If we had tried, or started something, or taken a risk.
Comparisons like this are only useful if they inspire us to action, but dwelling on how little
progress you’ve made compared to someone else, is futile. No two people, no matter how
similar the circumstances, can ever experience life the same.
Like we said in our video, 15 Success lessons to learn from Hollywood, “There are no bad
ideas, remember the success of Sharknado.” So, what we’re saying is, if you have a great
idea, run with it… you could have the next Sharknado on your hands!
7
Successful People Might Choose Favourites
Success can feel like an elite club, but it can also feel like a favourites game. People with a
view from the ivory tower do seem to pick favourites and unfairly advantage some.
The fear of not being on the receiving end of such a “blessing” is real.
But let us get very real here. Firstly, people who are truly successful don’t get there because
of picking favourites for no reason. They promote people based on their merit. Think about it
for a second. It’s not in their best interest to give someone more responsibility or a raise just
because you support the same team, it’s because that person can make more money for
them.
So, don’t let your fear run away with your sensibility. Look at who seems like a favourite, get
real with yourself about what special traits or skills they possess, and work on upping your
game.
You might just find yourself the next hot favourite soon!
8
Success Threatens the Ego
We all have a certain idea about ourselves, and for most of us, no matter if we think we’re
great or not, we believe we deserve success. That’s all thanks to the ego.
When we see other people’s success it’s tough on the old ego. An inner monologue is
triggered between us and the ego asking, “why aren’t we as successful”. It begins to eat away
at our confidence.
That’s why it’s so important to take notice of how others’ happenings in life and success
makes you feel and take control of your thoughts sooner rather than later… or else you’ll end
up consumed by negativity and toxic comparisons.
If you struggle with this, check out our mind mastery course and change your life in the
process!
9
The Money or Fame Will Change You
So, while kicking back at work is fun, you might need to make some changes yourself to be
taken seriously and be in line for promotion. These kinds of changes can be scary because of
who and what you might lose in the process.
You might lose freedom to take time off when you want to if you get a big promotion. You
might lose anonymity if you end up well known through your success. These kinds of changes
can mean you feel as if you’re up for more scrutiny both at work, and in your personal life.
That is one of the downsides of success.
But if you’re like us, the downsides to not living to your potential are far worse, so we’ll take
the bitter with the sweet life!
10
They Become Your Competition
Part of the reason you become a target to haters when you succeed is that you’re suddenly
competition. People were okay with you when you were taking short cuts or kind of stagnant.
But now that you’re make money moves, you’re showing them up, and people don’t like that.
Becoming competition puts a target on your back, but you know what we say at Alux? Keep
on going, because it’s harder to hit a moving target.
Question:
Why do you think success scares people? We’d love your feedback in the comments below.
10 Simple Tips to Use When Talking to Someone in a

Higher Position
5 OCTOBER 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Talking to Someone in a Higher Position Is Never Easy. Here Are 10 Tips
to Help You Out.
Hi Aluxers, When you have to talk to a boss or a senior client, do you feel like you’ve been
summoned to the principal’s office?
It can be daunting to talk to people in a higher position, and there are certainly protocol you
should observe. But if you follow these 10 Simple Tips to Use When Talking to Someone in a
Higher Position you can feel more confident you will get the results you need.
Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for tons of our motivational videos that will point you
in the direction of success. If you’re already on the road to success, comment below so we
know you’re one of us.
Let’s get this conversation going….
Reading this long article is going to be too boring. Switch over to the simpler video version of
this text:
1
Have a Goal in Mind
When you get to speak to a leader or your boss, show confidence and be sure to know what
you aim to achieve by bending their ear. Are you there to get advice? Or are you wanting to
air a grievance and hopefully remedy the situation? Or are you looking for a promotion or to
be considered for a project? Whatever it is, be sure YOU know what it is, for a start. They
won’t be able to magically guess why you are there when the small talk peters out.
2
Make an Appointment
Don’t ambush the person in the elevator, bathroom or at the coffee machine. No one likes
entrapment, plus it will make them weary of ever being stuck in a confined situation with you
again.
Make an appointment. At the same time give an indication of what you would like to discuss.
That way if they feel it doesn’t merit a meeting and would rather discuss it on the phone or via
email, they can do that. It’s a busy world, and leaders are looking to prioritise their time.
Apart from the “Flash Mob” style discussion with your boss, there is an even bigger cardinal
sin, stick around to find out what we’re talking about.
3
Get To the Point
On the topic of small talk, be concise and to the point. This entails having detailed and
accurate information to share, which means you need to prepare.
With the right information and confidence, you can get to the point of why you are there, and
what you hope to achieve by speaking to this person.
Avoid repeating the story again and again just to hammer home your point. If it’s a valid
inquiry they will understand from one explanation.
4
Look Them in the Eye
Although the person you are talking to might be someone in authority or someone you hold in
high regard, they are also not the king of the universe. Don’t adopt a submissive or
subservient role by keeping your head low, speaking into your feet or mumbling without
confidence. That is plain irritating. Speak up with confidence, look them in the eye and deliver
your message clearly.
5
Shut Up and Listen
Once you have got your point across there can be an awkward pause before the person
responds. Don’t be tempted to circle back around and launch into your story again. This is just
the moment it takes for a person who is really listening to collect their thoughts.
It’s a good thing.
A sign someone hasn’t always listened is when they begin rapping off their response before
having finished laying out your points. So let the listener take a beat, it’s a sign that the
information coming from them is considered, and that they have listened.
6
Don’t Self-Deprecate
When in the company of people in a higher position or further along in their career than you,
there can be a temptation to self-deprecate yourself in a pseudo-humble way. That’s not
actually how it comes across to someone more senior to you. Humiliating yourself or self-
diminishing your skills or values are not an impressive trait. Knowing your strengths and
weaknesses is a good thing but need not be a conversation filler at the cost of your own
dignity.
It’s important to know who the boss is, but more on the chain of command coming up.
Stop self sabotaging yourself by getting rid of your bad traits. Check out 15 Traits of
the Inferior Man.
7
Be Clear
Now that you have got the guts up and discussed a topic with your boss, don’t waste the
opportunity by nodding at their response so enthusiastically that you half forget what they
said. Then you express you’ve understood them and then walk away.
This is the time to be sure what they meant and ask questions if you don’t. If after getting
direct instructions from a senior you don’t action them correctly, then it won’t go down well.
If you are here to build your career, be sure to look into our Learning Mastery course to help
fast track you. Find out more at alux.com/courses
8
Be Direct and Take Responsibility
If you are meeting to discuss a problem, own up, take responsibility. Don’t try to pass it off
and blame someone else, or worse…the equipment!
In our video, 15 Steps to Build Trust and keep it, we speak about the importance of
confidence and taking responsibility. We mentioned that “People trust those that make
mistakes and admit to them. They do not trust those that never admit fault.”
But even if you’re there about a problem, remain solution minded. This is where its best to
prepare and research your options before the talk, if you can.
It’s not wise to use threats to quit or report the matter to someone more senior as a
manipulation. That won’t go down well.
9
Don’t Criticise Others or Your Boss
If the conversation starts to flow naturally, it can be easy to get a little too comfortable.
Remember that this is someone in authority after all, and like they say: loose lips sink ships.
It’s not the time to get on your soapbox about every gripe you have about the company, the
system and individuals. It also could be tempting to undermine or belittle someone to get a bit
of familiarity going with the boss, but this doesn’t work in your favour because you come
across divisive. And it’s certainly not the time to vent your dissatisfaction with your bosses
performance, unless they explicitly asked for your opinion.
10
Thank Them
This is one of the most important moments in the conversation.
Don’t forget to thank the person for their time. No need to grovel but do show your
appreciation and acknowledge that it is helpful to you. This reinforces that you respect their
position, experience, and knowledge.
Question:
What is the most awkward chat you have had with a boss or superior?
10 Productivity Tips You Wish You Knew Earlier

30 SEPTEMBER 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Everyone Needs Motivation Every Now and Then to Stay Productive.
Here Are 10 Tips to Help You Out.
We all know to “put our phones away,” or “stop scrolling,” but let’s cut the BS Aluxers – we’re
just not going to do those things.
So, instead of feeling terrible every time you read a message or find yourself scrolling through
endless suggestions on how to make the perfect meringue on Pinterest, we’ve got some solid
advice on how you can easily become more productive and get real pleasure, instead of guilt,
when you’re reading the secrets to the perfect pavlova.
Stop wasting your time reading this boring article and switch out to the interesting video
version instead:
With that out of the way, let’s bounce back to the article.
1
Stop Working
Yep, sounds super counter-productive but hear us out.
You know that feeling… when you need to work or study, but your eyes are heavy and
burning. Your head feels like it weighs a ton and you’re not sure when you last had a sip of
water. It’s time to stop. Sitting there and staring blankly at the screen is not going to get the
job done, and if you do manage to fulfil the half-hearted attempt, it’s going to be cr*p.
Shut your laptop, go rest, take a walk, play with the dog, or just soak up some vitamin D –
anything to break away from the monotony of staring at the screen.
When you feel a bit more energetic, then start again.
2
It Just Takes 2 Minutes
A simple 2 minutes or 120-seconds is all you need to get productive and get things done.
Granted, you’re not going to write an essay on Aesop in 2-minutes, but you’ll be amazed at
what you can achieve.
The “2-Minute Rule” doesn’t imply that you fill your entire day doing 2-minute tasks, because
then you’ll definitely not get anything done! It works well if you implement it like this: Sort out
your “To-Do” list. While you’re writing down your list, see what will just take a couple of
minutes and complete those. You will feel motivated to return to your other tasks when you
see how manageable and easy the shorter ones were to complete. Go you!
3
Multitasking Is a Myth
In our video, 15 Productivity Habits to Win Back Your Time & Life, we spoke about how multi-
tasking is a fable… this time not credited to Aesop… and actually wastes more time than it
saves.
Earl Miller, an expert on divided attention, claims “The brain is not wired to multitask.” He
adds, “When people think they’re multitasking, they’re actually just switching from one task to
another very rapidly and every time they do, there’s a cognitive cost.”
So, quit trying to win a prize for being busy and doing 2 or 3 things at once – because there is
no prize. Rather dedicate yourself to each project properly, complete it and then move onto
the next.
4
Use Low Energy Patches Efficiently
Your slump could be a daily occurrence around 3ish, so instead of using that time to skulk to
the kitchen for a cookie and tea, rather plan to make the phone-calls that are eye-rollingly
boring but need to be done. Basically, any low-priority tasks that don’t require a lot of mental
attention to complete, are best left to this slumpish period of your day.
If you’re feeling low energy all the time, that’s a different story. Then you’ll need to figure out
why you’re slumping, focus on what matters most to you, identify where you’re doing well and
work on ways to build on that momentum. There’s nothing wrong with seeking professional
help to give you a boost.
5
Get the Meeting Out of the Way
We would all love to ditch the meetings, but sometimes there is no way around them – you
just have to sit through them.
When possible, schedule meetings as the first part of your day. This is to everyone’s benefit
and will waste a whole lot less time during the day. Reason being, is that when a meeting is
scheduled for later in the day, you tend to either be worrying about the meeting, or doing
arbitrary things while you bide your time to the meeting. You can’t really get involved with
anything major if you have to get up and leave, right? Right?
6
Take Advantage of Technology
Our parents didn’t have access to useful online work or scheduling platforms, like Trello or
Monday.com – they used to rely on things like a Filofax or desktop calendars. We are spoilt
for choice. With the help of a little tech, we can never have a clash of arrangements, we’ll
never forget when the pets need their deworming medicine or when the car is due for its next
service.
Try a variety of service on a trial basis and then sign up to the one that best matches your
requirements and lifestyle.
Technology can even help you make money, check out 10 Technologies That Can
Make You Rich.
7
Threes Not a Crowd
Entrepreneur and Youtuber, Erin on Demand, has some solid advice when it comes to being
super productive.
Her method is to focus on three tasks daily.
So, like our 2-minute rule empowered us to keep going when we crossed off the smaller
tasks, this method is slightly different. With the 3-task method you feel motivated to get those
3 tasks done quickly, and you’re empowered when you actually finish all three of them in one
day.
So, Aluxers, you need to decide which method would suit your personality better.
8
Will the Real Aluxer Please Stand Up
Standing up will do you the world of good when you’re doing your best to be productive.
Getting up on those two feet will help you out of your slump and give you a much-needed
boost of energy.
You could try a stand-up desk, but if that’s not possible – try getting up every 15-minutes –
stretch it out, walk a few paces, smile and then get back to work.
If you’re sitting on the fence with regard to converting to a standing desk, here are some
benefits that you might want to consider:
Standing at your desk reduces shoulder and back pain, obesity, diabetes, cancers of the
colon, cardiovascular disease and even premature death. The Washington Post affirmed that
standing desks also make you more productive.
9
Prioritize Yourself and Then Your Most Important Tasks
Aluxers, you can’t be productive or motivated when you’re sitting in front of your computer
without having brushed your teeth, changed out of your pyjamas, and have a desk that looks
like it’s vomited stationery at you… So, go take care of yourself and your space first.
Take the advice of Stephen Covey from his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
People. There he says, “If I really want to improve my situation, I can work on the one thing
over which I have control – myself.”
The whole book is a great listen, so get your free download from Audible and us by heading
to alux.com/freebook.
Once you’ve taken care of yourself, you can start focusing on your most important tasks.
10
Read Things Properly
How much time do we waste by just skimming through a document or email? The answer is
plenty. But forget about the time aspect and just think of the additional stress we put
ourselves under when we don’t read things through properly.
One minute you’re happily employed with a decent salary, next minute you’re fearing for your
job and wondering when the next pay check will arrive – when all your boss requested was a
meeting to discuss a potential project in the pipeline.
Spend a few minutes going through every line. Don’t assume you know what the other person
is asking for or explaining to you. Your future self will thank you, and you will be left with more
time to focus on that potential project in the pipeline.
Question:
What productivity tips work well for you? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
10 Money Traps to Avoid in Your 30s
29 SEPTEMBER 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Your 30s Is the Time for You to Get Settled, Not to Lose Your Money in
Money Traps. Here’s How to Avoid Them.
Hitting your 30s can come with some upgrades to your income. As you move from an entry
level position in your career to something bringing in the bacon, it brings with it new financial
temptations.
Without a second thought you might start taking an annual overseas holiday, buy a new home
and upgrade to a lush car. Before you know it, you might feel overwhelmed with financial
pressure and be wondering where your larger salary has gone.
Before this happens to you, let’s tackle this head on, Aluxers, and make sure you don’t fall
into these 10 Money Traps to Avoid in Your 30s.
If you’re a future billionaire, don’t forget to like and subscribe so that we can keep you
updated with the latest inspiring content.
Trying to read this article is a trap because it’s boring and only wastes your time. Switch over
to the video version of this article instead:
With that said, let’s get straight into the article.
1
The Unaffordable Partner
Don’t get suckered into funding your partners lifestyle just so you can feel like a “good” or
“supportive” partner. In the end, this will sink both of you. While spoiling your partner is totally
part of romance, you shouldn’t be spending every waking hour working so that your partner
can buy new shoes.
It’s important that at this stage of your life, you and your partner share a financial vision. This
is the only way you can advance a future together that doesn’t involve working non-stop and
never getting anywhere. More on how important this plan is later.
2
Trying to Match Your Friends Spending at Social Situations
It’s easy to get swept up in a social occasion and before you know it you’ve bought several
bottles of the most expensive champagne for the table. While this is a great gesture, it’s not
the only way to “win friends and influence people.”
Those days are over. And those people won’t stick around when you bankrupt yourself after a
few weekends hanging out with them. Be realistic with your income. Having fun is important.
Give yourself a social budget that suits your income and enjoy it and stick to it. You don’t
have to “one up” real friends, and if you can’t afford to go out every weekend, then simply
don’t, find more affordable fun.
3
Thinking That a Luxury Life Equals Success
When you hit that higher paycheck, there is an immediate pressure to start “living the
lifestyle”. But to a discerning Aluxer, we know that outward appearances of luxury don’t
always equate to real success. And while we love nice things, securing real wealth comes first
in our priority list.
Don’t fall into the trap of creating a temporary luxury lifestyle with money that you can’t keep
up the payments on. It will end up costing your long-term financial freedom.
4
Putting Your Kids’ Immediate Needs before Financial Security
Your kids are always going to want or need something. A new bike, ballet lessons, and cool
shoes like their friend at school. And there are some things you can afford, and others you
can’t. That doesn’t mean the asking will stop. If you have kids, you will have to grow a thick
skin to nagging and become more familiar with the word “No” than succumbing to the
pressure.
It’s not that all parents don’t want to give their kids all these things, it’s just that it won’t help
you as a family unit in the long run if that means you can’t afford to take time off. It could
mean you never save an emergency fund for medical care or turn you into a ball of stress
when you are around your kids because you’re in so much debt.
Long term financial security will carve out a far happier childhood for your child than a new
Xbox will. Knowing their home, schooling and basic needs are not a worry and their parents
are happy, is what really matters. All the rest is just ornamental.
5
Spending Too Much on Weddings and Holidays
If you choose to marry in your 30s you might want to really splash out on the wedding,
because, let’s face it, you and your friends need a good party. It can feel good to throw a big
blow out nuptial event but be sure this one special day doesn’t mean you’re paying it off for
the next 5 years.
The same goes for holidays. As you earn more, you might feel that “backpacking” style
holidays aren’t for you, and your holiday budgets might cost the same as a car. It’s great to
take a break, and spoil yourself, but be sure you don’t get caught up in the hype and then
have to work like a dog the rest of the year to pay for it. Meaning the holiday left you more
stressed and tired than if you stayed home.
6
Not Investing for Retirement
The joys of compound interest are never clearer than if you get a full thirty years of an RA. In
your 30s that might seem like crazy delayed gratification, but when you get to your 50s and
you can relax knowing you are covered, you will be glad. The sooner you start the better.
The younger you are the smaller your monthly contribution can be, and the less it hurts over
your lifetime. Most importantly is that you will invest far less and get a much bigger return.
And the biggest benefit is all the monthly tax you can save in most countries. In the end it’s
like saving money for later, while also getting a little extra to spend right now. Win win.
7
Failing to Plan For Emergencies or the Future
At thirty it’s normal to still feel like you’re invincible, a little wiser, but still impervious to
disaster. This is probably what makes it a great time to make calculated risks and try new
things. But it shouldn’t mean that you don’t plan at all for ALL eventualities. Cars breakdown,
unforeseen medical expenses crop up, and kids get picked for a sports tour. Having no wiggle
room in your cashflow to pay for these can mean major stress and perhaps taking on
expensive debt you can’t afford.
Your thirties are the best time to take responsibility for life’s unexpected nature and build in a
monthly savings towards an emergency fund. It’s a good time to look at saving for other future
needs. Do you want to have kids, or are your kids going to attend college? Perhaps you want
to emigrate later in life or retire young. Whatever it is, best you start getting the funds
together.
8
Buying above Your Means
In your thirties there can be a lot of pressure to buy a house and drive a great car. And while
these are great to have, these can be money traps.
There can be an unspoken rule in your company that you need to upgrade your car to match
your job title or buy a house in a certain price range to keep up with friends. But that’s a
ridiculous rule of measure.
How much you earn, and your personal financial responsibilities could be completely different
to the guy in the next office. They could be single or not have kids. A car might make you feel
slightly important for a minute, but if you can’t really afford the repayment that good feeling
will fade fast. The same goes for a house that robs you entirely of your lifestyle because you
can barely make the mortgage each month.
If you struggle with saving money, check out 15 Signs You Suck at Money (And What
to Do about It).
9
Failing to Upgrade Your Career
After all that pushing in your twenties, it can feel like time for cruising in your career. This is
where you will be doing yourself a disservice. All those new twenty somethings will be hot on
your tail soon. It’s important to keep a slow and steady upward trajectory in your career. This
doesn’t mean you have to always feel under threat, but also don’t feel that your earning is
completely secure.
Stay on top of developments in your industry, keep learning and upgrading your soft skills,
and remain actively seeking out ways to take on more responsibility at work that puts you in
line for promotion.
10
Not Setting Any Financial Goals
Trap number one when it comes to money moves in your thirties is failure to make any. If
you’re going to go the distance and build wealth, you need a plan. Setting out a roadmap of a
final goal as well as some shorter-term goals, is the first move.
Then seeking advice from a professional on how to get there is critical to get accurate and
reliable advice. This isn’t how to bake a cake or a trap, this is your hard-earned money, it’s a
bit more of a disaster if it’s a flop.
Question:
What is the biggest money trap you have been victim to? Be honest, we’re all friends here.
10 Reasons You’re Burning Out & What To Do About

It
27 SEPTEMBER 2021
ALUX INC
Watch Out for Signs of Burnout before They Swallow You Whole. Here
Are a Few Ways You Can Prevent Burnout.
When people experience signs of “burnout” they usually assume it’s because they’re doing
way too much… but have you ever thought about the flipside?
Is it possible that you’re feeling burnt out because you’re not doing enough things that actually
make you feel alive?… not making time for the things that truly matter to your overall
happiness and wellbeing?
Today we’re diving deep into that flipside to talk about 10 Reasons You’re Feeling Burnt Out –
And What To Do About It.
Reading this long article may accelerate your burnout. Switch out to the quick little video
version of this text.
With that out of the way, let’s move forward.
1
You Suck at Setting Boundaries
Are you the kind of person who can’t say “No”?
Being a people pleaser is a major cause for these signs of burnout to appear, and believe it or
not, it usually starts somewhere in our childhood.
Kids who grew up with less than unconditional love often have a hard time turning people
down or saying no – even when it’s something they don’t want to do.
This leads to way too many commitments and spreading yourself so thin you could shatter
into a million pieces at any moment.
For this, it’s important to retrain your mind to understand that you can’t pour from an empty
cup; saying no and setting boundaries isn’t jilting others… It’s an act of self-love. Practice it
enough, and it’ll become second nature.
2
Doing Work You Don’t Care About
Look, it’s kind of unrealistic to think that every human being will end up working a job or
landing a career they absolutely love all the time, but there’s a difference between loving what
you do, and caring about what you do.
No matter what, there will always be aspects of our work that we don’t necessarily enjoy, but
if you find yourself hating every.little.thing. It’s time to reassess.
What is it that bothers you most?… Is there a person you can hash out your problems with to
brainstorm solutions? Is there a mindset shift you need to work on to be less negative? –
sometimes it really is just a frame of mind thing.
However – if you’ve hit a point where you feel zero value in the work that you do, it’s time to
take control of the situation and change up how you make a living, or else you’ll keep noticing
these signs of burnout.
3
All Work and No Play
These are the folx who wear the signs of their burnout like a badge of honour… the ones who
think
Busy = successful… the ones who will never be happy.
There may not be such a thing as “work-life balance” but there IS such a thing as a balanced
life – and it involves play.
Yes, it’s important to be disciplined about work – but many high-achievers forget to be
disciplined about allowing themselves to kick back and just… be silly, be reminded of the kid
they once were, and get in touch with them for a while.
Easier said than done, but as humans, we are our habits – so work on making a habit out of
including some play in every day… and it’ll keep the burnout at bay – okay that’s enough
rhyming let’s move on
4
You’re Not Making Time for Your Friends
This one sort of ties in with the previous point “all work and no play”
Humans are social creatures… if you deprive yourself for long enough, signs of burnout are
almost inevitable.
It’s important to cultivate those bonds with a select few people in life; the ones who
understand you, make you feel seen and cared for… the ones you can share your true self
without fear of judgement.
If you’re in a place where you don’t currently have those kinds of people, the good news is
there’s more than 7 billion people on this planet and guaranteed your tribe is out there.
A good place to start is in the comment section below… right away, you have something to
bond over – you’re both aluxers.
5
You’re a Perfectionist
This is a tricky one, because it’s always rooted somewhere deep inside our minds.
People who lead with their perfectionist tendencies, usually have a deep-seated fear of
getting it wrong, or disappointing others. In their eyes, nothing they do is ever good enough.
Like anything related to personality, the first step is to recognize what’s going on, and get
mindful about it – because true perfectionism can lead to a whole host of badness, like
extreme procrastination, chronic stress, depression… and tragically, even suicide.
If you notice yourself in the rut of perfectionism, take that as a cue to check in with yourself…
what are you feeling… what triggered those feelings… get work on creating new ways to cope
with them.
It’s not going to be an overnight quick fix;. It took us a lifetime to become this way, it’s gonna
take time and effort to retrain the mind… and if you need some help in that department, don’t
worry because we got’chu.
Head to alux.com/meditation and join the thousands of people who have already taken control
of their thoughts through our premium course called Mind Mastery. It’s meditation and
mindfulness like you’ve never experienced it before.
6
You’re a Debbie Downer
You know those people who can look at literally any situation and list off at least a dozen
negative things about it? Yeah… those guys are burning out.
It sounds kinda wishy-washy, but there’s a f*ckload of power in positive thoughts and
affirmations… they quite literally can rewire your brain to be more optimistic and positive.
The trick is, you have to do it consistently, even when it feels stupid or your don’t believe the
words coming out of your own mouth. Just say them anyway.
Be mindful of your negative thoughts and try to counter them in real time.
Keeping a gratitude journal is almost cliche at this point, but it’s another tool to help retrain the
mind to see the positives. Do it every day and you’ll notice the shift inside within weeks.
If you are in need of some positive advice to uplift your mood, check out 15 Positive
Advice You Need to Hear.
7
You’re Unable to Delegate
Letting go of the need for control is tough, right?… but not doing it is a surefire way to burn
yourself out.
There isn’t a person in this world who can do everything themselves, all the time… as much
as many people try.
The whole idea of “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself” is like some
kind of attempt at justifying this trait, but in reality, it often produces poor results when it’s your
main M.O.
Being able to delegate is actually a power-move; recognizing you can’t do it all and asking for
help not only brings higher-quality results… but you can relax a little bit AND share that sense
of accomplishment with others… it’s a win-win.
8
Your Circle is Toxic
And this goes for both work and personal life.
We’ve said many times that you are the sum of the people you spend most of your time with,
and if those people are toxic, they’re burning you out and dragging you down.
Like many of the points on this list – mindfulness is key.
Take stock of the people you interact with most in life and consider if they leave you feeling
uplifted, or dragged down.
Examine those feelings and identify who you need to limit exposure to. Set those boundaries
we talked about earlier to free yourself from their grasp.
If these people are in your workplace, speak to a supervisor to work out solutions to move
desks or switch teams in order to drop the toxicity in your life. If they don’t support you, start
planning your exit strategy.
9
You’ve Got Unclear Expectations
Not many things are as stressful to a high-achiever as not understanding what’s expected of
them. In a situation like this, it’s important to lean into communication, even if that feels
intimidating.
So many kids go through school NOT raising their hand to ask questions or gain clarity… and
what good does that do in the long run? Literally nothing; zero good comes from it.
The only way to work out of this specific kind of work fog is to be very clear about
what you need in order to feel comfortable in your role.
Many times, the people in charge of you are unaware of how you’re feeling… they’re not mind
readers. It’s important to stand up for your own peace of mind, and have the conversations
that will get you what you need. You are your biggest advocate.
10
Covid “Languishing”
Let’s end this list with something none of us can really escape right now – we’re faaaaar away
from “precedented” times, and real talk – you’re not alone, it’s still messing with all of us.
The New York Times came out with an article a few months ago that made everyone feel
“seen” and gave us a name to put with all these weird feelings of emptiness, feeling stuck,
loss of focus… and that fancy little word is languishing – but it doesn’t have to rule your life.
Covid Languishing is mostly spurred by feelings of uncertainty – and there’s lots of it going
around – but the way to help yourself combat those feelings is by really narrowing your focus
to things you can actually control – which is a pretty freeing exercise.
Instead of letting your mind spiral into all those “what if’s” and trying to plan an uncertain
future – take it all down to the basics and do things one week, or even day at a time, if you
have to.
Focus on moving your body, making a meal, even just sitting outside… give yourself 30
minutes a day to just breathe and do something simple for yourself; no pressure, just
presence… making that happen consistently goes a long ass way.
And there you have it Aluxers… 10 reasons you might be burning out right now… and what to
do about it.
Question:
In the last couple years, pretty much all of us have danced with burnout – so we’re curious,
what’s something you do for yourself to help manage the signs of burnout and stop it from
ruling your life. Join the conversation and share your tips in the comments – you might really
help someone in need!
15 Rules of Kings
26 SEPTEMBER 2021
EMIL ANTON
Do You Want to Be a King? Here Are a Few Things to Follow If You
Want to Rule like a King.
Everyone wants to be a king, but few know what it takes to sit on the throne!
As usual, here is the video version of this article:
With that done, Here are 15 Rules of Kings To draw wisdom from.
1
One Can Not Be King If They Can’t Even Rule Themselves
What is a king without his kingdom and how can one rule anything if they’re unable to rule
themselves?
In order to ascend to the throne you need to master yourself, your actions, your decision
making ability, for your kingdom depends on them.
2
Most Young Kings Get Their Heads Cut Off
You might not be ready to be a king yet, but you are on your way.
Jump the gun and ascend to the throne too quickly and those seeing the opportunity will take
the crown for themselves.
Your time will come, you need to prepare if you wish your reign to be remembered.
3
Come, See, Conquer, Move On
Life is a continuous conquest, be it internally or externally.
As with everything in life you need to show up, analyse the situation, do what must be done
and then move onto the next conquest.
That’s the only way to keep moving forward in life.
Too many kings want kingdoms without the willingness to go into battle.
4
Live By the Principles You Wish to Be Followed in Your Lands
Walk the walk. People judge others based on their actions not their intent.
Whatever you do, you set the standard for how others should behave – at least in relation to
you. Practice what you preach!
A good king passes down his teaching onto the populous. A great king is remembered by the
populous for the principles that ruled his own life.
Go to alux.com/freebook and if this is your first time signing up you will get an audiobook for
free thanks to our friends at Audible. We recommend Marcus Aurelius – Meditations.
5
Your Ability to Lead Is Your Competitive Advantage
There’s this Alexander the Great quote that we love:
Don’t be afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; be afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.
The paradox is, the sheep lives its life being worried of the wolves but ends up being eaten by
the shepherd.
A lion has no shepherd, for a lion is free.
Lead your team to victory.. And if you don’t have a team, lead yourself!
If you don’t know what a competitive advantage is, check out How to Find Your
Competitive Advantage.
6
Too Many Kings… Too Little Castles
Too many pharaohs, too little pyramids.
It doesn’t matter if you proclaim yourself as king if there’s no kingdom you have built!
Be careful when too many proclaim themselves as kings for No kingdom can endure two
kings.
7
There Are No Kings without Armies
A king without an army is just a civilian waiting for a proper king to take his treasure.
For one to be a king, you need to be able to protect what you care about.
Build an army of people who care about the kingdom as much as you do and they will follow
you into battle.
8
Never Interrupt Your Enemy When He Is Making a Mistake
Most empires fall based on the decisions of their leaders.
Mind your own and let everyone else run their own path in life.
Play life by your own strategy.
9
Keep Your Friends within Reach but No Closer… A Shield Only
Works If the Enemy Is on the Other Side
Be careful of the snakes in your garden, for they have bridged the citadel’s walls.
Those closest to us can hurt us the most. Trust, but don’t be naive.
10
A Queen Needs a Kingdom, Not a King, to Be a Queen
You don’t need someone to validate you, you just need your achievements. Sure, a power
couple, queen and king makes the ruling more bearable and the dynasty last longer, but it’s
not a requirement for the throne.
Build your kingdom, for you don’t need anyone’s permission to do so.
11
In the Country of the Blind the One Eyed Man Is King
That who has the slightest advantage over everyone else wins the race.
Find your ability to see when others are blind.
What do you have eyes for that no-one else around you sees? That’s where your kingdom
awaits!
12
Whoever Controls the King, Controls the Kingdom
Being a king isn’t about the status of being a king, but about control & power. That who can
exercise his power freely is more successful than a caged king.
You want your voice to be heard and for your voice to matter.
We said it last Sunday and we’ll say it again:
He who can silence a king, is the king.
13
There Are Only 2 Forces in the World: The Sword and the Spirit
And in the long run, the sword will always be conquered by the spirit.
You can control others with one of two emotions: FEAR and the feeling you get when THERE
IS SOMETHING TO BE GAINED.
The sword can get you in, but unless your goals align, you’ll never survive long term.
14
A King Is a King Even When He Isn’t Wearing His Crown
A king is not made by the costume he wears but by his intangible power and the belief others
have in him.
Master other people’s beliefs and you end up mastering reality.
It’s in the way you carry yourself, in the way you speak and other perceive you. If you want to
be a king, better start acting like one.
15
Only the King Knows How Much the Crown Weighs
Status and power are an incredible bourdain to carry. Knowing people depend on your ability
to perform, to make good decisions that have the wellbeing of the kingdom at heart is a heavy
price to pay.
Others will see the sparkle, the gold shine, the robes and the castle, but none of them see
what it took to get on the throne and what sacrifices you’re making just to maintain your seat.
Question:
Which brings us to the question; let’s say you are the king:
What’s one thing you would teach your son who is about to inherit the throne from you.
15 Smart Ways to Communicate Complex Ideas

17 SEPTEMBER 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Your Brilliant Idea Is Useless If You Can’t Communicate It Properly.
Learn How to Get Your Complex Ideas Across.
You have an incredible idea. It’s a game changer. It makes perfect sense in your mind and
translates well on paper, except when you try and explain it verbally it ends up being a
garbled, incoherent mess.
It’s not always easy getting a complex idea across Aluxers, which is why we’ve written this
article – 15 Smart Ways to Communicate Complex Ideas – to help you formulate the idea so
when it’s time to make a pitch – you nail it.
We hope you find our list useful. If you do, let us know by leaving us a thumbs
up, subscribing to our channel and hitting the bell notification to be alerted when new videos
are released.
It’s not a smart move to waste your time reading this complex article. Switch out to the video
version of this article instead:
With that done, let’s jump right in.
1
Don’t Fall Prey to the Curse of Knowledge
It sounds like a sci-fi / horror storybook, and it could be.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with knowledge, but when we are trying to convey an
important idea or concept, getting caught up in all the jargon or shop talk, may not resonate
well with your audience.
The concept of the curse of knowledge was introduced by Chip and Dan Heath, in their book
called Made to Stick, which is just a novel way of saying we know too much about our topic.
So, it’s important to not take shortcuts in your explanation, assuming the audience knows
something already, and avoid the technical jargon which may go over their heads.
So, how can you avoid the “curse of knowledge?”
Let’s find out.
2
The Twitter Test
When putting pen to paper while writing out your introduction, keep it short and sweet, no
more than 50 words.
Thereafter, use the Twitter Test, and keep each point to 140 words or less. Sure, some points
will be longer, but it’s a good benchmark to guide you while you’re preparing your thoughts.
Being concise is key when communicating complex ideas or theories.
In our video, 15 Skills all CEOs Master, we used the word brevity, which means writing or
speaking in a short, concise, clear manner.
3
Keep the Information Orderly
Aluxers, you’ve probably heard this a thousand times before – it’s not what you say, it’s how
you say it.
And when it comes to communicating complex topics, how you put the information forward is
key.
You need to break the information down into bite-sized pieces and present them in a
sequence that makes them flow into each other.It gives the listener a chance to absorb each
point and understand how they all fit together.
4
Give a Relatable Example of a Problem That Can Be Fixed
To resonate with your target audience, share a problem that most would have experienced at
some point in their lives. Once you’ve got them thinking about the problem, provide them with
the solution.
The actual solution may be complicated, but the problem they experienced is remembered,
and the thought of a solution sounds appealing, so they’ll hear you out.
5
Make It Easy for People to Refer to Your Idea
This could be through webinars, tutorials, online reading, even Instagram… it doesn’t matter.
As long as you’ve made it possible for people to read up on your idea or concept in their own
space and time.
This is also a wonderful opportunity for you to make yourself available to questions, concerns
or suggestions others might have for you, and might make you realize an important bit of
information that you missed.
And if the thought of creating a place for your ideas to live online feels… out of your
wheelhouse, don’t worry! Learning how doesn’t have to be daunting. We’ve just launched our
latest premium experience called Learning Mastery. This 21-day course guides you through
how to teach yourself anything with confidence. You can enroll today by going
to alux.com/learn.
6
Create Visuals
Smallbusiness.com gives several reasons why visuals are so impactful when giving a
presentation, whether it’s in front of a big audience, or just in a boardroom. The main reason
why we encourage visuals when communicating complex ideas is to create a little excitement
over things like figures or technical jargon – that can often be the reason people switch off.
Visuals help your audience to understand and remember the information you’re conveying.
If you were to think of the most important bits you would like your audience to remember,
here’s a tip.
7
The Power Of 3
People tend to take home 3 facts from a presentation or discussion – which 3 do you want
them to most remember?
Consider using the visuals to highlight the 3 most important pieces of information so that you
have a greater chance of retention within your audience.
8
Know Your Audience
Naturally, if you’re delivering your complicated idea to academics in the field, you can go right
ahead with the data and statistics, or figures and market changes… but if you’re not, then it’s
best to rethink your approach.
It’s important to note, however, that understanding your audience isn’t a guarantee that your
message will be understood. As pointed out by customer.com, “With Covid-19 creating a
ripple of economic uncertainty, consumer’s needs, motivations and behaviours have changed.
Old rules no longer apply. Businesses must reassess what they know.”
Excuse our use of a tired cliché, but – knowing your audience is a journey, not a destination.
9
Back Up Your Idea with Strong Examples and Case Studies
This leaves little room for doubt with your audience. When you can validate or substantiate
your information, it makes you more credible and believable.
You can use case studies, examples, documentary evidence, scientific proof – whatever you
need to support your claims. Just make sure that facts are not exaggerated, and your proof is
legit.
10
Become a Raconteur
So often, people will comment on how they’d make an excellent radio presenter, because
they have so much to say. But in fact, they would make terrible radio presenters… because
they have so much to say.
A great radio presenter can tell a story well, without mincing words and without the story
dragging on forever.
Now that’s what you need to do when explaining your complicated idea. Tell a great story, but
don’t waffle on and on and on and on…
11
Back of the Napkin Concept
There’s a book by Dan Roam called The Back of the Napkin, where Roam argues that a
simple drawing done on the back of a napkin can be more powerful than any excel
spreadsheet or PowerPoint presentation.
It all boils down to a theme, which we’re you’ve picked up on by now, keeping things simple,
easy to understand and relatable.
12
Put Yourself in Your Audience’s Shoes
According to Fortune.com, “the average adult attention span has plummeted from 12 minutes
a decade ago to just 5 minutes now.”
5 minutes is not a long time to try and get a complicated point across, is it?
Think about your audience; are you presenting information just before they go on lunch or
head home? Have they just come out of a stressful situation or are they dealing with a lot
personally – we can speculate all these things – but when you can, try to be strategic and
convey the information when your audience can give you their undivided attention. It’ll be
more valuable for everyone.
13
State the Fundamentals
What do we mean by fundamentals?
Let’s pretend we’re back in school and you’re learning math. Your teacher would provide you
with the basics and then build on those theories.
That same goes with communicating a complex idea. You’d start by sharing the
fundamentals, and then you’d build your way up to the more complex parts of the idea… all
within 5-minutes, so remember to pick those 3 important facts we mentioned, wisely.
If you think you’ve learned every fundamental thing in school, check out 15 Things
Your Teachers Didn’t Teach You.
14
Be Transparent about Risks and Clear about the Consequences
Don’t pretend that everything is perfect or that you know everything. Rather play open cards
with your audience and tell them everything. It’s important to note the possible risk factors,
and the potential consequences.
You might think this would put people off your idea, but the opposite is true. People would
rather know that you’re 100% aware of the pros and cons and know what you’re doing to
alleviate the risks you’ve highlighted.
Being transparent does your idea more good than harm – always remember that.
15
Compare the past with the Present
A good old-fashioned comparison works wonders when communicating a complex idea. It’s
simple and effective.
Bring forward something from the past, and how that example has either gotten better or
worse over time – and if you can, explain how that example will get worse if your idea is not
implemented – or better if it is implemented.
Try and stick with positive facts for the future, as everyone responds better to positivity than
negativity.
We sincerely hope you could take something home from this today, do let us know
by subscribing to our channel. Don’t forget that by clicking the bell notification, you will always
be alerted to our new videos.
Question:
What has helped you communicate a complex idea? We’d love your thoughts in the
comments below.
15 Things Managers Should Learn to Breakout from the

Crowd
15 SEPTEMBER 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Being a Manager May Sound Easy but It’s Difficult to Stand
Out from the Crowd. Here’s How You Can Do It.
Managers are a dime a dozen. It’s a copy, paste with authority, but not enough to be on top of
the food chain. Being a manager has its pros and cons.
A manager will earn more money, but they’d have more work… they would learn new skills,
but take on more responsibilities.
So, how do managers break out from that copy, paste managerial style we see so soften?
That’s what we’re going to find out today, in our article 15 Things Managers Should Learn to
Breakout from the Crowd.
Reading this long boring article is not worth your time. Switch out to the interesting video
version of this article:
1
Human Capital Is Your Number 1 Priority
Management is a people- job. Before anything, a manager needs to learn to prioritise the
human experience in the work they are doing; it’s the only thing that leads to long term
sustainable and predictable production. Otherwise, managers will be dealing with strikes and
unions, which is never a joyful experience.
2
Make Sure People Have the Right Tools for the Right Job
The number one way to ensure the work gets done, is to have the right tools for the job. Good
internet, the right software, the correct protective gear. Not having the right tools to do a good
job is a top work frustration.
A great manager should learn to be proactive in providing these tools to ensure that the work
gets done correctly and on-time… ideally with minimal amounts of agitation and frustration for
employees.
3
They Must Learn to Prioritise
We get it… everything is important. So, how do managers learn to prioritize?
Toggl.com explains something known as the Eisenhower Matrix. It’s a strategy named after
former US president, Dwight Eisenhower.
During his 8-years in office, he “initiated space exploration with NASA, launched an early
version of the Internet through DARPA, and supported the development of the Interstate
Highway.”.. So they guy managed to get a lot done.
His strategy was a priority matrix which separated his tasks into 4 categories:
· Urgent and important (must be done immediately)
· Important, but not urgent (schedule for later)
· Urgent, but not important (may be delegated to someone else)
· Neither urgent nor important (eliminate them from to-do list)
Managers could easily learn to prioritize by putting the Eisenhower Matrix into practise.
4
They Must Learn to Always Involve the Team
Managers need to learn to not be removed from their team. They need to bring them into the
decision-making process, feedback, and planning to ensure that the systems they implement
are practical and manageable.
By learning this skill, it immediately creates more trust among employees, who as a result,
feel valued and know their opinion counts.
The late American engineer and businessman, Charles Erwin Wilson, aptly said “A good boss
makes his men realize they have more ability than they think they have, so that they
consistently do better work than they thought they could.”
5
Managers Must Learn to Continually Grow
Managers that want to stand out from the crowd must be committed to growth. Yes, of course
growth in the company, but we mean growth in the individual.
When staff can see that a manager is as pumped about the staff’s growth as they are about
their own growth, it can lead to an exciting, and supportive work environment.
An important part of always growing… is always learning. Managers must become life-long
learners – it’s the most valuable skill anyone can have
Which is why we spent the last few months developing our latest premium education
experience called Learning Mastery, where we guide you on how to best teach yourself…
anything and everything. You leave the 21-day course a “master learner”… or we’ll give you a
refund, as simple as that. You can enroll today by going to alux.com/learn
6
They Need to Learn How to Communicate the Bigger Picture
Doing a job blindly with no vision is not the way to go. As a manager, it’s important to learn
the skill of sharing the vision, or the bigger picture, so that employees know exactly what
they’re working towards and, perhaps more importantly, why.
According to Harvard Business Review, managers and leaders need to focus on
micromanagement. They encourage managers and leaders to answer the following questions
to bring their staff up to speed with the overall goal and objective of the company.
Why the organization exists and what its purpose is.
What it does and does not offer its customers, and how they add value to these customers…
all very important to have your team understand.
7
They Must Learn to Effectively Scale Operations
There’s a difference between growth and scaling and any manager worth their salt knows
this. Growth is seen in linear terms – meaning a company will add new resources, which will
result in higher revenues.
Scaling differs in that there isn’t a huge increase in resources, but there is still an increase in
revenue. To give an example, there is no difference in sending out 1 automated SMS
compared to 1,000 automated SMS… but sending out 1,000 is going to be more beneficial
than just sending one.
Same input, but dramatically different results.
8
They Must Learn to Model Ethics and Civic Mindedness
It’s important for managers to understand that any business operates within a community and
municipal system.
Acknowledging that there are rules to follow and a duty to uphold, will guarantee that a
manager is a respected figure of authority within the business.
Maria Razumich-Zec said, “Your reputation and integrity are everything. Follow through on
what you say you’re going to do. Your credibility can only be built over time, and it is built from
the history of your words and actions.”
9
Learn to Adopt Technology That Works
And we don’t just mean for novelty, we mean to actually drive improvement in the products or
production.
Optimizing technology benefits a company in a plethora of ways as pointed out by Tech
Times.
– Marketing is enhanced
– Better customer relations
– Easier communication
– More efficiency
– Reduced labour costs
Learning to move with the times, is invaluable for a manager to learn.
If you’re interested in technology, check out 10 Technologies That Can Make You Rich.
10
Train and Implement Upgrades Until They Run Smoothly
So, now that you’ve got your tech upgrades in place, as a manager, you can’t just rest on
your laurels and think that the computers will take care of everything.
A manager needs to learn how each program or system operates, so that when things need
upgrading, or there are glitches, they can jump in and fix it or at least know who to call in
quickly.
It brings us back to our earlier point about having the right tools for the job. This way,
employees can continue working without much interruption and their anxiety levels don’t
shoot through the roof.
11
Learn to Model the Behaviour/Culture from the Top
All eyes are on the manager, so best to learn quickly that as a manager, a good example
needs to be set from the thart.
As we said in our video, 15 Skills all CEOs Master, as the same rule applies to managers, “Be
a role model to your employees…. We’re not saying you have to start work at 4am like
Apple’s Tim Cook, or be sending work emails at 11pm like Mary Barra, the Chief Executive
Officer of General Motors, but you do need to be dedicated and work hard, so you can inspire
those who work underneath you.”
12
Learn to Develop the Team – without Hand-Holding the Staff
Aluxers, as a manager, it’s best to accelerate talent from within to drive employee investment
and reduce frustrations. By taking this stance, you won’t have a need to spoon feed your staff,
but rather, they would develop, grow and learn to resolve issues without having to constantly
lean on the manager for support or solutions.
Like Richard Branson said, “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well
enough so they don’t want to.”
13
Managers Must Learn to Never Show Favouritism
A team of employees is not a box of Quality Street… you can’t only pick your favs.
And while we’re all aware of office politics, it can be very frustrating for employees when they
already know who the boss’s favourite is, and who will be up for promotion.
Showing favouritism sends a message to employees that it’s not results that help you grow in
an organization, but rather winning favour with the manager.
As Fortune.com advises, by developing a strategy to fairly reward strong employees, you “can
ensure the retention of these employees, while keeping motivation and office morale high.”
14
They Need to Learn to Empower People
Being a great manager is more about the team than it is about the manager. An excellent
manager only becomes excellent when they build an excellent team.
With this in mind, it’s up to the manager to learn to spot opportunities to upskill and empower
their team.
We reiterate, a team that feels valued, needed, and appreciated, is a team that will not only
reflect well on the manager, but will also grow the company in all the right directions,
benefiting everyone.
15
Managers Must Learn to Embrace Change
Change is part of human development. It’s inevitable and isn’t always a sign of crisis, just a
call for action. Good managers seek out the next phase so they can change as they go..
Which is far better than a panic pivot.
As much as people resist change, if dealt with correctly, staff will understand the reason for it,
how the change will benefit them – and the company – and that their feelings are
substantiated and heard.
All 15 of these points are things that managers can easily learn to stand out from the crowd,
and we hope you agree too. Let us know by leaving a comment, subscribing to our channel
and hitting the bell notification for alerts on when new videos are released.
Question:
What do you think could be added to the list on what would help make a manager stand out
from the crowd?
15 Skills All CEOs Master

14 SEPTEMBER 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Not Everyone Has What It Takes to Be a CEO. Here Are Some Skills All
CEOs Must Master.
Everyone wants the corner office with the great view, but not everyone has the same skills to
get there. Becoming CEO is more than just “what you know,” and “who you know,” The
qualities that make a great CEO are actually a compilation of a lot of things top-level
executives master on their own.
If you find value today, let us know by subscribing to our channel and click the bell notification
to get alerted the moment we release a new video.
Alright future executives – here are 15 skills you should master to be a successful and
respected CEO.
No one enjoys reading a long, boring article. So switch over to the interesting video version of
this text:
With that done, let’s move forward with the article.
1
Diplomacy
They don’t teach you this stuff in college. Right, so what is diplomacy, exactly? Diplomacy is
the “art of dealing with people in a sensitive and tactful way.”
As CEO, this is a skill that will serve you well for your entire career. By being diplomatic, your
staff will be assured of your ability to diffuse situations with the utmost tact and fairness, and
they won’t feel like you’re playing favourites or have a particular loyalty to certain staff
members.
As former US Ambassador to the UN, Richard Holbrooke said, “Diplomacy is like jazz:
endless variations on a theme.” As CEO, your approach to diplomacy will also constantly be
changing, so it’s a skill you’ll need to keep on top of.
2
Vision and Follow Through
It’s all very well to have vision, isn’t it Aluxers? Real talk, though: how many incredible ideas
have you had, but just not been able to follow through with them? Probably quite a few…
That’s the difference between CEO material and well… non-CEO material. It’s
the vision coupled with follow through. And let’s not forget to add a dash of risk too, because
following through on a vision always comes with a side of riskiness.
3
Passion for Their Job and It’s People
It’s no secret, CEOs make a lot of money. We chatted extensively about it in our video, How
CEOs Make 351x More Money. In the video we answer integral questions like why pay them
so much, and are they worth it?
And while we’ve all worked for horrendous CEOs, working for a CEO who is passionate about
their work, their company and its people is an incredible experience – and that’s a skill that all
successful CEOs should have.
Thanks for your wonderful feedback on that video, Aluxers. Like Vishal Gangwani mentioned,
“Amazing editing and storytelling…” we’ve been upping our game and we’re so glad you
noticed.
4
Brevity
It’s a word that just flows off the tongue and it means: writing or speaking in a short, concise,
clear manner.
Aluxers, have you ever sat in a boardroom meeting where the CEO literally just serves up
some word-salad? Almost as if they just love hearing themselves talk, but don’t actually
say… anything?
Forbes published an article titled, Half Of All Meetings Are A Waste Of Time. A skilled CEO
would not call meetings that would waste their employees time, and leverage their brevity
when communicating with staff.
5
Decisiveness
Canadian motivational speaker, Brian Tracey once said, “Decisiveness is a characteristic of
high-performing men and women. Almost any decision is better than no decision at all.”
Nobody can become CEO if they can’t make decisions.
If you’re someone who – when asked – can’t decide where you’d like to go to dinner, what to
watch on Netflix, or can’t make decisive plans with friends, then it’s something you can work
on.
And to do that, we’ve designed the perfect course which will allow you to teach yourself –
anything. It’s called Learning Mastery and it went live on Sunday. Learning how to effectively
learn is hands-down the most valuable skill you can build within yourself. Head
to alux.com/learn to enroll today!
6
Accountability
When Dave Calhoun became CEO of Boeing in January 2020, he was quick to blame all the
company’s problems on the former CEO, Dennis Muilenburg – who was fired by the board.
As suggested by rightattitudes.com “A true leader doesn’t pass the blame for failure, but
graciously accepts responsibility for the problems he inherited.
According to CEO World, A CEO not being accountable doesn’t just look bad, it leads to
further breakdown, like:
– Giving away your power
– Creating a toxic environment
– Employee disengagement
– Reduced productivity…. And last but certainly not least…
– You’re perceived as being an incapable leader.
7
Controlled Emotion
When the pawpaw hits the fan, or times are stressful, you can’t have a CEO dramatically
shoving laptops and paperwork all over the floor, declaring it’s “F*ck this S*it O Clock…”
Nope, you need a level-headed, calm individual who isn’t going to explode and lose their cool.
Healthline.com has some solid, achievable advice for this – they say, when it comes to
emotions, best to “… aim for regulation, not repression.”
8
Transparency
Angel Gurría – former OECD secretary general said, “Integrity, transparency and the fight
against corruption have to be part of the culture. They have to be taught as fundamental
values.”
And Aluxers, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
It’s a skill that every successful CEO must master, because transparency is what will earn
you trust, respect and loyalty.
If you aren’t looking to be a CEO but want to learn some useful skills, check out 15
Basic Money Skills Everyone Should Know.
9
Optimism
We’re not born a pessimist or an optimist – our friends and family actually play a significant
role in our perceptions over the years.
If you’re looking to lead a company, here’s some good news… optimism is a skill that can be
learned.
10
Be the Calm in the Storm
Being CEO means you’re responsible for everything that happens within the company –
which is helluh stressful. As we said in our video, How CEO’s Make 351x More Money “the
CEO is the most important person driving a company’s success.”
While they keep everything together – including themselves -their staff will be pushed to hit
milestones, make deadlines, or close sales… and it’s up to the CEO to be the reassuring,
motivational calm in the storm.
So, what is one way to be “the calm in the storm”? Let’s find out.
11
Be a Role Model
Aluxers, you’ve probably had that CEO who shows up late, leaves early, has boozy lunches
and takes advantage of their position of power.
That’s just not CEO material.
Be a role model to your employees.
We’re not saying you have to start work at 4am like Apple’s Tim Cook, or be sending work
emails at 11pm like GM CEO Mary Barra, but you do need to be dedicated and work hard, to
inspire and lead by example.
12
The Willingness to Transform – Themselves and the Company
Richard Branson said, “Every success story is a tale of constant adaptation, revision and
change.”
This not only applies to the growth of a company, but to the CEO as well.
And while it’s impressive to get a business off the ground, keeping it competitive and
profitable is no easy feat..
According to CEO Today Magazine, the importance of growing a business is… “that your
company is constantly facing the threat of competition, and by staying small, you are
essentially offering opportunities for others to take the lion’s share of your markets.”
13
Approachability
Some may call it an “open door policy,” but that’s not quite what we’re talking about.
Actually, as admirable as it may sound, Forbes believes the open-door policy doesn’t actually

work. It cites a few reasons, but the main concern was that staff didn’t share their thoughts
because they’re worried their ideas won’t be well-received.
Being approachable means you’re not ego-driven, looking down on your staff – instead,
you’re there in the thick of things, being an active – not aloof – member of the team.
14
Inclusion
Regardless of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, age or political affiliation – inclusion in
the workplace means that everyone is included.
Every person matters. Everyone should come to work without the fear of being excluded,
bullied or ostracized.
Every person adds value and it’s up to the CEO to make sure that inclusion is a priority.
Like Chief Talent Officer at ServiceNow, Pat Wadors quoted, “When we listen and celebrate
what is both common and different, we become wiser, more inclusive, and better as an
organization.”
15
Ability to Take Calculated Risks
Ask any successful CEO if they got there by following all the rules, and the general
consensus is a big, fat “no.”
Let’s use Tim Cook again, and if you’d like to learn from this remarkable man, be sure to
watch our video – 15 Leadership Lessons from Tim Cook.
He did a Q & A at Duke University where he was asked by a student, “when should we listen
to our professors and when is it ok not to?” Cook’s response:
“I think you should rarely follow the rules. I think you should write the rules. I think if you do
follow things in a formulaic manner, you will wind up at best being the same as everybody
else.”
A lil gold nugget, right there.
And with that, we hope that you found some solid grounding to start acquiring the skills to
make an excellent CEO. If you have – show us – by leaving us with a like, subscribe and hit
the bell icon so you never miss an upload!
Question:
What skill do you think CEO’s need to be a successful and respected CEO?
How to Find Your Competitive Advantage

11 SEPTEMBER 2021
ALUX INC
It’s Always Good to Have Some Kind of Advantage. Here’s How You
Can Find Your Competitive Advantage.
It’s 1979… Pink Floyd just released “The Wall”…
Sony just came out with the first walkman – for a whopping $200…
And businessmen everywhere are about to have their minds blown.
It wasn’t because they dropped acid, picked up a walkman and started grooving to Pink
Floyd… It was actually because of this guy – Micheal Porter.
This Harvard Business Professor wrote a paper called “How Competitive Forces Shape
Strategy” where he first coined the term “competitive advantage”… changing how companies
considered competition forever.
Don’t waste your time reading this long article when you have the advantage of switching over
to the interesting video version:
But… What Exactly Is a Competitive Advantage, and How Can
You Make the Most of It?
By definition, competitive advantage is “A condition or circumstance that puts an individual or
company in a favourable or superior position.”
And this has been happening for thousands of years; In the beginning, our thumbs were a
competitive advantage… but now it’s a lot more complicated than that.
When it comes to companies, a competitive edge can come through a first-mover advantage;
of course being the first to bring anything to market will give you a leg-up on those who come
after.
Things can go favourably your way through a low-cost advantage, where you can deliver your
product or service at a lower cost than your competitor, and secure more sales as a result.
Or, it can be through something like proprietary technology, whereby a company develops a
brand new product, patents it, and corners the market… which is exactly what SONY did with
that walkman back in 1979.
Now, truthfully the walkman wasn’t as much a breakthrough in tech as in imagination; most of
the components were already in production or testing as a part of other devices.
All the design team had to do was get creative with their tech – stacking existing components
– and voila! The first portable music-player was born; before discontinuing them in 2010,
they’d sold over 400 million worldwide.
SONY did the thing; the thing Michael Porter wrote about… it cornered its market through a
key competitive advantage, but the execs might have put too much stock in what Porter had
to say… because as we all know, the walkman lost to the iPod in the end.
You see, Porter’s paper talked about striving for sustainable competitive advantage – it
sounds great and all, but it’s just not real life… things change, industries change, demands
change.
We saw the same thing happen with Netflix, going from the new guy… to choking out
Blockbuster and dominating the streaming market – they saw where things were going, and
created the technology to take us there.
But, What Happens after That?
The whole thought of sustainable competitive advantage is really nothing more than a nice
idea – an idea Rita Gunther McGrath tore to shreds.
She’s a professor at Columbia School of Business in New York, and one of the world’s
leading experts on strategy.
McGrath hit us with this – “Competitive advantage is transient not Sustainable” – and damn,
she right.
Netflix got to ride that wave – alone – for years.
They had:
 the first mover advantage
 low-cost advantage
 proprietary technology – especially with cinematch, the software that analyzes what you watch
& makes recommendations
 not to mention IP assets from producing original content
But… you remember what happened with the walkman right?… you know where this goes.
The tides started to turn for Netflix through the 2010’s, as others began to notice their
successful model and copy it for themselves – each managing to pull off its own bitchin’
bottom turn and charge into it.
Now, we’ve got the likes of Hulu, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and HBO Max, all
trying to crest the same wave… meanwhile Netflix is just praying it’s not gonna be a closeout
for them.
So, in this situation… How can Netflix hold onto its advantage? Amazon prime already beat
them in library size, as of January 2019… Disney’s brand has legions of diehard fans all
around the world…
Netflix is putting up a damn good fight right now; still listed as the top streaming service with
200 million subscribers, and has been voted to have the best original content of them all… I
mean, have you seen The Circle?… talk about bringing some weird new shit to market, folks
eat it up.
But… How Does Any of This Relate to You?
Well… I mean… it doesn’t really?… but y’know, also, it does.
Obviously there are some pretty big differences between companies like Netflix and SONY…
and people like you and I.. the thing is though, there’s some overlap.
People can definitely approach their competitive advantage in the same way SONY did, by
stacking their existing tech… in your case, skills… and bringing something truly unique to the
market.
Or, with a Netflix approach, through being the first to take things in a new direction.
Whichever method you choose to define your competitive advantage, you gotta watch out for
a common trap though
Working hard isn’t a competitive advantage… especially when the odds are stacked against
you… it’s important to recognize when your approach isn’t working.
Both you… and this guy… could use a little leverage
In his case, he needs one of these…

But in your case, you build leverage by up-skilling, and creatively stacking those skills so that
you can offer something others can’t, but… that only takes us so far, right?
The key to really honing in on your personal competitive advantage is – and stick with us here
–
Finding Your Favourite Shit Sandwich
This colourful concept was put forward by American author Mark Manson – but with a book
titled “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” I guess none of us should be that surprised.
So this whole idea hinges on the fact that everything sucks – some of the time. Even if you
land your dream career, some parts of it are bound to be awful.
The thought that you “do what you love and nothing feels like work” is just… a load of crap,
really, everything comes with some kind of struggle or sacrifice… and the ones you can
endure… that’s where you discover your personal shit sandwich, err advantage.
What aspects of your industry are you able to tolerate better than the rest?
Are you an artist whose drive is unaffected by rejection? That’s a major advantage as a
creative person.
Are you able to stay up all night long writing code? Because eating that sleepless shit
sandwich gives you an edge over other developers.
If you want to be a star surgeon, being able to endure the 90 hour work week is a special kind
of shit sammich you’ll need to eat, in order to make it.
And all of this can be more eloquently summed up by one of this generation’s leading
entrepreneurial voices, Naval Ravikant.
“When competing against the incumbent, better to focus on what they won’t do rather than
what they can’t do”
Doing the thing that others won’t do is easily the strongest place to start cultivating your
personal competitive advantage… but there is one more piece to this disjointed puzzle.
You are the only You… and that’s an advantage too.
There is no other person on this planet who thinks and acts just like you do…
Look at it this way:
15 Thoughts That Are the Enemy of Success

2 SEPTEMBER 2021
BRIONY SPARG
It’s Important to Keep a Check on Your Thoughts on the Road to Success.
Here Are 15 Thoughts to Get Rid Of.
Hey there, Aluxers – We’re all about bringing you motivational content that helps to create the
kind of mindset future billionaires need to achieve success in life – but how much thought
have you put into what mindsets might be holding you back?
The truth is they are subtle and you might even think they’re just part of being realistic or
cautious – but if you let them rule the roost they could be the biggest enemy of your success.
Instead of diving deep into the things you should embody, today we’re looking at 15 Thoughts
That Are the Enemy of Success.
Reading this long article isn’t easy because of how boring it is. Switch out to the fun video
With that done, let’s start by getting the “victim mindset” stuff out of the way – the first four are
the ones that often hide in plain sight – alright here we go.
1
Nothing Ever Goes My Way
If you’ve bought into that mindset that the universe is conspiring against you, then you’re
wrong pal.
Firstly, get over yourself. In your current state, your energy isn’t much threat to the universe
that it would even bother messing with you.
The truth is that by virtue of the impossibility of being born and surviving as long as you did,
shows that the universe is on your side. So start moving, cos so far, most things are going
your way.
2
I Am Just Unlucky
Ah luck, another myth that is an enemy to your success. If luck was all it was about then Jeff
Bezos would have just sat home and bought lottery tickets instead of working his backside off
like he did.
Think about it, if you do possess some rare unlucky curse, then doesn’t that by nature make
you extremely lucky. You basically know the outcome already, so just bet against yourself, or
do the opposite of what your unlucky self would have done.
Just kidding. That’s a ridiculous excuse, get off your butt and get to work. You wont get lucky
if you do nothing – on the contrary, the more action you take, the more opportunities you have
to get lucky.
That’s a golden nugget from Grant Cardone – he’s got plenty of solid advice in his books. If
you’d like a free download to check them out for yourself, head to alux.com/freebook and our
friends at Audible will hook you up.
3
I’m Not “Smart/Experienced/Charismatic” Enough
Enough for…. what?
Who are you comparing yourself to?…. And better yet, why?
Are you wanting to be listed with the highest IQ or start a new business venture? Experienced
how? You can’t possibly try something new and be experienced in it at the same time – so
give yourself a little grace here, okay?
You’ll never be more of any of these – without taking more action – so shake off the self-
doubt and just go for it already.
4
No One Likes Me
Okay so if you thought what I was going to say was, “Oh, no don’t worry – they love you it’s
definitely all in your head” Well… I hate to break it to ya, but not everyone is going to like you
in life – and that’s okay!
Running into the occasional hater, I mean that’s basically to be expected in life – HOWEVER
– if you find yourself always encountering the same problem of people “not liking you” it’s time
to take stock and ask yourself why that might be.
What is it about your personality that makes it hard for people to connect with you? Everyone
has undesirable traits – but the wise ones are trying to fix them; try being more mindful, my
friend, it goes a long way.
If you want to join the thousands of Aluxers who’ve already developed the skill of mindfulness
with us, join our mind mastery program and start leveling up in life.
5
Success Shouldn’t Be This Hard
I’m sorry… What part of success made you think it would be easy to create?
If you’re having trouble achieving your goals, perhaps it’s time you assess your strategy and
the actions you’re taking – and start coming up with ideas on how to approach things
differently to get there.
The road to success is tough, tricky, and downright devastating at times, don’t waste precious
energy thinking about how hard it shouldn’t be and start putting that effort into working toward
your goals.
6
Rather the Devil You Know Than the Devil You Don’t
This one just cracks me up. It’s often used when someone doesn’t want to take themselves
from where they’re unhappy right now, just in case they happen to be unhappy someplace
new.
That makes…. No sense.

Why would you stay in a place of known unhappiness? When the unknown at least offers you
the option to have something different.
Change isn’t good or bad, change is change – we get to decide what that change looks like
for us.
7
I Knew That It Wouldn’t Work
Bravo… But, there are no bonus points for predicting a failure.
Things do fail, but generally speaking no one is thrilled about that. There is no pay out for
guessing the LOSING horse.
Also – if you truly knew something wouldn’t work, then why the hell did you do it? If success is
what you’re looking to create, you would have used that foresight to come up with a better
plan.
8
Competition Means Game Over
If a little competition scares you, you’ve definitely gotta fight hard to overcome that one.
If competition wasn’t a part of success, then there wouldn’t be several multi-national

companies all making and selling the same products. We don’t live in a world of only Coke or
Pepsi… we have both, and they’re both massively successful.
Competition just reinforces the consumer need for your business, so go out there and set the
bar high.
9
Preparing to Fail
If you’re calling fire in the hull before you have even set sail, then you’re too fixated on what
COULD go wrong to plan for what COULD go right.
Just like you can’t win a chess match by purely playing defensively, you can’t win in life by
always preparing to fail. At some stage you need to proactively take steps toward being
successful.
Instead of constantly running through all of the possible ways you could fail – pause – take a
breath, and visualise what winning looks like to you. Let yourself embody that.
Now that’s a success mindset.
10
It’s Not My Fault if This Doesn’t Work Out
Sure, sometimes it won’t all work out – but that’s only a failure if you don’t learn from it.
The first step to learning is taking responsibility; if you’re always telling yourself it’s not your
fault, you’re not taking responsibility, and if you never take responsibility you will never learn.
Dropping the ego and taking responsibility allows you to take stock and make plans to never
repeat the same mistake twice.
11
Your Success Is Based on Others Failing
I think this one goes all the way back to school where you’re ranked in class by how well
everyone does on their exams – cringe.
In real life, no one is comparing us based on the same specific set of questions or criteria.
We don’t necessarily win because our competition failed; it might just be the universe giving

you a warning to up your game or else meet the same downfall… or maybe half of the
competing staff got covid and the whole company took a hit as a result.
No matter the circumstances, don’t expect success to pour in just because someone else
failed.
12
I Can’t Succeed Because I Failed in the Past
Failure is universal, but then again so is success.
Just because you hit every red light in traffic yesterday, doesn’t mean you won’t be able to
sail through green lights today.
Putting together a winning product, a successful company or getting a kickass new job, is not
exclusive to those who have a straight record of success.
In fact, stories like Colonel Sanders’ many failed KFC pitches before his success, should
prove that failure comes before success in many cases.
Reframe those failures to all kinds of lessons learned, and you’re on the way to a success
mindset.
13
I Don’t Need Anyone’s Help
Ah yes, the lone wolf mentalist. What an enemy of success.
There is one thing all the most successful brands have in common: a huge team.
Sure you might start small, but before you know it they all hire the best of the best to help
them scale for global success.
If you’re like most Aluxers you have your eye on the big time. Learning to “play well with
others” is a necessity not just nice to have.
14
It’s Comfortable in My Comfort Zone
Look, success is about growth – and growth doesn’t happen inside of our comfort zones.
You can be comfortable all you like, but don’t expect to cultivate any greatness there.
The successful understand that there will be times of uncertainty – and even the chance of
failure – but staying in a comfort zone is something they will never understand.
15
Mistakes Are a Catastrophe and the End of the Road
That’s right, we’re ending with your worst fear, making a mistake!
The truth is that mistakes happen – but contrary to what your anxiety might be telling you, it
doesn’t mean imminent death.
Things go wrong all the time in successful businesses and it’s not the end of the road, nor
does it always spell catastrophe. Expecting things to go by without a hitch is unrealistic,
but anticipating any issues ahead of time can at least help hush that anxious shadow of
yours.
Successful people have a mindset that allows for mistakes and failure along the way,
because that is part of the process, it’s how they learn and grow.
Everyone makes mistakes before getting successful, check out 10 Mistakes Most
People Make on Their Path to Success.
Alright Aluxers, that about does it for us today. We hope this article brought some value to
your life, and we ask you to bring a little to ours too, by subscribing to our channel and of
course, hitting that bell icon to be notified of our next upload.. Let’s feed the algorithm monster
one click at a time!
Question:
We’re curious – Which of these 15 thoughts have you struggled with the most? Join the
conversation in the comments – we’ll personally be replying to the first 50 who do!
How to Track Life Progress
31 AUGUST 2021
ALUX INC
It’s Not Common to Track Your Life Progress but It’s an Important Step
Towards Success. Let’s Learn How to Do It.
Quick question, do you know where you are in life?
Take a second and reflect on that.
When most people get asked this question, they struggle to find the right answer.
They usually say something like “My life? Oh yeah, no, it’s good, it’s good .. I mean it could be
better but I can’t complain”.
This is because most people fail to actively track their progress and how exactly their life is
going. They settle for having dreams and aspirations that will never be reached and call it a
day.
How many of you said “well, tomorrow is another day”, without figuring out how exactly today
went wrong?
We’re here to change that mindset, and by the end of this article you should have a better
understanding on how to make tomorrow a better day, not “another” day.
It’s not easy to read this boring article till the end so switch over to the video version of this
text:
https://www.alux.com/wp-admin/edit.php
With that said, let’s get straight into the article.
Before tracking your life progress, you need to figure out where exactly you’re at right now.
This is a surprisingly hard thing to do, because most people are scared of looking in the mirror
and seeing their true self. They would rather ignore the person staring back at them rather
than facing reality.
But here’s the thing, and this is important, so pay attention.
“You need to start where you are, and to the most with what you have”
So being able to look at yourself and be ok with who you see is the first step in tracking your
life progress.
Here’s a little exercise for you: next time you’re in the shower, take a minute and reflect on
how your life is going. Be true to yourself.
Only when you have a clear idea of where you are, can you move to the next step.
In our years of tracking how life is going and where we’re heading, we identified 5 pillars of
success, which are trackable and have a clear plan of execution.
We have included them in our Goal Mastery course, which the smart of you enrolled in.
For those who didn’t, the program is closed but we will re-open sometime again during this
year so if you want to make the smart decision and invest in yourself, go
to alux.com/goals and join the waiting list.
We won’t dive into those pillars here, but we’ll condense them following a pretty smart formula
Tim Ferriss used in his book Tool of Titans. By the way, it’s a super good read for those of
you interested in advice for all areas of life.
There are 3 major areas where you can make progress in life and track it:
Health, Wealth and Wisdom
For each of these areas, we’ll give you 3 ways to track your progress.
Let’s start with:
Wealth
People have a complicated relationship with money because it causes them a lot of stress.
They have the wrong outlook for money. They don’t see it for what it really is. A tool of
exchange.
If you are unfamiliar with this idea, go back and watch our previous sunday video.
This is a very long topic and it should be its own article, but here are 3 important things to
track.
1
Literally Track Your Damn Money
So many people complain about having too much month left at the end of their money but
have no idea what they are actually spending on.
It’s pretty clear how much money you’re earning, but somehow at the end of the month you
never have the same amount of money left, and you have no idea why.
If you’re having this problem, this is the first thing you fix and start tracking.
2
“Oh Shit” Money
If something goes wrong tomorrow and you can’t earn income for the following months, how
long until you go broke? You saw it happening during the pandemic, a lot.
Having “oh shit” money means having enough cash put aside to last you at least 3-6 months
in case something bad happens. This should buy you enough time to get back on your feet.
It’s a safety cushion and a stress reliever. If your job sucks and you want to move to
something better, that 3-6 month of cash reserve can be crucial.
3
The Magic Number
This is something we explained in great detail in Goal Mastery and we provided a template to
accurately calculate your exact magic number.
For the purposes of this article, let’s go with a more simple formula.
Everybody has a different magic number but you find it the same way.
You calculate how much money you need to function as a human being for a month, then
double it. That’s your first financial goal. Reaching your magic number means eliminating
financial stress, for the first time in your life.
How many of these 3 are you tracking right now?

Health
Here’s the right mindset regarding health:
Your body is the contact point between your mind and the physical reality.
If your body is weak, your experience with life will be weak as well.
You can’t really go for a hike with your loved one if you get tired after 2 flights of stairs, do
you?
As with wealth, here are 3 things worth tracking, health wise:
1
Find Points of Discomfort and Fix Them
Think of things causing you physical pain or discomfort.
These are opportunities to make incremental changes to your health.
If you work all day at a desk and you look like a banana when you get up, fix your posture.
You wake up every day with a huge pain in your lower back because your mattress sucks, get
a new mattress.
If you can drink from a straw without opening your mouth, fix your teeth.
The more points of discomfort you find and fix, the more enjoyable your life will become.
If you want to take better care of your health, check out 15 Health Mistakes You Don’t
Know You’re Making.
2
The 5K Challenge
Challenges are popular nowadays, so here’s one. Run a 5k.
Everybody in good health should be able to finish a run in decent time.
It’s short enough so you don’t have to train for it but long enough to be a challenge if you’ve
been a couch potato for the past year.
3
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Learn to cook at least one healthy version for each of those.
There’s no secret that what you put in your body has the most impact on your overall health.
Go find whatever recipes suit you and get really good at each of them.
How have you scored on health so far?

Wisdom
Being a wise person means understanding how the world works and gives you the ability to
connect dots. The problem here is that a lot of stupid people think of themselves as smart.
1
Read One Book a Month
Education is the absolute best and most straightforward way to increase your intellect.
Aluxers, you can finish an audiobook in one weekend, surely you can do that.
We’ve been giving you guys a ton of great book recommendations throughout the years, and
hopefully some of you made the smart choice. Plus, they are literally free.
Here’s another one, we recently finished, again, The 10x Rule by Grant Cardone. It’s a book
we listen to every 6 or so months to get us pumped for our next projects.
If you need some energy to get you started on this project, this is the perfect book, and you
can have it for free by going to alux.com/freebook and signing up.
2
Have Conversations With People Smarter Than You
First of all, you should never be the smartest person in the room, so if you don’t know anyone
smarter than you, go find some new friends. You can always talk with us, by the way.
When you’re talking with people smarter than you, two things happen:
1. You get first hand experience on things smart people are interested in.
2. You get better at asking great questions.
If you could have a chance to ask Bill Gates a question right now, what would you ask him?
Can’t think of much? Have conversations with smarter people.
3
Get Good Enough at Something New
Learning how to be good enough at something holds an incredible power.
It unlocks your potential and opens your eyes on what’s really possible for your future self.
Learning how to learn is the ultimate tool someone can have in their arsenal.
We believe this skill is so valuable, we made an entire course on learning how to learn, and it
becomes available this September.
If you want to make the right decision and invest in yourself, join the waiting list by going to
alux.com/learn.
See you on the inside Aluxers!

Question:
With that being said, you now have 9 things to track in order to make progress in your life.
Are you tracking any of them? Let us know in the comments
15 Things People Who Are Smart with Money Don’t

Do
28 AUGUST 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Do You Think You Know How to Manage Your Money Smartly? Let’s
Find Out.
Money makes the world go round yet can’t buy happiness. Cash is king yet the root of all evil.
Striking a balance with your relationship with money is not easy and being smart with money
doesn’t happen naturally. It’s a skill that is taught, learned, and hopefully retained.
Our job here at Alux is to ensure that we teach you as much as possible, and we value your
continued support. Please subscribe to our channel and hit that bell notification to stay up to
date.
Today’s it’s all about 15 Things People Who are Smart with Money Don’t Do.
Smart people don’t waste their time reading boring articles. So switch over to the fun video
version instead:
With that done, let’s get straight into the article.
1
Pay Full Price
We’ve all seen it at one point or another – someone bragging about their latest big-ticket item
– the thing they “needed” so badly they paid full price just to get it first – and then tell the
world how much they spent, like it’s some kind of flex.
There are a few issues with this behaviour – like insecurity – but we’re talking about what
people who are smart with money do – and those people shop around.
Someone with money-smarts will compare options to find the best deal – and if they
don’t see a better deal, rest assured they will negotiate one. Paying full price just screams
“dumb money”.
2
Upgrading – Just Because
There is absolutely no problem with upgrading something, but it’s a waste of money to
upgrade just for upgrading’s sake. If that new purchase is going to benefit you or make your
life or job easier – then it’s a good idea. However, if the upgraded benefits are minimal – skip
it. It’s not worth the additional financial strain for something that doesn’t bring that much
improvement to your life…. And certainly not if the motivation for the upgrade is to…
3
Keep Up with the Joneses
Dr Seuss aptly said, “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t
matter and those who matter don’t mind.” Right, so how does that apply to finances?
Aluxers, trying to compete with people that mean nothing to you is a waste of time and
money… both of which are precious resources.
People who are smart with money don’t spend theirs in an effort to impress anyone,
especially not the Joneses – mind your own business, and let them mind thiers –
you’ll both be better off
And Aluxers if you want some help understanding what it means to mind your own
business why not revisit a classic – Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad – you can get
yourself a free download from our friends at Audible by going to alux.com/freebook.
4
Buy Friendship
You know that girl that always wants to buy a round of drinks for everyone at the bar, or the
guy who insists on paying for everyone’s entry at the club? Sure, maybe these people are just
helluh generous – but more often than not they’re only spending money to earn status points
among their group of peers.
We’re not saying you should never foot the bill for you and your friends – but people who are
smart with money understand there’s a time and a place for it – and know what it looks like to
be taken advantage of.
It’s better to make friends by being good to people rather than buying friendships,
check out 15 Ways to Be a Better Friend.
5
Leverage Affection
We’ve spoken about buying friendship, and about keeping up with the Joneses, so what do
we mean with affection?
You might be in a relationship that’s not doing too well. Anxiety grips your mind that your S/O
is going to up and leave, so you start buying their affection. You spring for expensive dinners,
gifts, or whatever else you believe will make that person stay in the relationship.
Two problems off the bat: Firstly, anyone staying in the relationship just for their own gain – IE
the recipient of your gifting, is just a sh*tty person and secondly, the relationship will never
work if you’re having to buy it.
If it’s that important to you, rather spend that money on therapy – at least that’s a productive
choice and one that will leave you better off – even if the relationship doesn’t last.
6
Do It Purely for Luxury
Yes, you heard that right and no we’re not playing.
Something many people don’t understand is that billionaires don’t get private jets just to take
selfies and get an insta-dopamine hit – no they’re smart with their money and understand how
saving time means saving money.
There’s a difference between luxury and convenience and billionaires know this. Sure, private
jets and helicopter rides to the airport might seem extra – but in actual fact it’s pure
convenience, buying you time… okay, and maybe a little luxury now and then.
7
Choose Cheaper Alternatives
You loved our video, “15 Things You Should NOT Spend Money On,” where one subscriber,
TheColonelBilbaox, mentioned it was a video they could relate to. They said, “One of my
rules: buy the best you can afford and take good care of it.”
When it comes to buying cheaper alternatives, we all know the risks involved. It doesn’t last
as long, the return policy is flawed, you’ll need to replace sooner than you would normally…
but as TheColonelBilbaox said, buy the best you can afford.
And Aluxers, there will come a time when you can afford better than what you’re currently
buying – so just keep at it – but do your utmost to not buy the absolute bottom of the barrel
because in the long run, you’ll be much better off.
8
Waste Energy
Our homes use a lot of energy and spending an astronomical amount of money each month
for that power usage is not smart.
Instead, people who are smart with money have switched to energy efficient alternatives ages
ago and continue to stay on top of their usage.
And while we are not suggesting you pour thousands of dollars into solar or converting your
entire abode to green energy, we do suggest making small changes to start saving a little
extra each month. Your wallet and mother Earth will thank you.
9
Buy Into Hype
How many people saw the value of bitcoin rising higher and higher – then sold their house to
invest in crypto when it was at an all time high?
Look, if your weird uncle knows about it – it’s already too late. By the time something reaches
“hype” status in the mainstream – people who are smart with money have been there, done
that and are looking at what’s coming up next. Smart people don’t buy into the hype – they
create it.
10
Add-ons
It’s time to say a hard “no” to add-ons of any kind.
Car salesperson asks if you’d like paint and fabric protection, you say no.
Flight attendant asks if you’d like to purchase extra baggage allowance, you say no.
Extended warranty on that new laptop? You say no.
Your kid asks for more pocket money, you say no… just kidding but you get the gist.
11
Buying vs Renting
We released a video last year highlighting the pros and cons of buying VS renting, and we
shared with you that so many people are opting to rent rather than buy a home.
Renting gives people flexibility plus you don’t need to worry about every minor or major repair
needed. We get that there are different circumstances, making each rental unique – but the
same applies when you purchase a property. You could spend a fortune and then down the
line realize you’ve landed with a lemon.
12
Mistakes
Right, so what do we mean here? Often people try and do a job themselves – either because
they’re trying to save money, or they’re trying to save face – whatever the reason, it often
ends in failure.
After the failed task at hand, it’s now time to call in the professionals. Now, not only do you
need to pay for the job to be done, but you’ve wasted your own time, money, and dignity.
People who are smart with money do not need to pay someone to fix their mistakes – they
lean into their strengths & outsource their weaknesses!
13
Believe In State-Sponsored Retirement
This one right here might be a rude awakening for anyone over 50, but people who are smart
with money know that state-sponsored retirement funds are not the saving-grace they’ve
been touted to be.
According to a 2020 study from Fidelity Investments, 46% of Americans are at risk of not
being able to cover living expenses throughout retirement – which means a lot of people are
putting their faith in the government to take care of them when they’re old – but are
you really that confident it’ll play out that way? We’re not.
People who are smart with money don’t spend it on retirement – in fact, many don’t ever plan
to retire at all – instead they focus on building ever-lasting wealth.
14
Diamonds
Netflix released an episode of Explained a couple years back that delved into the world of
diamonds, everything from why and how they became a status symbol right through to blood
diamonds.
Millennials, and those smart with money, are steering clear from diamonds. This
Money claims that by buying diamonds, you are “delving into an unregulated market…”
It’s risky, and many opt to rather use that money for experiences, deposits on property or
studying.
But at the end of the day, if you really want that diamond, check out newer lab-created
options. Not only are the cheaper and compositionally the same, but you can rest assured
there’s no ethical issues attached to it.
15
Buy the First House They Like
Aluxers, we get it – being in a position to finally buy a home for yourself is exciting and
definitely a reason to celebrate, but people who are smart with money never immediately buy
the first home that checks all their boxes.
Money-wise individuals will strategically make offers on 10 or more homes – often well below
the asking price – in order to get the best deal on what they want.
And before you say low-balling a seller is rude – it isn’t – if the seller isn’t interested in the
offer everyone can carry on with their lives – but sometimes that low-ball offer is accepted and
the people smart with money understand this.
Aluxers, we hope this list has provided insight into areas of your life that you should definitely
not be spending your money. We appreciate you showing us by liking our
videos, subscribing to our channel and hitting that bell notification so you always get alerted
when we release a new video.
Question:
Have you ever thrown money at a problem hoping it would just go away? Did the problem go
away? Share you experience with us.
15 Signs Your Job Is Bad For You

27 AUGUST 2021
ALUX INC
Have You Been Enjoying Your Job Lately or Is It Time You Start
Thinking about Switching Jobs? Find Out.
Hello Aluxers! What’s your first instinct when you get home at night? Are you ready to dive
into your hobbies or side projects, or is it that all you have the stamina for is to throw yourself
on the couch and eat comfort food? There are some clear indicators that tell whether you’re in
that 35% of people worldwide who experience work related stress illnesses.
How’s your working life going for you? Let us know by leaving a comment on our video and
we’ll reply back to the first few who’ll write. Also, make sure to subscribe to our channel and
hit the bell button if you think what we’re about to share with you brings you as much value as
we hope it will.
Let’s find out the 15 signs that tell your job is bad for you.
Instead of wasting time reading this long article, switch over to the interesting video version of
this text:
1
You Are Not Learning
If your job doesn’t offer enough stimuli for your personal growth, it’s time to think about a job
switch. As human beings, we never stop learning. Either intentionally or by chance, our
everyday experiences teach us something. It’s what makes life interesting! If your job is not
increasing your knowledge base, that’s definitely not a good sign.
2
You Are Underperforming
As a direct consequence of the lack of stimuli we mentioned before, you might feel it’s
worthless to put too much effort in what you do. You basically go on autopilot, performing just
the bare minimum without really any willingness to do more. Unfortunately, this is a vicious
cycle: the less you do, the less you feel motivated to do, ending in you doing even less.
3
You Feel Undervalued
Many people think that your worth at work is determined by the salary you receive. These are
usually people who are deeply dissatisfied with their jobs, though, and they reduce everything
to a mere money matter. Feeling valued is not just a matter of money. Personal appreciation
can do more than a pay raise sometimes. Which brings us to our next point.
4
You Are Just Doing It for the Money
Franklin Roosevelt said: “Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy
of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.” Check into what your motivation for doing what
you do is: if you’re only doing it to pay the rent, you won’t last long.
5
You Don’t See a Higher Purpose
Some jobs have an immediate impact on people’s lives. Think of doctors or teachers: if they
do their job well, you’ll see the result straight away in the patient’s health or the children’s
improvements. That said, every job can do good! Imagine if we didn’t have the workers
cleaning the streets, or those in factories assembling the appliances we use every day: they
all help us living a better life! If you can’t see the good you’re doing, it might be time for a
change.
6
The “Whatever” Attitude
Ok: you see a problem at work. You know that, if not solved, it may cause bigger issues. But
because of the lack of motivation we mentioned before, you’re like: “Whatever! Someone will
take care of that! Why does it have to be me?!” The real question you should be asking
yourself is: “Why am I not switching jobs?”
7
Immeasurement
In his book The Truth About Employee Engagement, Patrick Lencioni writes: “Without
tangible means of assessing success or failure, motivation eventually deteriorates as people
see themselves as unable to control their own fate”. Basically, if you don’t know if you’re
winning or losing at work, then you’re experiencing immeasurement. Talk to your boss to set
up an evaluation system that can keep you on track or come up with one yourself, especially
if you are the boss!
You can listen to the audiobook of The Truth About Employee Engagement for free thanks to
our partnership with Audible. Go to alux.com/freebook and enjoy.
8
You Feel Misplaced on the Inside
Ok, so we’re half-way through our list. You have carefully thought over all the points we have
mentioned so far and you’re doing pretty good. Yet… when you think about your job, there’s
still that little something within you… a feeling as if something deep and important is missing.
Try to go deeper in, to the core of your values and those of the work you do. Dig deep and
unearth whatever it is that’s unsettling you. Once you know, then you can think about how to
switch jobs.
9
You’re Not Using Your Strengths Daily
You don’t need us to tell you, Aluxers: if you are a creative soul stuck in a routine job, this
may do more harm than good. We totally understand trying different things at the beginning of
your career. It’s also a way of understanding yourself and your strengths better. At some
point, though, if you don’t put your strengths to good use, you’ll never be truly happy.
10
You Have the “Sunday Blues”
We’ve mentioned it at the beginning and this is becoming a real mental health issue. This is a
particular form of anxiety that many people experience. You feel as if Monday is hovering
over your head despite having rested well during the weekend. If that happens occasionally,
you have nothing to worry about. If it’s becoming systematic, it’s time to take action!
We strongly suggest checking out our Mind Mastery course at alux.com/courses! Meditation
has proven to be of help for people working in highly stressful jobs like soldiers, medical
workers and has been used to help people suffering from PTSD. With our small contribution,
we hope to support you conquering your obstacles too!
11
You’re Struggling to Refill Your Energy Tank
When you are doing work that fills you with purpose, healthy challenges and growth, it can
feel as if you would do this kind of work for free. If that’s not the case, whatever you do
outside of work might not be enough to re-balance the situation. You may be feeling like
you’re constantly “running on empty”, as if you’re walking around with a heavy burden on your
shoulders. This could be a sign that you are in the wrong place.
If you have decided to switch jobs and want to work from home, check out 15 Highest
Paying Remote Jobs.
12
You Have Physical Reactions to Thoughts of Work
Sometimes, we don’t want to see the plain truth. All those headaches, insomnia, snapping at
family members or a sense of calm when the day is finally over may be put down to a moment
of stress or just a particularly bad day. Be careful: if these symptoms become your everyday
reality, that’s no longer something to underestimate! Work is important, but without your
health nothing really matters!
Act now before what we’re about to describe in the next point happens.
13
You Have Taken up Unhealthy Habits to Cope
Usually, when dealing with work related stress, researchers have found out that women tend
to resort to food while man are more prone on taking up drugs. Either way, that’s not good,
Ladies and Gentleman! Before killing your liver with alcohol or your lungs with smoking, think
about switching jobs! It might not be as easy as wolfing down that bag of chocolate chip
cookies you’re eating, but it’s certainly the best choice on the long run!
14
You’re Experiencing Health Issues
According to the HSE, a total of 12.8 million working days were lost in the UK in 2018-19 due
to work related stress, depression and anxiety. Burnout syndrome accounts for 8% of the
occupational illness cases in 2020 and people declare to be incapable of striking a good
work-life balance these days. Do not take these facts lightly!
Mild anxiety can easily develop into serious depression if you’re subjected to constantly high
levels of stress. A bit of pressure can be healthy and boosting, but too much might be deadly.
15
You Find Your Values Do Not Align with the Job’s Requirement
There isn’t much to say about this: if you’re a pacifist, you probably shouldn’t work for a
company selling weapons! Companies knowing who they’re hiring is as important as
employees knowing the company they’re going to work for. Make sure to find out as much as
possible about your employee and what they stand for before throwing in your job application.
There you go, Aluxers! These are the 15 signs you must pay attention to if you think your job
is bad for you and you need to switch.
Question:
We sincerely hope you did not score on any of them! Maybe, though, you’ve had experience
before: how did you cope? What would you suggest to someone going through such a difficult
time? Let us know in the comments!
And don’t forget to subscribe to our channel and click the bell button so you won’t miss any
video!
15 Most Powerful Psychological Tricks in Sales

20 AUGUST 2021
BRIONY SPARG
If You Are a Salesperson Worried about Increasing Your Sales, Worry No
More. Here Are 15 Tips and Tricks for You.
To buy or not to buy… that is the question. A question that any salesperson knows the
answer to, is… TO BUY!
Today we dig deep into 15 of the Most Powerful Psychological Tips and Tricks in Sales.
Aluxers, we love your feedback – and we’ll directly reply to your comments on our video if
you’re one of the first and if we love it, we’ll mention you and your comment in one of our
articles and videos, so stick around, we could be mentioning you today!
If you feel empowered after reading our article, we’d appreciate a show of hands by
liking, subscribing to our channel, and hitting that bell notification.
Instead of getting tricked into reading this boring article, switch out to the interesting video
version instead:
So, without further delay… let’s begin.
1
The Sale Is All about the Buyer
One of the most important sales tips, whether you’re selling ice to an Eskimo or as one Reddit
contributor said, “… sell a ketchup Popsicle to a lady wearing white gloves in the middle of
July,” it doesn’t matter what the product is, you need to ensure that your client genuinely
believes they need it and it’s for their betterment.
2
Understand That Marketing and Psychology Go Together
When you go into sales of any kind, you’re not just a salesperson, you’re also a psychologist,
not legit obviously. But there is a lot of psychology wrapped up in powerful sales and learning
about a person’s psyche and what makes them spend is one of the most useful and important
tips.
Investopedia lists 5 money personalities – investors, savers, big spenders, debtors, and
shoppers. Each category’s spenders have different personalities, and it’s up to the seller to
learn the ins and outs of each one to make a successful sale.
If you want to learn from the failures of others, check out 10 Marketing Fails Of Luxury
Brands.
3
Mirroring
This is something we’ve mentioned before, and it’s a tactic that makes someone believe that
you and he are on the same wavelength.
It’s easy and effective.
As powerful businesswoman, Tiffani Bova says, “How you sell matters. What your process is
matters. But how your customers feel when they engage with you matters more.”
4
Colour Influences Buying Tendencies
Insight Marketing affirms that “People respond to colours from a place that is both
psychological and deeply personal.”
We could take up several articles on the intriguing psychological aspects of colour, but two
quick examples are: men tend to buy products that have red price tags and women lean
towards anti-aging products more when their branding is in purple.
5
Provide Social Proof
Is the product even legit if it’s not on social media and doesn’t have several 5-star ratings?
Regardless of whether or not the ratings are real – people still need that visual social proof.
One of the tips we shared in our video, 15 Sneaky Strategies Companies Get You To Spend
More Money, is that social proof “also applies when companies bring in “expert” testimonials
or includes sales numbers in their advertising.”
One subscriber – Business With Yulianna – said “So happy you posted this! This is definitely
something that should be talked about a lot more.” Thanks, Yulianna, we think so too!
6
Scarcity Sells
An oldie but a goodie, Aluxers and its stuck around for so long, because it just works.
Luckily, when it comes to selling our merch – we don’t need to scare you into buying our
items – just head to alux.com/merch and see for yourself. We’ve got plenty of everything, and
we’d love for you to post a pic of you wearing our gear!
7
Draw Strength from Your Setbacks
Seems counter-productive, doesn’t it?
Let’s give you an example. In 1962, Avis went ahead with their now famous slogan of “When
you’re only No. 2, you try harder.” This strategy worked so well for the rental agency, that they
went from being $3.2 million in debt, to a positive balance of $1.2 million!
In sales, acknowledging shortcomings shows your customers you are human, can be trusted
and are always trying to improve yourself because no matter how many tips you follow, there
will be some setbacks.
8
Empathy
If you’re going into sales purely to make money, then you’re not going to do that well. People
are tired of greedy, profit hungry salespeople and are looking for real people and products
they can relate to, are easy on the environment and have a ripple effect of goodness.
Empathy is key. And not pretend empathy either. By genuinely giving a d*mn and putting
yourself in your customers shoes, is the kind of empathy we’re talking about, and that doesn’t
require psychology to figure out either.
9
Provide Products with High Prices along with Low Priced Items
The whole point of this psychological trick is actually not to get you to buy the higher priced
item… but to make you purchase the more affordable option, while you’re secretly thinking
you’ve just scored a bargain.
You’ve been caught hook, line and sinker.
10
FOMO
Verywellmind.com states that FOMO is “a real phenomenon that is becoming increasingly
common and can cause significant stress in your life.”
The effects of FOMO are powerful, and we’re not going to lie, it’s not the greatest
psychological tool to use to sell your product. But people do, and it clearly works.
Curiosity killed the cat… but how curiosity did it, will astound you…
11
The Curiosity Gap
Did you see what we did with that last line? Does it make you wonder how curiosity really
killed that cat?
That’s the “Curiosity Gap.”
Creating a desire for your customer to know more is a super trick to pique interest and have
them scrolling through your Insta feed, Facebook post or blog.
One might call it a form of click bait, regardless it’s an effective way to draw you in while you
try and fill in the blanks.
12
Consumers Want Ethical Choices
Selling a product that says, “Ethically sourced,” compared to “Tastes amazing,” is going to
move a lot easier, and you could up the price too.
Customers want to know that by just purchasing their coffee beans, they’re helping to save
the world, even if that’s all they’re doing.
As Emma Watson once said, “As consumers, we have so much power to change the world by
just being careful in what we buy.”
13
Showing Pricing in Smaller Increments
Bite sized amounts are what sells easier on big ticket items.
Take a car for an example. The price for the car is $38,000 – which is a whack of money. But
breaking it down into smaller, monthly increments, makes the purchase seem a lot more
doable.
14
Get a Foot in the Door (FITD)
Let’s use the car example again. It’s a huge expense at $38,000… so, why not target people
with the option to lease the car before purchasing?
That’s an opportunity to get a “foot in the door.”
Psychologist World explains it as follows, “the foot-in-the-door technique, by making gradually
more demanding requests, creates an initial relationship between the requester and the
subject which the latter then feels bound to honor.”
There’s also the opposite called “Door in the face,” whereby you ask for something big
initially, which is usually a no from the customer. It’s then followed by requesting something
smaller, the actual thing the seller wanted to sell in the first place, which is received with a
yes, because it’s not as huge as the first request.
15
Reciprocity
You give something to your customer and they in turn, reciprocate with a purchase / loyalty /
word of mouth etc.
It’s a simple method, and we’ll show you how it works right now.
Aluxers, we’ve provided insight and value to you today, and we’d appreciate it immensely if
you would reciprocate by subscribing to our channel, and clicking that bell notification.
You see, easy, isn’t it?
Question:
Can you share some more powerful psychological tricks and tips in sales with us? We’d love
to hear from you!
15 Brain Damaging Habits to Quit Right Now
17 AUGUST 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Did You Know Some of Your Habits Are Slowly Damaging Your Brain
for Real? Find Out.
When an infographic with a WHO logo did the rounds in 2020 regarding 7 biggest brain
damaging bad habits, it was quickly debunked by Fact checker sites. Unfortunately, the info
still appears in Google searches on the topic.
But is there some truth to the list? Are there habits damaging our brains?
We’re here to do the research and bring you the truth. If we find it, and you’re better off for it –
please subscribe to our channel and hit the bell notification so you don’t miss our daily videos.
You may want to quit reading this article mid way because it’s so long. Switch out to the quick
little video version of this article:
With that out of the way, let’s get straight into the article.
1
Not Exposing Yourself to Expanding Thought
When it comes to the brain, if you don’t use it, you lose it. Your brain is designed to think,
analyse, and assess but like any muscle, it needs to be flexed. In a Harvard Health article:
stimulating thoughts, challenging tasks and new skills all “help the brain generate new cells,
developing neurological “plasticity” and building up a functional reserve that provides a hedge
against future cell loss.”
2
You’re Not Talking Enough
Digital tech has taken away the need for face-to-face conversation. But science is finding that
social interactions, and in particular, conversation are important for brain health. Short,
considered text interactions replacing emoji’s for facial expressions are dulling our brains
efficiency to carry on intellectual conversations.
Elise Caccappolo, professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University explains that “When
you’re socializing, the blood circulates to several different parts of your brain as you’re
listening and formulating responses.”
Harvard Health again weighs in on this one, mentioning the strong link between good social
ties and lower risks of dementia. More on this in a minute.
3
Breathe in Brain Food
The brain needs pure unadulterated fresh air. If you’re not getting good quality air because of
pollution, stuffy indoors, or you’re just not breathing deeply enough, then you’re starving your
brain of what it needs to thrive. Remember, humans have survived weeks without food, days
without water, but only minutes without oxygen.
Sit up straight while working, learn some deep breathing exercises to strengthen your
diaphragm and get as much clean fresh air in your lungs as possible.
Can you grow your brain? You sure can.
4
Isolation
On to how dementia and loneliness are linked. Loneliness is not linked to how many friends
you have, it’s about the quality of the human interactions and how they satisfy your sense of
belonging. An ongoing feeling of loneliness can cause stress and depression that triggers
inflammatory responses in the brain. A Rush University Medical Centre study of 100 people
over 80 years old, connected lack of social interactions with severe cognitive deterioration.
If you want to keep your friendships safe, check out 15 Ways to Be a Better Friend.
5
Too Much Salt
Sugar has been widely vilified, but salt is also having its moment of judgement for brain
health.
We can all accept that excess salt leads to high blood pressure. But if you think further, your
chance of having a stroke is significantly increased if you have high blood pressure. Strokes
are very damaging to the brain and can lead to speech, cognitive and physical incapacity. So
those extra shakes of salt are a habit you should quit for a healthy brain
6
Loss of Hearing
Losing your hearing doesn’t directly affect the brain function. But if you can’t hear something,
then you could miss vital information. Don’t believe us? John Hopkins University found that
hearing impaired people have a 30 – 40% higher risk of falling victim to cognitive
deterioration.
So, keep your ear health on point and let the learning keep rolling in.
7
Quit Smoking
You don’t have to look further than a cigarette pack for a warning on the health risks of
smoking. But you might not know that smoking can affect your brain negatively too. Smoking
damages your vascular system that brings blood to your brain, which increases the risk of
strokes.
Tabaco contains a compound that causes the white blood cells in the central nervous system
to attack healthy cells and cause neurological damage. Cigarettes lead to thinking and
memory problems through hastening the thinning of the brain cortex
The American Journal of Public Health published a study in 2003 which connected smoking
with faster declines in verbal memory between 43 and 53 years of age. The University of
California in San Francisco released research in 2010, that found smoking nearly doubled a
person’s chance of developing Alzheimer’s.
8
Cut the Fat
You are what you eat, and if you aren’t putting in brain food, you won’t get out the best
results. Study after study we found in our research listed off their results that all concluded
that high fat low nutrition diets led to lower cognitive functioning.
Here are some of the highlights:
The journal of Neurology study in 2012 of 6000 people, around 50 years old were studied
over 10 years. Those who were overweight had a 22% higher deterioration of their cognitive
functions.
The “low-carb” diet was examined by Tufts University researchers in 2008. This is generally
associated with high fat and protein intake. Two groups of women were studied, one group on
“low-carb” the other on a balances diet recommended by the American Dietetic Association.
The low-carb diet participants performed worse on memory-based tasks.
9
Stop Worrying!
You got 86 billion braincells but worry ain’t one!
Linda Melone, a health writer explains, “Prolonged periods of everyday stress increase
cortisol levels in the brain, which causes our brain cells to lose synapses, and make it more
difficult to create and retrieve memories.”
Adding habits like meditation and relaxation to your life instead of defaulting to worry will help
increase your intelligence and memory.
If you want to check out the world of meditation without having to shave your head and join a
monastery then Alux has you covered. Our online course: Mind Mastery can be completed
from the comfort of your home. Go to alux.com/mindmastery and enrol now!
10
Not Enough Sunshine
Good old sunshine is linked directly to our brain. Not getting a daily dose of vitamin D can
mean that your brain isn’t firing in all cylinders. We get vitamin D from sunshine, pure
unadulterated sunshine directly onto your skin.
Prolonged lack of sunshine can cause permanent damage and is linked to cognitive decline.
Older people, northern hemisphere dwellers and people with more melanin who don’t get a lot
of time in the sun can boost their brain health with healthy habits like taking daily vitamin D
supplement.
11
Drinking Too Much
I think we all know that alcohol can lead to memory loss. In fact, a 2004 study in the Alcohol
and Alcoholism Journal found that after a big night out, test subjects showed delayed
recognition in memory even when blood alcohol levels were back to zero.
However, it’s a bit of a tricky line to walk because a study in The Lancet published by Dr
Nelson in 2002, connected a moderate amount of alcohol use to reducing the risks of
dementia. Although moderate is an unspecified amount for the everyman to follow.
13
High Sugar diet
Sugar didn’t skip the list, but not for the usual diabetes linked reputation it has. High sugar
diets elevate glucose in the bloodstream. This reduces the production of a brain chemical
known as “brain-derived neurotrophic factor”. This is the chemical the brain needs to form
new memories and learn new things.
No new memories and new lessons, well, you’ll remember how damaging that is if you take a
stroll down memory lane to number one on this list. That is if you can still remember it!
14
Multitasking
We’re not huge fans of habits like multitasking at Alux, we have long believed that it’s got no
merit in productivity. More on that in our video: 15 Productivity Habits To Win Back Your
Time & Life
But on top of that multitasking is ruining your brain function. Stanford University did a study on
multitasking and found that multitaskers scored lower on cognitive tasks than others.
Two of the major takeaways were that people who multitask are chronically distracted and
because they are initiating all parts of the brain at once, aren’t as focused as those using the
brain zones relevant to the task at hand. Multitaskers can’t filter out irrelevant information as
easily. And the worst finding is that it wastes more time and kills creativity.
Other Research found that multitaskers have less density in the anterior cingulate cortex, the
region responsible for empathy and cognitive and emotional control.
15
Lack of Sleep
Nothing degrades your brain function faster than lack of sleep, well… except lack oxygen…
Sleep deprivation affects the memory, and what’s alarming is the American Center for
Disease Control and Prevention say that 28 percent of U.S. adults report frequent insufficient
sleep. That’s a lot of memory loss.
Sleep isn’t just quantity though, it’s also quality. Dr Nelson from the Lancet study explained
that “You could have someone who gets an adequate number of hours of sleep, but if you
interrupt them as they’re going into certain cycles you can undercut their memory
consolidation.”
Question:
On that note, we have a question for you… what do you do that is damaging to the health of
your brain? We’d love to hear from you. And Aluxers, if you’ve learn something new here,
we’d appreciate you hitting that bell notification on our channel and of course, subscribing for
amazing videos!
15 Ways to Be a Better Friend

24 JULY 2021
ALUX INC
If You Want to Have Good Friends, First Learn How to Become One
Yourself. Here Are 15 Ways to Help You Out.
Hello Aluxers! Today we’ll be talking about a very important topic: friendship. Friends are the
family you choose. It is important to have someone you can share both the happy and the sad
moments of life with. And since quality is better than quantity, here are 15 tips on how to be a
better friend.
Instead of reading this boring article, act on our friendly advice and switch over to the
interesting video version of this article:
With that out of the way, here are 15 Ways to Be a Better Friend.
1
Be a Good Listener
There’s a reason why we have 2 ears and only 1 mouth, and that’s because we should listen
more than we talk! If you want to be a better friend, learn how to truly listen to people. Pay
attention to what the other person is telling you, the tone of their voices, the very words they
use. Make them feel your attention is all for them. Many times, there is so much more in what
is not said and only by truly listening you can understand what your friend is trying to tell you.
2
Be Honest
Sometimes an ugly truth is better than a beautiful lie. A great friend should not be someone
who always says what you want to hear, or who always agrees with you. A true friend is
someone who calls you out on your mistakes and is not afraid to tell you the truth even if it’s a
hard one to tell. Break it gently as much as you can, but do not hold back: your friend may not
like it at first, but they will appreciate the value of your sincerity in time.
3
Be Present
You know when you’re talking to someone and you can tell they’re on another planet? Or
maybe they keep checking the time while you’re pouring your heart out? Annoying, right? If
you want to be a better friend, make sure you are fully present when you decide to be with
your friends. Really dedicate your time to them and leave everything else for later.
If you want to spend more time with your friends but don’t know how to, check out 15
Reasons Why You Never Have Enough Time.
4
Be a Giver
All the best relationships are mutual. They’re a give-and-take situation where both parties
should win equally. Be at your friends’ service and be there when they need you.
If you fear becoming a somewhat people-pleaser and give too much, there’s a good book by
Adam Grant called “Give and Take” where he tells you exactly how to be a giver in a healthy
way. Thanks to our partnership with Audible, you can also listen to the audiobook for free: go
to alux.com/freebook and enjoy!
5
Be Proactive
As we said, mutuality is key in all relationships. You cannot always wait for others to make the
first move. A good friend actively seeks you out, is proactive and comes to flush you out even
from the deepest and darkest hole. Be creative and don’t wait for friends to drop on your
doorstep!
6
Be Generous
We are not talking about money here, although if a very good friend is in trouble, you may
want to show how much you care also by lending them some money. The generosity we talk
about has little to do with material things. Be generous with your time and with your attention.
If appropriate, make your friends physically feel your love through hugs and kisses. Gestures
always say so much more than words.
7
Be Trustworthy
This is a fundamental rule if you want to be a good friend. Never ever reveal a friend’s secret
to anyone, especially if clearly told not to. If someone is brave enough to become vulnerable
with you and make you private to something very personal, show them your respect by not
sharing this confidence with anyone.
8
Be Loyal
It’s always fun to watch young siblings being constantly at each other’s throats until an
outsider comes and criticises one of them. The reaction is usually an immediate alliance
between the siblings to defend each other. That’s what loyalty between friends is. You can be
brutally honest with your friends, but make sure everybody knows that’s your exclusive
privilege.
9
Be the #1 Fan
Sometimes friends do make incredibly crazy decisions. In many occasions, you might not
agree with their choices at all. Of course you should tell them your sincere opinion, but once
they’ve set up their mind, get into cheerleader-mode. Be supportive, back them up when they
have a setback and always encourage them to pursue their goals.
10
Celebrate Victories
We are our harshest critics and sometimes do not give the right importance to what we
manage to achieve in life. A great friend recognizes our worth and is ready to celebrate our
every little win, particularly when we ourselves cannot see how good we’ve been.
So whether it is a promotion they’ve worked hard to achieve or their first month of consistently
going to the gym to lose weight, make sure you praise your friends and celebrate their
milestones with them!
11
Admit When You’re Wrong
Learning to deal with admitting fault is extremely important, especially if what we’ve done or
said has hurt a friend. We’ve all done something which might have seemed good at the time
but turned out to be flat wrong. Just be candid about it, admit you were wrong and sincerely
apologize. As hard and daunting it may seem to declare out loud we’ve made a mistake, not
doing it would cost way more.
12
Practice Empathy
As you may have noticed, we’ve been promoting honesty a lot in this article. We strongly
believe that this is the base for a genuine and long-lasting friendship, but sometimes too
much honesty can come through as entitlement. Without turning your back on sincerity,
always make sure you put yourself into your friends’ shoes and try to understand where
they’re coming from. Being empathic will help you supporting your friends and be a better
counsellor for them.
13
Accept the Other Person’s Weaknesses
Perfection is divine. So, as much as none of us is perfect, we can expect our friends to have
weaknesses too. Maybe someone is always late, or talks too much, or even has worse flaws.
Again, talk plainly with them about what may annoy you but always do so from a place of
compassion and understanding. They may have as many remarks on your defects as much
as you have on theirs.
14
Be Flexible
Not every day is the same. Life gets in the way and sometimes all we need is to crawl up and
binge-watch TV in complete solitude. A good friend knows when it’s time to just let a person
be and is willing to give them space. Just check in with your friend to make sure they’re ok
and let them know you’re there should they need you.
15
Have Fun
The craziest adventures happen with your friends. Sometimes you just have to leave your
troubles and worries at home, grab your friends and go have fun! Chances are, after a day
out laughing and chilling, your problems won’t look that big anymore!
There you go, Aluxers: 15 ways to be a better friend.
Question:
What’s the most important trait for you? What do you do that make you a great friend? Let us
know in the comments!
15 Business Advice We Wish We Got When We Started

11 JULY 2021
EMIL ANTON
Starting a New Business Is Always Scary. But You Can Minimize the
Risks by Acting on These Great Advice.
Starting out is confusing and by far the hardest part of the journey. By the end of this Sunday
motivational article, you’ll walk away with the most valuable advice and lessons that over a
decade in business has taught us.
We want you to realise that:
Every successful person was once in your shoes!
Feeling what you’re feeling right now and anxious about what the future holds for them.
Every master was once an apprentice!
So we want to be for you, the teacher we’ve never had! You might want to take notes and see
where you stand on each of these.
As always, here is the video version of this article:
Here are 15 Business Advice We Wish We Got When We Began Our Financial Journey.
1
Start With the Imperfect Version, But Start Now
There’s a saying going around in Silicon Valley that goes like this:
If you’re not embarrassed by your launch version, you launched too late!
Beginners fall in the trap of perfectionism all the time.
The truth is the sooner you get in front of your potential customers the quicker you realise
what needs to be improved.
Stop with the nonsense: Launch now, get the ball rolling and polish it along the way!
2
Sales Solves Everything
In business, nothing matters but sales. Your ability to generate sales is what will make or
break your business.
Sales means money is coming in and there is a demand for what you’ve got to offer.
Unless you master sales, you don’t have a business, you have a hobby!
Your website might not be perfect, your packaging not great, but none of this matters unless
you’re able to convince someone to give you their money.
3
Hire Fast, Fire Even Faster
When we started out we wanted to be personal friends with everybody we hired. We know.. A
pretty human thing to do. The problem is that the relationship you have with your friends has
a completely different dynamic than the one you have with your employees.
We treat everyone with respect, we’re there for them in case they need help, but this is a
business. Our agreement is that we will pay your salary on time and in exchange we expect
you to deliver the agreed upon work on time.
This distinction right here is what allowed us to deliver one of these piece of content every
single day for so long.
Our advice is to hire fast, test out and see if they fit with your company’s business culture. If
they don’t, fire them. When you’re looking to build great things, you don’t need to get caught
up in your feelings.
There’s a big difference between running a business and running a charity!
4
Focus on 1 Thing Only
Ask yourself: What does my business do?!
Then focus on doing that to the best of your ability!
This means figuring out:
1. How to improve the quality of your product
2. How how to reduce the time it takes to produce or serve a customer
3. What can you automate or at least outsource
4. How can I get in front of more people who need what I sell
That’s your job. From the smallest street-salesman to the highest ranking CEO, they’re all
trying to figure out how to do these 4 things.
Do not get distracted by shiny objects! You’re not in that business, you’re in YOUR business,
so take our advice and act like it!
5
Set Bigger Goals
When we were starting out we set our goal to get to $1 million dollars. This was the goal. We
taught if we could only get to this one goal our entire life will be set.
It took us 7 years from the moment we started with less than $10 in our bank account to get to
1 million and you know what happened when we did?! It didn’t feel like we made it. Sure, the
title is nice, but we realised that the goal wasn’t 1 million, it was to feel financially free, that we
had enough money to never have to worry about money again.
When we were starting out, in our minds a million dollars would solve that, but we had to get
there to realise it isn’t enough.
So now we’re going for 100 million, because why the hell not?! Now we have money, we have
knowledge and we’re living in the most prosperous time in human history.
Here’s the lesson:
It takes between 7 and 10 years to reach a big goal!
So you might at least set a really big one!
Setting goals strategically and building a framework on how to get there in time is the
difference between those who wish they had success and those who plan for it. Everything
we’ve learned in our journey from getting to 0 to 1 million we put in the Goal Mastery course
available at goalsbyalux.com
People were blown away by it, which is why we’re maintaining a level of exclusivity. Make
sure you’re on the email list for when we reopen later this year. It will be available for
enrollment for 1 week only, so if you miss it, you might have to wait 6 more months to get in.
That’s goalsbyalux.com!
6
Nobody Cares About the Business as Much as You Do
In time you will hire a bunch of people, they will all work hard, but nobody has the skin in the
game you have for this business to succeed. For you it’s personal, for them, it’s just business.
You can not expect the people that work for you to have the same vision and burning desire
to expand the way you do.
This applies to people who position themselves as experts who are meant to help you grow
your business.
Nobody knows your business the way you do. Everytime you sit at a table discussing your
business there will always be an asymmetrical distribution of knowledge and vision.
7
Talk to Lawyers and Tell Them Your Long Term Plan
A call with a lawyer will cost you a few hundred bucks, maybe a thousand. But this call might
save you a lot of time and pain in the long term.
Fortunately for you, business from a legal perspective has been pretty much standardised.
We have templates for every possible contract out there, the thing is: you don’t know which
ones to have your people sign and what kind of impact they have on the long run.
A decent attorney will get you set up in no-time. This is incredibly important especially if you
want to sell the company at some point.
8
Get a Good Accountant
Legal will take care of the paperwork, the accountant will take care of the money.
Accountants will give your business more fuel for it to grow. They will make sure you’re in
good standing with the state and knowing everything is taken care of on the financial side is
such a flex.
As a rule of thumb:
A good accountant pays for themselves tenfold!
9
Have Money Set Aside for Opportunities or Rainy Days
The business needs to be sitting on some cash at all times. You never realise the importance
of cash until the best opportunity passes you by because you didn’t have the money do play.
As a golden business advice:
You should always have at least a 6 month runway!
This means you have enough money in the bank to keep paying rent, keeping the lights on
and your employees… well, employed, for up to 6 months.
As a founder, you’re the least one to get paid in times of trouble, so make sure you’ve got
something saved up yourself.
10
Use Leverage as Much as Possible
The most valuable business advice we can give is about the concept of Leverage and using
multipliers. We talked about this before, but it’s a game changer.
Multipliers are there to scale your business! Here’s how this works.
Let’s say you have a cookie business.
People are a multiplier: if you bake cookies alone, let’s say you can do 100 cookies per day.
You hire someone else, they might not be as good as you but they’re doing at least 50
cookies per day. Bring another one and you just replaced yourself as a baker. You are now
putting on 0% of the baking time, but getting 100% from what’s left after you pay the 2 people.
Machines are a multiplier: if you get a bigger and more professional oven, you might bake
twice as many cookies at the same time. This doubles your output through technology.
Websites are a multiplier: You used to sell cookies in your brick and mortar store and you still
do. You get around 100 customers per day you walk into your shop. But now you set up a
website and sell your cookies nationally. You sell 3 times as many online as you do offline
and things are picking up speed.
Ideas are a multiplier: One day you have an idea for a fun video. You create a tiktok page,
make a funny video and it goes viral. You just increased the sales from your website by 30X.
Stack all these together and you can rapidly grow your business using multipliers.
11
You’re in the Buy Low, Sell High Business, Figure Out Your
Numbers
It takes a while, usually a few years until you understand you’re actually in the buy low sell
high business. No matter what you do, every business is in the buy low sell high business.
It might be simple, like products, or it might be more complicated like software or services.
You’re still paying someone to write code, cheaper than you sell it for.
The quicker you realise that this is technically what your business is, the quicker you can
have a look at your numbers. How much are you paying to get your product or service out the
door to your customer? How much are you charging for it? What is the difference?
Can you buy it cheaper than you do right now? How?
Can you charge more for it? How?
Business is a number’s game according to our advice! Figure out your numbers!
12
Who Is Your Customer and What Do They Want
The second thing on this list was: sales solves everything!
The evolved version of that is knowing your customer and what they want. The more you
learn about them the better you will be at both putting together your product and selling it to
them.
A mistake we’ve made in the past is ASSUMING we know what the customer wants. We
invested a lot of money into things the customer didn’t want.
A valuable advice in business:
Never ASSUME, you’ll make an ASS of U & ME!
Learning from someone else’s mistake is a smart thing to do. Check out 10 Biggest
Business Mistakes in 2020.
13
Figure Out Where the Puck Is Going and Get There First
Many of you know that ALUX was initially one of the biggest publishers in the luxury space
online. Our website still has thousands of articles, written on everything luxury. Until one day
when we asked ourselves… how often do we actually read online articles in our spare time?
How is the average person using the internet?
We figured out that video is a much better consumption experience for the user and that video
will soon take over. We risked everything, took all the money the website was making,
retrained our staff, hired a bunch of new people and got to making the videos on
our channel that you know and love.
Taking risks leads to progress!
See where the puck is going and make sure you’re already set up before it gets there!
14
Building a Brand Requires Building a Community
When we started out we were ignorant. We taught building a brand means having a few
colors, a logo people like and a few keywords they associate with you.
In reality: A brand is the sum of all experiences and emotions people have with your
company!
The way you’re treated at the reception of the hotel is as important as the job the
housecleaning staff does.
In order to build a brand, you need to build a community around your company, of people who
are having positive feelings about what you do.
That’s why we take pride in the quality of the people who subscribe to our channel. These are
visionaries who see what we are trying to build and how we are systematically changing the
way education is done.
15
Stay Humble, Put Your Head Down and Keep Working
Here’s an advice nobody gives you when you’re starting out in business: there is no phase in
which you step aside and the business runs itself. There’s no such thing as a passive
business. The 4 hour work week is a lie and even Tim knows it.
It will be a grind, but it will be a pleasant one, for you are working for yourself and your future.
You chose to do this, nobody made you. You could’ve gotten a job at a bank, but you said
nah.. I want to do this other thing.
Every morning we wake up we feel blessed that we get to do what we do for a living and that
our future is under our control. We don’t need pats on the back from anyone, we are just
happy doing what we do.
Question:
There are plenty of specific pieces of business advice that we found valuable along the way,
but we want to pass this on to you, the Aluxers: What is one thing you wish you knew when
you started your financial journey?
Let us know in the comments below!
15 Steps to Build Trust

26 JUNE 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Getting Someone to Trust You Is Not an Easy Task. We Are Breaking
Down the Steps That You Can Follow to Build Trust.
There’s a saying that goes, “trust takes years to build, seconds to break and forever to repair,”
and it’s 100% accurate.
Even a suspicion is enough to destroy someone’s trust in you, and that’s why we’ve compiled
this list of 15 Steps to Build Trust and keep it.
Trust us when we say that this article is a total snooze fest. Switch out to the quick video
Without further ado, let’s jump right into the article.
1
Your Word Is Your Word
If you say you’re going to do something, do it. Don’t let people doubt whether or not you’re
going to follow through on what you’ve promised.
There are many reasons why keeping your word makes your life simpler, not more difficult.
Performance coach, Neel Raman, gives several repercussions that occur when you don’t give
your word. These include:
 Missed opportunities.
 Damaged relationships.
 Having a reputation as an unreliable person.
 Conflict with others.
 Experiencing guilt or remorse.
Keeping your word, according to Raman, means deeper connections with others and yourself.
You eliminate guilt and you’re more selective to what you agree to, which gives you peace of
mind.
2
Don’t Speak about Other People behind Their Back
People will never trust you if they overhear you badmouthing someone else, and why should
they? What will you say about them, the moment their back is turned?
Blake Lively says, “People gossip. People are insecure, so they talk about other people so
that they won’t be talked about. They point out flaws in other people to make them feel good
about themselves.”
Gossiping is a one-way ticket to losing respect and trust, with little chance of returning.
Aluxers, remember we share great videos with you every day. Be sure to subscribe before we
head into number 3.
3
Don’t Rush Building Trust – It Takes Time
We live in a world of instant gratification, and it applies when you build trust. We return a
wallet dropped on the floor, and all of a sudden, we’re “Jesus,” or we do a good deed, post it
all over social media, and silently think, move over Mother Teresa. It doesn’t work that way.
It takes time to build trust, just like earning respect. We do it every day, without fail. It
becomes part of our make-up, our DNA, our values… and the effort is worth the reward of
having people trust you.
4
Learn to Communicate Effectively
This way you leave no room for misunderstanding which can often lead to mistrust.
Aluxers, isn’t it funny how so many fights or arguments stem from a simple
misunderstanding? The well-known “I thought you meant xyz,” is often the result of bad
communication which then leads to mistrust which leads to falling out of friendships or
relationships.
This isn’t always the case, of course, but a lot of stress, anxiety and tension can be reduced
by communicating effectively.
5
Think Things through before Committing to Anything
That way you’re making an informed decision and you can’t look back and wish you’d done it
differently, because you rushed into it. So, how does this apply to building trust? When you
agree to something, the person you’re agreeing to – will know unequivocally that you will be
involved 100%.
They will know that you’re not going to dwindle away on the project, get fed-up, bored or just
up and leave… they will trust that they have your full commitment, and that Aluxers, is a
wonderful feeling for both of you.
6
Don’t Hide Your Emotions
People will find it difficult to relate to you if they think you’re beyond emotions or feelings. We
often feel more connected with someone and trust them a little easier when they show their
own vulnerabilities.
It’s not a bad thing to show you’re human and that you are having a bad time or struggling
mentally. It’s during these times that we connect with others on a much deeper, more trusting
level. Don’t fight it, and if you’re not able to get the guidance or support you need, please
remember that professional help is not far away.
7
Remain True to Your Own Values
Don’t compromise them.
Quoted by the Recruiter Journal, “Values are like lighthouses; they are signals giving us
direction, meaning, and purpose.”
You’ve taken years to carve your values, Aluxers, and when you remain true to them and
people see that, they know they can trust your integrity.
We highly recommend that you listen to this 5-star rated book on Audible, “The Values Factor
– The Secret to Creating an Inspired and Fulfilling Life” by Dr. John DeMartini. We’ve got a
free download waiting for you at alux.com/freebook.
8
Accept Responsibility and Admit When You’re Wrong
We can’t mention this enough, and we don’t… because you know our stance on the
importance of accepting responsibility.
It’s clear to see which adults never had to accept responsibility as children. They are
incapable of admitting fault and making right their mistakes. Instead, they have perfected the
art of extending their pointer finger and blaming someone else.
People trust those that make mistakes and admit to them. They do not trust those that never
admit fault.
9
Invest in the Relationships You Have
Whether it’s a partner, family or close friends… show them you’re always there for them, be
their biggest supporter, share their highs and lows and be the friend you know they need.
In our video, 15 Signs You’re an Emotionally Intelligent Couple, we mentioned that highly
intelligent couples make a conscious decision to be emotionally intelligent. That decision can
be applied to family, friends or even work colleagues. You can consciously decide to deal with
problems like adults and not toddlers and use communication to resolve issues.
This conscious decision is a wonderful method to build trust in your relationships.
If you want to work on your relationships and make them better, check out 10 Secrets
that Make a Successful Relationship.
10
Take a Risk with Someone
Aluxers, when was the last time you did something totally crazy? Taking a risk with someone
takes a lot of courage from both parties, and when you have to place all your trust in someone
with some crazy, off the wall idea, that will most certainly build trust.
To put it in a milder way, stepping out of your comfort zone with someone could open up a
whole new world. Maybe it’s just taking a cooking class with a friend, dancing lessons with a
partner or doing an online make-up course with family abroad – these all involve putting
yourself out there and doing something different.
And even if your new venture or crazy idea is an epic failure, it’s still worth it. A quote
contributed to Forbes by Chuck Swoboda by American author and motivational speaker Denis
Waitley, “Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and
that is the risk of doing nothing.”
11
Be Sincere and Authentic
Nothing builds trust as quickly or efficiently as just being yourself… unless you’re a complete
douchebag, then we suggest you work on that. But being authentic, and not changing who
you are when you’re around different people, is extremely important to build and maintain
trust.
Same for sincerity. When people tell you something, be sincere in your reply. Take an active
interest in what they’re telling you and try and put yourself in their position so that you can be
empathetic and understanding.
12
Reliability and Dependability
These two are the old faithful’s when it comes to trust.
You say you will pick someone up at 5pm, be there at 5pm. You promise to help a friend
move at 10am, be there bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to help him move. Don’t rock up
there at 1pm after a complete bender, red-eyed, dry-mouthed with unsteady hands.
It’s building trust 101 Aluxers, be reliable and dependable.
13
Give the Benefit of the Doubt
This is something that swings both ways. Let’s say you’ve had an incredible friend for years,
and you’ve grown to love and trust that friend. You admire and respect her. Then you hear
some sort of news that doesn’t match her values and beliefs, so you give her the benefit of
the doubt.
And this is the same benefit of the doubt that you would also be privy to, if you’ve behaved in
a trustworthy, admirable way your whole life.
That’s not saying that the friend is not guilty of whatever misdemeanour you’ve heard, but it
means you give them a chance first because of the reputation they’ve upheld.
There’s a great quote by our most famous Anonymous, which goes “Live so that you can at
least get the benefit of the doubt.”
14
Learn to Trust Others
While earning trust is wonderful, you also need to trust others. Easier said than done, right?
We know it’s hard, but we have to let go and place our trust in the hands of others.
And yes, you’ve probably been burnt more than once. And yes, you’ve probably sworn you’ll
never trust again. But Aluxers, there are genuinely amazing people in the world.
These steps to learn to trust again are brought forward by Savvy Psychologist Dr. Ellen
Hendriksen:
 Stay in one place.
 Get into routine.
 Give a little and see what you get.
 Make future plans.
 Trust an animal.
 Be trustworthy.
 Actively look for trustworthy behaviour.
 Grow the belief that you deserve to be around trustworthy people.
15
Be the Person You Wish You Had Growing Up
Trust begins from infancy. Babies learn to trust their parents from the moment they’re born.
As a child gets older, their trust is quickly broken, and this is how: Parents offer an ultimatum
but don’t follow through with the consequences. They make kids feel shameful or
embarrassed by their behaviour. Bringing in another authority figure, for example, I will tell
your teacher about this, ultimately tells your child that you’re not in control of that situation.
And we can go on, but rather, be sure to follow our sister channel, New Parents, where we
delve more into this topic and many others helping you become the best parent or caregiver
you can be.
Question:
When did you have your trust broken, Aluxers? Share your story with us.
15 Things to Give Up If You Want to Be Happy

21 JUNE 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Who Doesn’t Want to Be Happy? We Are Giving Away Tips on How to
Achieve Happiness.
If the weather was cold, would you try and change the weather or would you put on a
sweater? Same applies to your life. You can’t always change the circumstances, but you can
change how you react to them, or you could “give up” something that could help you be
happy, and we have 15 suggestions for you in today’s article, 15 things to give up if you want
to be happy.
If you don’t want to waste your precious time, give up reading this long article and switch over
to the video version instead:
With that done, let’s move forward with the article.
1
Give Up Wanting to Be Right
How great it is to win an argument, how sweet the victory! Or is it? Often when we prove
someone wrong, they exit hurt and despising us. So really, we are just right and alone.
Working with people successfully and maintaining happy and healthy relationships includes a
good amount of compromise. Finding the exact right answer isn’t always the solution, but
often the most comfortable or acceptable solution is right, and the one that leads to a happy
life.
As self-help author, Wayne Dyer, puts it: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?”
You can listen to Wayne Dryer’s Number 1 New York Times Best Seller the Erroneous
Zones on Audible for free by going to alux.com/freebook.
2
Give Up Judging – Yourself and Others
In an article for Psychology Today, Doctor Rubin Khoddam suggests that “the language we
use to describe “things” easily becomes the same language we use to describe ourselves.
He uses the example of a movie that two people watch. For one it was the best movie, to the
other, it was awful. So, which one was it? Was it the best or worst movie in the world? The
truth is that it can be both because judgement is only based on perspective. It isn’t
necessarily fact, nor does it take the power or position from that thing. The movie still exists,
but we might be changed.
But what is interesting is those judgements of a movie lead to different experiences. One
encourages conversation, the other kind of puts people off. And once one thing is awful, how
easy is it for the weather to be awful too, and then your job, and actually you suddenly feel
that you’re awful too.
Judgement doesn’t bring us any nearer to truth, nor fact and definitely not happiness. So,
ditch it.
3
Give Up Comparisons
Along a similar flow of thought, comparisons could also be robbing you of happiness. Give up
your need to compare yourself and your life to other people. We are all on our own journey.
No one route can be identical. There is nothing to compare your life to.
Comparing won’t get you there any faster. It just takes energy, it is rarely a motivation, and it
distracts us from our own responsibilities. So, stick to your lane and forge ahead. And if you
needed encouragement, we’ll be the first to say: “You’re doing perfectly fine for you!”
4
Give Up Limiting Yourself
By now you should be realising that nothing is actually limiting except what you think or
believe about yourself. If you want to believe you’re the best at something, nothing is stopping
you. The truth is that when you are overcome with limitless beliefs, your horizon becomes a
lot bigger and your capacity for problem solving becomes a field of options.
As change therapist Elly Roselle puts its, “A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea
that holds the mind.”
If you want to change yourself to become better, check out 15 Steps to Reinvent
Yourself and Start Over.
5
Hakuna Matata That SH*T AKA Give Up the Past
If a Warthog and a Meercat singing a cute song don’t make you see that the past doesn’t
matter, then perhaps looking at the past for what it is, will help. The real reason we like the
past so much is because it is known. The present wants something from us, and the future is
unknown.
The past is like a comforting blanket, even if it was scary or painful, at least we know it. But
the thing is the past can do nothing for us. We know what happened, we contain the
knowledge in us, we have already learnt what we need from it.
6
Give Up Trying to Control What Is Happening to You
Sh*it happens. That’s for sure. Maybe your job is on the line, you are sick, or your year of
travelling got cancelled by Covid… Whatever your reality is, we have less control over what
happens to us than we would all prefer.
What you can control is what you do with those realities. Will you deal with your illness
graciously, maybe learn and even change your lifestyle because of it, or will you leverage
your job loss for an even better career path of consulting for your employer or perhaps their
clients? Maybe your delayed travel plans mean you can take another opportunity that comes
along.
Your reaction to what is happening can be controlled. And that response is what can give you
control over any situation, and that is true happiness.
7
Give Up Labels and Boxes and Stereotypes
Labels are so limiting. The quickest way to ring fence yourself, is to believe that your limit lies
at the end of your current title. Same goes for other people.
Perhaps you are a stay home parent, that doesn’t mean you’re not a dynamite entrepreneur.
Being from a tough upbringing, doesn’t have to limit you, just the same as graduating from an
Ivy League University doesn’t make you a shoe in for success.
If you want a fair and equal chance to be happy, start by dropping all the labels and
stereotypes that limit you. And then stop limiting other people in the same way too. You will
be pleasantly surprised at how much happier you will be in the freedom.
8
Give Up Talking Yourself Down
So many of us have a bad habit of being our own worst critic. The world is harsh enough,
there is no need for you to be unkind to yourself too. If there IS something you don’t like about
yourself, then we encourage you to admit it and change it. But constantly dissing yourself
won’t help or fix anything. Drop those bad habits like a hot potato and then be your own
cheerleader if you want to be happy.
9
Give Up Doing Things for Approval
Most of us carry childhood needs into adulthood, and that isn’t good. We need to grow out of
those needs to experience true happiness. One childhood need is for approval. Kids want you
to watch every cartwheel and offer positive feedback, or it wasn’t worth doing.
Each time they get an adult’s admiration for every minor move they make; it amplifies their
need for approval instead of doing things for the pure joy of it. It’s a bad trait that
overparented modern childhood teaches kids.
Of course, put down the keyboard, we’re not knocking positive reinforcement or
encouragement in your kids., it’s the constant over emphasis that is wrong.
Your adult life should be able to continue without someone acknowledging every minor move
you make. Enjoy the cartwheel for yourself, not because it impresses someone else.
10
Give Up Your Idea of Making Money
This one might seem counterproductive for a community of future billionaires like Aluxers. But
hear us out. We’re referring to the advice of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, and they have a few
billion each to keep them warm at night.
The concept they both preach is that of giving up making money as your focus. Rather work
on providing the best darn service or product you can muster. Musk, in particular, talks about
solving people’s problems. That will bring you happiness and satisfaction. Solving an
undeniable problem with a brilliant solution will mean money will come.
Find out more about one of these business greats in our video:
11
Give Up Blaming
Things are never going to be perfect. You can blame covid, a recession, or your schooling,
but it won’t get you any closer to overcoming those challenges. You need to unpack the
problem, mistake or misfortune, learn from it, and then put that aside and proceed.
You won’t find success or be happy at the end of a long list of all the reasons you have for not
succeeding. Ditch your need to rap off blame and look towards the opportunities you do have.
12
Give Up Waiting for the Right Time
We often think we will be happy in a new job, or with the right partner or when we lose 10 kgs.
Aluxers, there is no such thing as the perfect time.
The only thing that makes one time better than another, is your commitment.
13
Give Up Fear
If you had to draw fear, or describe it, or invite it to a dinner party how would you do that?
You couldn’t really. That’s because fear is made up. It doesn’t actually exist as an entity. No
one else can see it, feel it or know it. Franklin D Roosevelt explained that “The only thing we
have to fear, is fear itself.”
Fear itself is the biggest threat, not the thing that you found challenging. That you can do
something about if you didn’t have fear blurring your vision. Work on eliminating the nervous
twitch to devolve into fear when something happens. Use that creative energy to find
solutions instead.
14
Give Up Attachment
While on the subject of fear let’s talk about attachment. A lot of people think that love and
attachment are the same, but one can’t thrive in the presence of the other.
Feeling attached to people or things comes from fear, fear of losing them, so they need to be
owned or labelled. Love is self-less, love is only concerned with giving and nurturing, or being
a good curator while associated with that person or item. Love is a knowing that everything
comes and goes, and that there is no true ownership of anything.
Lau Tzu explains that in attachment there is no happiness: “By letting it go it all gets done.
The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond
winning.”
15
Give Up Thinking You Understand the World
If we ever get to a point we feel we are better than others because we have reached the apex
of success, or possess an ultimate knowledge of the world, we will probably just be…bored.
Paulo Coehlo puts it like this: “You’re always learning. The problem is, sometimes you stop
and think you understand the world. This is not correct. The world is always moving. You
never reach the point you can stop making an effort.”
The joy and wonder in life is the reason to never get to the end of the understanding of how
everything works. You get happy when we realise we actually know very little, and so we will
always have something to look forward to.
Question:
What would you give to be happy? And what is stopping you?
15 Ways to Capture Attention in a Noisy World
16 JUNE 2021
BRIONY SPARG
In Today’s World, It Is a Difficult Task to Stand Out and Get Noticed.
Let’s Learn How You Can Do That.
The world is a busy, noisy place. Market research by Yankelovich found that in 2007 the
average person saw up to 5,000 adverts a day. In 2021 that figure has doubled. If you want to
stand out in the media, how do you get noticed among the noise?
We’re about to answer that in today’s article in 15 Ways to Capture Attention in a Noisy
World.
This article is so boring that it won’t be able to hold your attention for long. Switch out to the
quick little video version of this article:
1
Know Who You Are Talking To
Not all social media platforms are the same. A great tweet is a completely different animal to
a captivating Instagram post.
You can’t copy and paste from one to another; you need to craft your posts according to the
platform you are posting on.
On top of that, it is critical you know who you are talking to and why they are on this platform.
Like Adam Mendler from the Veloz Group explains, “It’s not only important to understand who
those people are but also what they hope to get out of their experience with the particular
social media platform they are using.”
People have different reasons for being on different platforms. Some look to be inspired,
others to troll, some like to boast while others want to be part of trending crazes.
2
Fit In Enough to Stand Out, Then Be Different
That whole thing about why fit in when you can stand out, is only one side of the
conversation.
Aluxers, you won’t get too far just standing out arbitrarily if no one is following or watching
you. Before you can show how different, novel or trend-forward you are, you need to capture
people’s attention and get noticed by being relatable. This might mean sharing similar views
in a blog, copying a winning format of videos, or showing similar fashion trends.
Once you have captured the audience, you can begin to focus on what makes you unique.
At this stage you will have their support and respect… hopefully… and this can make you
influential with your “new take” on things.
Be sure to subscribe to our channel, we’ve got you covered on all topics that will help you
move ahead in life.
3
Be Personal and Authentic
Everyone from Elon Musk to Jeff Bezos has said something like this, “don’t worry about what
you sell, worry about what you can give or improve.”
The same goes for standing out and winning over audiences in a noisy world. Like Don
Markland of MoneySolver puts it: “. Don’t be a personal brand. Be a personal service brand
and simply provide value in your authentic service.”
Is it daily inspiration, or is it insight into the latest trends, or business advice? Whatever it boils
down to, make how you can help, the focus. Don’t just continuously ask people to follow and
sign-up or pay more money. Reach out and offer authentic value first.
If you are an Elon Musk fan and want to follow his advice, check out 15 Books Elon
Musk Thinks Everyone Should Read.
4
Spark Curiosity
There is a great human psychological phenomenon called the curiosity gap that successful
people exploit to be noticed above the noise.
In short, the Curiosity Gap is the gap of information between what someone knows, and what
they want to know. It leaves a feeling of deprivation when they realise, they don’t know
something.
This is something that you can use to grab attention and get noticed among hundreds of other
titles. Its simple if you know how.
First you provide a bit of information up front. So, you give some intriguing, but not complete
information, in your headline or first sentence of your post. Then the person is enticed to read
more so that they can close the gap and make sense of this new knowledge they have been
given.
Here’s a great example:
Gizmodo Headline: Why do Chinese URLs use numbers, not letters?
Intrigued to read more?
Yes?
That’s the point!
5
Create Positive Feelings
Life’s tough, and most of us shy away onboarding any more stress or disappointment than we
already have.
In the info overload of the modern world, seconds count. If you can deliver joy to your
audience right away, then you will win them over, get noticed and concentrate their attention
on you. Suddenly it makes sense why cute cat videos and fun gifs are so popular. If you can
deliver content that people have a positive connection with you, you will make friends AND
influence people.
6
Be Clear with Titles
There is nothing worse than sifting through a ton of poorly labelled blogs or videos before you
find one that contains what you were looking for. Viewers appreciate straight forward titles
that help them to know exactly what to expect from your video or post. Your title or first
sentence should always answer the question: “What is this about?”
This doesn’t mean you have to be boring; you can use great wordplay that works with your
brand. Like this great example that Shape Magazine used for a video title: “Bloomingdales &
Everlast Are Knocking Out Breast Cancer.”
7
Use the Element of Surprise
The element of surprise is a great way to gain attention and get noticed, and engagement in
this noisy world. But people don’t have a stomach for “shock factor” anymore. Perhaps its
because we’ve had far too many shocks from pandemics to economic collapses to terrorist
attacks.
According to Harvard Business School Associate Professor, Thales Teixeira, 90% of viral ads
are humour based. But he explains the difference well: “There are two types of humor: pure
and shocking. While “pure” humor triggers viewing and sharing, “shocking” humor only
promotes viewing.”
8
Call to Actions Should Be Clear
If you want to get noticed by someone, you need to keep the clarity going. This means that
whatever your ultimate goal is to get noticed, whether it’s buying your merchandise or joining
your live seminar, you need to ask directly.
This is called a call to action or CTA. You can’t beat around the bush or hide it in the credits.
Be upfront and precise, as well as informative. For example, if you want people to listen to
your weekly podcast for cyclists, entice them within a few seconds of the advert or promotion
like this: “Listen every Tuesday for the latest in cycling news, results and advancements.” Its
not pushy but its informative and clear.
9
Use Data
From the first frame or sentence, you can entice people to keep them engaged if you ground
your message in interesting facts and data.
Waffling on for ages about vague marketing speak won’t make you stand out. Rather offer
your fans novel and even exclusive information to keep them engaged and coming back for
more.
If you’re selling a product and are keen to learn how to capture and keep your customers
coming back – be sure to watch our video:
10
Forget Overt Branding
Obviously branded content is dead! The Harvard Business School ran a study using infrared
eye-tracking technology which proved that people don’t like to feel like they’re being
persuaded.
The research tracked viewers eyes and saw that the instinctive reaction was to pull back from
brands with too much prominent branding. Viewers consistently stop watching video ads at
the moment in which brand logos appear on the screen. And bigger logos or longer brand
exposure resulted in shorter watch times.
In their book Can’t Buy Me Like, Bob Garfield and Doug Levy summarize the study’s findings
like this: “This effect of branding avoidance is so strong that it seems to be incorporated into
people’s subconscious—they are not aware of their own passive resistance to persuasion.”
Listen for free on Audible by grabbing your free listen on alux.com/freebook.
11
Keep People Wanting More
After clearly introducing what your blog, post or video is about, it’s important to keep your
audience engaged. And this is where it gets even trickier to keep someone’s attention.
You need to keep people wanting more, which means you can’t blurt out all the great stuff first
and then ramble on after that.
You should consider all the information points you want to get across, and then frame it in
such a way that your information builds on each other, point by valuable point. Also fight the
urge to want to make your content longer than it should be, rather stop when you have no
more new information or value to add, people will trust you with their attention spans for
longer next time, trust us!
12
Target Viewers That Share Your Message
If you want to spread your message, you need to get people to share it. The reason someone
would share your content or endorse you, is out of their own self-interest, not just as charity.
Back to Professor Teixeira we mentioned earlier from the Harvard Business School:
“Consciously or not, the sender intends to gain ‘social capital’ in the process [of sharing
content]. It is not just about content.” He explains that “sweet spot” that leads to content
going viral as an advertising symbiosis. This is where, by sharing the content they know their
friends will love, the sharer will feel helpful and “in the know.”
13
Stop the Scroll with Text Animations
A lot of time spent online is done with the sound off, whether at work or in a lecture theatre.
Adding text to videos really helps capture people’s attention because it allows them to view
the video without the sound on. This could be the difference between someone watching your
video over another one.
This isn’t just a case of subtitles; those mostly comes standard as a feature on video sharing
websites. We’re talking about bold subtitles, and bright text that get the story across, the way
Dodo does their happy ending pet videos that we all love.
According to Wibbitz, a video creating platform, bright pink and bright yellow text highlights
work best.
14
Create Value
If you want to sell running shoes, you shouldn’t just talk about the shoe’s latest features.
Rather offer value to runners using the shoes and how these particular shoes can offer them
more benefit.
Solutions like free training content, coaching apps and latest facts, can all help a runner, and
build brand loyalty because you’re providing real value for your future customer.
Now apply this to yourself. If you want more blog readers or podcast listening, or YouTube
subscribers, you can’t just keep asking people endlessly to subscribe. You have to offer them
some value for their loyalty. Inspirational content, latest knowledge, or condensed bite sized
research. Whatever you can offer, make sure it provides real value and you will keep your
follows attention among the noisy throng vying for them.
15
Smile
Yup, that’s right. An open and inviting smiley face does wonders for capturing attention and
getting noticed.
It might be the oldest trick in the book, but it still works. Whether online or IRL, nothing beats
a smile. It captures attention and disarms people while making them more susceptible to your
message.
Keep in mind what Mother Teresa once said, “We shall never know all the good that a simple
smile can do.”
Questions:
How have you succeeded in grabbing your audience’s attention and keeping it?
15 Crazy Things You Only See in China

15 JUNE 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Believe It or Not, China Is a Pretty Interesting Country. Here Are Some
Crazy Things You Only See in China.
Experts say that population decline is turning Earth into a Ghost Town, even China with 1.4
billion people, is feeling the pinch.
Today, we’ll tell you what China is doing to alleviate the decline in numbers along with 15
other Crazy Things You Only See in CHINA.
Nothing can be crazier than wasting your time reading this boring article when a fun video
version is available. Switch out to the video:
With that said, let’s jump right into the article.
1
Ghost Cities
An interesting fact about China is that it has over 50 ghost cities, or cities that have just a
handful of people living in. These cities were built during the economic boom and were
specifically built away from coastal areas so that money could be pumped into rural areas.
These rural areas were built up with apartments, lakes, malls – basically everything needed
for a fully functioning city.
As explained by Dinny McMahon in his book, China’s Great Wall of Debt – Shadow Banks,
Ghost Cities, Massive Loans, and the End of the Chinese Miracle, “Local governments
around the country tried to juice and stimulate their economies by building more infrastructure
and stimulating the property market.”
It’s a great in-depth listen, so be sure to get your free download from us and the guys at
Audible, by going to alux.com/freebook.
The plan didn’t work. People were sceptical of moving to a brand-new city, and most of them
were abandoned.
There is hope for some of them today, like Ordos’s Kangbashi district, where property is
currently booming. One of the top high schools moved to this district, and it’s been a race and
effort by parents to get their children into this prestigious school.
2
It’s No Longer “Cool” to Be Rich
You’ve seen plenty of footage of Crazy Rich Asians. You’ve seen them flawlessly falling out of
luxury vehicles, you’ve seen them flaunting their pet tigers and cheetahs and you’ve seen
them spending lavishly on luxury items… but it seems that’s about to change.
According to BBC, looking rich is not the cool thing anymore in China. China’s rich have
always been considered ostentatious, flaunting their wealth all over social media.
Lately, this wealth has been greeted by disdain and hostility. Many influencers and wealthy
Chinese people have tried to perfect the art of the “humble brag,” but even that is not working.
The wealthy are being looked down upon and their lavish lifestyles, in stark contract to the
majority, are a cause of contention and frustration… meaning, being rich is no longer
considered cool in China.
3
Get Fetched When Stuck in Traffic
Aluxers, traffic jams in China are no joke. There was once a traffic jam that lasted 10 days!
The China National Highway 110 traffic jam occurred in 2010, affecting thousands of vehicles
across 100km of road.
So, what do you in that kind of situation?
You hire someone to come and fetch you on their motorbike. Actually, you hire two people.
One person will stay behind with your vehicle, and you’ll hop on the back of the motorbike and
be taken back to your place.
Let’s hope you never have a need for this kind of service where you live!
While you continue reading, we’d love you to subscribe to our channel. We’ve got plenty of
videos ready for you to watch!
4
Cashing in on Similar Looks Is No-Go Territory
Another interesting fact in China is, if you’re making money impersonating a celebrity, you
could land yourself in trouble.
As reported by Southern China Morning Post, Chen Xinling who looks a lot like Fan Bingbing,
is being sued by the actress for infringing her portrait rights. Xinling didn’t call herself Fan
Binging but went by the name Fan Yebing – using her likeness to sell beauty products and
treatments.
The article claims that “from September 2018, Fan had been involved in six civil cases over
her portrait, all of which she won.”
Bingbing wants Xinling to stop using the name Fan Yebing, she wants her lawyer’s fees paid,
500,000 yuan in compensation and a public apology. In the interim, Xinling underwent
rhinoplasty to try reduce the resemblance she has with Bingbing.
5
Share Prices Increase When a Panda Is Pregnant
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that sort of news affected share prices worldwide? In this case, it
only affected the share prices of nearby restaurant chains to Ueno Zoo, where mommy
panda, Shin Shin lives. Granted, this was in Tokyo – but Totenko – a Chinese restaurant
chain – saw a massive increase in share prices.
According to the Global Times, Totenko’s share price hit its daily limit after the zoo said it
would halt viewing of Shin Shin on suspicion, she may be pregnant.
Shin Shin is also from China. Fast forward a few years and she gave birth to a healthy baby
cub.
6
Only in China Do 21 People Die in a Marathon
BBC confirmed that China… “suspended all ultramarathon and long-distance races after 21
runners died when extreme weather struck a race last month.”
The ill-fated race took place on the 22nd of May. Runners were warned of a little wind and
rain, but nothing like was experienced. Hail, heavy rain, and gale force wind hit runners while
on a mountainous section, and many lost their way due to poor visibility.
Suspended sports include trail running, wingsuit flying, desert trekking and extreme long-
distance races.
7
Nail Houses That Aren’t Going Anywhere
Aluxers, nail houses are home that Chinese people refuse to move out of despite construction
going on around them.
Big construction companies are not allowed to move them, and so they continue to build.
Land is extremely expensive in China, and many homeowners believe they won’t find the land
or a home as what they’re currently living in.
The Guardian reports that there is a new plan in place that will target China’s most defiant
landowners. As they put it, “It’s curtains for the nail house.”
8
Birthday Party Are Banned
A Chinese country has banned birthday parties in an unusual attempt to remain frugal. Funing
county in southwest China has not only banned birthday parties but has also set a rule limiting
cash gifts at weddings and funerals to $31.
These rules only apply to communist party members, civil servants, and village organization
leaders.
It isn’t the first time there has been a crackdown on extravagance. In 2015, members of the
Communist Party were banned from entering private clubs, joining golf clubs or eating and
drinking excessively.
For many years, China has been trying to curb its citizens spending on big events, calling
them an extravagance and wasteful.
9
You Can Order a Mystery Live Animal in a Box
Just a month ago, an interesting fact came to light that in China, people were ordering a
“Blind Box” which would contain one mystery animal, delivered to your door. We’re not
referring to a stuffed animal, but rather, an actual living, breathing, eating, animal…
Insider.com confirms that “A Chinese online shopping site was accused of animal cruelty after
shipping out $1.50 ‘mystery boxes’ filled with live puppies and kittens, many of whom
suffocated or starved in transit.”
Measures are being put in place, but online shoppers have found other adverts popping up
like the “tortoise mystery box,” for just 50 cents!
10
You Can Hire Someone to Go to Prison for You
Aluxers, be sure to look out for a new video coming soon on our channel titled 15 Jobs That
Pay You To Do Nothing, because what we’re about to explain would be a good match!
Called Ding zu, this practise sees Chinese people hiring body doubles or imposters to stand
trial for them and receive the punishment. The term Ding zu means “substitute criminal,” and
it’s allegedly quite common amongst the wealthy.
11
1 Child, 2 Children Now 3 Children
In 1979, China implemented a one child policy. China was concerned that the population
growth would outpace economic development and there was a dire need to ease the pressure
on the environment and the country’s natural resources.
According to Investopedia, the rules were relaxed on October 29th, 2015, allowing couples to
have 2 children. It’s estimated that the policy resulted in 400-million fewer births.
The interesting fact is that on the 31st of May, 2021, China announced that it would allow all
married couples to have 3 children. The news has not been greeted with much excitement,
with most couples unable to afford the cost of 1 child!
In case you are worried about raising your kids properly, we have got you covered
with 10 Things To Teach Your Kids (Part 1).
12
Wearing Children’s Clothing Has Become a Fad
A recent craze has seen women head to Uniqlo stores to post images of themselves on social
media wearing… children’s clothing.
The Chinese equivalent of Instagram and Twitter have seen an influx of young women
flaunting tiny tees and skirts with the hashtag, “adults trying on Uniqlo children’s clothes.” This
hashtag had received close to 700 million views at the time the article was published on BBC.
The hashtag has caused heated debate about the unhealthy obsession many Chinese
women have about looking thin, not to mention the dozens of ruined t-shirts that can no
longer be sold.
13
Court Rules That Ex-wife Should Be Paid for Her Housework
In an interesting development in China, a Beijing court earlier this year, ordered a man to pay
his ex-wife for the fact that she had done housework during their 5-year marriage.
The man wanted to divorce his wife and she agreed on condition that he paid her for the
domestic work and childcare she had provided without any help from him.
The landmark ruling awarded the woman 50,000 yuan for the labour she had done and
monthly alimony of 2,000 yuan.
14
Soccer Match Cancelled Because of Hair Colour
A University soccer match between Fuzhou and Jime was cancelled because players had
dyed their hair.
The rules are strict, and one of them includes a ban on dying hair if you play for the women’s
soccer teams. Despite the rule, players from both teams had dyed their hair. When one player
attempted to return hers to black, officials deemed it “not black enough,” and the match was
forfeited according to the Bangkok Post.
15
The Government Wants to Market Themselves as Loveable
President Xi Jinping has told his Communist Party leaders that he wants China to make
friends extensively. In order to do that, according to Business Today, China must create a
‘trustworthy, lovable and respectable’ image for the country.
A Pew Research survey confirmed that negative views of China reached historic highs last
year. Interesting fact is, China is now looking at Biden for inspiration.
It’s possible that inspiration is right in front of them, for example, they could begin with
allowing female soccer players to play a match without worrying if their hair is not black
enough… that’s definitely a step forward in making themselves more loveable, wouldn’t you
say?
Question:
Have you travelled to China, Aluxers? What was your experience like? We’d love to hear
from you.
15 Most Valuable Lessons from Buddha – Buddhism

14 JUNE 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Who Would’ve Thought Buddha’s Teachings Will Still Be Relevant In the
21st Century? Here Are the Most Valuable Ones.
It’s been 2,500 years since Buddha imparted knowledge that we still draw inspiration from
today. Buddha’s teaching encourage peacefulness, ethical living and keeping a calm mind.
Even 2,500 years ago, people struggled with the same issues we do in the 21st century.
Today we look at some life lessons and financial lessons in our article 15 Most Valuable
Lessons from Buddha (Buddhism).
Learning lessons by reading a boring article is so old school. Switch out to the cool video
1
Choose Your Thoughts Carefully
It’s no secret that words are a powerful weapon. Whether those words are spilling out your
lips or are giving a constant dialogue internally, they yield power.
What you think you become. Your thoughts are so powerful that they can shape the outcome
of any situation. Only you can change your inner monologue.
If you keep telling yourself you’re a failure or that you can’t do something, that will become
your reality.
If you change that rhetoric to tell yourself that you’re still trying and you’re enough, watch how
things change in your life.
Buddha’s teaching say, “What you think you become. What you feel, you attract. What you
imagine, you create.”
2
Anger Will Eventually Kill You
Aluxers, we completely understand that letting go of anger is not easy.
Buddha said, “Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to
die.” It’s not going to happen, is it? So, why do we torture ourselves while holding onto anger?
If someone hurt you years ago and you’re still holding onto that hurt, it’s time to let it go. If
you’re struggling to do that, seek professional help. We assure you, the person that made you
so angry, is living their life with no thoughts about you… so, don’t give them anything more of
you.
We encourage you to subscribe to our channel. We really value moving onwards and
upwards as you will see in our content, curated especially for you.
3
Starting Small Is Enough
“A jug fills drop by drop,” is often attributed to Buddha’s teaching, but it’s not quite accurate.
Here’s the full teaching, “Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man,
gathering it little by little, fills himself with good.”
It has the same meaning as eating an elephant one bite at a time, baby steps or not building
Rome in a day… basically, little by little we find success. It could be personal, financial,
emotional, physical, or mental.
Success comes to those that are patient. Be patient Aluxers, as long as you’re not standing
still, you will get to where you’re meant to be.
4
Look After Your Body
“To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind
strong and clear.”
How often when we’re feeling like rubbish, do we resort to eating junk food, drinking too much
alcohol, or deprive our body of exercise or sleep? Too often Aluxers, and when we neglect
the home of our heart and mind, we can’t function properly or in unity with our environment.
Looking after the body is essential, because without a healthy body, we cannot expect our
heart and mind to be healthy either.
5
Actions Count More Than Words
Aluxers, we all know certain people that go to church every Sunday, read the bible, and are
“supposedly” religious– yet their actions are not at all in sync with what they propose to be.
Buddha said, “However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will
they do you if you do not act on upon them?”
Talk really is cheap, but talk followed by action, is not.
Always be cognisant of what people say and what they do, because what they do speaks far
louder about who they really are, then what they say.
6
Be Thankful and Show Gratitude
Is your glass half full or half empty? Do you even have a glass?
How you perceive each situation will define how the situation pans out. Considering that
you’re reading an article right now, means that you have data, some form of electronic device
and 15-minutes of “you time.”
That’s a pretty sweet place to be, isn’t it?
So, it may be that you’ve had a rough start to the day; your car didn’t start, or you spilt coffee
down your clean work sweater – you’re here now and you’ve got a lot to be grateful for.
“Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have.”
If you still aren’t feeling too grateful, check out 15 Things to Be Grateful For.
7
Forgive Yourself and Others
When we forgive others, who do we ultimately free? Ourselves, Aluxers, and that’s a part of
Buddha’s teaching. Forgiveness ends suffering, it restores dignity and provides a fresh start
with lessons learnt.
“Remembering a wrong is like carrying a burden on the mind.” While this quote is often
attributed to Buddha, it’s not his exact words. However, in Dhammapada, he does say
“Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love.”
If we harbour resentment, anger, or hurt, we will never heal for our own sake. And only by
loving those that have hurt us, or loving ourselves enough to move on, can we heal wholly.
8
Live in the Present
“Be where you are; otherwise you will miss your life.”
It’s simple yet holds all the power.
Aluxers, we are often so focused elsewhere that we miss out on the glorious life that we have
right in front of us. We sit at a dinner table with friends or family, and we place our phone on
the table… just in case someone messages us.
We have a conversation with someone, but our mobile is in our hand, and we glance down to
see who wants our attention.
We make love to our partner, but our mind is thinking of the dishes that need washing, or the
laundry that needs folding.
When we do that, we’re giving our best to nobody, not even ourselves.
9
Money Isn’t the Problem; It Is Our Relationship to Money That
Troubles Us
Legend says that if we rub the tummy of a laughing Buddha, we will get lucky and gain
wealth.
And while Buddha doesn’t have a quote about money, per se, much of his teachings speak
about giving. One of Buddha’s teaching says, “You only lose what you cling to.”
So, it’s easy to take the guidance and apply it to any area of your life. From a financial
perspective, having wealth is not a sin or something to abandon entirely for enlightenment,
but share the wealth with those less fortunate.
Bring joy, make a difference, do good, show gratitude and abundance will follow.
The Buddhist belief is that of “intentional action,” so act with intent and graciousness, and not
from greed or personal gain.
Aluxers, if you’d like some interesting information about other gods that promise wealth and
fortune, be sure to watch our video:
10
The Buddhist Perspective on Wealth
Aluxers, to briefly summarize part of the Buddhist journey is as follows:
To avoid suffering through ignorance, people are encouraged to be mindful, calm, non-violent
and gain a different perspective. We can take heed of the values instilled in the Noble
Eightfold path, which are right view, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood,
right effort, right mindfulness, and right meditation.
And by “right” view, it doesn’t mean a right or wrong perspective, but rather a chance to
investigate all views before affirming the one that works well for you and others.
It’s this set of values that build the foundation of making great financial decisions, that not only
benefit yourself but those around you as well.
11
Get the Right Mindset
We spoke earlier about how your thoughts can dictate your outcome, and the same applies to
your financial situation.
Start working on your thinking patterns and start thinking your way out of your current
financial situation. Obtaining the right mindset of “I can do this,” is half the battle won.
Now, it’s time to put those words into action.
Take your first step. What do you want to achieve?
If it’s a simple savings plan to begin with, take your documentation and go to the nearest bank
and open a savings account.
If you want to invest your savings into Bitcoin, sign up to our Bitcoin Essentials course now by
going to alux.com/bitcoin.
The crux is that no one can make the changes or steps for you. Only you can do that. Do it
with a grateful heart with the intent to pass on good fortune, and you’ll have a solid foundation
in making great financial decisions.
12
The Ripple Effect of Everything
You know how a day can progress if something goes wrong in the morning… it can cause an
entire day to be sh*tty.
In Buddhism, the interconnectedness of things is important. Anything you do now, will have
an affect somewhere else. If all your actions are done with empathy, compassion, and good
grounding, then the consequences are more likely to be positive and vice versa.
The same process applies to your financial decisions. Every financial decision you make will
have a ripple effect, so make decisions that are good for the soul.
13
Practice Detachment
Aluxers, practicing detachment is not about just letting go of material things, but it’s about
letting go of the pre-conceived idea you had or have about a situation. Most of our
disappointments are when we expected something that didn’t materialize, but it doesn’t mean
that situation is imperfect, it’s just a different reality.
When it comes to your finances, you naturally have a certain idea in mind that you’re aiming
for – but when the path there is slightly more winding than you anticipated, that’s ok.
As we said, your thoughts become reality – but on that journey there will be speed humps,
stop signs, right of way signals, the occasional power outage… you get the point.
By practicing detachment, you have clarity of mind and it’s much easier for you to accept
change – which is inevitable.
14
Share Wealth and Knowledge
There’s a Buddha’s teaching which says, “Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single
candle. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
The same applies to wealth. If you’re not able to physically give wealth, then share
knowledge. Take someone under your wing and become their mentor. Give your time to an
organization and share your skills.
Knowledge is incredible wealth after all, and you could be inspiring the next Naval Ravikant.
As quoted on Buddha Sasana, “Buddhism is a religion that considers wisdom, rather than
faith, to be the single most important virtue.”
15
Accept Responsibility for Your Outcome
We can play the blame game all we want to, but ultimately, it’s our responsibility to take action
in our own lives.
Another one of Buddha’s teaching says, “By oneself is evil done; by oneself is one defiled. By
oneself is evil left undone; by oneself is one made pure. Purity and impurity depend on
oneself; no one can purify another.”
And that Aluxers, only you can do. Nobody can take responsibility for your life, but you.
Question:
What lesson did you find the most valuable on our list today and how will you use it in your
own life? We’d love your feedback.
15 Steps to Build a Community/Religion (or at Least a

Cult-like Following)
13 JUNE 2021
EMIL ANTON
Building a Community Isn’t as Hard as It Sounds. Here Are 15 Steps to
Help You Out.
Have you ever wondered what it would take to build your own religion, community or a cult-
like following? We know we have!
Hello Aluxers! Earlier this week we had a meeting with one of the tech companies we’re
invested in and we discussed what it takes to build a community around your company.
This is something everyone is looking to do around their business so pay attention, for this will
do wonders for your company or your personal brand.
Here are 15 things you take into account when you build a community around your business
or in catchier terms: 15 steps to build a religion!
1
Values & Culture
Fundamentally, we’re all looking for this idea of belonging; Of finding the people who are just
like you.
We all have that empty space within ourselves that needs to be filled.
We are drawn to people who are like us, to people who see the world the same way we do
and that are walking the path we chose to walk on.
Every religion & every community is composed of people sharing the same values, the same
culture, who are moving together.
They say if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together!
The moment you find people who share the same values as you, the journey to going far can
begin.
2
Colors, Symbols & Rituals
Every community has simple ways to identify themselves amongst the crowds.
Be it religious communities, be it sports fans or other interest based communities. We all like
to communicate what communities we belong to. It’s in the way we dress, in the way we talk
and behave out in the wild.
It helps us recognise others who are in the same community as us.
Through colors, symbols and rituals, we provide those who are able to recognise them with a
patch of trust. “I can trust that person, because they are signaling that they are the same as
me”
In order to build a community around your product, brand or even your cult, you will need to:
Educate them on what it means to be part of the community.
Every group has a set of rituals that they abide by. Religious people meet regularly at the
church, football fans meet at the stadium and Skaters meet at the park.
3
Make Me Feel Special
Every community makes you feel lucky and special to be part of the group. There’s this
feeling that you guys know something that everyone else isn’t yet familiar with and it feels
good to be this privileged.
Most people gravitate towards different communities in times of need. This is usually the first
point of contact between someone new and the group.
The more you asked people why they joined, it will become clear to you that almost all of
them will provide the same answer:
“They helped me without expecting anything in return!”
The second most common reason is: They accepted me without judgement.
And we both know that acceptance is just another form of help.
4
Build Trust
For without it the entire community can quickly fall apart.
Trust is the underlying bond of every social contract!
And they say being trusted is even a higher compliment than being loved.
The goal of every religion is to build trust and they do this by delivering what is perceived as
value.
“I am better off because of my community”
Trust leads to more trust the same way fear leads to more fear. Every community is there to
provide a safe-heaven against what we fear.
Those who understand how to build trust win at social interactions. This is such an interesting
topic that we’re considering doing a full piece on how to build trust next Sunday. If you want to
see it, let us know in the comments.
5
Consistency
“Again and again the community is there for me!”
Every year religious people celebrate holidays.. Every year team plays in the national
championship. As for ourselves, every day we post a new article.
Consistency is key!
No matter what you’re trying to achieve, consistency is probably the most valuable thing one
has to master. Pursue any goal consistently and it’s just a matter of time until you achieve it!
The success of the individual, of the group or even of the religion, requires a high level of
consistency through time, that’s why most communities are very conservative when it comes
to change.
Building the routine, building the daily practice, building those consistent behaviors tightly-knit
down the community.
That’s why the ask you to pray every day, that’s why you go to church consistently. That’s
why every year you have the same rituals.
Figure out what are some of the consistent rituals you can build in your community and you’re
good to go.
6
Promise of a Positive Personal Outcome
By nature, we are selfish creatures. The benefit of the individuals has been an important part
of our survival and that’s embedded in our DNA to this day.
For a community you build to flourish, there needs to be a promise of a positive outcome for
the individual.
On a member level, everyone needs to think:
“If I keep doing the things the community is telling me to do, I will be ok”
Let’s take Tesla as an example.
Those who are invested in the project, put their money where their mouth is. There is a direct
financial benefit to them if things go the right way.
If Tesla becomes the biggest car manufacturer in the world, I will get rich because of it.
If I go to church and confess my sins, they will weigh less on my soul and I can go about my
day in a happier fashion.
Every group needs to have a positive personal outcome on the individual level in order to
entice the members to
7
Vulnerability & A Charismatic Authority Figure
Every good religion has some sort of charismatic leader. This is the persona the members of
the community look up to.
Jesus, Mohammed, Budha for religions, Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, even
businesses have figured this out. Look at the impact Steve Jobs has had for Apple, pay
attention to what Elon is doing for Tesla and his other projects.
These charismatic authority figures have the power to speak to what the community is
FEELING.
They stand for something and it’s usually someone bigger who is oppressing them; this was
very clear with religious leaders and social change, but for some reason the business
environment didn’t put it together.
Both Steve Jobs and Elon Musk plaid the card of the underdog.
They are both fighting the system.
The feeling is:
“We are vulnerable unless we stand together”
Watch the old apple commercials and this fight against authority becomes apparent. Elon
Musk is currently the second richest man in the world, yet he still acts as if he’s the underdog.
He fights the SEC, he built a company to outperform NASA in terms of innovation and overall
he’s fighting the oil and gas industry.
This draws people in. Everyone wants to be at the cool kids table.
8
Skin in the Game
A lot of people can voice their opinions about anything, but unless you have skin in the game
those opinions don’t matter, for you are not affected in anyway by the outcome. In order to
make an opinion valid, you need to factor in risk. Without it, an opinion is nothing.
The concept of skin in the game fixes this.
To build a religion, cult or community, the people involved are required to get some skin in the
game. If I don’t follow the religion, I get sent to hell.
The moment you invest in tesla, your life is connected to the success of the company. If the
company fails, you fail. If the company does well, you do well.
This is why the bitcoin & crypto communities are so phanatical. They have skin in the game.
People put a lot of money into these projects and are sharing the risk of losing it all. But if
Bitcoin does become the prefered store of value for countries and institutions, then you
become rich.
The more skin in the game you have the more you become an advocate for the thing you are
involved with.
As a rule of thumb: Get the members of the community you build to be participants, not just
spectators!
Once they are involved and have acquired skin in the game, they need to be able to have
their voices heard. Sharing the risks gets you a seat at the table.
There’s a phenomenal book by Nassim Taleb titled Skin in the Game that expands beautifully
on the topic. If you go to aluxfreebook.com right now and this is the first time you sign up you
can get the audiobook version of Skin in the Game for free, thanks to the great folks at
Audible who chose to support our own community.
If you are interested in bitcoin and thinking to invest in it, check out 10 Biggest
Misconceptions About Bitcoin.
9
Knowing One-Another, Touchpoints
Communities are personal. As humans we need the human connection in order to build
bonds. There are very few things that come close to recognising someone you know in a
crowded environment where you don’t know anyone else.
This is why communities get together regularly. They schedule events, they speak and get to
know one another. They create touchpoints and memories.
These moments in time build bonds and bring the community together.
By the way, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank Casey, Becca, Michael Jay, Rashid &
Trusno for always being in the comment section helping out the community. We see you!
10
Entice Recruitment
In order for any religion to keep growing it needs to constantly bring in more and more people.
The fundamental thesis is this: If this benefits me, why wouldn’t I go tell others like me!
Once a group achieves a critical point in scale it evolves into something else as network
effects begin to take place. You get bargaining power, your interaction with other groups
starts to change.
So there are multiple incentives to having as large of a community as you can.
Every community needs to pay close attention to the first members it draws in, for they are
the avatars of all the future members. You don’t want to accept everyone in your community,
for in time smaller groups might take rise that have conflicting opinions about the long term
vision of the project.
Pay attention to the values these people have and allow in only those who match yours.
11
Is Everywhere in Different Forms
Apple is a religion. Starbucks is a religion. LGBTQ community is a religion, same with the
feminist movement or people who play Dungeons & Dragons.
These may not fit the literal definition, but the communities are organised in the same way.
The fact that you can travel to the other side of the world and connect with someone over the
fact that “Joey doesn’t share food” translates to a universal understanding of values and
common beliefs.
There are regional communities, but the most successful ones are borderless.
Anyone who is driven by the same set of values can join the community and we have the
internet to thank for the democratization of access.
12
Insider Behavior
Every good community has their Inner jokes, memes & lingo.
People who are into crypto use certain words, people who are into gaming also have their
own terminology.
This might sound ridiculous to some of you, but memes are the latest evolution in the
language of communication.
The fact that you have laser eyes on twitter means something to a specific community of
people. The fact that people who are writing legislation do it as well… transpires from the
internet into the real world.
This is why Elon keeps tweeting memes.
We are now communicating differently. Members of each community have their own inner
jokes that other people don’t get. It’s building a sort of inner circle of those who do get it.
If you’re looking to build a religion or a cult-like following, harness the power of memes, inner
jokes and build your own lingo.
13
Make It Fun
Nobody wants to hang out with boring people for extended periods of time. The thanksgiving
dinner is more than enough time to spend with your – let’s call it outdated style of thinking –
grandpa.
This is the reason why most actual religions have some sort of singing involved. Nobody
would come to church if every time they told you how much of a sinner you are.. You gotta
make it fun.
The strongest bonds you’ve built in your life are with your friends growing up. You might not
remember every time you met, but you know you had fun.
Outside of the direct value you’re getting from being part of the community, there needs to be
an entertainment aspect to it.
14
Go Towards Something Greater Than Everyone
Earlier we mentioned the promise of a better individual outcome as one of the most appealing
elements of joining a community, but there’s the individual and then there’s the bigger picture.
Let’s keep using Tesla as an example for consistency reasons.
If you’ve got skin in the game and you’re an investor in Tesla, on an individual level, you
might get rich from your investment and get yourself a cool electric car with the money. Nice!
On a macroscale things are quite different. If everything works out for Elon the way he’s
planning it, this guy will take humanity to Mars. Bitcoin wants to shift power from banks to
individuals.
Notice the duality here? On an individual level you reap an individual reward. On a macro
level, there’s something greater than the individual at play here.
The best of the best communities have this overarching bigger-than-ourselves type of
promise.
15
Show Appreciation to Your Community
They need to know that you care for them. That you have their best interests at heart and that
you don’t take the community for granted. That’s when your numbers start to dwindle.
Let them know how much you appreciate their involvement and even reward those who are
helping with the mission.
Every person in your community has the potential to become an ambassador for your cause
or brand. Give back to those who’ve been with you for a while, for they are the ones most
likely to stick with you until the very end.
It is your responsibility to care for them, in return they will walk alongside you!
Which is why we want to take this opportunity to say thank you to those of you who are here
reading this article and walking alongside us towards our mission of making the lives of 1
billion people slightly better!
Question:
We wouldn’t be here without you and we can’t get to where we’re going without you either.
We know some of you have been with us almost since the beginning while others more
recently joined us, so we’re curious: How long have you been an Aluxer? Let us know in the
comments!
15 Little Things That Tell You a Lot about Someone

3 JUNE 2021
BRIONY SPARG
You Can Get to Know a Lot about Someone Simply by Observing Their
Habits. Find Out What These Habits Tell about That Person.
We all have habits, traits or characteristics that steer us clear of certain people. These can be
the obvious, like someone who just speaks loudly ALL THE TIME, or a person that tends to
end off each sentence like a question?
And these little things tell us something about a person, so we’ve got 15 more Little Things
That Tell You A LOT About Someone.
Reading this article is not a small task as it requires a lot of time and effort. Switch over to the
fun little video version of this article:
With that said, let’s move forward with the article.
1
How They Treat Their Mother
We’re sure you’ve met people that have treated their mothers with such disrespect that you
feel yourself cringing with embarrassment. Not only does this behaviour say a lot about that
person, but it also says a lot about the mother.
And while we don’t know the background to every mother / child relationship, we can agree
that treating a parent with disrespect is not a good look for anybody.
2
How They Speak about and to Other People
There’s a Turkish proverb that says, “Who Gossips to you, will gossip of you.” And Aluxers,
this is another bad personality trait, people who speak badly about other people are toxic and
not the kind of people you want to hang out with.
It’s not always that obvious either. There are many subtle ways that people will break
someone else down.
Here is an example:
You’re in a group of people and someone asks if you’ve read a certain book. You reply that
you haven’t, and their response is, I can’t believe you haven’t read that book… everyone has
read it.
It’s a little thing, but that sort of comment makes that person feel bad and it says a lot about
the person making it.
3
Whether Their Behaviour Changes When They’re around
Different People
We all know people like this… they’re like Jekyl and Hyde depending on who they’re
socializing with. And Aluxers, we’re not speaking about small personality shifts – that’s
perfectly normal. You’re not going to be slapping your book club members on the back after
they’ve finished a good novel, but you’re certainly going to slap your soccer team members
on the back when they’ve scored a goal.
But when you don’t know which personality is going to meet you at different social settings, it
tells you a lot about that person.
Aluxers, just a reminder to subscribe to our channel while you’re reading this article… we’ve
got plenty of videos for you!
4
How They React When Someone Else Does Well
You won’t need to try hard to imagine this scenario.
Someone says, “Did you hear that Candice got a promotion?” And someone replies, “She
must have slept with the boss to get it.” Sour grapes, perhaps?
Here’s another one.
Someone says, “Did you hear that Joe got himself a new car?” And someone replies, “His
father probably paid for it.” A little jealously creeping in there, possibly?
Imagine if that person had reacted differently…. Oh, wow! Candice got a promotion, that’s
awesome – she worked so hard for it. OR… Joe got a new car, I’m so glad. He really needed
one and he’s been saving for ages.”
If people can’t be happy for the successes of others, it leaves a dismal impression about them
all round.
5
Their Behaviour When Things Don’t Go as Planned
We know there are no guarantees in life, and things change constantly, but do you let a
change of plans ruin your entire day?
We can think of dozens of situations… perhaps a flat tyre on your way to work, your grocery
bag split open and you chased oranges down the street, or you spilt coffee down your white
work shirt… these things happen.
But if a person gets all flustered, starts raising their voice and aggressively stomps around the
place… imagine how they’ll react when the sh*t really hits the fan.
Don’t know about you Aluxers, but we’d rather not be there to find out.
6
Their Time-Keeping Skills
Life happens, we get it – but if someone is always late, that is not ok. It is a noticeably bad
personality trait.
One might argue that it has nothing to do with you (the person that’s kept waiting) as affirmed
in a study by San Diego State University psychologist, Jeff Conte. He found that “Type A”
personalities tend to be more aware of timeliness than the more laid back “Type B”
personality. However, we’re all adults and can make changes to avoid the habitual habit of
being late.
7
Whether That Person Puts Things Away When They’re Done
This shows their level of concern for others. If they cared about other’s and their well-being,
they wouldn’t try and make things more challenging for them.
Many marriages have failed because of a dishwasher.
One partner repeatedly requests for the dirty dishes to be packed straight into the
dishwasher… and the other doesn’t oblige. The person asking for a divorce cannot
understand why the partner respects him or her so little, that they wouldn’t do this one simple
thing they’re asking of them.
Aluxers, putting things away doesn’t just show respect for others, but it saves you time and
energy when you always know where to find things. Be sure to watch our video, 15 Tiny Life
Upgrades that cost $0, where we go into more detail of the beauty of putting things away!
8
They Pick Up Litter or They’re the Litterers
Aluxers, if you head to the beach often, you’ll come across people enjoying a walk along the
sand and picking up trash as they go. Those people are salt of the earth.
On the other hand, on that same beach walk, you’ll come across people who have upped and
left and “forgotten” to pick up their rubbish, showing their bad personality trait of being a
litterer.
Writer, Starre Vartan, published an article on Tree Hugger titled “Are You One of the
‘Weirdos’ Who Picks Up Litter?” She began her article with the following: “Some people thank
me, others join me — and I’ve also had people make fun of me. What elicited all these
disparate reactions? Simply picking up trash on the beach.”
So, next time you see people picking up trash, we really hope you join in!
9
How They Treat Animals
We can think of dozens of examples where a person shows their bad personality trait through
animals.
For example:
You see a stray dog running close to the road, and the person says something like “it’s just a
stray dog, it doesn’t matter.”
Or you’ve just told someone your cat has died, and their response is, “at least it’s not a child.”
These responses may mean nothing to the person saying them, but to the one on the
receiving end, it means everything… and we suggest you walk away!
10
The Way They Drive
We are not guilt-free Aluxers… but when it comes to driving habits, we can always improve.
There are times where people are in a hurry, and yes, possibly a little agitated – but these
circumstances are not the norm.
However, if someone drives aggressively all the time, that is not a good sign. The American
Psychological Association published an aptly titled article called The Fast and the Furious.
They published findings by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety which said, “road rage”
contributed to 218 deaths and 12,610 injuries between 1990 and 1996. Worse, AAA found
that road rage incidents increased nearly 7 percent each year within that period.”
Aluxers, the way a person drive may seem inconsequential and not necessarily a bad trait,
but it speaks volumes about their personality.
11
Your Repetitive Little Habits
Saying “ah” or “um” or picking at your nails or sucking on your hair, are all little habits that
reveal a lot about you and do not point towards a bad personality trait.
These nervous ticks could reveal whether you’re a perfectionist. Scientists call them “body-
focused repetitive behaviours.”
A 2015 study filmed various people in different situations – stressful, relaxing, bored or
frustrated and the individuals who scored high on the perfectionism scale were prone to these
types of body-focused repetitive behaviours.
If you want to pick up some useful habits to make your life better, check out 15 Habits
of Organized People.
12
How They React to Criticism
Remember in the playground when someone would call you names, and you’d reply with “I
know you are, but what am I?”
Now let’s move ahead in time and find out how people behave when they’re being told
something about themselves that they really don’t want to hear. As an adult, we’ll definitely
not reply with “I know you are, but what am I?”
But there are other ways we could respond that would be considered a bad personality trait. If
we fire back and give the person offering the critique a “taste of their own medicine,” well
that’s just silly. However, if we gracefully accept the criticism, think about it and then choose
what we decide to change or not, that’s the best way forward for all parties involved.
13
The Way You Eat
Aluxers, did you ever imagine the way you eat would be considered a good or bad personality
trait?
As reported on Huff Post, “according to Juliet Boghossian, a Los Angeles-based behavioural
food expert and founder of food behaviour research firm Food-ology, we can “absolutely”
make inferences about someone’s personality based on their eating habits. “
She says that slow eaters like to be in control and appreciate life. Fast eaters are ambitious
and open to new experiences. Adventurous eaters are thrill seekers and risk-takers while
picky eaters can be a little neurotic.
We’ll get your opinion on these findings soon.
14
Their Relationship with Their Phone
Business Insider brought forward results of a study done by James A. Roberts, PhD, at Baylor
University which confirmed that “emotionally unstable individuals are more likely to constantly
check their phones in an effort to boost their moods.”
Even if you think you’re being subtle while checking your phone, people do notice, and they
do judge. If you don’t want to be seen as an emotionally unstable person, we suggest you put
your phone away.
15
How They Behave When They Think No One Is Watching Them
How does that person behave when they know they’re being watched and when they’re not?
We gave the example of the shopping cart in our video, 15 signs you weren’t raised right.
Do you return the shopping cart or not? Returning it is easy, straight-forward and takes a
minute. It’s a mere blip in your day. However, it’s just as easy to leave it and get on with your
day. You’re not going to be punished, it’s not illegal… so, what do you do?
Same applies for the litter… if nobody is around, do you leave the litter on the ground or do
you still pick it up?
Aluxers, it doesn’t matter whether you’re being watched or not… doing the right thing always
wins!
Question:
We mentioned that the way you eat says a lot about your personality. Do you agree with the
findings of Juliet Boghossian when she says slow eaters like to be in control, fast easter are
ambitious, adventurous eaters are thrill seekers and picky eaters, neurotic? We’d love to hear
your thoughts.
15 Unfair Advantages Attractive People Have

2 JUNE 2021
BRIONY SPARG
If You Are Attractive, You Must Get a Lot of Unfair Advantages from
People around You. Here’s a List of Some of Them.
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We call BS. It is scientifically proven that
attractive people are more successful in life, and today we’re going to unpackage 15 Unfair
Advantages Attractive People Have.
It’s unfair to let you read this long article when there is an amazing video version waiting for
you. Ditch the article and check out:
1
Physically Attractive People Are More Employable
It’s a reality Aluxers, that beautiful people are hired more often than unattractive people.
And yes, it’s the biggest of all unfair advantages if you’re not in the “pretty” box, but good-
looking people are an asset to a company. They enhance the company’s image and make the
company look good.
There are major biases during the hiring process, and it’s called “lookism.”
Harvard Business Review adds, “Physically attractive individuals are more likely to be
interviewed for jobs and hired, they are more likely to advance rapidly in their careers through
frequent promotions, and they earn higher wages than unattractive individuals.”
2
Beautiful People Are Happier
We’re not saying being beautiful doesn’t come with challenges, because there are. People
are often jealous of you or want to be your friend with the hope of possibly sleeping with you.
People also don’t believe you worked hard for anything, and you got given everything on a
silver platter because… you’re beautiful.
Economists at The University of Texas at Austin provided research on whether beautiful
people were indeed happier, and these are their findings: “Good-looking people are generally
happier than their plain looking or unattractive counterparts, largely because of the higher
salaries, other economic benefits and more successful spouses that come with beauty.”
Aluxers, don’t forget to subscribe to our channel, as we’ve got videos which we release daily
for you.
Whether you are attractive or not, if you want to know how to lead a happy life, check
out 15 Rules to Live a Happy Life.
3
They’re More Confident
The American Psychological Association studied the link between attractive people and their
perceived ability to have better personality and mental abilities. Their findings revealed: “the
correlational literature indicated generally trivial relationships between physical attractiveness
and measures of personality and mental ability.”
However, Aluxers, they do add that “good-looking people were less lonely, less socially
anxious, more popular, more socially skilled, and more sexually experienced than unattractive
people.”
Forbes brings forward another angle in that by the time cute children become good-looking
adults, their confidence levels are so high thanks to years of bias based on their looks.
4
Physically Attractive People Are Perceived to Be Better at Their
Jobs
Again, whether they truly are as pointed out previously by the American Psychological
Association or not, is not of importance because the perception is that attractive people are
better at their jobs.
It’s also easier for attractive people to get out of trouble if they’ve f*cked up. People find it
easier to forgive them and help them get out of a crisis, because there’s nothing like the
thankful smile of a beautiful person to make you feel all warm and fuzzy.
5
Attractive People Are Perceived to Be More Honest and
Trustworthy
A study done by Rice University found that people are more trusting of good-looking
strangers. Professor of psychology and statistics, Rick Wilson, said, “We found that attractive
subjects gain a ‘beauty premium’ in that they are trusted at higher rates, but we also found a
‘beauty penalty’ when attractive people do not live up to expectations,”
When people are attractive, we tend to attribute other positive aspects to them and this
phenomenon has a special name, which we’ll share with you next.
6
The Halo Effect
Aluxers, have you ever heard of the “halo effect”?
To explain it with our current topic, if you meet someone who is beautiful, then you imagine
that other parts of that person are beautiful too. They’re believed to be neat and tidy, clean,
funny, kind and all the “beautiful things you can think of.
As seen by our previous example, attractive people are deemed more trustworthy… now we
are well aware that this isn’t true.
For example, there’s Sarah Seawright AKA ‘Prison bae’. There’s Jeremy Meeks AKA ‘hot
felon,’ and we can’t forget Meagan Mccullough, the face behind the “Attractive convict” meme.
7
Scientists Believe Pretty People Are Smarter
Science Direct conducted research to ascertain whether attractive people are smarter than
their not so attractive counter parts. They wanted to see if this perception was just bias
creeping in or if there was truth in the stereotype.
Their findings may surprise you: “In the United Kingdom, attractive children are more
intelligent by 12.4 IQ points.” They sum it up to confirm that on average, handsome male
children score 13.6 IQ points higher, and beautiful female children score 11.4 IQ points
higher.
Good looking children are also more fussed upon and encouraged in classroom
environments, and it’s easier for them to take risks and fail than it is for unattractive children
to do the same. And Aluxers, that is one of the most massively unfair advantages.
8
Beauty and Politics Go Hand In Hand
Studies done by Dr. Sebastian Jäckle from the University of Freiburg’s Department of Political
Science and his colleague Thomas Metz, affirm that being attractive can help in politics.
They do add though, that it may be an initial response, but candidates deemed more capable
can still succeed over their attractive competition.
They released the results of their first study in 2017 which said, “an individual who is rated as
more attractive than their immediate local competitor by all the participants in the study can
gain an advantage of 3.8 percentage points.”
9
Attractive People Are More Likely to Get a Loan
There’s a book written by Daniel Hamermesh called Beauty Pays: Why Attractive People Are
More Successful, where he delves into this exact topic.
Besides discussing in depth what we’ve already spoken about, he also adds that attractive
people are more likely to get a loan, according to Psychology Today.
He mentions a study that concluded that better looking people applying for loans were more
likely to be successful than those that weren’t first in line in the looks department. Ironically,
he adds that they were the ones more likely to abscond on repayments.
He concluded that loans are granted for … “the pleasure of dealing with good-looking
borrowers.”
10
They Earn More Money
But, how much more?
Smithsonian Magazine also reflected on the words of Hamermesh and spoke about the wage
gap between attractive people and the not so attractive.
They said that attractive men earned on average 13% more than unattractive men. It further
adds that attractive women don’t always out-earn their less attractive counterparts but make
up for it by marrying into a wealthier family dynamic.
In real-estate, good looking agents make far more money than not so good-looking ones,
according to Business Insider, which is one of the biggest unfair advantages.
Aluxers, if you’d like to up your earning potential, stay with Alux and don’t forget we also have
merch available for you. Just head to alux.com/merch.
11
Height and Weight Also Influence Earning Potential
As if dealing with just attractiveness wasn’t enough, Aluxers, now we have to add height and
weight into the mix.
If you’re a man, being a little hefty is better for your earnings but that doesn’t apply to being a
woman. Being a hefty woman is not going to earn you more money, instead it’s the skinny
factor that’s important.
And Aluxers, please note – we do not endorse this – we are simply putting forward the
scientific findings.
A study in the Journal of Applied Psychology further confirmed that tall people earned more
money.
12
Attractive Women Perform Better Academically
Rey Hernández-Julián and Christina Peters* wrote a paper called STUDENT APPEARANCE
AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE for the Metropolitan State University of Denver.
There they shared their research done in 2015 whereby they analysed 77,067 ID photos of
University students.
Students were rated on their level of attractiveness according to volunteers.
The women deemed more attractive had higher grades on average. Interesting to note, this
didn’t extend to the male students.
13
Good-Looking CEOs Bring Better Stock Returns for Their
Companies
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Joseph T. Halford and Hung-Chia
Hsu, set out to discover if better looking CEOs had a link to shareholder value.
Their findings confirmed that “stock prices rose higher for businesses with attractive CEOs
after positive news about the company aired on TV,” according to Business Insider.
The pair studied the faces of over 600 CEOs and as quoted in their paper, BEAUTY IS
WEALTH: CEO APPEARANCE AND SHAREHOLDER VALUE, “the findings thus far reveal
positive and significant relation between CEO attractiveness on shareholder value around
their job announcement.”
14
Attractive Teachers Have Better Success with Their Students
Aluxers, we’ve all had that teacher that we crushed on so badly, and we would have worked
so hard to ensure that teacher took notice of us, or praised us…
These good-looking teachers are a positive influence on their students. For starters, you can’t
help but look at their beautiful faces, so you’re not so easily distracted. And then of course,
you’re just going to want to excel so you can hear their magic words, “well done, I’m so proud
of you.”
The Wall Street Journal confirmed that “Yes, Students Do Learn More From Attractive
Teachers.”
15
The “S*x Factor” Helps Attractive People Go Further in Many
Fields
The sex factor is the last of our unfair advantages. In an article written by Professor Dario
Maestripieri from the University of Chicago, titled ‘The truth about why beautiful people are
more successful’ believes it all comes down to s*x.
His argument is that beautiful people will always go further in life because everyone they
potentially meet would work at fostering the relationship in the hope that they might sleep with
them.
You may or may not agree with him but what is undeniable is that beautiful people certainly
have unfair advantages.
Question:
Aluxers, do you agree with the research brought forward by Professor Dario Maestripieri?
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
15 Tiny Life Upgrades That Cost $0
31 MAY 2021
BRIONY SPARG
If You Want to Upgrade Your Life, You’ve Come to the Right Place.
Here’s How You Can Make Your Life Better for Free.
Our days are chaotic. We have a vague idea of what we’d like to do to stream-line things, but
we never get around to doing them, because we’re just… too… busy. However, the simplest
tweaks can make the world of difference and improve your life as you’ll find out in today’s
article – 15 Tiny Life Upgrades That Cost $0.
Reading this article will not cost you any money, but will cost you a lot of your time. Skip it and
switch over to the video version:
With that out of the way, let’s jump right into the article.
1
Save All Your Passwords in One Place
Forget having to remember all your passwords or keeping them all in an unsecure Word
document somewhere, there are plenty of password manager apps like LastPass, Dashlane,
Keeper or Bitwarden.
If you want to use the free version, then LastPass probably offers you the best deal for…
well…nothing.
It allows you to save, store and organise your passwords across multiple devices, but the free
version makes you choose either computer or mobile device.
Most of the password managers work the same. They are a Chrome Extension that saves
you the hassle of manually saving passwords, and it works its magic in the background while
you get on with life.
2
Print a Monthly Calendar and Put It in a Visible Spot
As tasks or invites come in, place them into the calendar. Give each family member their own
colour, so it doesn’t get too confusing.
The night before, check the calendar and pack accordingly. That way you avoid running
around in the morning looking for missing hockey socks or arranging lifts for water polo
practice.
3
Follow the 1-Minute Rule
The one-minute rule is a game changer, follow this simple rule and you’re about to improve
your life to life 2.0.
The premise is this: if a task can be done in a minute or less then don’t delay, do it
immediately. Sure, this might seem a bit crazy if you look around the room and see 30 or
more one-minute tasks that need doing, but once you clear the initial backlog, then you will
see your life declutter day by day.
Imagine how many 1-minute tasks you can get done if you give yourself 15 minutes after your
dinner to do a couple.
Everything from cleaning up the washing powder spill in the cupboard to gluing your Portugal
magnet back together, or simply wiping down the counter after you cook. When you do it
straight away it doesn’t go into your subconscious ever screaming To-do list that causes
stress and anxiety.
Following this rule doesn’t make your day busier, it makes you feel more in control.
4
Streamline Your Listening with Device Specific Podcasts
For those of us with a home device like Alexa or Google Home, here is a quick hint to make
your podcast streaming far easier. Before now, if you were using Apple Music or Podcasts
and had Alexa at home, it was simple to stop listening in your car and pick up immediately
again in your home where you left off.
But with Google Home this wasn’t as synched. Now since the launch of Google podcasts you
can get all your favourite podcasts in one app, and listen to them across devices perfectly
synchronised with Google Assistant, the best part, its free!
If you are interested in podcasts, you’ll certainly enjoy reading 15 Richest Podcast
Hosts.
5
Include a “Call to Action” in Your Email Heading
We chatted about this in our video, 15 Habits to avoid, to become highly productive. Save
yourself a lot of back and forth and over-explaining things. Aluxers, you know these types of
emails… the type of conversation that seems to go back and forth endlessly with only vague
references of what actually needs doing.
Avoid this by putting the action you need right in the heading of the email, for example:
Proposal: requires your approval by Friday or Suggested changes: Please send feedback by
Tuesday.
These are super clear, set a time limit and assign responsibility. This costs nothing and will
save a lot of time each day.
6
Use a Spare Carabiner to Upgrade Several Areas
You’re constantly losing keys in your purse… Clip them onto the strap with a carabiner.
Avoid crushed lettuce or free up more space in your car trunk by hanging your shopping on
some carabiner hooks and clipping them to the headrest of your car. Boom, double storey
packing space.
Your belts that constantly fall down from their belt hook can all be secured with a carabiner
clipped onto the clothing rail.
Keep all your hair elastics in one place. Employ a carabiner for the job.
No more messy cables, roll them and clip on a carabiner and keep them tidy.
All these simple changes make a huge difference to the flow of your day and reduce
frustration when you are feeling stressed.
7
Grab a Screwdriver and Fix All Loose Screws
Aluxers, creaking doors, squeaking handles, loose doorknobs and wobbly table legs, all add
stress t o our day. They’re the type of problem that we’re aware of all the time, but we never
get around to fixing. So, pencil in an hour and go and tighten all of those items up…
While you’re at it, grab the Q20 and lube up all those creaky doors.
8
Declutter All Your Tech
Put on your favourite no-brainer comedy and let’s declutter your phone and laptop.
Spend the episode upgrading your day while you unsubscribe from all the spam, block
unwanted rubbish and unsubscribe from newsletters that no longer interest you.
Now time to automate your bill payments, either set up a bank repeat payment, or look on the
bill itself and see if you can automate for a debit order or similar.
Now for a real feel good moment, head to your inbox and automate a declutter, oooh feel the
purge! Now head to your spam and trash folders of your email and permanently delete.
While that is processing, pick up your phone and uninstall all those useless apps you never
use, be sure to log out or delete your account first if you can. Will these good feelings ever
end?
Then head on over to your web browser and clear your cache, this gets rid of all your cyber
rubbish and speeds up your devices.
You’re on a roll, so go through your photo albums and use the function most cloud apps offer
to sync and then delete all duplicates.
And now for the big finish, head to your Recycle bin and permanently delete all. Aaaah now
wasn’t that incredible.
If you need a little extra stimulation to improve life, sync an online calendar with your partner
and your life will never be the same!
The cost, nada, the feeling- priceless!
9
Meal Plan
There is nothing like reaching for the delivery app when you have had a hard day, but that’s
not good for your health or your bank balance. Instead plug your quick fix food needs with
some simple meal planning.
Plan a weekly shop with healthier and more affordable snack items, work lunches and then
two meals you can batch book and freeze in easy to reheat portions. That way next time you
are too tired or rushed to cook, you have something healthy, hearty, and home-made that
won’t touch your bank balance.
10
Know Which Expenses Go off When
It can be stressful trying to remember that your mobile phone contract gets debited on the
3rd of each month, the rent needs to be paid on the 1st, school fees on the 31st, insurance on
the 7th…
Create a list of the exact date and amount each debit order comes off and from which
account, so you always know that you have enough to cover the costs without bouncing.
Having it in black and white takes away the equation from swirling stressfully inside your head
and makes the money monster much more manageable.
11
Get Rid of Notifications
Give notifications the door, why do you need to know everything with a ping of your phone
anyway. Do you really need your messages to pop up on your screen or ping and pop at all?
Start to improve your life by stopping notifications from invading every minute of your day.
Very quickly you will realise how little you really needed to know the minute someone
commented on your Instagram, and how annoying it was when your emails popped up on
your screen as soon as they arrived.
This small upgrade costs nothing but will do your sanity the world of good.
12
Set Alarms on Your Phone for Any Positive Habits
Some notifications are worth having, those that help you add positive habits you want to
develop. Drinking more water, getting up from your desk and stretching or taking your
vitamins are all worth it to improve your life. Soon you won’t need the reminder, so be sure to
cancel the alarm after that.
13
Give Everything a Place
When everything has a specific place in your home, car, or bag, then you won’t spend
precious minutes looking for them. Life’s too short to spend your life looking for your gym
shorts, your car keys or your laptop charger.
Go through each cupboard in your house over time and assign everything a place. Just using
butter or ice-cream tubs is an eco-friendly way of creating compartments for items. Use a
marker for labels if you need help remembering what goes where.
If you find you don’t have enough place, then you have too much stuff. And you can improve
your life by downgrading the amount of clutter you have.
Once you start sorting, and giving everything a home, you will be surprised at how much you
have that you don’t use, and it will be easier to get rid of things.
14
Re-Think How You Socialise
Socialising doesn’t have to be a huge expense, its about meeting up, not what you eat or
drink, and now more than ever we need our friends and family. Shift your mindset when it
comes to gatherings. You don’t have to serve a 3-course meal for 12 at your house, you could
also just suggest a good old fashioned potluck evening, or a bring and share snack.
Your friends will thank you for getting together, and also feel more relaxed about hosting a
similar gathering at their’s next time now that you have shattered the perception that
everything has to be a fancy affair.
15
Unplug Mentally
If by now you’re still not feeling inspired and ready to declutter, simplify and improve your life,
then kick start the process with us. Alux has developed a course that can help you cut
through the clutter in your mind to develop a successful and resilient mindset that you can
easily master.
15 Things Your Boss Isn’t Telling You (But You Need

to Know)
29 MAY 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Do You Want to Get Better at Your Job? Check Out These 15 Things
Your Boss Wants You to Know.
Believe it or not bosses aren’t here to trip you up, and there is plenty they wish you knew.
Sometimes they just don’t get around to telling you, other times it seems awkward to spell it
out, but we have identified 15 things that your boss isn’t telling you, that you need to know.
Just because you’ve read the intro of this boring article, doesn’t mean you have to read it till
the end. Be your own boss and switch over to the fun video version:
1
They Don’t Really Care How Many Hours You Clock
If you think you will just outstay your work colleagues and be first in line for a promotion, then
our advice is to think again. Your boss isn’t worried about the time you clock in or out when
the work is done well or whether you are getting the results they require.
In fact, it might impress them if you are ultra-efficient and complete your work and have a full
and happy life outside of the office. At the end of the day that will make you a more inspiring
person to have on the team.
2
They Don’t Care Who Is to Blame, They Care about Who Can
Solve It
It can be a knee jerk reaction to start unpacking what went wrong and who is to blame, but
that’s not what your boss cares about, at least not until the problem is solved. Mistakes
happen and problems crop up, that’s life. The person who can solve snags when this
happens is the one the boss really cares about.
Rising to the challenge and jumping to action are far more admirable than winning at the
blame game. And your boss wishes you knew that.
3
Asking for Help Is Expected and Not Looked Down Upon
There is no shame in checking in with a superior or asking for advice at work before you set
off on a task. It’s a far better strategy than asking forgiveness later. It is quite normal for
someone to be guided through a task the first time they perform it and is cost saving in the
long run. Asking questions is a sign of diligence and humility to get the job done right.
Drop the act of pretending you know everything under the sun, you will save your boss money
on mistakes, and save yourself a lot of stress too.
4
Just Doing Your Job Isn’t Enough to Become More Valuable
Being the star at exactly what is expected isn’t that impressive. Sure, it is great to meet the
mark, but in the competitive 21st century job market, if you’re looking for promotion then you’ll
need to be proactive and look for ways to innovate and anticipate the current or future needs
of your employer.
Ideation CEO, Charles Lee, wrote an article called: “Doing your job is not enough” and he
shares these valuable insights in the topic: “Going through life by doing the minimal and being
an exemplary employee should never be anyone’s goal. We have to thrive beyond what’s
expected, fine tune our ability to think clearly through the noise and distractions around us,
and speak up by producing great work that we’ve created to better our lives and the world we
live in.”
5
There Is Always Room for a Raise
If you are increasing profit for your company, then you are an asset. In this case there will
always be a little wiggle room for a raise. There are two main ways of employees driving profit
– one is bringing in more money, and the other is saving money. Once you have proved
success in these areas and have the results to show, it won’t be a problem asking for a
periodic raise. Be sure you have the facts on hand though.
According to Forbes magazine, there is no need to bring your increased cost of living into
your raise negotiations. CEO or PR Firm, InkHouse, Beth Monaghan summarises it well: “The
best approach to asking for a raise is to focus on deserving one versus needing one. Too
often, people argue that a raise is important because of very real costs in their lives, however,
an employer is looking to give raises to people based on performance.”
6
It’s Fine to Challenge Their Views
You don’t have to be a total Yes-man to impress your boss. A little healthy questioning builds
a robust business. We’re not talking about being one of those “devil’s advocate” addicts that
has to constantly ask “but what if xyz?” to even the most outlandish scenario to everyone’s
annoyance. Be sure your questions are researched and backed up if you want to impress,
and you’re not just taking flying kicks at things to sound smart.
Your boss will appreciate professionally researched and thoughtful considerations, after all,
good leaders build strong teams around them for this reason.
7
Your Attitude Is Just as Important As Your Actual Work
Our next advice is, no matter how great your work is, if you’re a drain to have in a team, you
won’t progress.
An example of where attitude matters most is at online retail giant Zappos. The late company
founder, Tony Hseih proudly announced that no matter how perfect a candidate’s resume
might be, if they don’t align with his company culture then they won’t get the job.
Same goes for existing employees, if they don’t fit in with the companies positive and
peaceful environment then they will get the chop, no matter their results. Yikes, but we can
totally see his point. That is why despite his tragic passing in 2020, he remains such an
inspiration.
If you want to know more about Zappo’s inspiring business model, listen to it here on audible
– don’t forget to claim your free book by heading alux.com/freebook.
Since we are talking about positive attitudes at work, if you need some help with yours,
check out 15 Positive Advice You Need to Hear.
8
Bosses Wouldn’t Give You Constructive Feedback If They Didn’t
Want You to Succeed
When you get the opportunity to receive constructive feedback from your boss, take it with
both hands. Feedback is only given when someone cares about your growth. Take it is as a
sign that your boss wants to see you grow and succeed. It is not a diss, or them being “mean”
or anything like that. This is someone stopping long enough to invest in your self-
improvement, and that’s valuable for any future billionaire.
9
Bosses Want You to Identify Problems before They Unfold
Have you ever been in a debrief meeting after there was a mis-hap at work and someone
proudly says: “I knew this was going to happen”. Well, if you have, then we can assure you
that your boss is wondering who this person is and how soon they can fire them. If you
anticipated that something was going to be a disaster and you didn’t remedy it, then what they
heck are you doing in this role!
There are no points for problem spotting if you do nothing about it, but there are major points
for problem solving before the problem hits.
10
They Want to Know That Your Allegiance Lies with the Company
According to the 2018 study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics the typical employee stays at
a job for just over four years. But even if that’s true, your boss shouldn’t be made to feel there
is a ticking timeline to your departure. While you’re working where you are working be sure
your boss knows your loyalty lies with them.
Our advice is you show this by being involved in team building at work, buying into company
culture and show that you have some sort of competitive spirit towards their competition. In
other words, take this advice as, if you work at Pepsi, no one wants to know that you prefer
Coke.
11
Bosses Want to Know When a Job Is Challenging or If a Deadline
Is Unrealistic
The worst time to tell a boss that the deadline is unrealistic is a few hours before it. That’s not
the time they can save face with a client, that is the time they must go and grovel and explain
how their company isn’t experienced enough to deliver on deadline.
Setting realistic deliverables and timelines is key to delivering an excellent product on time,
and part of what you are employed to do in any role is know what is and isn’t doable.
Your boss needs you to be able to communicate these things to them long before they turn
into a problem so that there is time to fix it and still deliver to the client.
Aluxers, be sure to watch our video full of great advice – 15 Principles for an Excellent Work
Ethic – for more ways to be a great employee.
12
Bosses Want Team Players
No person is an island, and if you don’t play well with others, you’re going to struggle in the
21st century job market. Bosses don’t need an evil side-kick spewing venom about everyone
in the office, but rather people who are part of what fans the flames of everyone on the team
and makes the company more successful.
Why does teamwork matter so much?
Teamwork brings unity to the workplace, it promotes new perspectives with differing opinions,
and it creates constant learning and encourages efficiency. All in all, teamwork is a win.
13
They Want You to Develop Your Strengths
Richard Branson says it best with his approach to people development: “Train people well
enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.”
A good boss is happy to help you learn, upskill, and develop your strengths. It is cheaper to
redeploy a team member to a new position within the business than bring in a completely new
hire. Leaders know that investing in people is one way to create a custom fit for their project’s
needs, as well as promote loyalty and a longer employment tenure.
Feel confident when you go to ask your boss to attend a conference or training course, they
are more than happy to support your growth.
14
Bosses Want Employees to Celebrate the Success of Others
As your colleagues sign a new account or break a sales record, follow our advice and show
great work culture by celebrating in their success. Not only does it show that your loyalty lies
with the company and not just your own interests, but also that you are a great team player.
Afterall a win for the company is a win for everyone if you are part of the team.
15
Bosses Want You to Succeed
The best reflection of a good boss is a team of successful individuals. This shows that they
are doing their job of leading in the right direction. If they had a team of people under them
flailing about, or worse yet, stagnating then it would be a terrible show case for their
leadership qualities. Self-assured, self-motivated, and successful workers are the signs of a
great boss.
Your boss isn’t jealous of your success. Your success means they can go to the Bahamas or
get their kid a pony. So go forth and kick butt at whatever you are doing!
Question:
What is the most surprising realisation you can to about one of your bosses?
15 Everyday Things That Make You Less Likeable

5 MAY 2021
BRIONY SPARG
There Are Many Reasons Why People May Dislike You. Find Out the
Bad Habits That Make You Less Likeable.
Being annoying and having bad habits is not necessarily a part of someone’s personality.
They’re often like that because nobody has had the courage to straight up tell them they’re
being irritating. So, Aluxers, we’re going to be that friend today and tell you 15 Everyday
Things That Make You Less Likeable.
Most people like watching fun videos as compared to reading articles. So skip this text and
switch over to the video version of this article:
1
Making Every Conversation Revolve Around You
Before jumping to conclusions that every person who does this is a narcissist, understand that
a mere 1% of the population actually have narcissistic personality disorder, or NPD as
reported by the Washington Post. It’s been that figure since 1968 when the term was first
established.
So, why are so many people adept at making every conversation about themselves? Because
nobody has told them they can’t. Nobody has called them out on their sh*tty behaviour and
bad habits and unless you do, that person or you, will continue with that behaviour making
you or them, less likeable.
If we’ve made you wonder whether you are a narcissist or not, check out 15 Signs
You’re a Narcissist.
2
Always One-Upping Someone Else
Call it jealousy, call it insecurity, whatever– this is a terrible, highly unlikeable trait. It’s the sort
of habit that will have people questioning whether you’re going to be at a social gathering,
because their RSVP solely depends on that.
Let’s say it slowly. You don’t need to one-up anybody. You can honestly just be happy for
their cool experience, purchase, or achievement. Their story does not take away your value,
or your worth.
In fact, by one-upping them, you’re doing that all by yourself.
Aluxers, don’t forget – our channel is filled with nuggets of solid advice like this, be sure
to subscribe!
3
Being Passive Aggressive
It’s a pretty cowardly move using passive aggression to try and get your point across. There’s
nothing manly or womanly about it. It shows a lack of strength, courage, and smarts to use
this form of “problem solving.”
If you have a problem with someone, talk to them about it. Don’t try and sneak in under-
handed remarks that do more damage in the long run.
Like Self-Care and Personal Development Advocate, Izey Victoria Odiase aptly puts it,
“Passive-Aggressive behaviour consumes unnecessary time and resources. Say what you
mean, let’s resolve the issue, and move on to more productive tasks.”
4
Checking Your Phone While Chatting to Someone
Aluxers, can you think of something more disrespectful when you’re trying to have a
conversation with somebody, and they’re constantly checking their phone?
This behaviour is telling you, that you’re not important. It’s even got a name… phubbing. On
our sister channel, New Parents, we spoke about this phenomenon in 15 Ways For Moms To
Bond With Their Newborns.
We broke it down: “Phubbing: the practice of ignoring one’s companion or companions in
order to pay attention to one’s phone or other mobile device.” That’s the definition from the
Oxford English Dictionary. It’s basically the joining of phone and snubbing.
It’s rude and one of the worst bad habits. Don’t do it. If you have an addiction to your phone,
we advise getting professional help.
5
You Complain About Everything
The service, your job, your partner, your kids… you’re exhausting everyone! Chronic
complainers are everywhere, and they’re an ungrateful bunch with these bad habits, aren’t
they? How many people would value the job they’re complaining about? How many people
wish they were in a relationship or had their own children?
Psychologytoday.com defines a chronic complainer as people who… “perceive themselves as
forever being on the losing end of things and drawing the short straw on a daily basis.”
These types of people don’t actually want or need your advice, they’re just doing it to ensure
that you know how “hard” their lives are.
If you find yourself complaining all the time, try and gain a grateful perspective of what you do
have, and work on yourself… you’re a work in progress after all.
6
You’re a Humble Bragger
Oh Aluxers, where to start with this one?
Posts a selfie – clearly looks stunning – says “I feel so ugly today.”
And there are a million more like this one:
And this one:
Oh, and how about this one?

Don’t be these people with these bad habits Aluxers, but considering you’re Aluxers, we don’t
even need to tell you how less likeable these kinds of posts make a person!
7
You Can Never Find a Nice Thing To Say About Someone Else
In our video, 100 best motivational quotes, we shared a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt. “No one
can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
And we all know that person that can never say something nice about
another. consciousthink.com lists several reasons why some people are like this:
 They try make themselves feel better.
 They’re jealous.
 To make themselves feel more important.
 To attempt to get people to like them more.
 Attention seeking and to feel in control.
However, at this stage, you’ve done the opposite of all these things. You’ve made yourself
feel worse, you’re still jealous, you don’t feel important, people definitely don’t like you more
and you’ve lost control, all because of these bad habits.
8
You Make Zero Effort To Ask Questions and Get To Know People
Nobody said meeting new people was easy, but at least give it your best effort. Don’t expect
others to always ask the questions, to keep the conversation flowing and to make it effortless
for you.
And it’s a cycle, Aluxers. If you don’t make an effort, people are going to tire of constantly
having to do all the work with you. Then you end up having a sh*ty time, complaining about it
and playing the victim and blaming others for your cra**y night.
Instead, take a step back and understand that you are responsible for the way the night
panned out, not everyone else.
This characteristic is extremely unlikeable in a person, and only you can fix it in yourself –
nobody else can.
9
Your Go-to Reply When People Ask You To Do Something, “I’m
Too Busy”
Ahh, the person who is always busy. They wear their busyness like a suit of armour, like a
gold star that their grade 1 teacher stuck to their forehead.
Being busy is not a measure of success. In fact, it’s the exact opposite.
Wouldn’t you rather be sitting, having a glass of wine with your friends and enjoying a laugh
than rushing from point A to B, because you’ve overcommitted and are trying to achieve some
kind of weird goal?
You’re not special because you’re busy.
And if this is you, perhaps it’s time to rethink your busyness. Figure out what you’re running
away from when you have an innate desire to be busy all the time.
If you want to break away from these bad habits, and look at other career options, then we
recommend you give Shopify a go. They offer great services and tools to make your dream
website a reality. Go to alux.com/sell and get 2 weeks of premium service for free!
10
Conversations Are Money Focused
How much others earn, how they choose to “waste” their money, how you never have enough
money… Money, money, money.
And yes, we need money to survive but there is more to life than money. And there is
definitely more to life than discussing other people’s money.
That is their private business, and how they choose to spend it has got nothing to do with you
or the company you keep.
And when it comes to your own finances, people are not interested in hearing you drone on
about your sh*t paycheck. If it’s that sh*t, then change jobs. Oh, you can’t do that? Then,
whose fault is that? Not the people who’s ears you’re chewing off!
As the famous saying goes:
There are 3 things to keep private:
Your love life.
Your income.
Your next move.
11
Being Late
Arriving anywhere late is a huge sign of disrespect and one of the worst bad
habits. Seattletimes.com cites several reasons why you should never be late again:
 It doesn’t prove how busy or important you are.
 Being late tells the other person that your time is more important than theirs.
 It puts you at a disadvantage when you miss important parts of a meeting, or just the socializing
beforehand.
 Arriving on time show you’re committed.
It’s easy, just plan your day properly. And remember using the old excuse like traffic or getting
lost, don’t work anymore. There are too many Apps available giving you directions and the
quickest route to your destination.
12
You’re a Massive Gossiper
It’s hard to believe that people still do this, isn’t it Aluxers? And even if you’re not the one
doing the gossiping, but you’re listening to it… you’re just as guilty.
And here’s a question: What is that person saying about you when you leave the room?
We’d guess, not very complimentary things either.
Author, Shannon L. Alder, once said, “Often those that criticize others reveal what he himself
lacks.”
13
Negativity Is Your Middle Name
A trait that nobody likes? Negativity.
Someone suggests a walk on the beach… The negative person will put the idea down.
Someone suggests a Saturday brunch with friends… again, you know what the negative
person does.
There are legit reasons why some people are more negative than others, but … and that’s a
favourite word of a negative person… nobody has ever called them out for it.
Instead, the negative person will find their invites begin to dwindle because they literally suck
the fun out of everything because of their bad habits, and nobody has time for people like this.
14
You Love to Share
We’ve all tried to avoid certain people and the why is simple. You just know that they’re going
to tell you something that is going to be awkward AF.
Like the recently turned 50-year-old friend who tells you all about her menopause and how
things have changed in that department, or the mother who recently popped out a 4th kid and
is happy to tell you about how things are a little stretched, or the guy who is completely
accident prone and gives you all the gory details of his latest hospital ER visit.
Aluxers, this sort of information is private. It’s not something that everyone wants to listen to,
so don’t impose yourself on others. Rather play it safe and assume that
everyone doesn’t want to hear the gory details of your injury, menopause, or baby-popping
facility … unless they ask. Then by all means, take the floor.
Which leads us directly to our last point.
15
Social Cues Are Not Your Forte
Great, so you’ve found someone to ramble on to about any of the situations we just
mentioned – but you notice they start looking around, checking their watch, and yes even
taking out their phone… that is your cue to zip it and bow out of the conversation.
Picking up on social cues is integral to your daily life, and if you’re unable to do the basics –
it’s going to make you a lot less likeable specially with all these bad habits.
Look out for things like personal space, tone of voice, crossed arms, unfocused attention and
sudden silence and when that happens – you gracefully end the convo.
Question:
Aluxers, what can you add to our list of everyday things that make you less likeable? We
value your input.
15 Amazing Things You Didn’t Know About Your

Brain
7 APRIL 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Believe It or Not, Your Brain Is More Amazing Than You Think. Find
Out Some Crazy Facts About Your Brain.
Have you wondered what would happen if we use 100% of our brains? Probably not much,
since that’s apparently a myth. We can however, do some pretty crazy things with our brains,
so let’s dive in and learn some brain facts.”
If you are dreading reading this long article, then don’t worry. Give your brain some rest and
switch over to the amazing video version of this article:
With that done, let’s jump right into the article.
1
Our Brains Are Shrinking
Our brains are big. They weigh around 1.4 kilograms and occupy a large space in our
cranium – up to 80%. The rest is blood and cerebrospinal fluid. As revolting as this sounds, if
you blended the brain and fluids, it would nearly fill 2-litres!
It’s one of the proven facts that our brains are shrinking. So, when you can’t understand how
humans could be so stupid, there might be a legit reason behind it.
University of Wisconsin paleoanthropologist John Hawks told LiveScience that our brains
have shrunk roughly 10%. This doesn’t necessarily correlate to intellect. It’s believed our
brains are shrinking because our skulls are growing smaller. This is because our jaws are
decreasing in size due to our less chewy diet.
2
Our Brains Are Malleable
It’s always believed that our brains stop growing at a certain point, but turns out, that’s
another fallacy. According to facts, our brain is more pliable when we’re younger, but even as
adults, there is still room for malleability.
Called adult plasticity, scientists have observed brain cells learning new information using
better imaging techniques to make those cells fluorescent.
This plasticity occurs through learning, memory formation, experience, and brain trauma.
Aluxers, be sure to use your brain and subscribe to our channel for daily videos!
3
The Difference Between Male and Female Brains
We often say the opposite sex is “wired differently.”
So, is there a difference between a male and female brain? Apparently, yes. Men have larger
brain volume and women have thicker cortices. Research done by Diane Halpern, PhD, who
specializes in cognitive differences between males and females found that women tend to do
better with verbal and writing ability and men generally perform better with problem-solving.
She’s got a highly interesting read about these differences in her book, “Sex Differences in
Cognitive Abilities.”
4
IQ Is up to You
People are born with different levels of IQ but the interesting thing is, you can increase it.
How cool is that? you can be born dumb and educate yourself to stop being dumb in the
future. Who would have thought… Well, Sandra Bond Chapman did think. The founder, and
chief director of the Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas says, “We used to think
that once smart, always smart and vice versa—we now know that is wrong.” Aluxers, there is
still hope.
5
No Need to Ask for Directions
Ever wondered how you just have a feeling of how to get somewhere and you actually get
there?
Turns out, you’re not a super sleuth but rather making use of your brain’s “place cells.” These
cells are attached to memory and assist us in our spatial reasoning skills.
In 2005, more cells were discovered, this time by May-Britt and Edvard Moser. They
confirmed the existence of “grid cells” in our brains. Our brains automatically create a grid-like
pattern helping us to remember places. This discovery was awarded with a Nobel Peace
Prize in 2014!
6
You’re Brain-Washed Before You Fall Asleep
Aluxers, we’ve all heard about brainwashing. Except, the concept reminds us of people
joining a cult, falling victim to a conspiracy theory, or even being sucked into an MLM scheme.
We mentioned cerebrospinal fluid earlier, well this fluid protects our brains and clears out
toxins, keeping our brains squeaky clean.
Researchers at Boston University watched 13 healthy young people sleep – weird we know –
but the discovery was worth it. They realized that our brain fluid creates waves around our
brains every 20-seconds, basically washing our brains before we fall asleep.
7
It’s a Distant Memory
Have you ever been recalling an event with people who were there too, and they remember it
entirely differently? You wonder if you’ve lost your mind, or if they were smoking something at
the time it happened.
Scientists still can’t pinpoint how memory actually works, but André Fenton, a neuroscientist
at New York University’s Center for Neural Science, has an idea. He believes that our
memory is like writing on clay. It smudges, it fades, it bleeds… thereby warping the reality of
the events. He added that ongoing biochemical processes in our brain change the way we
remember memories.
8
You’re Officially All Grown
Just when you thought you were as tall as you’d ever be, or you’ve finally settled onto a shoe
size for life, we’re here to tell you, there are still parts of you growing… and no, we don’t mean
your waistline. We mean your brain.
Our brains are only fully grown when we are around 25-years old. The last part to develop is
your prefrontal cortex, and that’s the part where judgment, problem-solving, decision-making,
complex planning, organized thinking, personality development, and impulse control stems
from – according to Dr. Tarawneh who specializes in Neurology at The Ohio State University
Wexner.
9
Turn up the Volume
Aluxers, have you ever wondered why music makes you happy? Turns out, there is a link
between what we hear and the reward circuits in our brain. As explained by neuroscientists
Anne Blood and Robert Zatorre at McGill University in Montreal, “pleasurable music activated
brain regions called the limbic and paralimbic areas, which are connected to euphoric reward
responses, like those we experience from sex, good food and addictive drugs.”
Right, so if you’re needing to be addicted to something – we hope you choose music!
10
Brains Need Training Just Like the Rest of Our Body
Have you ever thought of your brain the same way you think about your biceps? It’s an organ
after all, that gets nourished and trained the same way your muscles do.
Training your biceps is a pretty straight forward process, but how do you train your brain?
What strength is for muscle, attention is for your brain. The process has a lot to do with
awareness and mindfulness, which is why we highly recommend our mind mastery course
that has been getting glowing reviews so far. Head to alux.com/mindmastery and enroll now!
If you want to train your brain to build mental strength, check out 10 Ways to Build
Mental Fortitude.
11
A New Lease on Life
Before cochlear implants were a thing, if there was hearing loss, there wasn’t much you could
do. Well, according to myhearingcentres.com, “one cure for hearing loss was to climb to a
high place and then jump down.” Thank goodness cochlear implants were available in the
80s, and over time, they became so advanced and a life changer for many.
Same applies to retinal implants and now there are other implantable therapies that are
bringing relief to people struggling with brain disorders, like Parkinson’s and epilepsy. There’s
hope these implantable therapies could assist with OCD, depression, addiction and pain.
12
Games Make You Smarter
Aluxers, did you know that playing video games improves cognitive skills? So, before you get
annoyed with your partner for spending so much time gaming, it’s possible it’s just making
him smarter in the long run.
Healthygamer.gg reports that, “Video games increase your attention span, improve decision
making and problem-solving capabilities in competitive environments, and improve memory
and learning. Video games improve the cognitive abilities that society values.”
This research was concluded by Green and Bavelier.
13
Time to Visit High Society
In our video, 15 Advanced Ways to Remember What You Study, we spoke about the memory
palace.
It’s said to be the most powerful mnemonic device ever created. Mnemonic being a system
made up of associations, letters, or ideas – anything that helps you to remember something.
Roman legend suggests the Memory Palace theory was invented by Simonides of Ceos
roughly 2,500-years ago.
We know places well, like our home. We know the sounds, textures, objects, and smells.
Now, associate your study notes with those places. If you follow the same route through your
house, you’ll easily retain the information you need for your studies and to increase your
memory.
14
Wrinkles Get a Bad Rap
It’s time to wear your wrinkles with pride, because apparently the more wrinkles and folds, the
smarter you may be.
Before you start skipping the sunscreen, we’re referring to your brain’s wrinkles.
The more folds, the more processing power. Bigger brains, more neurons, more smarts… we
mean smarter 😛
15
Changes in Our Brain Can Lead to Mental Health Problems
The National Institutes of Health are researching facts that link mental illness and our brain’s
structure. They believe that stress and environment can be huge causes of mental health
issues.
Aluxers, if you have gone through a stressful time or your environment has changed, it’s
never a bad idea to book a session with a therapist. Even if you’re not feeling super stressed,
that mild irritation or anxiety can quickly spiral out of control.
A session with a therapist, even when things are good, is never a bad idea. It helps keep us
grounded and moving in the right direction.
Question:
Aluxers, can you add anything of interest to our list of brain facts today? We’d love to hear
from you!
10 Ways to Build Mental Fortitude

19 MARCH 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Mental Fortitude Is Necessary to Get Success. Here Are a Few Ways to
Build up Your Mental Strength.
Success doesn’t come easy. A big part of the journey is developing mental fortitude, which
means you’re able to remain focused on the outcome without letting adversities or challenges
cause you to quit prematurely, and we’re going to tell you how.
Reading a long article on this heavy topic requires a lot of brain strength. Switch over to the
video version of this article instead:
With that said, let’s jump right into the article.
1
Developing Mental Fortitude Includes 4C’s
Aluxers, when building mental strength, there are 4 words beginning with C that you need to
consider. They are:
– Control
– Commitment
– Challenge
– Confidence
Let’s touch on each of them.
Control refers to how in control of your life you feel. Do you have a good handle on your
emotions? Do you have a purpose in life that motivates you each day? Are you comfortable
with yourself and in which direction your life is going?
If you’re experiencing the opposite of this and feel like you have no control of the events that
unfold or you have little influence over the outcomes in your life, then this is an area that
needs attention.
Commitment refers to your focus and reliability. If you’re high on this scale, you’re good at
setting goals and achieving them and you’re not easily distracted. If you’re low, you struggle
to prioritize and get into good habits needed for success.
Challenge refers to your adaptability and your drive. Instead of seeing problems, you see
them as a challenge – something to get through to achieve your goal.
When you’re low, you see challenges as a threat and often make excuses as to why you’re
unable to move forward.
Confidence meaning how comfortable you feel pursuing your goals. You take things in your
stride and you inevitably know that you’re on the right path. Having little confidence means
small setbacks are hard to overcome and that you have little to no influence over others.
2
Small Wins Create Mental Fortitude
Aluxers, how many times have you missed a workout because your mind said, “Not Today,
I’m too tired.” Probably too many to remember. And how much easier is it to keep making
excuses thereafter, until you realize, “Sh*t, I haven’t had a workout in 3 months!
Now, how about celebrating the small wins here. Your mind says, it’s not up for gym today –
but you go anyway. Afterwards, you feel great, don’t you? You’re proud of yourself.
And then, it’s much easier to go back to the gym the next day.
But you need to make the choice. You need to choose to go to the gym. You need to choose
to study an extra chapter. You need to choose to skip the party and catch up on work instead.
Only you can make the decision for yourself.
Remember to subscribe to our channel Aluxers – we want to share our journey with you and
we’d love to hear yours too.
3
Goals Are Great, But It’s the Steps to Get There That Are
Important
Canadian writer, Robin Sharma once said, “Discipline is built by consistently performing small
acts of courage.” Let that sink in, Aluxers.
We all have goals and dreams, but we don’t all have an action plan to achieve them.
Actionable steps need to be put in place and how they will be executed. Remember that these
steps need to align with your beliefs and values, both of which you never want to
compromise.
Your action plan will be a huge part in developing mental fortitude. It will be easy to see how
far you’ve come when you’re feeling a little low, and you can enjoy the small successes along
the way.
We’d highly recommend you watch our video, 15 Steps to Reinvent Yourself and Start Over,
for some great advice on taking small steps, plus there’s a challenge waiting for you to sign
up to.
4
Train Your Thinking Towards Toughness
Just like you need to train your body to get fit, the same applies to your brain. The American
Journal of Psychiatry posted the results of a study proving that US Marines who took part in
“mindfulness-based mind fitness training” were able to significantly recover from stress after
completing the course. Part of the training was 30-minutes of mindfulness and self-regulation
every day.
Just like training for a race, it takes time and energy and doesn’t always come naturally… but
take those small steps, and work on it daily and before you know it, you’re crossing the
finishing line and receiving your gold medal.
And Aluxers, when we say toughness, we don’t mean you’ll be an unsympathetic bast*rd, we
mean that you strengthen your mind, your thoughts no longer dwell on the inconsequential
cr*p and you’re able to control your thinking whereas before it would run amok, causing
undue stress and anxiety.
5
Practice Controlled Exposure
There’s no denying that this is probably not the most comfortable part of building mental
fortitude, but it must be done to progress. By putting yourself in situations that would usually
break your confidence, in small doses, will help you improve in those areas.
Stepping out of your comfort zone is a big part of building mental strength and
Forbes.com confirms this by saying “New challenges and experiences rewire your brain and
make it more adaptable, stronger, and healthier,” “Each milestone makes it easier to tackle
another milestone,” and “You will become more resilient and prepared for whatever comes
your way.”
There’s no need to start big. If you are not keen on speaking to strangers, start by simply
saying a few liners to the person serving you coffee, or the garden service mowing your lawn.
Work your way up from there. We promise, it does get easier.
6
When You Slip up, Don’t Let It Dictate the Rest of the Day, Week
or Month
Aluxers, your mistakes don’t define you. So, sure, you might not be proud of your lack of drive
at the moment but that doesn’t mean you don’t have drive and passion in you. It’s just a glitch.
It’s temporary. You can change and you can fix it.
When you’re mentally strong, you will acknowledge this and be able to move past the slip up
quickly, effortlessly and without being too hard on yourself.
There’s a quote that sums it up perfectly. “It’s not about how many times you fall, but how
many times you get back up.” If you keep picking yourself up, can you imagine how much
stronger you will become. And even if that strength means deciding to “quit” a certain part of
your life, that’s ok too because essentially, you’re still moving forward, albeit in a different
direction.
7
Work on Self
This is a key area for mental fortitude.
– Self-Care – and Aluxers, we’re not just speaking about bubble baths and cups of tea.
We’re speaking about getting the right nutrition, enough sleep, exercise, quiet time for self-
reflection and meditation, proper medical care and opportunities to laugh.
– Cultivate gratitude – Having a grateful heart is a beautiful way to boost your mental
health. It helps you realize that some problems are not problems after all.
– Connect with others – You need a tribe that’s going to support you and be there for
you. Friends that are happy in your successes and are there when you’re having that slip up.
They’re the people who will call you out over your sh*t, because they want to see you grow
and improve.
Self care also means motivating yourself to accomplish your goals. Check out 15 Steps
to Master Self-Motivation.
8
The Road to Resilience Doesn’t Mean You Don’t Care
When people think about the term mental strength, it can often have a negative connotation
attached to it. It’s assumed that the person is uncaring, unsupportive, unsympathetic or is
unable to show empathy… which is incorrect.
When you’re building mental fortitude, this is what you will find.
– You’ll manage emotions better. So, when people come to you with a problem, you
won’t get wrapped into the problem emotionally, but be able to take a step back and see the
situation for what it is and support from a confident place.
– Perseverance – You don’t just throw in the towel. Not with work, goals, friendships or
family. However, you know when to call it a day and move on.
– It gives you courage. So, instead of believing the haters or worrying about what others
think – you remain focused on your goal and moving towards it.
As written by Amy Morin for Forbes, “The stronger you become, the more likely you are to
reach your goals, live according to your values, experience the most joy, and contribute to
society in a meaningful way.”
9
Watch Your Rhetoric
As powerful as what our brains are, they can really fu*k with us in ways that don’t do us any
favours.
“You’re such an idiot.”
“You don’t know what you’re doing.”
“You’re so fat, so ugly, so boring…” and we can go on.
Aluxers, you know the sh*t you say to yourself. Do you think you’re building mental fortitude
while saying those things? Not a chance.
So, it’s up to you to start saying pretty things to yourself. Start small… and work your way up.
You’re in no way being vain or narcissistic, but when you feel good about yourself, you help
others feel good about themselves -and your mental fortitude is having a f*cking party inside
your head!
Still to come, another great hint to help build mental fortitude.
10
Don’t Get Caught in Repetitive Cycles
Learn from your past.
The beauty about the journey to mental strength and fortitude is that you become aware of
repetitive cycles. You will find it easier over time to recognize when you’re returning to what
didn’t serve you in the past and nip it in the bud immediately.
When we find ourselves stuck in this repetitiveness, we don’t see possibility and have little
perspective. And let’s not fool ourselves, sometimes this repetitive cycle serves us. We have
an excuse to not go out and do what scares us.
But by following these steps listed in our video, you’ll be able to break free from that cycle and
gain huge momentum in your life.
Question:
What advice can you give to others building mental fortitude? We’d love to hear from you.
15 Disciplines to Have in Life

7 MARCH 2021
EMIL ANTON
Discipline Is Essential to Live a Successful Life. Read on to Find Out
How to Live a More Disciplined Life.
Hello Aluxers and welcome back to a highly valuable Sunday Motivational article because this
time we’re looking at Disciplines that help create a successful life.
If you’ve been raised in an – let’s be polite about this – “developing” family, the word discipline
might have physical connotations, but that’s not what this is about.
Discipline: means order and the ability to organize specific elements of your life with a
strategic long term purpose.
Discipline allows you to build yourself sustainably!
It’s what those who do not desire to leave their lives to chance will always use as a better
option.
With that said, here are 15 disciplines you should have in life.
1
Discipline Your Thoughts
We’ve learned that:
Everything we do begins with a neural spark inside the brain, your thoughts -quite literally-
dictate your future.
Did you ever take the time to monitor what’s going on in your mind during the day? You’ll be
shocked by the things you’ll find yourself thinking about and how much buzz is there in the
first place.
You have the power to discipline your mind through practice and to focus it on the important
things you need it to solve.
Your mind is a gold mine, only the gold is buried under all that noise. Disciplining your
thoughts, is then a sure-shot way of concocting a successful life.
2
Discipline Your Mornings
People who discipline their mornings almost get an extra day worth of work in.
You have the power to jumpstart the day. As with everything on this list, small actions
compound over extended periods of time.
If you get 1 small thing done every morning, in a year you would’ve achieved 360 things more
than everyone else, assuming you work the same as them the rest of the day.
That’s the power of disciplining your mornings!
In order to discipline your life, you need to start your morning right. Check out 15
Things to Stop Doing When You Wake Up.
3
Discipline Your Friendships
The quality of your life is determined by the quality of the friendships you establish along the
way.
So then if the friendships are managed well, it can help you create a successful life. What if
we told you that your life will be almost the same as the ones of your friends? 10 to 15%
variation.. Would you be happy?
We are social creatures and our social environment is the foundation of building our future
life.
Hang out with losers and you will be a loser yourself.
You don’t realise this, but you are tied to your friends like a boat tied to other boats. Which is
why they call it a “Friendship” – if all these boats are going one way and you’re going another,
they will drag you in the direction they’re heading in. We love to think that our boat will
manage to paddle faster and bring everyone with us, but that’s not what happens.
4
Discipline Your Environment
We are the bi-product of the environment we grow in, as much as a flower needs the right soil
to blossom.
Few people understand that they can choose to change their environment and it’s quite easy
to do so. Even more so, a change in environment has immediate impacts on the way you
experience life.
It starts with the room you spend most of your time in, then your home, then what you see
when you look out the window.
Your environment is one of the deepest ingredients of who you are, so make sure you find a
good one.
5
Discipline Your Goals
We become what we are willing to go after, yet most people settle for what is convenient.
Too many people settle for too little, not because they wouldn’t want more, but because they
don’t know how to get more. This limits them from crafting the most successful life possible.
The main reason why most successful people achieve success is because: they make it their
goal to get there.
For them the goal isn’t success, it’s specific a specific target, a specific number, a specific
lifestyle.. That’s been deconstructed and built one brick at a time for years.
Success is a bi-product of hitting your personal goals!
We’ve spend the last decade studying successful people and what we learned helped us
build multiple million-dollar businesses and find happiness and fulfillment in the process.
It took 1 year and a half for us to put all that in a premium learning experience called GOAL
MASTERY which is available for purchase right now if you go to: goalsbyalux.com
We released it last Sunday and we’re closing the doors in less than 24 hours.
We have no plans to re-open anytime soon as we will focus our efforts on being a guiding
mentor to those who are purchasing the course during the week of the launch.
This is your last day to get in. We know that for many the course is rather expensive, so use
the promo code: MYGOAL and get $100 OFF at checkout.
This course is a game-changer for you personal life and your business. We believe in it so
much, that if you go through it and don’t get more value out of it than the money you spend
we will give you all your money back under our 60 day guarantee. You – quite literally – have
nothing to lose.
Go to goalsbyalux.com right now! See you inside Aluxers!
6
Discipline What You Consume
Who we are runs on the fuel we put into ourselves, into our bodies, into our minds and into
our souls.
The better your inputs the better your outputs.
You want to be treated as an adult, you better start making decisions as an adult.
You eat food because it serves the purpose of health, not that of taste.
You consume content because it helps you grow, not as entertainment.
Of course entertainment and desert have their place in our lives, but too many people only
consume the desert – in its many forms of consumption. The brutal truth they eventually find
out is that desert doesn’t get you the gains you were shooting for.
7
Discipline Your Desires
Desire is a contract you make with yourself to not be happy until the desire is fulfilled!
One should pick their desires very carefully, for desires are very strong. We are overwhelmed
by desires and the more desires we have the less we actually can achieve. This is one of the
keystones of creating a successful life.
If you want to be successful in life, pick very few desires and go after them with all you’ve
got.
Your end goal is to be desire-free, to have everything you need and not feel like you need
anything else.
8
Discipline Your Addictions
Addictions are a trade you make with the world where in exchange for temporary pleasure
you give them a part of you!
The problem with the trade lies in the word “temporary”. You are sacrificing long term results
for short term pleasure. It doesn’t take too many as such trades before there’s nothing left for
you to trade as life will take everything from you.
Addiction – in any form – is detrimental to your well-being. Identify it in its beginning stages
and find ways to remove the cancer from your life – even if it will require professional help.
Temporary discomfort and some money for a life addiction-free.. That’s a trade you should
always make.
9
Discipline Your Body
The average person has thousands of desires, a sick person has only one!
It’s shocking the kind of impact, health and body can have on one’s reality. Too many times
people end up with unhealthy bodies and because of it their life is sub-par.
Your body weight limits your ability to live certain experiences.
Your organs are working overtime to keep things going.
The pandemic has put a big spotlight on just how vulnerable our bodies are, where it went
down hard on everyone who has not disciplined their body. Let it be your wake-up call. Get
yourself a strong body if you want to create a successful life.
10
Discipline Your Progress & Growth
The feeling of being alive comes from growth, the moment the growth stops you begin to die!
Your life can consistently get better.. If you make it your goal to become better consistently.
Most people believe their education ends with school – yet everyone agrees schools no
longer educate you for the real world, so what is one to do.
Growth, progress and education have become individual activities, by being here on a
Sunday, you are taking part in an educational program with tens of thousands of other people
at the same time. Coming back every Sunday, builds and reinforces those building blocks on
which your life stands on.
But there are levels even to self-help. You see, most people fall in the trap of content
consumption. They consume self-help the same way others binge watch old tv-shows.
At one point you need to follow through on what you’re learning.
We must be impatient with our actions and patients with results!
We found the reason people don’t do this is because they don’t know where to start
specifically.
That was the foundation on which we built GOAL MASTERY. It’s not a theoretical product, it’s
a direct challenge to you to follow specific actions and see what results they get you.
If you find yourself educated, but don’t know where to start to actively make your life better,
start by going to goalsbyalux.com right now and enroll in Goal Mastery.
Every year we invest great amounts of money into personal growth, because it allows us to
compound on the progress we’ve already made & We’ve never had a bad year because of it.
Goal Mastery will be the best money you’ll ever spend this year!
11
Discipline the Way People Perceive You
We are what we think other people think we are!
We live in this perception driven world, where we all present ourselves in order to serve
personal purposes, such as being liked, being accepted, climbing the ladder to a goal we find
fitting – or that society has told us it holds in high regard.
One should discipline the way they present themselves to the world for that is the only way
the world will remember who you are.
12
Discipline Your Impact
The value of an individual is determined by what he leaves behind not when he’s gone, but
when he’s alive!
Or to put it in simpler terms: be good now!
People think it takes a great deal of money to do charity, because the media only publishes
the stories involving a lot of zeroes, but that’s not where the bulk of the impact comes from.
It comes from small interactions, little actions that have small but effective ripple effects in
local communities.
Discipline yourself to have an impact at the scale you have right now. If you’re not kind when
you’re poor, it’s unlikely you’ll be kind when you’re rich.
13
Discipline Your Inner Happiness
Being happy or not is a choice we have to make every day!
One builds on happiness the same way they do with everything else on this list. It’s small and
big steps altogether, but steps made consistently nonetheless.
The most valuable thing we’ve found is that happiness does not depend on other facts.
Here’s a very important distinction:
The lack of resources can make you unhappy, but their presence doesn’t improve your
happiness beyond the point of equilibrium.
Or put in simpler terms: money and material success will only get you to a 5 in happiness…
from them to get to a 10 you have to put in the work yourself.
14
Discipline Your Sleep
We’d rather spend time with people who’ve had 8 hours of sleep than with people who only
slept for 4 hours!
There are two ways of approaching immediate goals and they depend on what is required for
the goal to be achieved:
1. If your goal can be achieved through direct volume of work, then do it. Sleep 4 to 5 hours per
night, wake up early and put in as many hours as you can so you can get to your goal quickly.
We’ve done this multiple times in the past.
2. If your goal requires creative leaps, then sleep on it. For these type of goals one should train
like an athlete, rest before the big race and give it all during the sprint session. It’s an explosion
of productivity for very short periods of time followed by rest and training for the one coming up
next.
In order to become successful if you’re starting from scratch, the first approach will get you
better and more concrete results, but once you do make it out of the hole, we found that the
second approach is more productive long term.
15
Discipline Yourself
Nobody cares enough about you to make you the priority, so you have to make yourself the
priority!
If you bring everything we’ve discussed so far together, you’ll find that it builds up into
disciplining your actions and your choices.
Without it, you’ll find that life can be a horrible place, filled with unfairness.
Life seems unfair to those who live in the lives others have set for themselves. The moment
you start living your own, everything happens because of you and you realise you’re getting
exactly what you’re asking for.
Competing with yourself is the ultimate positive-sum game!
So do it!
Question:
Hopefully you’ve found plenty of gold nuggets buried in today’s special program which is why
we’re passing the question onto you:
What is the hardest thing to discipline for you in order to build a successful life?
15 “Manly” Stereotypes That Are Actually Hurting You

15 FEBRUARY 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Not Adhering to Traditional Stereotypes Can Make Men Face a Lot of
Backlash. Given Below Are Some of Those Manly Stereotypes.
Lo and behold, the male stereotypes.
Man Up.
Big boys don’t cry.
Boys don’t wear pink.
Be a man. Fight.
What … the… actual… h*ll?
Not only male stereotypes but reading a long boring article can also hurt you, switch over to
the video version of this article:
Let’s move forward to the first stereotype.
1
Men Lose Out on Valuable Friendships
As a society, we expect Men to hang with a certain crowd, whether it’s a sporting crowd,
biking crowd or gyming… whatever it is. Hanging out with the guys is great, but it doesn’t lend
itself to more than a couple slaps on the back, a few cold ones and the odd, “I’ll tap into that,”
vibe.
Each man trying to fit in, trying to be cool, struggling for others to accept and consider them
“one of the boys.” And the truth is, they haven’t been taught how to have real friendships.
We stress Aluxers, this is the stereotype, and many men fall into the stereotypical trap of
believing that is what the world expects of them. People also don’t believe that men can have
genuine, intimate relationships with another male. And if they do… there must be more to the
relationship than just friendship…
2
Men Struggle to Show Emotion
Often relationships can be frustrating for both partners in a heterosexual relationship when
the man is unable to constructively share his feelings, his worries, or anxieties.
He’s been taught to not speak about his problems. He bottles them up and often doesn’t let
his partner in to share or appease the concerns. This can lead to a breakdown of
communication between a couple and can-do long-term damage to a relationship.
There is a scientific term for this phenomenon, “normative male alexithymia.” This describes
the difficulty in translating their emotional experience into words.
As Psychology Today reports, “traditional masculine role socialization is channeling many
men into ways of being such that their masculine identity conflicts with many emotions they
feel and what they feel they have the “permission” to express.”
By understanding this concept, it makes it a different experience when approaching emotional
issues with your male friend or partner.
3
Men Are Expected to Choose a Certain Kind of Career
What this means is that often men find themselves working a job that they don’t have a
passion for. Even in 2021, there are certain jobs that we classify as women jobs and other
jobs that as men jobs. This is one of those male stereotypes that nobody is talking about.
How many male beauty therapists do you come across? Or, if you happen to have a male
hairdresser, he must be gay. Male kindergarten teacher? We’re not even sure families would
feel safe dropping their kids off at that school.
Masculinity dictates what jobs are acceptable for men and which are not. Often, if men
choose a more feminine role, people in society, and especially other men, ridicule or mock
them making it very difficult for men to pursue their passion.
4
Men Must Provide for the Family
And this is two-fold, we understand. Just like we expect women to fulfil the nurturing role for
kids. However, this thinking can cause huge mental and health problems for men. People
around them expect them to be the bigger bread winner, and many men see it as a failure if
they don’t earn as much as their partner.
Many women don’t disclose their full salary in case it causes trouble in their relationship. And
that’s because the society conditions men to believe they must earn more. Why?
According to cnbc.com – men feel stress when their wives earn more then they do. As they
put it, “Traditional social gender norms suggest that men should be the breadwinners in
relationships.
Even though the tides are turning, many Americans adhere to the deep unconscious belief
that men must be able to provide financially to be a “proper” provider for their family.”
Farnoosh Torabi explains this idea, financial expert and author of “When She Makes More.”
You can listen to it on audible.com
5
Sports Is Not Really Your Thing
Oh boy, guys, it’s freaking awkward telling another guy that sports aren’t your thing. People
around men simply expect them to just love the game.
This can exclude and isolate guys.
I mean, which guy doesn’t like sports, right? He must be… gay.
Theeverydayman website has an article about this exact topic, with the title “is it ok for guys
not to like sports?”
And they confirm the sentiment… “Does it make you gay? Of course not. You’re gay if you
like other men. There are plenty of gay men out there who love playing and watching sport,
just as there are lots of straight guys who don’t. Hobbies don’t define your sexuality any more
than they define your gender.”
6
Being the “Nice” Guy Is a Disadvantage
You’ve heard the song by Julia Michaels, “All good boys go to heaven, but bad boys bring
heaven to you.”
Apparently, all girls want the bad boys. But it goes further then that.
Even the workplace wants the “bad” boys.
In the work environment, it’s safe to assume that you’d want to work with calmer, more
unassuming men. Well, assumption is the mother of all f*ck-ups.
A study done by Dr Livingston and two colleagues at the University of Notre Dame and the
University of Western Ontario “Do Nice Guys–and Gals–Really Finish Last” was finding
interesting results as it was interviewing 10,000 people. These result were:
“Researchers were examining “agreeableness” levels in more than 10,000 workers across a
wide range of professions, salaries and ages.
They found that “men measuring below average levels of agreeableness are earning about
18% more, or the equivalent of €6,775 per year, than nicer guys.” This may be the best of all
male stereotypes, because according to the stats, it is at least true when it comes to the
negotiation table.
Being a nice guy is not always a bad move though, check out 15 RULES for being a
GENTLEMAN.
7
Men Are Better Drivers
We’re not saying that you’re not a better driver than say, your girlfriend… what we’re meaning
though is that men grow up truly believing they’re better drivers, without showing any
particular skill / proof that they are.
This leads to many more accidents on the road, as men miscalculate things, unnecessary
chances are taken and there’s a sense of invincibility.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has data that proving that more men than women
were causalities in car accidents. Over the course of 12-months, 71% of casualties were men
compared to 29% of women.
8
Man Must Tough Guy – Ready to Fight
However, if you look at the most incredible male role models, this rhetoric is changing.
Actor, Justin Baldoni, gave the most incredible Ted Talk “Why I’m Done Trying to be Man
Enough.” And we highly recommend watching this, whether you’re male or female.” For
women, it gives beautiful insight to a person that wasn’t or isn’t given the grace to just be
themselves and for men, to know that other men are walking the same path and are also tired
of pretending to be something they’re not.
As he says, “it’s exhausting trying to be man enough for everyone all the time.
Dwayne Johnson is another incredible role model for all genders, and take his inspirational
words to heart, “the single most powerful thing I can be is to be myself.”
9
Lucky Boy if He’s Subject to Unsolicited Sex by an Older Woman
It’s the stuff of every schoolboy fantasy, right? The older teacher coming on to the young
student and having a quickie in the rec room… for some, maybe…but this reaction to what is
blatantly sexual assault is downright horrific. Such male stereotypes are only true when
they’re on the screens, unfortunately they are traumas in real life.
And the fact that people and media downplay it to a point where the child also believes that
he got “lucky” is just as bad as the abuse that took place.
Men also face victimization, but they can’t even speak openly about it.
The National Crime Victimization Survey did a survey asking 40,000 households about rape
and sexual violence. The results were unbelievable. 38% of incidents were against men.
10
Men Must Like Porn
Sure, plenty of men do like porn… but so do plenty of women. Women just don’t admit to it as
readily.
Therecoveryvillage.com says that one-third of all internet porn users are women and that
women who do watch porn have a higher quality sex life. It affects men adversely, with 56%
of divorces resulting due to an “obsessive interest” in porn.
Just because someone is male, doesn’t mean they have an addiction to porn!
11
Pink Is a Girl’s Colour
Pink was a boy’s colour. In a 1918 trade publication, Earnshaw’s Infants’ Department claims
the following, “the general rule is pink for the boys, and blue for the girls.”
Apparently, the colours were chosen to compliment hair and eye colour. Blue was seen as the
daintier colour and the creative people at work were assigning it to girls and pink, the stronger
colour, to boys. But even then, it wasn’t set in stone and both colours were for both sexes. It
was only after the second world war that it became a more acceptable routine, but it wasn’t
until the 80s that it truly stuck.
The stereotype here is that men who wear pink are often perceived as gay, in touch with his
feminine side, or really confident to pull off pink… what thee actual f*ck?
Wear whatever colour suits you, and let’s ditch these ancient stereotypes.
12
You Catch Like a Girl
Don’t scream like a girl.
You run like a girl.
Parents often use these male stereotypes on their sons, and what is it saying to their son?
That girls are inferior to boys. So, boys grow up hearing this, and then go through life truly
believing they’re better than girls.
There was a case study done called # likeAGirl and women were asked to tweet the
incredible things they did, #likeAGirl. A 60-seconds version of the final video aired at the 2015
Super Bowl.
This better than thou stereotype damages men who feel like complete failures when a female
does something better than he does.
13
Men Also Struggle With Body Image
But unlike women who tackle the personal issues that made them put on weight in the first
place … men are told to drink protein drinks, beef up, do 100 sit ups and go climb a mountain.
The mental and health issues are never addressed. So, they keep going and going on this
hamster wheel to lose weight, when the weightier issue is far deeper than just physical
appearance.
14
Men Don’t Do the Dishes
Right, so that’s a basic example. But parents relegate certain chores to certain sexes. Boys
take out the trash, girls do the dishes. Girls do the cooking; boys do the garage work.
Instead of growing up to be able to take care of himself in all spheres; cooking, trash, laundry,
garage work etc, the man needs to rely on his partner for the things he doesn’t know how to
do and believes it’s not his place to, anyway.
The result is that men are considered the “extra child,” because his partner has to take care of
him too.
This stereotype is such a disservice to both sexes, not just men.
15
Men Are Expected to Be the Hero
This is an impossible expectation… and what happens when they can’t achieve such
impossible male stereotypes?
Save.org gives some scary statistics but the prevalent one is, “Suicide among males is 4x’s
higher than among females. Male deaths represent 79% of all US suicides.”
Theguardian.com claims that 70% of suicides are white males, and when they can’t “man up,”
or “act tough,” … what is the alternative?
We’ll share that with you shortly.
Question:
Aluxers, what male stereotypes do you believe negatively affect men? We’d love to hear your
thoughts.
15 Advanced Ways to Remember What You Study

20 JANUARY 2021
BRIONY SPARG
Memory Is a Keystone for a Student’s Success. It Works in Your
Favor if You Know How to Use It Like a Charm.
Aluxers, how to remember things? Have this question ever made you so desperate that
you’ve slept with your textbook under your pillow?
We’ve all been there at least once. Sadly, it doesn’t work – but today we’ve got 15 proven
methods that do.
Aren’t you already reading enough text to memorize? You can forget about this long read and
switch out to the video version of this article:
With that out of the memory, let’s check out the first technique in today’s list.
1
Retrieval Practice
The University of California published a study that said in 1964 – the average student studied
around 24-hours a week, compared to today where students study an average of 14-hours a
week.
Perhaps it’s the study methods that are being used today, such as this one known as the
Retrieval Practice.
Retrieval means recalling. This method relies on the student’s ability to recall the information
when needed. Using the retrieval method, student’s grades increased by a whole grade plus.
Aluxers, if you’re a competitive athlete, you’re not going to prepare for a race by reading
about your chosen sport. You’ll be out on the track several hours a day, practicing, figuring
out where you went wrong, working on how to improve your stride, your jump, your swim…
whatever discipline you’re in.
Same goes for studying. You’re not going to excel by just reading through your notes. You
need to practice remembering information. And there are so many ways to do this, which we’ll
delve further into in this video.
2
Use the Chaining Technique
Another way to describe this method would be linking.
If we were to give you a list of 5 words – let’s say:
Book
Cheese
Friend
Doctor
And Tissue
And within seconds of saying those words, we ask you to repeat them… chances are you will
forget at least one of those words.
But if we link them up like this:
Today I got an incredible book about cheese at the bookstore. It reminded me of my friend,
who’s a doctor, who always had to eat cheese with a tissue handy, because it gave her a
runny nose.
Which of the scenarios are you more likely to remember? We are sure it would be doctor with
the runny nose!
If you can link or chain your information together, your recall will be so much better than just
trying to remember random words.
3
Create Mental Associations
French philosopher, mystic, and political activist Simone Weil once said, “The joy of learning
is as indispensable in study as breathing is in running.”
And Aluxers, when you put these methods into practice, you will find that studying does
become a joy especially when you’re reaping the benefits of great marks.
Mental associations or learning by association is super powerful in the studying process. We
don’t need to go into Pavlov’s ringing of the bell scenario again, because by now you already
know the success he had by just ringing a bell.
But when it comes to you and your studying, you could create a reward for learning a section
of work. A basic example, you award yourself with an Alux video when you’ve completed a
portion of work. Well worth it, isn’t it Aluxers?
4
The Memory Palace
“Education never ends, Watson. It is a series of lessons with the greatest for the last.” If you
love Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series, you’ll no doubt know that Holmes like to use his
“mind palace” to remember pretty much everything.
It’s said to be the most powerful mnemonic device ever created. Mnemonic being a system
made up of associations, letters, or ideas – anything that helps you to remember something.
Roman legend suggests the Memory Palace theory was invented by Simonides of CEOs
roughly 2,500-years ago.
We know places well, like our home. We know the sounds, textures, objects, and smells.
Now, associate your study notes with those places. If you follow the same route through your
house, you’ll easily retain the information you need for your studies.
5
Use the Leitner System
This method involves repetition, but with a twist. It works with a card system whereby you
answer questions about work that you’ve learnt. You have 4 boxes, labelled 1 to 3.
Write down the questions you would need to answer in an exam and place them all into box
1.
Start questioning yourself and when you get the answer correct, you place that card into box
2. If you get it wrong, you study it again and place it at the back of box 1. Do that until all your
cards are done.
Then begin with box 2 and ask yourself the same questions. If you still get them right, you
place them into box 3. Then you start on box 1 and you continue this process until all your
cards are in box 3.
6
Spaced Repetition
Aluxers, let us paint a picture for you. If you have a library in your home and you keep adding
and adding new books, but don’t keep them organized. Eventually your books will collapse
under their weight and your library will be a complete wreck. It’s the same with learning. If we
keep cramming information into our brains, it’s just going to be a huge muddle of facts with no
clear organization or system, making it difficult to retrieve the correct information.
The solution is simple. Space out your studying. Introduce time intervals between your study
sessions, which will help you remember more.
Also known as the spacing effect, this method is said to be excellent for our brains to learn
more effectively.
7
Stick to the Basics
As basic as what this sounds, so many students forget what makes them function at their
optimal best.
– Sleep – and we don’t mean a few minutes here and there. We mean a solid night’s
sleep.
– Exercise
– Eating healthily
– Meditate
Get into a routine of doing these daily so your body isn’t undergoing significant changes just
before exams. You don’t want to shock your body the moment it starts getting a big fat dose
of healthy living!
8
Visualization
Its name says it all, but to explain it briefly… we have much better recollection of things that
we are able to visualise.
This technique is not only great for studying, but it’s also a great way to boost your memory in
your day-to-day life. If you need to remember to stop at the dry cleaners after work, you can
visualise the journey you’re going to take on the way home.
You know that after you reach Waitrose, you need to take a sharp right to pick up your outfit,
and then you’re taking the side streets back to your apartment. You can use this method for
anything you need to remember.
Alternatively, you could use the age-old trusted method of writing on the back of your hand
with a pen… except that will be considered cheating if you’re in an exam situation… best not
to risk it, even if your hand says, milk, eggs and cheese!
9
Apply Repetition to Cumulative Memorization
Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.” A more apt quote would
be hard to find – because this video is here to show you that you can still learn and learn well
regardless of your age.
With this method, you basically learn a line of text parrot fashion. And then you keep adding
lines to the text, ensuring that the information doesn’t just stay in your short-term memory, but
is just waiting to be regurgitated when you write your exam.
The trick is, you can’t add a line until you’ve memorized the first one. If you speak the lines
out, you’re incorporating both visual and auditory learning practices.
10
Expression Mnemonics or Acronyms
Alux – Always loving uplifting xylophones… Ok, perhaps the word Alux doesn’t provide the
best acronyms, but you get the gist.
Music lessons, for example, use EGBDF (the treble clef) by using the acronym, Every Good
Boy Does Fine.” Not the finest English, but it serves a purpose.
Now repurpose this method and use it to remember your work.
Mnemonics takes it further and uses songs, melodies, rhymes or poems – whatever works
best for you! One method of study may serve you well but does nothing for the person sitting
next to you. Try them all on for size and use the one that fits.
11
Forget and Remember With Retrieval
This twist on the retrieval method involves you remembering what you learnt, but not reciting
it parrot fashion. In fact, the method works best if you’ve forgotten something and you take the
time to figure out for yourself, without looking at your book, what it is you forgot.
This method is said to make the retrieval process much easier when you’re physically sitting
down to write your paper.
As we said, you need to find the method that works for you.
12
Switch up Your Environment
Aluxers, this is so important. If you’re staring at the same wall day in and day out while
studying, you are going to literally bore yourself to death and be so uninspired that you just
can’t seem to learn properly.
Switch it up.
Take your study notes to a coffee shop, head out into the garden or just go to a friend’s
house. The change in environment will get your brain into gear again and inspire you to
remain focused on the work in front of you.
Enough about the past! Isn’t that what memory is about? Let’s look into the
future. Check out 15 Necessary Skills for Students in the 21st Century.
13
Flashcards Are Not for Just for Children!
Paper flashcards have been around since the 19th century. They were used in 1834 with
“Reading Disentangled,” and were phonics flashcards created by Favell Lee Mortimer who
was an English teacher.
Here’s why flash cards are an effective and useful addition to your studies.
– They’re a quick way to check whether you got an answer right or wrong.
– They enable active recall.
– They allow you to repeat work until you’ve memorized and understood it.
– You can draw diagrams onto the flash cards to enhance the study experience.
– You can take them with you wherever you go.
So, give them a try as an addition to what you already have, and you could be jumping an
entire grade during your next exam.
14
Cross Lateral Movement
This interesting concept gets both sides of your brain working together. It involves some
simple exercises to do before you start studying.
The simplest way to do this is as following:
Use your right hand to touch your left knee. Repeat on the other side. Do these 15- 20
times before you start studying, and it will help you retain information like a boss!
15
Don’t Subconsciously Sabotage Yourself From Remembering
Aluxers, this is key when you know you must put in the effort to study. Ultimately, you know
you want to do well, and that’s half the battle won. But where you fall short is you tell yourself
things like, “I’m going to fail,” “I’m too stupid to remember all this information,” “I’m such a
failure,” or “I can’t do this.”
By saying these negative things to yourself, you are setting yourself up for failure. See
yourself writing the paper and doing well, put in the effort and we guarantee, the reward will
follow.
Question:
What study method has worked well for you, Aluxers? We value your input in the comments
below.
15 Ways Social Media Is Harming You

12 JANUARY 2021
BRIONY SPARG
You’ve Heard ‘Boomers’ Say It All the Time but How Exactly Is Social
Media Bad for You?
Social media has certainly been the shakeup of this era in human history. It has been the
quintessential definition of modern naval gazing. It allows us to scroll endlessly at people lives
that look just like ours, or those that that we aspire to. The truth is that for all its changes and
wonder, it seems to be doing more damage than good to our psyche’s.
But if you don’t believe me, then here are 15 Ways Social Media Is Harming You.
Welcome to Alux.com – the place where future billionaires come for inspiration. If you’re
After reading this article, you’ll want to cut down your screen time. Why not do so by switching
to the video version of this article:
With that plugged in, let’s begin.
1
It Robs of You of Quality Time With Yourself and Others
Study after study has shown the increased time we are spending scrolling on our phones as
opposed to interaction IRL with friends and family. Not only does it outright keep us from
seeing and interacting with those we love, it also prevents us from forming new and
meaningful relationships.
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships ran a study asking 34 pairs of strangers to have
a conversation. Half in the presence of a phone on the table, half without. There was a huge
difference in the quality of conversation, and also in the group’s positive perception of the
other person based on the phone’s presence.
Obviously those with a phone in eye-shot were not as engaged in the conversation, and less
likely to consider the person for a future friendship among other findings. It makes you think
though, how many opportunities have we missed because we have the safety blanket of our
phones to shut out the world?
2
It Increases Anxiety and Depression
A huge amount of research has been published about the links of anxiety and social media
use. One study published in the journal Computers and Human Behaviour showed that those
using 7 or more social platforms are 3 times more likely to experience anxiety than those
using 2 or less platforms.
The link between depression and social media is a lot more complicated and is often linked to
the quality of interactions. There are many different ways to experience social media. It could
also be a place where people find their tribe and can access support.
Two studies we found of over 700 students found that depressive symptoms were higher
among those who reported more negative interactions. Negative interactions were listed as
bullying, feeling time spent on these platforms was wasted, and being exposed to a distorted
view of other people’s lives.
It’s a bit chicken and egg in some studies though, does social media attract and hook more
anxious people in the first place? Either way, if you’re experiencing anxiety or depression you
should seek professional help and consider your social media usage.
3
Sleep Is Affected Dramatically
It’s a well-known fact that all the artificial light of modern life has disrupted our natural sleep
rhythm and is inhibiting the body’s production of melatonin. But even after the lights are out
we continue to stare into the blue light of our screens well into the night.
This interaction with our phone and laptop is a main contributor of “blue light” emissions in our
daily life. The bright light at bed completely messes with the circadian sleep rhythm as does
the “obsessive checking” twitch we develop as notification icons reel us back in every time,
we’re about to put our phone down. This shot of adrenalin and endorphins gives us mental
stimulation and we’re awake again.
More on these notification hits in a bit.
4
It Makes You Spend Money Unnecessarily
Scrolling through lavish feeds of travel, music events and fine dining images might not just be
driving up your jealousy, but also your credit card debt.
The 2019 Schwab’s 2019 Modern Wealthy survey found that 49 percent of millennials have
been influenced by social media to spend more than they should on experiences. The
Journal of Consumer Research also linked heavy social media use to higher levels of credit
card debt and higher body mass index. So not only is social media harming you by driving
you into debt, it’s making you fat!
Spending money isn’t always a bad thing. Check out 15 Things You Should Spend
Your Money On.
5
It’s Completely Addictive
Social media is built around compulsive behaviours; it literally plays on all the flaws in our
biological make-up that lead to us getting completely hooked without realising it.
As early as 2011, Daria Kuss and Mark Griffiths from Nottingham Trent University in the UK
analysed 43 previous studies about social media addiction and concluded that it is a mental
health problem that “may” require professional treatment. Today we already have many
facilities and treatment programmes available that help people free themselves from this
addiction and it is a classified disorder.
If you want to start to gain independence and recovery from social media begin by disabling
notification bells, buttons and icons that will keep you checking out of curiosity. It will also
mean that your attention isn’t always interrupted with beeps and pings all day long.
Next try to disable or uninstall some apps from your phone so that you don’t have constant
access everywhere you go and you can rather engage with your physical environment and
get real life positive experiences that reinforce you rather than likes and shares.
If your addiction worries you or is affecting your life, then we highly encourage you consult
with a professional.
6
Social Media Interferes With Obligations
While you were scrolling your dog didn’t get walked, your grades dropped and your boss
overlooked you for another promotion. Social media is sapping your time and energy and
distracting you from your real life obligations.
While we love that you’re dedicated to read our Alux articles as they drop we would never
want it to get in the way of you living a life that builds you towards your goals. That’s why we
drop one solid article a day, and let you go on your merry way.
Unfortunately not all social media platforms feel the same. They unashamedly keep you
scrolling for as long as humanly possible and as soon as they feel your attention wane they
drop a notification that strings you back in again.
All that time spent liking, re-tweeting, commenting, and copying TikTok dances isn’t going to
get you to billionaire status, give you a happy marriage or tick off any items on your bucket
list. That’s not truly participating, that’s just being a bystander. So don’t let social media
interfere with your responsibilities anymore, go forth and conquer Aluxers!
7
Envy and Low Self-Esteem and FOMO
No one has ever fallen in love with anyone because they were so awesomely jealous! But one
of the leading emotions that social media leaves us feeling is envy. This unattractive virtue
caused what is known as an “envy spiral” on social media.
When people feel envious about seeing someone else’s travel photos they end up posting
similar images to their profile proliferating the kind of content that made them jealous in the
first place. How sh*t is that?
Not all envy is negative, but we’re not talking about the kind that motivates you to work
harder. Social media often makes us feel hopeless, helpless, and overwhelmed. Which plays
havoc on our self-esteem. This FOMO makes us compare our lives to these social media
representations of other people’s lives and feel dissatisfied with our reality which doesn’t
always lead to action, but rather inaction.
8
You Can’t Figure Out What Is Real
Not only is it hard to know if people really have such huge doe eyes, or if it’s just a filter, but it
is also a struggle to get to the bottom of fact versus fiction. Social media has us believing
some pretty trippy stuff when we go down a rabbit hole of misinformation.
You might have been firm on your opinion that 5G has no link to Covid-19, but after a read of
a high-school classmates re-share of a conspiracy theory and then two suggested videos and
what looks like a legit news article you are signing up to burn down a cell tower in the middle
of the night.
Okay this might seem completely farfetched for a sensible Aluxer, but the truth is, flat
earthers, anti-vaxxers and lizard shape-shifter groups all got their hold on mass followings
using social media.
But here’s the truth: When you start looking into a topic, social media is designed to keep
feeding you the next piece of content on that topic because you have shown an interest and
their only goal is to keep you there for longer.
Just because there are more and more articles justifying the means and a ton of followers
doesn’t make something more credible. Trust scientific fact that is peer reviewed by experts
and you won’t get caught up in the hype, sell all your earthly possessions and move into a
bunker.
9
You Struggle to Connect With People IRL
There was a time in the innocent days of social media when it was still a reflection of the fun
we were having in real life. Ironically, now so much social media interaction is affecting our
ability to really participate IRL. Being able to fire back quick one line responses without seeing
someone’s emotional response on their face is creating emotionally inexperienced people.
Not having to navigate a situation through because you can just block someone if you share
something vulnerable and it isn’t as well received isn’t teaching us resilience or any of the
skills we need to thrive in a social society.
Building relationships and connecting with people is so much more than LOL-ing at a cat
meme, or sharing one riled up opinion about plastic straws. We forget that before we align
with a tribe there are some social nuances in real life that are missed on social media
platforms.
So when we have to engage in a more intersectional way with people, social media hasn’t
equipped us to see people as a mother, woman, professional, neighbour or single, only as
someone with opposite views who should be opposed. When in real life there is far more to
interactions than just having aligning or opposite political views.
10
Online Bullying and Toxic Relationships Are Formed
When birds are kept in captivity, particularly chickens, a natural pecking order will appear.
However, in situations that are high stress or overcrowded or because of boredom a flock
might begin pecking and de-feathering each other. Often, they pick on one chicken and can
seriously hurt each other, it’s pretty savage how they get when they see blood.
Farmers do all kinds of things to stop this, from red lights to red contact lenses so that the
chickens can’t see blood, to putting cloth saddles on hurt chickens to the most heinous
solution; debeaking chickens. It sounds so inhumane.
But it also sounds a lot like Twitter. After a particularly savage attack someone might be
blocked or bullied into silence. Platforms add more hate filters and increase AI sensitivity. But
like the farmers they don’t address the problems of stress or overcrowding, or in this case,
intolerance and perhaps a breakdown of real community.
If you’re acting more like a frenzied chicken in the fray than an evolved human, then perhaps
take a look at your social media habits before you hurt someone or yourself.
If you or someone you know is experiencing online bullying or a toxic relationship we
encourage them to seek professional help to gain independence and healing.
11
It Can Activate Your Reward Centre
We mentioned we would come back to this point. By now most of you would have heard
something like getting a notification on social media is like gambling or a line of cocaine, but
what is really behind these claims?
In the 1930s, psychologist B.F Skinner first described dopamine hits that were linked to food,
exercise, love, sex, gambling, and drugs being stronger when there was a variable reward
schedule. In other words, not being able to predict the positive reward because it is delivered
randomly. Social media has been modelled around this human weakness and scientific
discovery.
Neuroscientists studying brain reactions found that positive notifications such as a like or
share trigger the same chemical reaction as gambling, sex or drugs.
But the real clincher is that social media addiction exploits these broken pathways in our
brains and the brain rewires itself making our need for retweets, likes, and emoji responses
insatiable. To the point that it affects our mood, sense of confidence and self-worth and keeps
us stuck in this spiral of dopamine highs and lows.
12
You Struggle to Think Independently
Like with the chicken explanation, social media is creating a lot of “us and them” polarising.
Instead of being able to assess the facts and draw a considered or nuanced opinion, we are
riled up into passionate campaigning on topics that aren’t as near to us, or even driving real
change.
Herd mentality, was once known as mob mentality and is the kind of witch-hunt nonsense that
historical injustices like the Salem Witch Trials or various genocides should have taught us to
avoid by now.
If you find yourself getting caught up in a moment of keyboard rage or going down a rabbit
hole of information that might be one-sided, take a few steps back and check some opposing
views from trusted sources. Know yourself and your beliefs, and use your intellect.
Check yourself before you wreck yourself…or more importantly your relationships and
reputation.
13
Despite Being Connected It Causes Loneliness
Social media isn’t all the web of connectedness it makes it out to be. Just like having more or
less options in the chocolate aisle doesn’t cure our craving.
Of 7,000 people from 19 to 32 years old surveyed by the American Journal of Preventive
Medicine, those who spent the most time on social media were twice as likely to report
experiencing social isolation. So although essentially being “social” most of the day, they were
not feeling a sense of fulfilling relationships and belonging.
The main reason is that time spent on social media displaces interacting face to face. This
drives up an idealised representation of relationships with others that can’t be matched in real
life. It becomes a vicious cycle of sabotaging real time relationships for glossy fictional
constructed social posts that don’t bring real fulfilment.
If you’re feeling lonely or isolated we encourage you to reach out for some face to face help
by someone you can trust or a professional.
14
We Exercise Less and Become Unhealthier and More Unfit
If given the option of going for a run or staying under the covers with our phones in hand – the
far easier option is number 2.
Imagine if you took all those additional minutes, no hours, you spend on social media every
day and converted them into time spent exercising, how freaking fit and hot you’d look! Your
self-confidence will be over-flowing, you’ll look amazing in whatever you’re wearing, and you’ll
feel fabulous.
Aluxers, ditch the phone. The moment you’re about to scroll, walk up and down your passage
10 times, grab a skipping rope and do 20 jumps… the more you do this, the easier it will
become.
15
Social Media Is Infantilizing the Brain Into the State of Small
Children
What do small children love? Buzzing noises and bright lights. How many times can a child
listen to the same song without getting tired of it? Think about the tantrum’s children have
when their desires are not immediately attended to. Instant gratification is what it’s all about
when we’re small children.
Our brains become like children on social media according to many experts. We have short
attention spans, we cannot empathise with people, we don’t really know who we are, and we
are only drawn to sensationalism.
We label people with Attention Deficit Disorder, or other similar conditions. The only thing is
that we’re not having social interactions and conversations like we used to in the past. We
don’t know how to behave or socially interact with others anymore, and it shows.
If we are truly honest with ourselves, we don’t want to be scrolling all the time. It’s draining,
demotivating and soul-destroying.
Put down the phone, go out and climb a mountain and start creating meaningful relationships
with yourself and others.
Question
Aluxers, what have you done to help curb your desire to continue scrolling? Share your
advice and guidance with us, we’d love to hear from you.
10 Lessons We’ve Learned This Year
25 DECEMBER 2020
ALUX INC
Tough Times Come With Powerful Lessons – Here’s What We Learned in
2020
Welcome back Aluxers. This is the final article we’re publishing this year. Once again, we
asked the Alux Team about some lessons they learned this year, and we compiled them into
this list.
Some of them are valuable, some are lessons we learned by looking at the world around us,
and some are .. well, interesting, as you’ll see later on.
Welcome to Alux.com – the place where future billionaires come for inspiration. If you’re
Lessons are best retained with visuals. You can switch to the video version of this article:
With that said, let’s jump into the lessons this year brought us.
1
An Alarming Number of People Don’t Trust Modern Science
It’s honestly astounding, isn’t it? That in these times, with all the information we have
available, people who failed high-school biology carry themselves like they know better than
world-class epidemiologists.
Pushing the uneducated masses into distrusting science and the media is a brilliant move by
some top level decision-makers, because it’s quite literally one of the earlier steps in
dismantling a democratic society.
It’s frankly very scary to see the state of affairs in the USA, and those same ideologies are
taking hold in Canada as well, moving further away from the fringe and closer to main-stream
month by month. It’s up to anyone with a bit of sense to shut that rhetoric down at every
opportunity we get.
We truly live in the age of disinformation.
2
Your Parents Are Probably More Traumatized Than You Are
In a year where so many things happen, nobody knows what’s coming next and we’re all a
little scared, traumas get triggered in a lot of us, and for those of us who are finally starting to
*see* our parents as people it becomes apparent just how affected they are by their
upbringing & early childhood relationships.
It helps bring a lot of things into perspective, especially if you’re struggling yourself with things
from your own childhood. Love & understanding go hand in hand, or some sappy line like
that.
Our parents did the best they could, just like their parents did their best, too… but our
generation has a wider variety of tools in our kit to do things differently, and future generations
will be better off as a result (the downside is the resistance from older generations not strong
enough to recognize their faults, let alone be willing to understand them and work to better
themselves at this point).
3
How to de-Stress and Disconnect While Working From Home
The Alux team is spread all over the world.
Some of us are digital nomads, some of us work from our own offices, and we’re rarely all in
the same place at once.
And while working from home was always a thing there at Alux, this year it felt different for
sure.
Not being able to travel or even to go out for that matter, forced us to really crack down how
to be efficient and productive at home all the time.
Fortunately, we have a pretty good experience of being disciplined and focused but we
definitely had to take it to the next level, this time around, and the holiday break is more than
welcomed.
4
Bread Is Easier to Make Than You Think & Beer Is Harder to
Make Than You Think
We’re just gonna leave it like that.
Some of us live in countries which imposed strict regulations on alcohol for some reason, so
we tried to make some ourselves. Needles to say, apparently beer is way harder to make
than we originally thought.
5
People Are Resilient
And kids too. Way more than we give them credit for.
All in all it was a hard year, but looking around us, we learned that people can adapt and
survive in a lot of situations.
A good example are the Italians, who took to their balconies and sang together.
And there are a lot of examples from different communities with people coming together to
help each other and lift the spirits.
6
How to Stay Grounded
Reality can be overwhelming so you should take a break now and then.
Keeping yourself grounded is super important.
This year, some of us took our time to find our balance and what keeps our feet on the
ground.
Just like Eckhart Tolle said:
“The world is not here to make you happy- it’s here to make you conscious.”
7
Being in Control Is Powerful
There is this quote from Winston Churchill, we keep throwing around because we love it so
much, and it goes like this:
“If you’re going through hell, keep going”
Aluxers, remember that things don’t happen to you, they just happen.
All you can do is decide how you will react to it, and that’s how you gain control.
Having a solid grip on your life is an empowering feeling and we hope more and more of you
will get to experience this.
In 2021, let’s make the best out of the things within our reach. Here are 15 Things You
Can Control in Life.
8
Work at Your Happiness Early On
Another thing that some of us figured out recently is defining what happiness means for us
and acting on it. We believe that happiness comes when you’re the source of happiness for
the people in your circle.
Once you figure out what’s your definition of happiness and you start acting on it, the sunrises
will look prettier, the food will taste more delicious and you’ll get to enjoy life from a different
perspective.
Give it a try, we promise it will feel amazing.
9
Money Can’t Buy Health
Sure, having access to modern medicine and living in a low polluted area can all be bought,
but actual long lasting health that keeps your body moving and your mind sharp, that’s
something you work for every day.
Don’t take your health for granted Aluxers! Plus, you don’t have to follow the Rock’s routine to
be healthy. Just make sure you get enough sleep, water and good food, and move your ass
daily.
Play the long game on this one!
10
To Keep Going
The last of these lessons is to keep going.
Hopefully you’re all safe and healthy out there, you’re getting to spend quality time with your
friends and family, even if you see them through a webcam.
Get excited for the next year, have a solid plan, get control of your life, and make sure you
keep pushing.
We have an amazing 2021 planned for you, starting super strong with our Goal
Mastery course, since you keep asking for it. But more on that next year.
We hope all of you are on your journey to be healthy, happy and rich!
Happy holidays, Aluxers!
15 Biggest Time Wasters in Life

11 DECEMBER 2020
BRIONY SPARG
Life’s Become Fast. With Today’s Clocks Ticking Faster Than Ever
Make Sure You’re Dodging These Big Time Wasters.
Days, weeks and months just fly by, and although 2020 has been just about the longest year
in living memory, it has still gone by in a flash. Time is so finite to us as individuals, even
though we treat it like we have all the time in the world, so what do you spend your time on?
Can you even make a list of what you got done today? If you’re finding that you’re so busy but
nothing seems to get done, then this is the video for you. We’re going to point out ways you’re
probably losing valuable time and gaining very little with these 15Biggest Time Wasters in
Life.
Without wasting any more time, let’s dive in.
Why waste time scrolling through a long read, when you can have it all quicker and through a
more entertaining medium? Switch to the video version of this article:
With some time saved, let’s tick towards the 1st number in today’s list.
1
Checking Emails Like a Twitch
200 billion emails are sent a day, but not all emails are equal and require our immediate
attention. In fact most could do without ever being opened and we would still be fine. One of
the most distracting and concentration destructive sounds in adult life has got to be the
notification sound or symbol you get when an email lands in your inbox.
What is most astounding is that despite the security that every waking email will arrive with a
Ding we still habitually check our email on average 36 times an hour. That’s more than once
every 2 minutes. It’s a wonder anyone gets anything…………sorry I was just checking my
emails quick, I thought I heard a ding.
Anyway, you get the point. Answering emails immediately isn’t so urgent that you have to be
checking them like a nervous twitch. Turn off the notifications, do your work and reply in a
reasonable time frame.
2
Manually Updating Social Media
Most working adults spend on average 2hours on social media a day. That includes keeping
up with Carey from High Schools kid’s school’s concert and seeing what your second cousin
had for lunch.
If you want to still have a presence on Social media and limit your scroll time, then it’s time to
use some new tools. Find a social media management tool that works for you. One of the
most popular is Hootsuite. This allows you to load up and schedule all your various profiles
and accounts across all social media platforms. You can get all your notifications in one place
too.
It makes your time spent posting and keeping your online presence more focussed. Then
when you do have time to spare you can scroll and enjoy it, rather than feeling the guilt of
whiling away endless hours looking at nothing of any importance.
3
Not Delegating
Aren’t you proud of yourself that you went to college, pushed yourself for extra marks and did
all that work experience just so that you can spend your valuable professional career
comparing printers? Well if this is you then you are wasting your life and skills because you
have failed at the biggest test of success: delegating.
You can’t expect your earnings to be in the millions if you’re doing the menial work that you
can outsource to a remote PA for $5. It’s time to outsource so that you can spend your time
doing tasks that matter. Failing to delegate disempowers and frustrates lower level team
members who feel like you don’t value their skill. Plus it’s robbing you and the company of
billing for your professional skills.
It’s time you write a To Do list and are honest about what you really need to supervise and
what could be delegated. Anything that doesn’t cost more per hour to outsource as how much
you bill for your time should be delegated to someone earning a lot less.
But let’s go back to those To Do lists, we’re not done there.
4
Unmanaged to Do Lists
We at Alux love getting To do lists done. But writing up a To do list doesn’t guarantee
success. It’s what comes next that sets the successful apart.
If you want to be effective you need to make your daily To Do list short. It’s no problem if you
need to word vomit absolutely everything you need to do onto a page first. In fact it’s a good
idea so that you don’t sit thinking that you need to remember something. That’s also a waste
of time. But from that list you need to create some order. Add some timelines and create an
order of action. Each day tackle a few items. There is no point in tackling all of them at once
or you’ll waste time, more on multitasking later.
It takes a strong concentration to complete a to do list with discipline. Here are 15
Ways To Build FOCUS.
5
Searching for Your Keys
Life’s too short to spend it looking for keys, and then shoes, and then your wallet, and now
your gym access card, and now your keys again. The average American spends a year of
their life looking for sh*t. Imagine if someone gave you an entire year free, what you would do
with it? Well, if you just stop losing things, you will have that year.
Keeping track of things is actually really simple. It just starts with giving things a place. A hook
for keys, a drawer for wallets, a place for your watch, your hairbrush, your shoes. Whatever it
is that you lose frequently start with today. Then slowly in time give everything else a place in
your home and office.
6
Multitasking
According to Guy Winch, a PhD and author, “when it comes to attention and productivity, our
brains have a finite amount,” In short, multi-tasking is a crock!
Multitasking makes everything take a lot longer, and it doesn’t guarantee the same quality as
when our attention is focussed. Each time you switch gears between tasks you lose time and
concentration changing from one to the next.
Don’t waste your own time, do one thing at a time, wrap it up and move onto the next thing.
You’ll save a lot of time.
7
Being a Procrastinating Perfectionist
Failing to make a move because we don’t want to make a mistake or want it to turn out
perfect isn’t just a result of common procrastination, it can be perfectionism in disguise.
If you struggle to stop researching and start something, or keep rehashing strategies to the
point that nothing gets done, then you might be a professional procrastinating perfectionist.
The truth is that either way, in procrastinating for too long we lose control. Either the
marketplace conditions will shift and decide for us, or we miss the opportunity. When we act
we remain in control. Sometimes you will see that it didn’t have to be as perfect to achieve the
same results, other times you will have time to perfect the details later. Either way,
procrastination is a waste of time.
Find more on how to stop procrastinating in our video on the topic: 10 Ways to STOP
Procrastinating
8
Meetings
Meetings are a snooze fest. BC aka Before-Covid, in the US, 25 million meetings were held
daily. But studies indicated that most executive’s thought these meetings were unnecessary
and a waste of money.
Productive meetings don’t need to stretch for more than 30minutes. Before the meeting, send
out background documents so that everyone can contribute meaningfully. Outline the
discussion points and then stay focussed. Where you don’t feel a meeting is necessary opt for
an email or a call.
9
Not Saying No
Something so many of us forget is that we have the ability and freedom to say No. As grown
ass adults we aren’t obliged to anyone to do anything we don’t want to. We’re not suggesting
you become all about yourself all the time, we’re a caring community of Aluxers. But we draw
a line when you end up saying yes to everything and have no time or energy to do the
important things you need to do.
When someone asks you to guest host a podcast, or join a community forum or come to a
fundraiser that you aren’t interested or equipped for, you should be able to say No thank you
without any guilt. Not only are you ensuring you protect your own wellbeing, you also are
looking after their interests by not taking on something you aren’t willing or able to do.
10
Avoidance Kills Time
Avoidance is part of human nature, we don’t like to face the inevitable, we don’t like to
struggle, and we don’t like to graft. But when we do, we love the sweet sweet rewards. So
why do we postpone that moment just for a bit of hard work, when it usually ends up not being
as bad as we thought? Postponing it means that it might become harder, and you’ll find a
million not important things to fill your time instead of doing the one thing you need to.
Most motivation coaches encourage their followers to always tackle the tough stuff first. And it
makes sense. Start on it first when you’re more powered up. Finishing the task gives you a
boost of confidence. And you don’t need to worry about it while you get going on the easy
things.
11
Comparing Yourself to Others
Comparing yourself is the biggest waste of time. Not only is it impossible for any one person
to be comparable to another because no single person has had the same lived experience as
another, it also doesn’t get us anywhere.
When you are focussing on comparisons, you’re taking the focus off your own goal and
mission in life. It doesn’t matter where someone else is in their career, they could be different
to where you are in your family, or your relationships or your confidence. There are too many
aspects that make up a person for it to be worth comparing yourself to the parts you know
about them. Each of us has our own struggles, as well as things that come naturally and easy
to us. Stick in your own lane and move yourself ahead.
Keep reading because we’ll give you one habit to stop today and save yourself from total time
assassination.
12
Waiting
Spending your valuable time in a queue or stuck in traffic is totally counterproductive. Often
with a proper stock take of your time and a little planning you can reduce or eliminate the time
you spend waiting. Now that many of us have spent a substantial amount of time working
from home and shopping online this year, it has become even more evident how much time
was wasted in traffic and doing errands that can now be done online.
Asking your boss for a flexible start and end time will also allow you to commute to work in the
off-peak times so that you spend less time in traffic and more time doing what you enjoy.
13
Going Into Shops
Covid lockdown has forced the last remaining in-person shopper to migrate online out of
necessity. For most of us, it’s a no-brainer that going to a shop in person is a total waste of
time. Driving, parking, browsing, queuing all drive up the time it takes to just “pop in” and get
something quickly.
Having grocery stores on every corner means we don’t plan, and we just stop in for a few
items every day after work. But when you look at how much time…and snacks… that adds to
your schedule and bills, it’s scary. It’s better to plan your shop, order online and make-do with
what you’ve got. You will save money, time and snack less.
14
Binge Watching
Nothing beats a binge fest when you need a weekend on the couch. But Binge watching is a
total time waster if you habitually binge any new series you get into. We live in a generation
that never has time or money to take a holiday or visit their friends but always is up to speed
with the latest streaming release and knows all the best places on Uber Eats.
Take a realistic look at how much time you spend clicking Next Episode every night instead of
getting up and doing something more worthwhile. Perhaps you will realise you actually DO
have time for the things you say you don’t.
15
Be Proactive Not Reactive in Doing Errands
Errands take a massive chunk of change from adult life. But that doesn’t have to be the case.
When you leave your errands to the last minute they take up a ton more time than they have
to. If you leave filing your taxes so late that you literally have to take a day off work to stand in
a queue and file them manually, then you f*cked up. Or if you waited too long to renew your
driver’s licence that you have to go in and retake the whole test, then you’re doing it wrong.
Instead of reacting to late letters and summons because you keep putting off your errands
start being proactive about them.
Have your bills ready to pay or a licence to renew in your bag. Then when you are headed in
that direction you can do it, instead of turning it into a whole trip just for that. When you finish
something in your kitchen add it to your shopping list. Having to run out for one ingredient is a
total waste of time. And ain’t nobody got time for that.
Question
What is the biggest time waster in your life?
15 Reasons Why Nothing Gets Done in Your Country

28 NOVEMBER 2020
BRIONY SPARG
There Are a Lot of Factors That Are in Play Behind a Country That
Becomes Stagnant. Find Out 20 Such Factors in This Article.
Each country is different and no matter where you live, there are pros and cons. In each of
our individual countries, there are issues that never get solved, have no foreseeable outcome
or leaders just don’t have the resources or drive to attend to a specific problem.
David Cameron, the former Prime Minister of the UK once said, “Countries are different. They
make different choices. We cannot harmonise everything.”
Let’s see if countries are really all that different.
If you have a lot on your lost to get done today, you can save time by switching to the video
with that out of the way, let’s dive straight into the article.
1
Countries Are Old, Infrastructure Can’t Keep up With the
Demands of Its Population
Aluxers, we get it. Nobody can choose the age of the country they’re born in – but the
exponential growth of the population puts a huge strain on existing infrastructure.
It’s predicted by 2050, 70% of the population will live in cities, which is a frightening projection
because already cities are bursting at the seams.
In this scenario, world leaders are unable to keep up with the rapid urbanization and despite
their best intentions, nothing gets done to alleviate the problem. The root cause of this is lack
of funding, because to adapt old infrastructure; transport, power, water and
telecommunication networks all need to be upgraded, maintained or built from scratch.
Putin also brought this into focus when he said that most US presidents have good intentions,
but with Obama for example, he couldn’t always fix problems because the bureaucracy was
just so damn complicated.
2
A Weak Central Government
In his paper, Pathways to State Failure, J. Goldstone defined a failed state as one that has
“lost both its effectiveness and legitimacy.” He brought forward several examples:
 Escalation of communal group conflict – examples included Syria, Somalia, Myanmar, and
Chad amongst many.
 State predation – which we’ll touch on later. He included Venezuela, Brazil, Philippines, and
Croatia, to highlight a few.
 Democratic collapse
 Reform crisis like Iran under the Shah
 Regional or guerrilla rebellion – which we focus on now.
Take Columbia as an example. Their central government exerts zero control over half the
country, currently dominated by left-wing guerrillas and right-wing paramilitaries.
The states glaring absence means basic public services are missing. Roads and healthcare
are severely lacking, and there are no well thought out property rights available to their
citizens. At one point, roughly 5 million hectares of land were expropriated in Colombia,
usually by force.
Many parts of Columbia are poverty stricken, at the mercy of armed insurgents and
paramilitary forces.
However, where Columbia has done good is their National Police have worked hard at
capturing drug lords. Over the past decade they’ve extradited roughly 100 a year, and offer
advise to other Latin America and African countries.
3
Lack of Property Rights
Aluxers, we just mentioned how Columbia don’t have their property rights quite figured out, to
put it mildly.
In countries where there are insecure property rights, economic development is often
hindered and there are limited economic opportunities for poor people.
Gerald P. O’Driscoll Jr. – senior fellow at the Cato Institute and Lee Hoskins – senior fellow at
the Pacific Research Institute explored the role of property rights in economic development
and suggested that “Prosperity and property rights are inextricably linked.”
The lack of property rights can lead to many problems, including opportunism, exploitation of
property, and no desire to maintain or upkeep current living quarters.
4
Too Many Middlemen and Leaders Are Greedy
Albert Einstein once said, “Three great forces rule the world: stupidity, fear and greed.”
If we had to list every greedy country, we’d be with you all day. In our video, 15 Reasons Why
Money Doesn’t Solve Homelessness, we mentioned Jacob Zuma – the former President of
South Africa. A great portion of the population in South Africa live in squatter camps and
informal settlements, yet the former president used $28 million to upgrade his home! Money
that belonged to the taxpayer, that should have been used to fix roads, provide education and
make the country better.
Egypt is another example. Under Hosni Mubarak – the late former President of Egypt – the
elite used their powers to create monopolies. Government and military owned great portions
of the economy and even when they did “liberalize” large parts of the economy were
privatized and given to friends and family of the late Mubarak.
This move netted the Mubarak family close to $70 billion while most Egyptians were unable to
claw their way out of poverty.
5
Natural Resources Are Abused and Not Looked After
The abuse of natural resources goes together with greed. Stewart M. Patrick, a senior at the
Council on Foreign Relations, writes, “Perversely, the worst development outcomes–
measured in poverty, inequality, and deprivation–are often found in those countries with the
greatest natural resource endowments.”
Larry Diamond of Stanford University further adds, “There are twenty-three countries in the
world that derive at least 60 percent of their exports from oil and gas and not a single one is a
real democracy.”
The mismanagement of natural resources is a huge challenge facing many countries. The
exploitation of non-renewable resources triggers conflict around the globe. Even renewable
resources like water, are being abused in drought-stricken countries.
The consequences of over-exploitation are huge and include deforestation, forced migration,
species going extinct, soil erosion, increase of greenhouse gases… and all of these
contribute to a country not using their time, energy and finances on bettering the life of its
people.
6
Projects Are Only Pushed Before Elections
It should be a case of “too little too late” but that isn’t how it goes. Many leaders make grand
promises leading up to elections, and just don’t follow through.
Take Silvio Berlusconi as an example. The former Prime Minister of Italy made many
promises which he didn’t keep.
He promised to transform and unify the Italian right, which didn’t transpire, despite his best
intentions.
He promised to make his comrades rich, and that didn’t happen.
He promised to reform his country’s system of justice, which when he did try – seemed like he
did it for personal gain and not for the benefit of his people.
Much the same in South Africa… just before elections, political parties like to hand out food
parcels, free tee shirts, fix RDP housing and basically do the things they should have been
doing from the start.
Joe Biden has come under fire just this week for originally promising to eradicate $50,000 of
student loans for individual students, which he’s now changed to $10,000 and it would take
jumping over hoops to be awarded that relief.
7
Natural Disasters Make It Impossible to Move Forward
Aluxers, every year natural disaster occurs. Earthquakes, hurricanes, floods – you name it.
They are tragic events where lives are lost, peoples normal is no longer and billions of dollars
in losses are gone.
Areas hit by the largest natural disasters see a mass exodus of the wealthy, while the poor
have no choice but to remain behind. This situation causes great inequality, poverty rates
increase in those that remain and it’s near impossible to fix what remains.
Let’s head to California for our next example. While the Woolsey fire had burnt 100,000 acres
of land in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and firefighters and civilians were out battling
the blaze, the elite were hiring their own firefighters to protect their homes.
According to the New York Post, private firefighters can be hired for $3,000 a day and many
insurance companies are offering the service, which naturally comes with exorbitant monthly
premiums.
8
New Technologies Are Blocked, Banned or Not up to Scratch
It’s history’s job to teach us what not to do in the future. Now, there’s no denying that
technology can disrupt the normal. It’s hard to always keep up, and it can be scary. New
technology means getting rid of the known for the unknown and many countries are too afraid
to do that.
Let’s go back the 19th century. Railways are the next big thing, and the UK and US are
embracing this new technology. But when Francis I was approached to consider a railway in
Austria, he was afraid to go for it with the French Revolution fresh in his mind thinking it would
cause huge problems for Austria.
Same for Russia who blocked new technologies to keep the tsarist regime safe. So, while
teeny Britain was getting thousands of miles of track, Russia had one small piece leading to
the palace – benefitting nobody but the tsar.
With Covid, the digital divide is clearer than ever. While some countries are coping easily with
countless Zoom meetings, online tutoring and anything internet related, others are freezing
every minute, lagging and just not able to keep up.
9
Those in Power Hire Their Cronies to Do the Work
It’s all good and well to hire your besties or those that give you a little something something
under the table… but they are the ones that are not qualified to do the job and do more harm
than good.
Prime example is former South African President, Jacob Zuma, accused of nepotism when he
gave a ministerial position to his daughter.
Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera has also recently come under fire for announcing his
new cabinet that had several family members included. Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya
Rajapaksa, has appointed one brother as the prime minister and finance minister and another
brother as the minster of agriculture.
Keeping it in the family takes on a whole new meaning in some countries.
10
Countries Are Reluctant to Embrace Blockchain to Fix Problems
Blockchain technology can be used effectively in many spheres, yet so many countries are
afraid to embrace it.
For starters, it can be used for voting – which would have resulted in none of the tension that
is underway in the USA at the moment. The results would have been authentic and legit,
because all entries in a decentralized ledger, are “immutable and irreversible,” according to
misdev.com.
It would benefit areas like copyright laws, charity, crowdfunding, real-estate, cloud storage,
and government operations.
11
No Law and Order
One of the things that need to be working well is a state that does the following:
Provides a bit of order. Provides laws that make life easier and better for all, have a good
method to solve disputes and access to basic public goods.
Doesn’t seem too difficult, yet many countries cannot make this happen. And when these
basics don’t happen, nothing happens.
It’s tragic in that many countries are struggling to deal with civil unrest and conflict. Take
Somalia for example. For roughly 3 decades, there has been armed conflict in Somalia.
Bombings, suicide attacks, kidnappings, and armed assaults. Civilians are displaced, killed,
and injured and there is no way out for the victims.
Since 1960, when they gained independence, several attempts have been made to create an
effective central state, but having just highlighted the situation in Somalia, it’s fair to say that
all attempts have failed.
If you thought your company is the only one with a lack of law and order, here’s a list
of 20 Most Corrupt Countries in the World.
12
Leaders Don’t Have a Shared Vision
When this is the case, it’s very difficult to get things done. When you have a shared vision, it’s
far easier to get moving on projects, get things signed off and see change.
When vision is not shared, it takes far longer to get decisions made, to get the go-ahead and
to implement the change.
In some countries, rulers have point blank not listened to their cabinet or overruled them, like
in the case of the late Robert Mugabe, former dictator and president of Zimbabwe. He ruled
Zim for 37-years, and in that time brought the country to its knees despite warnings, advice,
and guidance.
Aluxers, we encourage you to listen to Why Nations Fail – The Origins of Power, Prosperity,
and Poverty by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson. We have a great partnership with
Audible, so if this is your first time – use this code: alux.com/freebook
13
Citizens Keep Speaking About the “Good Old Days”
Aluxers, change is a part of life. And if we don’t embrace it, we fall behind, despite a country’s
best efforts to move forward, if it’s citizens keep pining for the “good old days,” there will be
little movement in the right direction.
Many of these “better days” or “good old days” were times when there was no equality.
Where people, despite being aware of racial bias or discriminatory behaviour, continued living
their perfect life, in their lovely home with their gardener, a nanny and access to every
healthcare facility available to them.
Which leads us to our next point.
14
Your Country Has Not Embraced Diversity
In countries that have a me vs they attitude; friction, unhappiness and instability follow suit.
Insider Monkey took two big surveys regarding race and combined them to reveal the
following results. Of 83,000 people questioned in 61 countries, the most racist countries were
deemed to be:
10 – South Korea
9 – South Africa
8 – Palestine
7 – Kuwait
6 – Philippines
5 – Egypt
4 – Libya
3 – Bahrain
2 – Lebanon
1 – India
Of course, these results could differ dramatically if every country had been included, but it’s
clear to see that not one of the countries listed are first world countries.
15
Gender Inequality Hinders Development
Several studies prove that gender inequality leads to compromised economic performance.
One study by Stephan Klasen affirmed that despite progress, gender gaps persist in many
developing countries. These gaps he said reduced economic performance in a country. The
study further affirmed that if the gaps were non-existent, GDP would be much larger.
Gender inequality means that so much human potential is being lost and not utilized
constructively, which can limit a countries growth exponentially.
Like the late and great Nelson Mandela once said, “Freedom cannot be achieved unless the
women have been emancipated from all forms of oppression.”
Question:
Aluxers, why do you feel that nothing gets done in your country? We’d love to hear from you!
15 Things You Can Learn from Luxury Brands

24 NOVEMBER 2020
BRIONY SPARG
If Someone’s Selling Ice to Eskimos, It’s the Luxury Brands. Here Are 15
Great Lessons in Marketing to Learn From Them.
We all have our favorite luxury brands and we’re going to learn a few things form them today.
Brands that tug at our heart strings when we see them in store windows, as we slow our pace
down to absorb the beauty of the products on display.
But it’s more than just the beautiful display, isn’t it? Everything about that luxury brand oozes
opulence, wealth, knowledge, and power. A sense of superiority and quality that you just can’t
get from your ordinary day-to-day brands.
Today we’ll find out what it is about luxury brands that we can learn from.
If you retain more information through a visual session, here’s a video version of this article:
With that out of the way, let’s dive straight into the first item on today’s list.
1
Luxury Brands Command a Premier Price
It’s no secret that luxury brands are very expensive but it doesn’t mean that a luxury brand
can just slap on an exorbitant price tag and expect people to buy it just because it’s Louis
Vuitton or Vacheron Constantin. It runs far deeper than that.
The pricing of luxury items is supported by several key elements. Brand positioning is of
utmost importance, and that means a flawless brand strategy is put in place. Luxury brands
spare no expense in this department. They come up with a strategy that sets them apart from
their competitors.
If a luxury brand is similar to a non-luxury brand, then the consumer will pick price over name.
Let’s use the Hermès Birkin bag as an example. What makes this bag the most expensive
and coveted in the world? What sets it apart? Every single bag is handmade by an artisan.
Every bag is unique, not even the stitches are the same. You’re walking around with a piece
of artwork on your arm. The most expensive bag ever sold cost the purchaser $500,000!
2
Scarcity Drives Demand
Luxury brands have often come under fire for the mass burning of their excess clothing.
Burberry made headlines for burning up to $40 million worth of clothing to protect the luxury
brand of the items.
Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Cartier and Montblanc even Nike and H&M – have all burnt surplus
stock.
Luxury brands do this to protect their intellectual property and to ensure no illegal
counterfeiting takes place. Plus, there would not be such a strong desire to purchase the
luxury brands if anyone and everyone could afford it – it wouldn’t be a luxury brand anymore,
would it?
Another reason why it’s not a good idea to discount luxury products, is that people will doubt
the high mark-up on the products and question whether they were being taken for a ride. It
also makes the consumer believe the luxury brand doesn’t believe in their product.
What they will often do to move stock is to add more value to the purchase. So, if you
purchase a Louis Vuitton suit, you’ll receive a little something extra.
3
The Brand Has a History That Clients and Staff Are Passionate
About
We all love a good story, and luxury brands know how to tell theirs. Historians have learned
and suggested that branding was around during the Roman times but owning luxury items
was frowned upon. Same for the Greeks and even during the Middle Ages, it was considered
“bad form.”
You could go back further in time to when prehistoric cattle rearers would brand their cattle…
but that’s a story for another day.
Each luxury brand tells a story. Giorgio Armani started off as a window dresser, it was a
dream of Rolex founder, Hans Wilsdorf, to have people wear a watch around their wrist, and
Mario Prada and his brother began by selling animal goods in a leather shop.
Clients and staff are passionate about their favourite brands story. It’s inspiring, motivational
and an important part of history.
4
Customer Service Is Key
Consumer expectations are on the rise daily, and what sets a luxury brand apart is their detail
to customer service. It’s not just a quick in and out for the consumer, but an entire experience.
Luxury brands have stores that draw you in. The way the clothing is displayed appeals to the
discerning buyer. There is a focus on pre-purchase encounters, creating a desire before the
decision to purchase has been made.
Once inside, personal service is at its best. Lasting impressions are made, and brand loyalty
is strengthened. Yet, the experience doesn’t end there. They extend their services to include
after-sales, which once again reinforces their commitment to their customer.
Like Hubert de Givenchy once said, “Luxury is in each detail.”
5
Luxury Brands Practice Experiential Retailing
There is a major shift in how brands are marketing their products. Instead of purchasing to
prove, “what I have,” people are buying to show, “Who I am.”
So when consumers are purchasing, it’s not just about the item they’re buying, it’s about the
whole experience.
What music is being played?
What lighting is being used?
How does the place smell?
All of these play a huge role in the experiential experience the consumer has inside a luxury
brand store.
These experiences are only accessible to the rich. Here are the
6
A Luxury Brand Has Total Confidence in Their Product
If you take a walk-through Madison Avenue in New York City and you soak in all the stunning
window displays, you will notice that the luxury brands set themselves apart from each other –
there’s something to learn here.
While it’s good to know what the competitor is up to, it’s certainly not good to copy them!
Luxury brands have a base, signature look or style, which is the benchmark for every creation
going forward.
It’s how we recognize when someone is wearing Burberry or Fendi or carrying a Coach or
Prada handbag.
Luxury brands have the confidence to remain the same yet change. One of the ways they do
this, is through technology which we’ll delve into next.
7
Luxury Brands Embrace Technology
One of the ways that luxury brands stay on point is they embrace technology. They’re using it
to their advantage by driving sales online, increasing traffic and maintaining customer loyalty.
And the online experience is a close second to the in-store experience, where your browsing
needs are met with class, style and confidence especially since the onset of the pandemic.
Other ways in which luxury brands are welcoming technology into their retail space, is in-store
WiFi. Take the Prada Group for example. They put WiFi into more than 500 stores world-wide
and used it to enhance their consumers in-store experience.
The network was able to identify repeat clients, and notify the store staff thereof, so they
could make that client feel extra-special. The data they collected also helped them identify
how long each customer stayed in the store, how many customers they had each day, what
their peak times were and what drew the customers attention first.
This kind of data helped boost sales, staff could make better informed decisions and each
customer’s experience could be tailor-made to suit them.
8
Social Media Accounts Are Kept up to Date
Aluxers, there’s nothing more frustrating then heading onto a business social media account
and the last time it was updated was mid-2015 with some sh*tty meme saying, “Hello from the
other side, you’re going to hear my song a thousand times.”
Compare that to Louis Vuitton who post every day, Prada – 3 times a day and Cartier every
day.
By staying on top of their social media presence, there is a constant reminder that they’re
there, they’re reliable, they won’t let you down… just like their superior quality products won’t
let you down.
9
Luxury Brands Manage to Strike a Balance Between Classic and
Trending
Karl Lagerfeld once said, “Trendy is the last stage before tacky.” Luxury brands manage to
strike the perfect balance between what’s trending yet still keep things classic.
And it’s impressive how luxury brands continue to learn exponentially, yet their products still
remain exclusive, rare and often unobtainable.
We mentioned earlier that instead of purchasing to prove, “what I have,” people are buying to
show, “Who I am.” So, many luxury brands are shifting their focus to make more sustainable
choices in fashion. A trend we hope will continue and grow is the use of more eco-conscious
materials, like organic cottons, vegan leather, hemp, and bamboo fibres.
Affluent customers want to make responsible choices when it comes to the consumption of
luxury products, and luxury brands are delivering.
Speaking of ecology, here’s an intriguing list of 10 Eco-Friendly Luxury Fashion
Brands from our old archives.
10
There Are Subtle Differences in Their Narrative
When it comes to luxury brands, they know what language to use to get the right clientele
purchasing their goods.
Words like “timeless,” “luxury”, “powerful,” “discerning,” and “prestige” are used to lure the
customer in. And speaking of customers, luxury brands don’t have customers – they have
clients. They don’t have salespeople, they have “lifestyle managers.” These lifestyle
managers don’t just try and make a sale, their job is so much more than that. They’re there to
curate a tailormade experience for their clients.
Luxury brands don’t try and bombard you with dozens of items they want you to buy, they
focus on one thing at a time and really convince you that it’s the item you desire and need.
Which brings us to our next point.
11
Less Is More
This is true for every part of a luxury brand. When we compare the advertising of a luxury
brand product to that of a non-luxury item, you’ll notice the ad campaign for the luxury product
is clean, simple, and draws attention to the beauty of that one product.
Compare that to a non-luxury brand that will often have a busy advert, giving too much
information and its sensory overload for the customer.
Same applies for their stores. Luxury brands opt for simplicity. You won’t find hordes of coat
hangers crammed with clothing, overflowing bins of buy 2 get 1 free, discarded shopping
carts, incorrect shoe sizes in the shoe boxes, or have someone bumping you every time you
turn a corner.
12
The Packaging Is Just as Beautiful as the Product
Steve Jobs once said, “Packaging can be theatre, it can create a story.” There’s something to
learn from this as all luxury brands are in sync with this advice.
And when it comes to packaging, luxury brands are on top of their game. The thrill of
watching the sales advisor lovingly place your purchased item into the packaging, and
walking proudly away with it is a surreal feeling.
The texture, smell, and look are a promise of great things to come. And when you’re home
and you’re opening it up, you’re careful not to tear anything and you keep that packaging for
as long as you keep your luxury product. The product and packaging go hand in hand.
13
Luxury Products Give Clients a Purpose
A lot of research has gone into sussing out the client of luxurious goods, and the consensus is
much the same… purchasing luxury goods is an emotional decision. Clients feel like they’re
part of something more when they buy a luxury product.
The purchase of a luxury item boosts a client’s self-esteem, gives them a sense of belonging,
a sense of accomplishment to afford something that most people are unable to. Clients want
authenticity, which is why they’d rather skimp in other areas of their life and buy an original
Rolex – despite knockoffs looking exactly the same.
For an in depth look at why buying fake is not a great idea, be sure to watch our video, “15
reasons to never buy a counterfeit and fake product.”
14
Buying a Luxury Brand Is an Investment
In 2016, reports suggested that investing in a luxury handbag was a better investment than
gold. But like any investments, there are always risks involved.
Aluxers, if you’re keen to purchase a luxury product as an investment – do thorough research
on the product first. Make sure it aligns with your values and that you know exactly how it
was made and where the materials are sourced from.
Make sure you’re buying it from a reputable source or straight from the store. Check the
paperwork is legit and up to date.
If you do all the above, you will have a solid little investment on your hands.
15
Reasons Why High-End Clients Buy Luxury Products
The 2017 Deloitte survey for global powers of luxury goods asked over 1,000 high-end
consumers their exact reasons for purchasing luxury goods, and the results were as follows:
 88% bought luxury products because they were premium quality
 82% said it made them feel happy and confident
 75% said they only bought hand-made luxury products
 68% wanted to buy the latest trends
 63% bought luxury products to own unique items that others didn’t know about
 60% said they bought luxury items impulsively
 57% confirmed they only wear luxury items
 56% bought luxury items to show off
Armed with that information, regular retailers can easily learn a thing or two from luxury
brands.
Like we quoted from Carolina Herrera, on our website, alux.com – in the article, “10 Luxury
Quotes For Ultimate Happiness In Life” Luxury will always be around, no matter what
happens in the world.”
Question:
Aluxers, what is one luxury item that you’ve always wanted to purchase? Share your thoughts
with us in the comments.
15 Rules of Negotiation (Skills & Tactics)

22 NOVEMBER 2020
EMIL ANTON
Hello Aluxers and welcome back to a special Sunday motivational article which you’re gonna
love, because you’ll get to test-run the information immediately in both your personal and
professional life as we’re taking a look at rules of negotiation.
Every interaction you have is more or less a negotiation for a desired outcome. From asking
your crush out on a date, to signing a multi-million dollar client, it all boils down to your skill
set.
Fundamentally, you can negotiate anything if you know the following 3 things:
1. exactly what you want,
2. how little you’re willing to accept, and
3. what you’ll do if the deal doesn’t work out.
Everything else we will be discussing is just here to support these 3 things and give you the
biggest edge you can get.
If you prefer visual content over text, here’s the video version of this article:
With that said, here are the 15 most valuable negotiation skills and tactics!
1
Figure Out What You Really Want or You’re Gonna Lose
You would not believe just how many people get into negotiable situations without having a
clear understanding of what they REALLY want and having a way to clearly put it clearly into
words.
Here’s a very common situation:
“Ohh you want to earn more per month?”
“sure.. Here’s 20% more work for you to do and we’ll increase your pay by 20%” “we’ve given
you just what you asked for”.
But that wasn’t what you wanted was it?!
You see.. There’s another important rule in life that goes like this:
You don’t get what you want in life, you get what you’re willing to negotiate.
And for you to negotiate effectively, you need to have a clear understanding of what you want
specifically and what you’re willing to exchange in order to get it.
2
Negotiate EVERYTHING
We personally negotiate everything and you’ll find out that most rich people do the same.
There’s never a circumstance where the rich won’t try to get a better deal, because
historically they’ve always been offered one when they asked for it.
Another big rule is:
If you don’t ask, you don’t get!
Starting today, everywhere you go ask for a better deal. Without doing anything you’re likely
to get a 5 to 10% discount just because you asked for it, which otherwise you would’ve spent
out of pocket.
We negotiate cars, jewelry, business deals, terms, even in everyday shops. We got big
discounts in both Luxury stores and commercial ones like Zara just because we were willing
to pay cash.
As a pro tip, always ask the person who is able to make this kind of decision:
What can you do to get me a better deal?
Or if you’re talking to a clerk, have them reach out to the person who’s able to make those
kinds of calls and get back to you.
3
The One Who Prepares More Wins
By this point we expect you to have made and effort and figure out what YOU want from an
upcoming negotiation, so it’s time to take it a step further.
Ask yourself the following questions:
Who are you going to negotiate with?
Is this the person who is able to make the kind of decision you’re looking for? – another pro
tip: the boss will always be more flexible than middle management.
What is this person like? What are their values? What do they look for in a partner?
What is important to them?
What do they expect to get out of this negotiation?
What is negotiable and what isn’t?
What is there for them to lose if this doesn’t work out?
How can you come up with a creative way to get both of you what you want?
This is an old WAR STRATEGY that comes into play in everyday life all the time. The tale
goes like this:
When two generals go to war, both of them are trying to simulate what the other general will
do on the battlefield. The one who is closer to the truth wins!
This is why preparation is so important!
Here’s something important every one of you should know:
If you realize you’re not adequately prepared to negotiate, it’s okay to reschedule and walk
away.
The worst thing you can do is go to war without being properly prepared. You’ll just get
slaughtered.
4
Mirroring Works, Until It Gets Creepy
We know you guys are interested in secret techniques and tactics so this one’s actually pretty
efficient.
All negotiation is, is listening to the other side and building enough trust that you can move
forward in the relationship: be it personal or professional.
This technique focuses on starting your sentences the same way the other person finishes
theirs in order to build a report. Make sure to use the key words that they used in their
speech.
This is commonly known as mirroring and people have been using it in both verbal and non
verbal communication
Begin your sentence with the last 3 words and then add what you’re going after.
All mirroring does is signal the other person that you two are very much alike and will get
along great. It’s no rocket science that people are more likely to engage with those they find
similar in nature.
Here’s a pro tip we really want you to know:
Do not overuse specific techniques!
People pick up when you’re doing something on purpose and it’s a major red flag. Just
because you’ve once read in a book that you should look a person in the eye when talking to
them, it’s more than ok, actually you MUST, avert your gaze away in the span of a 20 minute
conversation if you don’t want to come off across as a weirdo.
Our advice is for you to practice these technique until they become involuntary and natural.
5
Tactical Empathy Is Your Most Valuable Tool
Tactical Empathy is one of those things that have changed the way negotiations are being
done in the modern world.
It all boils down to making your partner feel safe, in control and build the feeling of good faith
between you two.
Effective negotiation rests on building at least the perception of mutual gains.
There are specific strategies and skills you can deploy in order to get the best outcome you
can get:
Here’s a list of the most important ones
1. Demonstrate that you are negotiating in good faith. – you’re not looking to screw them over.
2. Be genuinely interested in what drives the other side. – if you know what they’re willing to
achieve you can tailor your offering to their liking.
3. Don’t suppress emotion – use them to keep the ball rolling
4. Deactivate negative feelings and magnify the positive ones – this slowly builds trust and will
get you where you need to go.
5. Look for tells – people will signal what they really want even if they don’t verbalize it.
We’ve learned a lot about negotiation through practice but these type of specific skills you can
only find with professionals who’ve been doing this their entire lives. The ultimate book on this
topic is called: Never Split the Difference and it’s written by a former FBI hostage negotiator.
In our opinion it is hands down the one you should get if you’re looking to improve.
Even better, if you go to alux.com/freebook right now and sign up, you can get the audiobook
version of never split the difference for free thanks to our partnership with Audible.
6
Smart People Search for Smart Trade-Offs
Always look for smart trade-offs, no matter what you do in life.
Here’s what we mean when we say smart trade-off.
There are some cases, where very little effort on your behalf could make the entire difference
for someone else.
On a personal level: calling your parents or your grandparents illustrates it perfectly. It will
require 10 minutes of your time and it would make their entire day.
Low effort leads to big outcomes.
You can find these in business as well if you know where to look.
One phone call or recommendation of someone you’ve worked with in the past can solve a
really expensive problem for the person you’re interested in doing business with and this will
carry a lot of weight in your relationship.
The smartest negotiations are those that allow you to cut down on high effort. Check
out 15 Reasons Why Working Hard Is Dumb.
7
Make at Least 2 Offers at the Same Time and Have Them Pick
Between Them
This is an interesting approach that helps you figure out what is the best way to approach the
situation in order to get what you want out of it.
Structure the deal in 2 different ways and have the other person pick one. This will signal to
you what they value more and what is the right way to win them over.
Once they pick, you have the control of the situation despite allowing them to be the ones to
“call the shots”.
A very important thing to note is:
If you have the power in a negotiation, do not talk about it.
Keep your mouth shut and play the game until the end.
8
When Negotiating With People You Care About, Reputation
Trumps an Ultimate Win
This takes a level of maturity to pull off.
Sometimes, winning is too expensive.
This happens in marriages all the time. Would you rather not talk to your wife for a week just
to prove you were right? Probably not. You’re stupidly winning the round but losing the game!
When it comes to the reputation play, let’s say you’re dealing with someone you care about,
you’re doing business with a friend or relative. Although you might have all the cards and
could easily dry them out, your reputation becomes more valuable than the extent of the win,
for you’re probably gonna win anyway, might as well win respectably.
This builds goodwill in your life and goodwill is important. People will recommend you
because of it and the long term returns are greater than the short term win.
9
Never Let Emotions Block You From Getting What You Need
Sometimes you won’t like the person you’re negotiating with on a personal level, but you find
yourself at the table because you need something.
We people are all different. We grew up in different places, have different upbringings,
different levels of education and ethics. Knowing how to navigate this sea of personalities is
one of the most valuable skills you can have in your arsenal.
There’s a fine line between tolerating and deciding to walk away.
We’ve learned that this line moves depending on how badly you need the result to go your
way.
Ideally, emotions wouldn’t be a variable in a negotiation, facts would trump everything,
numbers would do the talking and deals would close without a word spoken, but that’s not
how it is.
Emotions, not logic usually determines the outcome of a negotiation.
You need to master yours and then learn to read and change your approach according to
what the other side is feeling.
10
Get to “That’s Right” as Quickly as Possible
“That’s right” is a magical phrase in negotiation. It means that both parties are in agreement
and that’s how successful negotiations are conducted.
The more one side agrees with the other, the more in line their objectives are, the more likely
the deal is to close.
Too many people go into a negotiation not thinking about the other side or what their goals
are.
Decisions come from a part of the brain that’s usually left unguarded. That’s the same spot
where agreement is as well, that’s why you know deep down if you’re going to say yes or no
to a proposal, it’s from within.
The more you can get someone to agree with you the more that pattern of behavior will show
itself in the negotiation.
In Goal Mastery we show you step by step how to get a pay raise or negotiate with other
people on how to always get what you want.. Believe it or not we give you the exact words
and what to say and we can’t wait for you to try it and put it to good use this next year.
For those interested, we’re currently in post-production and we’re estimating the launch to be
in the first quarter of 2021. If you’re not on the waiting list, go to alux.com/goals and be sure to
leave your email there.
11
You Cut, I Pick Method
This is one of our all time favorite ways to settle disputes. It works from high end business
deals to the children in your own household.
To explain it simply, it goes like this:
Let’s say you have 2 children, you are fighting over a piece of cake. They’re both fighting over
it and don’t know how to share it so the other one doesn’t get more cake than they do.
The You Cut, I Pick rule, has one of the brothers cut the cake in half and the other gets to pick
which side they want.
This way both parties have control over the outcome. Ideally, the brother will slice the cake
perfectly in the middle, because if they try to do anything shady, they’ll lose more of their
piece when the other person gets to pick.
Use it wisely!
12
Negotiation Is a Mix Between Sales & Therapy
Some people never listen… some people never ask.
In order to be a successful negotiator you need to understand both and know when to use
each.
There’s a time for selling and there’s a time for listening and it just so happens that the more
you listen the more you understand when is the right time to sell!
Why do people go to therapy? They already know what’s happening inside their minds..
They’re just trying to make sense of it.
That’s what happens in a negotiation. You enter a negotiation trying to figure out how to make
it work and get what you want. That’s what both parties want.
You’ve met to solve a problem and the solution can benefit both parties.
Anything else than that isn’t a negotiation, it’s a hostile takeover.
Same as in therapy, asking WHY do you want something is often times more valuable than
WHAT do you want.
Understanding the reasoning behind their decision will lead to creative solutions where other
things get put on the table that you didn’t even consider.
When it comes to selling we have a great video titled How to sell anything that’s a 5-minute
watch. Check it out.

13
Never Share Your Reserve Point
The reserve point is the lowest option you’d still consider taking.
All your strength lies in keeping the negotiation as far away from your reserve point as
possible.
Never let people know the minimum you’re willing to take.
The more you think about negotiation the more you understand that it is simply a game
between two parties that try to guess each other’s reserve point
If you can guess the other party’s reserve point, you win.
14
Never Give Anything Without Getting Something in Return
The worst thing one can do in a negotiation is give anything away for free.
Unless you’re feeling charitable, this is also true in life. Too many employees pick up
additional work without asking for anything in return. That’s how you end up working so damn
much and get paid so little.
There’s an old saying: “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” that one should always
remember when going out of their way to make something happen for someone else.
This is probably the only place where the Rule of Equivalent Exchange, mentioned in
Fullmetal Alchemist applies to real life.
In order to get something, you have to give something in return.
15
Always Have a Back-up Plan
The worst thing you can do entering a negotiation is not having a back-up plan.
If you don’t have a back-up, all you’re doing is bluffing. It takes away a very powerful
tool: your option of walking away!
The back-up plan even has a specific terminology in negotiation. It’s called: BATNA
BATNA stands for “Best alternative to a negotiated agreement”
This is the type of info they used to teach us at Business School btw, we never used the
terminology since; but there’s some truth to it.
How good is your alternative? What kind of differentiator are we talking about? Quality?
Price? Time to delivery?
You need to consider all of these. Think of it like this: if you go and ask for a raise knowing
you have another job lined up at a different company if your boss says no, how does your
approach differ? Would you feel in control and powerful enough to stand your ground? Sure
you will.
BATNA is all about acquiring as much control on your side as possible.
Which brings us to today’s question: What’s one thing you wish to negotiate in the near
future?
We’re always excited to hear from the community and we’re always blown away by the
support you Aluxers show one another in the comments!
15 Unusual Signs You Are Smarter Than Everyone Else

20 NOVEMBER 2020
BRIONY SPARG
Here Are 15 Signs Common in the Most Intelligent of Us.
Aluxers, isn’t it funny that people who often profess to be smarter than average, are usually
not?
But those that fly under the radar, who are not the first to speak up, are introverted, quiet
individuals, are far smarter than their loud-mouthed, opinionated peers.
If you hopped onto this article to affirm that you are indeed smarter than everyone else,
chances are, you’re not. But if you’re reading to learn something and see if you feature any of
these traits, you probably are – without even realizing it.
If an Aluxer is smarter than his fellow Aluxers, this is when they will switch to the video
With that posted, let’s get right into the article.
1
You Don’t Need to Put Much Effort Into Anything You Do
If this is you, then you’re miles ahead of your peers. If doing something new or retaining new
information comes easily to you, then there’s a good chance that you’re smarter than others.
Don’t despair Aluxers, if you find you struggle to remember things or need to be shown
something a dozen times before you’re able to do it yourself, you can train your brain to work
more efficiently. Our brains need to work out, just like our bodies do.
First and most important… stop telling yourself you can’t do something. The brain is all-
powerful and it will begin to believe that. Instead, change your rhetoric and never stop
learning.
Here are a few quick ways to train that lazy brain:
Read, Listen, Rest, Keep intelligent company, eat food that’s good for the brain and indulge in
brain games – Suduko, Crosswords, Scrabble and Chess are all fantastic!
2
You Cuss as Part of Your Everyday Language
It has been scientifically proven that people who swear are more honest and have higher
intelligence.
Swearing is a feature of language that articulate speakers use to get the maximum impact of
the message across.
Swearing has another benefit, it offers natural pain relief. A study was conducted which saw
several volunteers plunge their hand into iced water. They were told to swear the entire time
their hand was in the water. The experiment was repeated, but volunteers were not allowed to
swear. Pain tolerance was much better when the participants could vent their hurt in the form
of swear words.
We sh*t you not Aluxers, so let’s carry on with this f*cking article, shall we?
3
You Have No Problem Being in Your Own Company
In fact, those with superior intelligence would rather be in their own company then in the
company of others.
Most people would list being with friends as something that brings them happiness, but highly
intelligent people don’t have this desire.
There are two schools of thinking behind this theory. The first is evolutionary – smarter people
adapt better to the modern world where we don’t need to rely on people for our own shelter,
food or protection.
The other is aspirational – when you’re smarter, you’re driven and focused and don’t need the
distraction of social interactions.
4
You Take a Long Time to Fall Asleep
You’ve counted the sheep, you’ve tensed your body and relaxed it, you’ve drank a glass of
warm milk and you’re still awake. Before you start having full on anxiety attacks, rest in the
knowledge that you’re probably smarter than others, and that’s why you can’t fall asleep
easily.
Your brain is too busy working through sh*t and answering some of life’s profound questions
– like how is it possible that swearing is a natural pain relief and why did I only learn this
information today.
5
You Understand Why Other People Are the Way They Are
It’s called empathy, Aluxers, and if you’re able to put yourself inside someone else’s shoes
and make an effort to understand what they’re going through, there’s a good chance you’re
smarter than others.
Often people base intelligence on higher IQ scores, but it’s really higher EQ scores that
makes a person smarter.
Researchers at Texas Tech University confirmed that smarter people could recognize the
feelings of others and those people were also more willing to help another out without
expecting anything in return.
As author of Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman puts it, “our ability to manage ourselves
and relationships matters twice as much as IQ.” If this is your first time here with us, go
to alux.com/freebook and get Emotional Intelligence for free, thanks to our partnership with
Audible.
6
You Can Ignore the Heart if Needed
You’re probably thinking, hang on Alux, you just said that EQ means someone is smarter and
we did, but this is different – let us explain.
When faced with a tough or difficult decision, smarter people are able to bite the bullet and
just make the decision. They don’t hold onto it forever, they know it’s sh*tty, and the sooner
they make the decision, pull off the band aid – whatever you called it – the better.
They know that the sooner the decision is made, the sooner things can continue, and
everyone knows where they stand.
7
You Talk to Yourself a Lot
You’re already happy in your own company, you don’t need social interactions to validate who
you are, and your inner thoughts keep you awake at night… so, no surprises you speak to
yourself a lot.
Psychologist-researcher Gary Lupyan did an experiment to put this theory to the test. He had
a group of volunteers go into the grocery store with a list of what they needed to buy. The list
was just verbally relayed to them, with the instruction that half the group could repeat the
items that needed to be bought and the other half couldn’t. Those that kept repeating the
items remembered them far better than those that didn’t and they could retrieve the items
faster as well.
He further added that speaking to yourself stimulated memory, clarified thoughts and helped
one stay focused.
8
Some People Find It Hard to Relate to You
There’s a study suggesting you can only relate to people within your IQ range if you are of
higher intelligence. If you have intellectual curiosity, and you’re trying to hang out with those
that don’t, it’s a mismatch made in… well… not heaven, that’s for sure.
If you find it difficult to make friends, and you’ve tried on numerous occasions, but it just
doesn’t seem to work out – it may just be that you’re smarter than the crowd you’re trying to
be friends with. It can be draining and frustrating to keep the conversation flowing because
they’re just not on the same level as you are.
Euripides once said, “We pay a high price for intelligence. Wisdom hurts.”
9
You Have Social Anxiety
Aluxers, if you’re already struggling to mix and make friends with people that are not in the
same IQ range, then you probably also experience social anxiety.
Before you even head to an event or social gathering, you start to worry about it. We’re not
speaking of the extreme here, like social anxiety disorder, that’s in a league of its own. We’re
just referring to that feeling you get before you head into any social situation.
You get that dry mouth, itchy throat scenario. Your palms get sweaty and you need to pee a
lot. Your heart rate accelerates, you blush, your stomach feels terrible and you can barely
breath. Those are all signs of social anxiety, and smart people often experience some or even
all of those symptoms.
10
You’re Really Good With Figurative Language
Metaphors, similes, personification… all the colourful ways to write and speak come easily to
smart people.
It’s not just a playful puppy, it’s an exuberant, high-spirited, fun-loving puppy! Language is
there to be used and enjoyed, and of course, we always leave room for expletives.
11
You Question Reality
Aluxers, if you’ve been with us for many years, you’ll no doubt remember an old quote we
liked, “Reality is Negotiable” taken from Tim Ferris. As he says, “outside of science and law,
all rules can be bent or broken, and it doesn’t require being unethical.”
Smart people know they can choose and change their reality at any time. They question
reality and push the boundaries.
They question the truth. They know that two people witnessing the same car accident will
report the accident differently; they each have their own version of the truth.
Smart people take risks – look at the Elon Musk’s, the Nikola Tesla’s and the Pythagoras’s of
the world, and sure, there’s a fine line between eccentric genius and smart madman, but they
all took risks and went ahead with their work despite being told otherwise by those around
them.
12
You Worry a Lot
Anxiety, worry and intelligence go hand-in-hand. An anxious mind is busy considering all
possibilities, playing out each outcome and crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s. A study
conducted by Israeli psychologists took 80 students and set them up with a computer.
When they switched the computer on, they received a message saying the PC had a virus
and they needed to get help from technical support.
They set up various obstacles on route to get help, to increase their stress and anxiety levels.
The students that exhibited higher levels of stress and worry during the experiment had
higher IQ levels than those that didn’t stress as much.
It also stated that worry was linked to intelligence because worry could potentially save us
from dangerous situations.
1 out of 10 times, worrying can be good. Here are the worries we all want because they
are the 15 Things Rich People Worry About the Most.
13
You Tend to Procrastinate and Be Messy
Aluxers, if you’re one of those people that can put it off until tomorrow, and then tomorrow
rolls by and you put it off to the next tomorrow, chances are, you’re pretty smart.
Now, take a look at your desk or bedroom… is it neat or messy? If it’s an organized mess,
basically you still know where to find your sh*t, then you’re of higher intelligence.
To further affirm this, a study conducted by the University of Minnesota claims that smart
people leave their areas messy because instead of investing the time to clean their space,
they’ve rather use it for more important things.
We give that study two thumbs up!
14
You Know What You Don’t Know
When you’re smart – you realize you don’t know everything, and you don’t have all the
answers. You acknowledge that there is always something to learn and someone to learn
from, whether they’re older or younger than you.
You’re always open to learning and won’t pass a judgement until you know all the facts.
The late American spiritual teacher, author, and philosopher, Vernon Howard put it beautifully
when he said, “Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn, and you will.”
15
You Don’t Post Inspirational Bulls*It on Social Media
Aluxers, we found several articles suggesting that people who post inspirational messages
and memes on social media are not as intelligent as those that don’t.
We decided to look into this a little more, and we’re so glad we did – because it seems that
even that study was reported on inaccurately and taken out of context.
But it’s a perfect case in point, in that smart people don’t just take people’s words as law. If it
seems odd or unusual, they’ll go and investigate and draw their own conclusions from the
evidence presented.
So, go ahead and keep posting your motivational memes, there’s always someone who
needs to read them!
Question:
What signs do you believe make people smarter? Share your thoughts with us, Aluxers.
15 Most Important Laws of Power

17 NOVEMBER 2020
JAMES DONAGHY
Simply Understanding Power Can Make You a Powerful Human Being.
Here Are 15 Principles of Power.
Power, like money, often gets a bad rap. When we think of the desire for power, we think of
some of the worst people in history. But remember — when you don’t have power, that
means you can’t control the most important things in your life. And just like not having money,
it’s going to lead to — frustration, obstacles you can’t overcome, and low quality of life. So, it’s
normal to want power. Stop feeling bad about it?
Let’s start off with a definition of power. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, it
means ‘the ability to act or produce an effect.’ So let’s be clear. We’re not talking about being
manipulative or abusive, or acting like a dictator. We’re talking about increasing your control
over things that are important in your life. And the ability to influence outcomes for the better.
To improve your life — and those of others.
If you would prefer a powerful video instead of an article, here’s the video version of this
article:
With that set in motion, let’s start with the first item in today’s list.
1
Focus on What You Can Change — and Get to Work on It Now
The powerless spend their time wishing their lives were better. The powerful take action and
make their lives better.
All of us have a load of things we’d like to be able to improve. From our waist size to global
warming. And some of them, we’ve got a better chance of improving than others.
Make a list of all the things you’d like to change and put them into two categories: things you
have control over, and things you don’t. The ones you can’t change — stop worrying about. If
you can’t change them, there’s no use sweating over them. But the ones you can change —
get to work on the now. Start coming up with a strategy to pay off those debts. To get into
shape, to get a better-paid job. To work on making yourself more attractive to potential
romantic partners. And don’t wait. The powerful are proactive — so get to work on it now.
2
Stop Moaning — Look for Solutions Instead
We all know somebody who moans a lot. Think of one person you know who fits that
description. Is that power? Or are they in control? We’re going to take a bet on the answer —
it’s almost certainly no.
That’s because the powerless waste their time and energy moaning. The powerful do
something about it. Moaners attract other moaners. They get off on being bitter together. But
those who are powerful stay away from them. They’re too busy doing something about
making things better — and getting ahead.
3
Stop Talking About What You Intend to Do. Just Do It
Here’s somebody else we all know. That person who talks about how they’re going to start
getting their finances in order. Start getting into shape, looking for a better job, quit smoking.
A year later, we see them again, and they’re in exactly the same position. Still broke, out of
shape, and miserable.
We’re not saying you shouldn’t talk about what you’re planning on doing. It’s just that when
you hear yourself about to mention it for the tenth time — instead of opening your mouth, just
do what you were going to say.
4
Keep Your Promises
On the topic of talking about doing stuff but never doing it — there’s aren’t many ways you
can screw yourself more than breaking your word and proving yourself unreliable.
If you promise people you’ll turn up on time, deliver a project, or help somebody — when it
comes to the crunch, make sure you do it. Fail to do it, and you’ve just demonstrated that you
shouldn’t be taken seriously. And you’re shutting off opportunities and success.
That’s why you should be true to your word. Somebody who can be counted on when
needed. Your reliability will bring you value, and leverage. It will put you in the line of
promotion, lucrative business proposals, and it will attract other successful people — the kind
who help each other become successful.
5
Follow Steps One to Four — and Watch Your Influence Grow
Remember the first point on this list? About focusing on the things you can control, and not
sweating the things you can’t? Well, follow all the steps up to here, and over time, you’ll start
to see some things moving from one side to the other — from things you couldn’t control, to
things you can.
That’s because you’ve avoided moaning and fantasizing about the impossible. Instead,
you’ve been proactive, and you’ve proven yourself reliable. You’ll now enjoy:
 A better financial situation
 Better skills and qualifications
 Better health
 A great reputation
 More contacts to successful people who respect you
 The habit solving things straight away
Once you’ve got all of these, you have more influence over more things. And guess what. You
have more power.
For more about how this works, we highly recommend ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People” by Stephen R. Covey.
And, you don’t even need to go to your local bookstore to track it down. Thanks to our friends
at Audible, you can download it by clicking on the link. They’ve made an exclusive offer to
Aluxers. If it’s your first audiobook from them, it will be free.
Here’s an influential crowd in action to learn from: Check out How Instagram
Influencers are Driving Tourism.
6
Use Logic — and Be More Persuasive
Anybody who has power knows how to persuade. If you want to influence things, you need to
get people to listen to you. And get them to come around to your way of thinking.
The best way of doing this isn’t shouting the loudest. Or bullshitting — sometimes it works for
a while, but you’ll get busted sooner or later. Instead use logical reasoning to back up your
point of view.
Observe how persuasive people put their arguments together — watch presentations, watch
people debating — and see how they justify their viewpoint. And then practice doing it
yourself. And before you argue a point, make sure you’ve done your research, and know the
facts.
7
Use Incentives and Threats — Effectively
When you want a result from somebody, whether it’s a colleague, somebody you’re
negotiating with, or somebody fixing your car, this is something you need to learn to do. It’s a
technique we all use — just some of us better than others.
An incentive could be a boss offering staff bonuses for extra work, or a day off for great
performance. A threat could be telling a supplier you’ll cancel the contract if they don’t deliver
on time.
But here’s the important thing. Whenever you use an incentive or a threat — use one that’s
actually going to matter to the other person. A boss offers their employees an incentive that
nobody cares about — it’s not going to work. And the boss is going to look patronizing. A
threat that isn’t really a threat, or that you can’t carry through, makes you looks weak. In either
case you won’t be taken seriously. So think carefully about what incentives and threats you
use — and make ones that will actually matter to people.
8
Stand up for Yourself
When people don’t stand up for themselves, it’s usually because they’re afraid of conflict.
Don’t be one of those. Remember, conflict is a part of life. Don’t go looking for it. But avoiding
it makes you a pushover. That means you never set the rules or boundaries yourself. You let
other people set them for you.
It could be making the case for a pay-rise from your boss. Or making your voice heard when
you’ve been given crappy customer service. Or just reminding your housemates it’s their time
to do the dishes.
But remember — be fair. Don’t overstep the mark by being too pushy, or too entitled. For
want of a better way of putting it, don’t be a Karen — whatever your gender. No offense to
anybody actually called Karen. We didn’t invent the term! What we’re saying is — be fair, and
people will respect that. It will add to your credibility, and your power.
9
Get Rid of Limiting Beliefs
Henry Ford once said, ‘Whether you believe you can do it, or whether believe you can’t —
either way, you’re right’.
All of us have negative beliefs about ourselves. Beliefs like — ‘I’m not a natural leader’. ‘I’ll
never be rich’. ‘I could never start my own business.’ ‘I don’t have much self-discipline’. And
you know what makes those things true? The fact that we believe them.
Maybe also the fact that past experience has shown us that they’re true. But why let past
experience hold you back? Instead of focusing negative things you believe about yourself, get
to work developing the traits that can get you where you want to be. The ones that can make
you natural leader, run your own business, or be better-disciplined. And once you do that,
you’ll have thrown off your limiting beliefs.
10
Build up a Great Network
Whatever it is you want to do — nobody can do it on their own. We all need people to help us.
That means people we can rely on.
That includes friends and acquaintances who give you help, advice and feedback. And in
other situations, you’ll give them the same things in return. And the more knowledgeable,
qualified and reliable you are, the more valuable you’ll be — and the better the people you’ll
be able to attract into your network.
Or it could be people you have a working relationship with, who you pay — a great lawyer or
financial advisor, trusted employees or suppliers.
Have the right people in your network, and you’ll have much greater leverage to reach your
goals.
11
Pick Your Friends Carefully
Ever heard the power packed saying, “You’re the average of the five people you spend the
most time with?” Why is that? Because they have the greatest influence on our behavior and
attitudes. And on the results we get to enjoy.
Let’s show you how. Have buddies who are unmotivated, badly-informed, and mostly talk
about celebrity gossip — and spending time with them won’t exactly broaden your horizons,
increase useful knowledge, or bring you opportunities.
Trade those buddies for ones who are well-versed in a range of interesting and truly relevant
topics. When you hang out with them, you’ll be able to bounce ideas off them about:
 your career
 your ideas for starting a business
 what to invest money in
 how to live healthier.
And a ton of other things that will lead to success in all areas of your life.
Plus, the right kind of friends are likely to be better connected. Remember what we said about
connections?
12
Protect Your Reputation
This one’s really simple. Have a great reputation — and opportunities will open up to you.
People will respect you and take you seriously. Have a bad reputation — people avoid you,
and doors will close. That’s applies to business, your social life, and your romantic life.
To do this, follow the advice on the other points in this article — especially the ones about
being proactive, taking action and not moaning, be reliable and fair. All of these will earn you
a good reputation.
Also, avoid gossiping but people behind their backs — and avoid situations which will make
people gossip about you behind their back.
For more tips, check out our video ’10 Best Ways to Build a Great Reputation’.
13
Stop Believing That Everyone Needs to Like You
Sure — be reliable and fair. And civil and helpful too. But don’t make the mistake of thinking
you’ll be able to please everyone.
We already mentioned that conflict is part of life. People are always going to disagree about
the best way to do things, the most effective way, the fairest way. And whatever course of
action you support or take — you’re going to piss somebody off. Anything of note that you do,
there’ll be somebody who’s unhappy about it. Accept it.
Remember the saying, ‘If you try to please everyone, you’ll end up pleasing no one.’ And we’ll
just add — it will also stop you from achieving your goals.
14
Be a Little Distant When Necessary
Not arrogant. Just a little stand-offish, or distant. Cultivate an air of not bowing down to
people, not stopping every time somebody asks you to, or being at their constant beck and
call. Be respectful. But don’t give the impression you’re submissive.
As you get more successful, and more powerful, this is something you’ll have to do more.
Because once you’re known for being successful, more people will want a piece of you, and
come asking for favors. And sure — give favors when you think they’re deserved, or when it
feels right. But you can’t do it all the time. Acting a little distant or stand-offish is a way of
showing people they have to earn your respect — it doesn’t come automatically.
15
Appeal to People’s Self-Interest — Not Their Sense of Charity
When you’re trying to persuade someone to do something, try to avoid appealing to their
sense of charity. Basically, it’s a kind of begging. And doing this puts you down a peg, at a
lower status than them.
Instead, convince them what’s in it for them. What you can offer them in return. Or, show
them the benefits they’ll get, the ones they hadn’t noticed before. In other words, appeal to
their self-interest. This will show that you hold the key to influencing their lives in a positive
way. And that gives you status. And power.
Question
What other things that we didn’t put on this list do you think make people powerful?
10 Best Ways to Scale a Digital Business
10 NOVEMBER 2020
BRIONY SPARG
When Demand Begins to Increase, Entrepreneurs Know That’s the Call
for Scaling. Here’s How to Respond to It.
Hello Aluxers. According to the UN’s Trade and development body, in 2018, 1.4 billion people
shopped online. In 2017 an estimated value of $23.8 trillion in e-commerce sales were made
globally. Digital businesses are a big pie, and those that do well in the game have a good
product or service offering and are able to scale fast and enjoy a good slice of the pie.
In 2018 Amazon enjoyed a $277 billion slice, while China’s Alibaba feasted on a supersized
$866 billion slice. If you’re in the digital business game then this article will help give you
some ideas to scale up and increase your profit. If you’re thinking of starting a digital
business, then keep this advice in mind in your planning to be able to easily shift gears as you
grow.
This topic is really close to our heart, and some of these are the methods we used to scale
Alux into the business it is today. Even if you don’t have a business yet, stick around to the
end and we’ll give you a great way to start earning today.
Just like you’d go for scaling when there are more valuable customers to serve, why not go
for the video when there’s this new valuable information to absorb:
With this in place, let’s dive right into the article.

1
Growth vs Scaling
First, you need to understand that scaling a business and growing a business are very
different things.
If you hire someone new for customer support, you are not scaling your business, you’re
growing it, to keep up with the demand. That new employee won’t double your profit but there
will be linear growth and it will help the company to keep up with demand. This goes for
adding human talent as well as technology or capital.
Scaling up is the difference between the small fry and the big guns like Amazon and Alibaba.
Scalability is being able to serve 1 customer or a million customers without adding resources,
or very little. Scalability is what can exponentially grow your profit without having to add effort.
For example, if you collect email addresses it takes the same amount of time to send one
marketing email as it does to send millions if you automate the task.
For digital businesses to succeed, scaling is a must.
Let’s continue to grow your buzz-word vocab with a more in-depth look at the type of scaling
you might need to plan business growth. The first is Vertical scaling.
2
Vertical Scaling
Vertical scaling is the process that will take your business to a more robust and more
appealing place. This is often automating processes in customer services making it easier
and simpler for your customers to use your product or service. Introducing AI to trouble shoot
the most common problems or questions your customers have.
Or, expand your market offering, if you think of the photo sharing app Instagram adding video,
this was a game changer that took over video sharing app Snapchat’s market. The decision
was an instant hit with Instagram users, and the demise of Snapchat.
What do you think the next market expansion will be for an app like Facebook? Well we have
intel that “facebook dating” is on the horizon. So Vertical Scaling maximises the business you
do with existing customers by offering them more or new services or products.
3
Horizontal Scaling
Next up, how to scale a digital business horizontally. Here a digital business enters a new
market but is still able to leverage their well-known brand and current infrastructure. Think of
the expansion of Uber to UberEats if you will. This was a brilliant move. They already had the
software and the drivers on their database, plus a large customer base that could naturally
migrate from using a driving service to take-out delivery.
4
Scaling With New Tech
Companies that look to new tech to scale their business can increase sales and market by
making it easier to access their product or service. An example of this is Ikea’s reaction to the
Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns.
When many countries went into hard lockdown to contain the pandemic it had a direct impact
on people being able to see test furniture in their awesome big showroom retail stores. This
didn’t stop Ikea from selling couches to their customers. They quickly adopted AR to let the
shopping continue.
Ikea rolled out an Augmented Reality App which allowed you to select furniture and see
exactly how it would look in your home exactly where you want it in your home. It was a
brilliant way to make it easier to visualise the Ikea products despite being unable to come to
go into a store and see the physical object.
This kind of scaling means Ikea just needed to make one investment in an App and they
could do more sales, a lot more affordable than building new stores, plus they didn’t need to
stop trading during Covid.
5
You Can’t Scale Humans
A digital business doesn’t grow exponentially if you keep having to employ more people
directly correlating to the volume of sales. In other words, if you want to build websites you
will eventually hit a maximum that you can make on your own. And you will need to hire
another developer. But they can also only do the work of one human, and then you’ll be hiring
again. This doesn’t allow you to scale and get more profit for less effort.
How you can scale a business, like website building, is by changing the business model
slightly. You could create website themes that are sold multiple times on websites like
WordPress. You create the website template once, and you can keep earning for it endlessly,
while you spend your time making something else that generates income.
6
Scaling Through Other Companies.
Partnering up might be the way to scale your company fast by piggy backing on their
consumer base. Take HomeDepot as an example. A few years back they partnered up with
Uber to deliver Christmas trees over the holiday season. A simple service offering to their
clients that made a huge difference and drove both tree sales and Uber usage.
It doesn’t have to be such an obvious partnership. Ever installed something like an anti-virus
software? And before you have read the fine print you clicked next and installed 3 more
software products? It’s annoying, but a great way for companies to get their products out
there, and it must work, because they keep doing it!
7
Taking Over Another Company
Mergers and Acquisitions are a way that digital businesses can add to their service offering
and scale up at the same time. Sure, it’s generally the larger businesses playing in this
league, but the same idea can be used in start-up tech companies too.
If you cast your memory back to 2013 when Snapchat was all the rage, Facebook offered $3
billion on the table to access their already built video sharing technology. Snapchat famously
declined, only to disappear into irrelevancy when Instagram rolled out their Stories function.
They should have merged to scale up.
8
Getting Acquired
The ultimate goal for many start-ups is to get bought by an established company. This comes
with great benefits and an injection of resources and knowledge. It also allows the start-up to
continue focusing on their product offering while the big business takes care of the admin.
You might consider it a “sell out” but most would consider it a leg up onto the shoulder of
giants, where the view is a lot sweeter, and the ground a lot more stable. And it doesn’t
always have to mean giving up complete autonomy.
Someone famous for acquiring small business is the panel of Shark Tank. If you wish you had
the guidance of a big time business leader, then check out some great advice from Mark
Cuban:
9
Breaking Down a Business
There will be times when it doesn’t make sense to scale a digital business by adding on, but
rather by breaking down. But this isn’t a bad thing, there are times when the sum of the parts
equal more than the whole, and this is a good time to break down a business.
Perhaps you have built up a great website building platform. On the platform you offer a stock
image service free to those who pay for your website service. There could come a time when
this initial “free” offering turns into a product that could be individually packaged and reused
as its own separate Stock Image website. This can often happen with companies that offer
specialist products and offer free training, soon they could separate and monetize the training.
10
Build to Scale
If you’re reading this article because your head is swirling with great ideas of digital
businesses, then this piece of advice is especially important to you. In your initial plan make
sure that you are considering scaling and how it would work. At what stage of your business
model can you see that you will need to implement some of these business scaling
techniques?
Building to scale makes it a lot easier and smoother to transition than if you have to retro-fit
scaling solutions into your existing company. It’s not impossible, but it can come with snags.
Remember that when starting a new business, it doesn’t have to be a completely unique or
groundbreaking idea. What separates the successful from the unsuccessful is good
execution.
Adding when and how to scale into your plan will secure your success.
Here’s a useful article if you’re planning to learn more about building a successful
business. Scaling too fast is just one of the 15 Reasons Why Businesses Fail.
Question
What is the best digital business partnership or tech addition you have ever seen?
15 Reasons Why Working Hard Is Dumb

8 NOVEMBER 2020
BRIONY SPARG
What’s the Living Thing That Works the Hardest on the Planet? The
Donkey! Guess Which One’s Considered the Dumbest?
Working smart not hard is one of the catchphrases of our generation, but why is hard work so
defiled by everyone since the Boomers? The truth is that hard work doesn’t necessarily lead
to success, and sometimes it can even be counterproductive.
We’re heading into the holiday season, and you’re bound to be fielding tons of disapproving
comments about your “alternative” outlook on career building. So, if you need some solid
ammunition to explain to your family why you think the traditional definition of hard work isn’t
always smart, then we have your back. It’s a little more complicated than “all work and no play
makes Jack a dull boy.”
Here is a list of 15 reasons why working hard is dumb.
If dragging through a 15 items long listicle is a lot of hard work, here’s the smart way out,
switch to the YouTube upload:
With that smart move made, let’s find out the first reason why hard work is foolish!
1
Hard Work Means You Aren’t Using the Right Tools for the Easy
Stuff
We live in a generation of short cuts, apps and system hacks. There is always an easier,
more efficient way to do things, and it’s important to keep adapting and advancing your tech
skills to keep up to speed with the rate that your colleagues or competition will be delivering
the same work.
Everything from proofreading to automating your email can save you time and take the slog
out of your job. There is no need to personally sub-edit your monthly reports when there are
plenty of AI tools that will do it better than most humans can.
Synchronised scheduling, virtual meetings and social media dashboards all save you time
and money and keep your productive time focused on the specialised stuff that earns you
money rather than admin.
2
Avoid the Lure of Hyper-Productivity
Nothing depletes productivity like multi-tasking. While we all like to think we can flit between
LOL-ing at a friend’s Instagram story, answer an email and then dive right back into a budget
review… we can’t!
Sum doesn’t equal the parts when it comes to multi-tasking. Tasks that would have taken a
few minutes when done in isolation can take up to an hour when you do them in parts. Each
time you break away from one task, it takes time to switch between programmes or
equipment, move positions plus in between you get distracted by a post of a cute dog, so you
stop again.
Create a daily diary that allows you to assign your important tasks to time slots. Then stick to
it and give yourself the satisfaction of crossing it off when it’s done. That’s right, a nice sexy
black marker line right through the completed task. Nothing makes a job more satisfying than
that, are we right?
3
Working Hard Isn’t Enough to Make You Succeed
If hard work was the solution to getting rich, then the world’s miners, factory workers and
cleaners would all be billionaires. Sadly, working hard at the right things that help you
maximize your time and get paid more than a living wage is what leads to financial success.
And jobs with a clear path to progress in responsibility are how you move income brackets.
Hard work alone won’t get you to the penthouse apartment. There is more than that to
the hustle. Check out 15 Things Successful People Do in their 20s for some inspiration.
4
All Work and No Play
Okay, so there is some truth to the “Dull Jack’ reference, but it is more than Jack just being a
terrible dinner conversation. It has never been more important that this generation to display a
well-rounded lifestyle. A lifestyle is not only career satisfaction and personal growth, but a
family life, an active and travel lifestyle and also staying up to date with technology
advancements. Basically, a lot is expected of us.
But perhaps it isn’t a bad thing, because it does force this generation to live while we’re alive,
and not just grind away and take our first break at 65 when we retire. Taking breaks from
work, and having dedicated time off and activities not tied to work, keep us relevant in the
workplace. It gives us perspective and fresh insight that often benefits our work in the long
run.
Even if a documentary on Octopuses doesn’t have a direct link to your current work, it is a
good reference to drop, to sound in the know with pop-culture interests. And this does
wonders for networking with peers, and ya’all know how we feel about the importance of
networking!
5
Nothing Good Came Out of Burn-Out
Working to the point of sheer exhaustion is just about the dumbest thing you can do.
Cramming all nighters all weekend just to make an impression on Monday is just unwise. For
the most part you will give such a substandard presentation come Monday if you had no
sleep, that your hard work will be completely overlooked.
Alternatively, if you have to then take the next 3 days off to recover from the exhaustion or are
constantly needing sick-leave because you’re borderline burnt out, then your hard work is a
waste of time.
You need to find a balance and work at a sustainable pace that won’t compromise your health
or mental wellness. Industries like film and television are famous for burning out top talent
way before they have peaked, and then swiftly moving onto the next hot property.
If you don’t want to be a one-hit wonder in your career then don’t put all your energy eggs into
one basket, pace yourself and look after your greatest asset – you! No one wants burnout for
Christmas!
6
Don’t Work Hard Because of Boredom
They say that “idle hands are the devils play fellow”, but that doesn’t mean that if you stop
working you’ll join the dark side. Nor will you fall apart. Be sure to build other areas of growth
and stimulation into your life besides work. If the only place you feel you learn is in your job
then it’s time to get a hobby or play a sport or take up some interesting reading.
Your brain shouldn’t switch off when you clock out of work, nor should it constantly be ticking
on with work thoughts. Try immersing yourself in something like a crossword, or a great
podcast when you are done working, so you can help your brain switch gears and still remain
in an inspired space.
Learning or thinking outside of the “money earning” role recharges you and stimulates new
ideas that can flourish like things do when they aren’t for anything more than a flight of
fantasy. And don’t all the best ideas start as a “flight of fantasy” anyway?
7
There Is No Room for Personal Growth in Hard Work
If all you ever do is work to earn money or advance in your career then you’re letting your role
determine your actions and who you are. You’re basically turning yourself to be a total cog in
a machine, not an ever growing and spiritually rich being.
Switching to working smart rather than working hard will allow for some space to consider
your personal growth too. That means managing stress better, setting goals and actually
achieving them, and increasing you emotional intelligence too.
If you need to master your mind sign up for “Mind Mastery: our meditation course. Find out
more at alux.com/mindmastery
8
There Is No Room for Career Improvement in Hard Work
In all this hard work you will hardly find time to stop and smell the roses. We don’t just mean
take time off, but also to take note of where you are, where others are in relation, and if you
are really heading in the direction you wanted to. This gives you time to recalibrate if you have
gone off course, or set a new plan if your goals have changed.
Taking stock of a situation helps you work out whether the time you are exchanging for salary
is worth it. Or if your time could be better used differently. The problem with just keeping on
working hard is that we don’t give ourselves space to assess, and you can get stuck on the
hamster wheel forever and go nowhere.
9
Hard Work Leads to Expensive Living
Is your hard work costing you money? Because of your crazy workload, are you ending up
spending more than you would if you had more time to yourself? Sometimes when you step
back from hard work you might realise you are earning no more than if you had a more junior
job with fewer hours and less responsibility.
But how can this be, you ask, because your salary is clearly higher than a junior position?
Well ponder the time before you worked 12 hour days if you will.
The time before you needed a private child carer to collect your children from school, bath
and put them to bed. Or when you had time to walk your own dog instead of pay a dog-walker
to do it for you. Do you end up taking Uber home from work because you’re just too
exhausted to take the train? Or remember when you cooked your own meals rather than
bought take out every night?
Well there comes a tipping point when your high-stress and hardworking ends up costing you
money and your take home is far less than you thought.
10
Hard Work Can Make You Lose Focus and Not Be Able to
Specialize
Jack of all trades, master of none, we all know the saying. And while some amount of general
knowledge is certainly a good thing, top paying jobs are all specialist. Even if you start a
business you will do better to offer defined and unique services and products than a grey area
of sub-standard offerings.
When all you do is graft on and on, you don’t have time or energy to be the best in the field.
Sure you might have the practice of hours under your belt, but you won’t have the time to
retrain yourself, or update your skills, or stay on top of leading trends of technology in your
field.
You’ll be head down and working while your competition passes you by, or worse, you’re
overlooked for a promotion because you were too busy working on your current position to
skill yourself up for it.
11
Hard Work Isn’t Always Linked to Good Planning
If you want to get to a goal sooner you need to have an action plan. Back to that hamster
wheel analogy, often hard work is more putting one foot in front of the other to keep from
flying off than it is about planning the most direct route to the goal.
When you plan, you can cut out a lot of the slog, it gives you time to outsource some work, or
delegate tasks that you shouldn’t be spending your valuable time on. When you plan, you
maximise your productivity, so your hard work means good results. Without planning working
hard can just mean hard work.
12
Hard Work Is Sometimes Just Busy Work
As much we love and respect administrative workers, there is a ceiling on the type of
advancement and salary you can demand for this type of work. Admin is always going to cost
a company money, not bring money in. Sure, if done well, it can save your company money,
but we’re not talking about that.
We all know that person in the office that insists that they are always so “swamped”, and yet
you’re not 100% sure what they are actually contributing to the company’s bottom line. That
hard work that they are slaving away at can often just be “busy work”, filing and refilling, or
form filling and organising. But there are sometimes faster and more efficient modern ways of
incorporating that work in to your normal workflow without making it into an entire job
description.
Make sure that if you are working hard you are contributing in valuable work. The best way to
job security is to have value to your company or client, try to avoid offering a service that
might be able to be automated or digitised away.
13
Working Hard Isn’t Unique – Everyone Can Work Hard
It’s not enough to think that your greatest asset to your company is that you are a hard
worker. You need to offer a more unique role than that. Hard work is replaceable. Innovative
or creative ideas, or a unique skill are not as easily replaced.
Don’t be one of a million hard workers, be one in a million with your experience and skills.
14
Success Isn’t About How Much You Put in – but What You Get
Out
The measure of success isn’t how many hours you spent at the office today. Your boss
ultimately wouldn’t be concerned about how much time you spent in front of your computer it
they are seeing the results on their bottom line.
Instead of a mindset of how much you can put in, you should be driven by the results you can
get out. Maximising your output while decreasing your input is the definition of mastering a
task. Focus on the driving up your results and reducing your workload in every way possible.
15
Working Hard Doesn’t Prioritize
The greatest crime on the rap-sheet of hard work is that in the chaos of unfocussed busy
work we often fail to prioritise what matters. This leads to spending 80% of our time and
energy on 20% of our income generating. With this method you won’t be maximising your
productivity or profit. The converse is that you are spending 20% of your energy on the other
80% of your work. To get better results you need to flip what you work hard on.
Stop and analyse your best and most reliable income streams. Where would you earn 80% of
your income or results if you spent most of your time? Right now it’s more likely that you are
only focussing 20% of your energy there. But to boost your productivity if you spend more
focus on that type of fruitful work, then surely you would immediately see better results.
Don’t work hard equally at everything, it’s a recipe for mediocrity, be sure you are spending
your time and energy wisely in what returns the best results.
Question
What is something you worked hard at that you wish you had rather worked smart at?
10 Ways to Make Money Work For You

6 NOVEMBER 2020
BRIONY SPARG
A Man Alone Can’t Hold an Empire, It Requires a Giant Workforce.
Here’s How to Turn Every Dollar Into an Employee.
Aluxers, how often have you heard “make your money work for you?” We’re sure plenty of
times, but what does it even mean or are they just loosely thrown around words leading to
nowhere.
How could you take $1,000 and turn it into $10,000 without having too much, or perhaps no
experience in investing or trading?
We can’t simply move a comma and add a zero; so, what can we legit do that can make our
money do a little hard work to benefit ourselves?
Let’s throw around some ideas today, and we’d love your input too.
If you don’t feel like reading, there’s a way to make the content work for you. Just play the
video version below:
With that working for you, let’s dive into the first money secret in today’s listicle.
1
Look at Money as a Renewable Source
Aluxers, changing your view on money is crucial to starting the process of having money
“work for you.” How do people with access to huge resources use them to their advantage?
What if you only have a little, can you still make it happen? The answer is a resounding YES!
We’re not simply referring to changing that $1,000 into $10,000 but rather focusing on a
financial strategy that will work on both a micro and macro scale.
So, changing your mindset is step 1. Push past the “poor mentality.” Stop telling yourself you
don’t have enough time, cash flow, or connections to move up in the world. Begin on a small
scale and work your up to bigger, grander investments.
Ditch the idea of getting rich overnight and rather remain focused on your strategy to get
there. Forgo deals that seem too good to be true, and with the help of a financial advisor, stick
to your goals and plans to get there.
2
Make Money Work for You
Now’s the time to assign a job to your money. What do you want your money to do for you?
You need to provide your money with a job description, so it knows its purpose.
Let’s begin with a simple example.
Level 1:
You pop your cash into a bank account and earn interest on it. Now your money is sitting
there, making a small, but steady profit for you.
Level 2:
You put down a payment for a property and you rent it out for the same amount as your
monthly bond and interest rate. Here, your money is doing 2 jobs: working as an allocation
tool – providing housing for someone and paying off a bond.
Level 3:
You buy ads for your product, track down the profit from ads and reinvest the profit for more
ads, and keep repeating the cycle. Here your money is being used to generate a constant
flow of income while increasing your interest with each cycle.
Aluxers, you are the CEO of your money – now it’s time to play the role and get things
working like a well-oiled machine.
3
Real Estate Investment Trusts or REITs
When you think about investing in real estate, you generally think of purchasing property,
fixing it up and renting it out. And there is nothing wrong with that, as we just highlighted in
point number 2. It’s a solid investment, however, it’s a long wait before you’re able to really
benefit from it.
If you’re not keen on that path, then consider investing in a REIT. This option provides greater
diversification, and offers better returns and generally, lower overall risk.
They’re worthwhile looking into as they generate dividend income along with capital
appreciation. Who said you can’t have your cake and eat it? Fees are minimal, and you don’t
have to be actively involved in managing the properties!
Need more grounds before you can let your cash roll in that realm? Here are 15
Reasons Why Real Estate is the Best Investment.
4
You Could Play It Safe
Aluxers, we’re not going to go into too much detail here, but you’re bound to know a little
about each of these options. And they’re great if you’re keen to keep a finger on the pulse at
all times with your cash flow and how it’s working for you.
Options include the obvious of paying off your debt. It just makes sense. Like the Yiddish
proverb says, “Interest on debts grow without rain.”
Another go to option is taking out 401(k) plans which have funds that range from conservative
to aggressive.
Bond ladders are a great option for passive income, or you could opt to invest in a high-yield
CD. The bonus here is that you can choose an online bank which could offer better rates than
your local bank and as long as it’s backed by the FDIC, your money is safe.
Investing in your children’s college education could also reap rewards, but that’s further down
the line and you’d need to start while your children are little to really get the benefit of the
saving and interest rate. In some places, you may be eligible for tax rebates if you’re making
substantial contributions to the fund.
Listen to “You Are a Badass at Making Money” by Jen Sincero. It’s worth every minute of your
time and will really leave you inspired to try some options on our list and new ideas by
Sincero. It’s available here on audible.com
5
Parking Money
Dave Ramsey once said, “Earning a lot of money is not the key to prosperity. How you handle
it is.” And on your financial journey, there will come a time when you’ll decide that it’s best to
park your money.
You will need to be smart about where you park it because financial institutions will be lining
up to get to your funds. Don’t be fooled by the razzle dazzle. Chat to your advisor before
making any decisions.
These are the areas you’ll need to consider when choosing a short-term savings account.
Access: How often are you going to need access to this account. If it’s 30-day call account,
your interest will be higher than one you can access anytime. If it’s a minimum 12-month fixed
deposit, the interest could be even better, but then you don’t have the convenience of
withdrawing whenever you please.
Interest: This is the most obvious point to consider. Shop around and see who provides the
best interest rate.
Penalties: What if something happens and you do need to access your 12-month deposit?
What will be penalties be like?
Service: Ask around to see who others have had a great experience with. Often the razzle
dazzle salespeople lose their spark and you’re left frustrated, annoyed and without access to
your cash!
6
Trade Ups
Aluxers, there’s an incredible true story called “One red paperclip,” and it tells the remarkable
tale of a man who bartered his way up from a red paperclip to a house in 14 trades and within
a year! Kyle McDonald was inspired by a game he played as a kid called, Bigger, Better.
Maybe you don’t have $1,000 to spare at the moment, so, what do you have?
Here’s where it gets fun!
Perhaps you’re starting a health-screening business where you’re going into corporations and
working out individual plans for each staff member to perform at their peak.
You have the skills to do the job well, but you don’t have the budget to invest on an incredible
website. So, you approach a website design company and exchange your services for a
website. It’s a win-win situation. You get a great website, and they get happy, healthy staff.
The possibilities are endless.
It brings us back to what we mentioned in our first point… What if you only have a little, can
you still make it happen? The answer is a resounding YES!
7
Peer-to-Peer Lending
Also known as P2P, crowdlending or social lending, is gaining traction as a solid way to grow
your capital.
Before we explain the concept further, if you’re keen to get a loan but want to avoid going
through a bank, you might want to consider this option.
So, P2P is an individual or a group of people who lend people money. If you are interested in
being a lender, you will need to apply through certain websites and each site has their own
rules and regulations.
Since it’s conception in 2005 P2P lending has grown by 110 % yearly! Each lending site
differs in their loan rates, eligibility, loan amounts, and clientele.
One major advantage of becoming a P2P lender is that you start earning interest from the first
month. So, you can immediately pump your interest straight back into the lending programme.
As an investor, you’d decide what risk category you’d be comfortable putting your money in.
The riskiest options can pay back as much as 11.74 % interest while the least risky can pay
around 5% interest.
8
Swimming Against the Tide
Aluxers, we’re not going to delve into investing here, because at this stage, we already know
that if done right, you can make a lot of money.
But where the real money is, is when you’re going in the opposite direction to what everybody
else is. It’s all good and well buying stocks because everybody knows those stocks are on a
good wicket, but many investors are afraid to invest in a company that is going through a
slump. Fickle investors refrain from purchasing shares when the market has taken a knock
and prefer to wait it out.
However, this is often a perfect buying opportunity. Shares are more affordable and if you
have the time to sit and wait, your money will do the work for you, without you having to lift a
finger.
One of the most successful and well-known investors of all time, Peter Lynch, spoke truthfully
when he said, “You get recessions, you have stock market declines. If you don’t understand
that’s going to happen, then you’re not ready, you won’t do well in the markets.”
9
Invest in Assets That Will Increase in Value
In our video, 15 Assets That Are Making People RICH, we speak about assets that are
making people a lot of money. They include real-estate, bonds, stocks, mutual and index
funds, patents, trademarks, royalties, unique rights and Books, Songs, Digital Courses,
Information or Content and others.
The point of the video is to provide you with insight that can help you take your earnings to
another level, with several of the streams mentioned providing a passive income.
You’ve done the job once, but you keep getting paid for the content. This is a great reminder
of how money is simply a renewable source. If you know how to make money, there
will always be money. Sometimes you might have more, sometimes less, but accept the ebb
and flow of the dollar and with time, you’ll have more ebb than flow with more dollars working
hard for you, to earn you even more dollars.
10
Invest in an Idea That You Believe Has Potential
Aluxers, there’s no point in having a huge bank balance and just hoarding like Ebenezer
Scrooge.
What joy will that bring you?
So, here’s a way to let your money do some hard work. Think Shark Tank. Like Kevin O’Leary
once said, ‘Here’s how I think of my money: As soldiers. I send them out to war every day. I
want them to take prisoners and come home, so there’s more of them.’
Keep up to date with what’s happening in your community. Put your feelers out for something
that’s bound to be amazing. Invest in someone with a great idea, drive, and passion, and let
that person do the hard work for you.
Give advice, be a mentor, and make money like only a true Aluxer can!
Now, it’s time to put your feet up and leave the working to your money!
Question:
What advice can you share with other Aluxers that will make their money work for them? We
value your input in the comments below.
15 Ways to Be the Perfect Host, the Aluxer Way
4 NOVEMBER 2020
BRIONY SPARG
Hosting a Party Is a Skill! Here Are 15 Things to Know if You Want to Be
a Master Host.
Hello Aluxers. ‘Tis the season to become a host… who throws the best parties on the block,
and as an Aluxer you’ll be expected to pull out all the stops.
We’ve created the perfect list of ways to be the perfect host with the most.
If you like your parties loud, a boring article might not be your thing. Here’s a fun YouTube
upload for this topic:
With that hosted, let the fun begin!
1
Take the Party Outside
Nothing says ‘classy’ like outdoor dining! If the weather’s great or you are lucky enough to live
where there’s a predictable climate, then plan your soiree for a still night in the garden or on
your balcony. Outdoor events have so many advantages because you don’t have to do much
with the décor generally. Whether you live in a concrete jungle or have a green garden, a
simple table set up and some string lights above, bring the ultimate elegance no matter the
backdrop.
When the sun goes down and the lights of the city or suburbs come up, it’s always so much
prettier and dreamier than indoors. And nothing feels more refreshing than a night spent
outdoors, plus the fresh air is meant to reduce the hangover. So win-win!
2
Bring People Together
People enjoy themselves more when they get to know someone new and don’t feel spare
grabbing for conversation. As the host, help people find their common ground by introducing
your guests with a starter conversation topic. It also takes the pressure off you to have to
juggle a million conversations all night long.
Use informative introductions to get conversations flowing… example: “Hey Doug, have you
met Letitia? She recently hiked in South America, aren’t you into hiking too?” Or “Claire meet
Imran. Claire’s just come back from working a year in Germany, did you also live there for a
while, Imran?
Giving people common ground to start a conversation makes it so much easier and puts
everyone at ease.
If you’re looking for a light “read” while you get ready for your next party, why not listen to:
Brunch Is Hell: How to Save the World by Throwing a Dinner Party by Brendan Francis
Newnam and Rico Gagliano. Free on audible if you use our link: alux.com/freebook
3
Create Ambiance With Lighting
No one needs to sit in bright white office lighting all night long, so consider the lighting when
you’re hosting an event. Lower light, but not too low, makes people feel more relaxed and
sets a good vibe.
If you only have bright overhead lights then bring some lamps into the corners of your room,
and then use candles on the dinner table. If you’re hosting a more mingling cocktail evening,
then place dot candles around thoughtfully so that people can see where the drinks and
snacks are.
It’s always great to light your bathroom with candles when you host a party. It just brings the
atmosphere through and is classy AF.
4
Invest in Great Dinner Wear
You’re probably not going to buy the “Good China” and silverware you want in one fowl
swoop. If you choose a classic range you know they will keep making, then there is no rush.
Over time you can slowly invest in a classic dinner set that will serve you your whole life. Plus,
the bonus of going classic is that if you break a few pieces you can easily top up the set again
without having to start all over.
If you aim to impress with keeping these kinds of things standard, then host smaller parties at
first. Dinner for 2, or just 4, whatever you can afford. Once you have 4 of everything you can
start to aim to have 6 of everything and so on.
Most towns and cities have rental companies who rent out dinnerware and it’s affordable. And
if you aren’t hosting people more than once a month it might be better to just hire as you go.
This way you get what you need, and you don’t have to wait to host big numbers.
5
Keep It Simple
Now for the catering: if you want to be the perfect host, start by checking if your guests have
any special dietary needs. From there you can plan. Rather than making them a whole
separate meal try to find recipes that can work for everyone. Unless you are serving soup, or
something cold, then doing a 3 course meal can really be hard to juggle. Plan according to
the space and the appliances you have. Don’t get ahead of yourself with a 27-step main meal
that you saw on MasterChef, keep it simple and it will turn out to be delicious.
Sometimes finger snacks on arrival serve you better than a starter because you and the
guests can mingle. Or set out a lush harvest table of fruits, bread and cheese. Let your guests
build their own plates and graze, this also means you don’t have to worry too much about
dietary requirements because generally there is something for everyone.
If you’re serving dinner hot, then warm your plates to make it way easier to keep the food
warm as you dish. Rope in a friend to help you plate everything. Serving everyone their plate
at the same time is always a nice way to create a relaxed social meal, plus you can sit down
and enjoy the moment.
If it’s an evening of drinking then don’t put too much emphasis on dessert. Coffee and a
chocolate is usually enough. Even then you might not have many takers.
If you do go with a plated dessert then don’t be offended if the party winds down soon after,
as the sweet ending usually sends everyone into a dozy food coma and ready for home,
which isn’t always a bad thing when you’re a tired host.
6
Be Thoughtful in the Mix
Planning a party often starts with realizing you haven’t seen so and so in ages and you
extend an invite to have them around to kick off a meet-up. Then you might suddenly recall
another friend who you wanted to see, and then some lonely guy at work who you promised
you would invite around. Before you know it you’re hosting a table of a motley crew of misfits
and a staggered conversation that everyone wants to get away from. More on that next.
Consider the friends you invite. While it might be nice to extend an olive branch to an
awkward guy at the office, it might be a stretch for them to meet a whole group of friends for a
sit down evening. A casual drink after work is probably less threatening for them. In the same
way if you know one friend tends to get really wasted and want to party, while others are less
inclined and prefer rigorous discussions, then don’t pair them together for an evening of
intimate dining.
7
Plan Your Seating
This might seem over the top, but a seating plan puts everyone at ease. Simple name cards
at places are perfect to guide everyone where to sit. Not only does it let guests avoid the
awkward where-to-sit-moment, and then shuffling up to fit a couple next to each other, and
avoid two exes from being seated next to each other and all those avoidable hiccups. It also
allows you to seat people together with like-interests and spark more pleasant and interesting
conversations for your guests.
If you don’t you might be halfway through the meal when you realize by way of a screaming
match, that two people seated next to each other have very vocal and opposite opinions on
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. And that’s when things get awkward.
While we don’t shy away from the tough topics as Aluxers, there is a time and place for a
heated debate, and addressing these issues with people you just met, can get fiery quickly
and you might lose friends.
Great parties can just happen, but mostly they are well curated by the host, and that starts
with the guest list.
8
Don’t Underestimate the Entertainment
If you’re going all out and hosting a big party, then some live entertainment can be a huge hit.
We don’t mean live goldfish in vases; please don’t do that, it’s kitsch and they die.
If you were thinking of hiring a sound system and just playing some tunes off your phone, you
might want to call around and see how much music entertainers actually cost. Most of them
come with their own music system, so it isn’t such a major price difference to hire them
instead.
Still consider the playlist you will put on after their shift ends, and check that they will wait until
after the party to clear their gear. Music maketh the meal, or party, so don’t leave it as an
afterthought. More on that later.
9
Know Thy Wine
If you plan on playing perfect host, you should brush up a little on your sommelier skills. We
don’t expect you to be able to open a bottle of bubbly with a sword, but that’s really cool if you
do.
Have a little read about the wine you are serving your guests. Or if it’s BYOB (bring your own
booze) then a welcome cocktail or a nice night cap or something special you can introduce to
your guests is a touch of class in a glass.
Ever wondered how costly a bottle of wine could be? Check out the Top 10 Most
Expensive Bottles of Wine in the World.
10
Get Your Table Settings Straight
Having a great guest list, table plan and a delicious meal is all good, but to add perfection, the
devil is in the details. Add absolute class by having the right cutlery and glassware on the
table to serve your guests. This also means less jumping up and down to get a water glass,
and a napkin and a side plate etc.
When you plan your meal, plan what dinnerware you need. Then hire, borrow, or buy it
beforehand. A common mistake is forgetting you need two sets of cutlery for a starter and
main meal. If your guests need to use the same pair for both, make sure they have a side
plate to rest them on between courses.
If you’re serving wine or a specific drink try to have the right glassware, it’s easy enough to
Google the right glass and then rent it locally. Some liquor stores offer free glass rental if you
buy from them.
11
Dress Like the Host With the Most
The perfect host shouldn’t look frazzled and have gravy dripping down their shirt. Whatever
you plan to do, make sure you give yourself enough time to get food and venue ready and to
get yourself ready.
That means enough time to glam up for the occasion and have a minute of downtime to calm
the nerves so that you can shine like the perfect host you are.
If you need some tips on always looking dapper as hell, check out our video: 15 Ways to Put
Together A Proper Wardrobe.
12
If Music Be the Food of Love Play On!
Music is powerful and sets the tone. Don’t leave creating playlists to the last minute. Use your
daily commute or waiting in line to start crafting the perfect play list, song by song. Decide
what the soundtrack of your party sounds like. Is it jazz or classical music, modern pop or
house? Do you want to rev up the night to end up dancing, or do you want to wind down to
happy sighs and comfortable silence among close friends?
Whatever picture you have in your mind, have the music to match the perfect evening.
13
Paper or Fabric?
Napkin, serviette, napery, handkerchief, towelette, or doily. No matter what you call them,
your party will need them. One thing is for sure, in the case of classy dining and napkins:
always go fabric. The heavier the fabric the classier.
Reserve paper napkins for informal cocktail parties and backyard barbecues.
14
Stay Seasonal
When you’re planning your menu and cocktails that require fruit of veg, always stay seasonal.
Unless you’re a sucker for a scavenger hunt across the city trying to find some obscure
ingredient, it is better to stay with what you know is in season. This will also ensure you don’t
pay obscene amounts for something that usually is cheap as chips.
When it comes to seasonal, also play to the strengths of the season. Don’t serve cold food in
winter, keep it cosy with soups, roasts and baked pudding recipes. In summer, keep it light
and fresh like salads, Gazpacho and homemade sorbet.
15
Be Yourself
The best way to be the perfect host, is to be yourself. When your guests see you being
relaxed and enjoying yourself, they will also be relaxed and comfortable to be themselves.
This is what really leads to a great occasion with tons of laughter and plenty of fun.
So, equipped with this knowledge go out there Aluxers and be the perfect host, the host with
the most, the hostess ninja you were born to be.
Question
What is the worst host fail you have ever experienced?
What is the most stand out quality you appreciate in a host?
15 Biggest Career Mistakes

31 OCTOBER 2020
BRIONY SPARG
Rarely Do We Realize the Impact Our Careers Have on Us and Our Lives.
Here Are 15 Blunders to Watch Out For.
Let’s just start by putting it out there that there is no such thing as a career path. It’s more like
a career cha-cha, but where no one knows the exact moves but we’re all going along with it
anyway.
One thing is for sure: if you’re not making mistakes, you’re probably not progressing. Mistakes
are going to happen; it is part of the process. What really matters is learning from them.
So we have put together a list of 15 of the biggest career mistakes, and how to avoid them.
This way you can learn from them before they happen to you.
Careers aside, the most common mistake an Aluxer makes is reading a long article when
there’s a fun video ready to be played:
With that marked off, let’s learn about the first career mistake on the list.
1
Thinking There Is an Escalator to the Top
A career today is like a game of snakes and ladders. Just when you feel you’re getting ahead
you get taken right back to square one and have to start over. Then one day you’re going
along and a golden opportunity shoots you back up to a whole different level that you didn’t
see coming. Climbing the corporate ladder is now more like a “jungle gym” in the words of
CEO of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg.
Progression isn’t always well-defined, and there isn’t just one clear list of titles to get to the
top. You need to be willing to move sideways, maybe a little backwards, and when a door
opens run through it like there is no tomorrow. It takes a little shimmy shimmy ah to the top
nowadays.
2
Coasting
Have you ever found yourself in a job and then you just start coasting? It’s great for your
personal life, but it spells disaster for your career. It’s not enough to get comfortable with your
job deliverables and plod along day in day out if you are looking to advance. You need to take
control of your career future. It’s a competitive job market, and job relevancy is always
changing.
Even if you do find your work easy and are delivering 100%, you should be using your spare
energy to up skill and educate yourself. Ready yourself for your next position or be prepared
for a shift in the job market.
3
Stuck in a Dead End Job and No Plan
Ranking far higher than salary and benefits these days is the opportunity for upward mobility
or an opportunity to expand your career. If the role you are in has nowhere to go, then what
are you doing? It might be time to move horizontally to another company that offers a lower
salary but more opportunities to grow or move upwards.
Perhaps the reason you are stuck is that you don’t really know where you are going, it’s a
common career mistake. Each successful career person had a plan, and sure it might not
have all panned out, but knowing that they weren’t at the final destination yet is what keeps
ambitious people advancing.
Your plan shouldn’t just be a trajectory for where you want to land up, but also a detailed plan
on how you will get there. What exact steps do you need to take to move towards your goal.
Perhaps you need to upgrade your degree. Or just take opportunities for training and
conferences in your field keeping you up to date. Whatever it is, outline it in a plan because
your future you, is worth it.
We have a video on transforming your passion to a business. But first, check out 15
Things to Consider Before Quitting Your Job and Starting Your Own Business.
4
Hating What You Do
We get that we all have financial obligations, but the need to work in a job you hate can’t cost
you your mental health. The average person spends a third of their life at work. That’s far too
long to be miserable.
Thinking that you are trapped is the farthest thing from the truth. Begin to make strategic
moves to improve your situation. Perhaps you want to address the problem and improve the
current situation. Maybe it is time to expand your side hustles, or it could just be time to move
on.
5
Not Being in Control of Your Own Career Choices
We have all watched a hundred movies or soap operas with the same plot: Rich kid has to
work in his parent’s successful business and resents it completely. Then he finds love, or
dance or a moral conscience and stands up to his stiff upper lip dad and leaves. And they all
live happily ever after.
You might not be trustafarian with scrooge for a dad, but sometimes family and friends can
have a big influence on your career. Before you know it you’re nowhere near your dream
come true.
Take a look at who you might be influenced by. Next time you have a decision to make, give
yourself your own time and space to make it without their meddling. You have to live with the
decisions every day, not them.
Trust yourself and your instinct. Stick around because there is more on instinct later.
6
Staying in Your Lane
There is no reason to think that you are stuck in a specific path for the rest of your life, it is a
destructive career mistake. You don’t have to go back to school and get a whole different
qualification to change industries, you can transition gradually.
Even if you love what you do you might have to upskill or re-skill. If you aren’t happy in the
career you’re in, there is no reason to start moving lanes right away. Simply considering your
move and starting to listen to podcasts on the topic will begin to help your mind manifest
solutions to make your move.
If you have trouble keeping control of your mind, why not sign up for our MindMastery Course.
Find it at alux.com/mindmastery
7
Not Dressing for Success
First impressions count, and while we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, in business it is still
part of the culture.
Having a well put together look that your colleagues and boss can rely on, will make you a
first choice for opportunities to represent the company. And these are what will advance your
career at the end of the day.
When you are interviewed, meeting with superiors or a new client, be sure your appearance is
all that and more, it can make or break or break the success of the meeting.
Need more tips on how to dress the part, check out our 15 Ways to Put Together A Proper
Wardrobe
8
Leaving Your Boss Out of the Loop
Your boss is not your mortal enemy when it comes to career advancement. In fact, if you
leverage the relationship they could help you achieve the next stage of your career.
Build a good relationship with the superiors where you work. Look to them for advice and
share with them where you aim to be in a year, 5 years and over your whole career life. Listen
and heed their advice. Even if they aren’t your favourite person, they will have some advice to
share whether good or bad, either way you can learn.
If you have a good boss, then the chances are they will be keen to see you succeed and help
where they can.
9
Not Keeping up With the Changes in Your Market
The world is not fixed, it is constantly changing and evolving, just like your job market. Failure
to keep up with the changing market will mean that you’re making a career mistake that will
sooner or later keep you from delivering what is relevant and current in your field. It’s not
good enough to get a degree and think that learning is over. Short courses in later practices,
refresher classes and conferences all help you stay in touch with the broader picture in your
industry, what the best practices are and where it is heading.
Don’t underestimate the value of joining regional business forums and subscribing to
international newsletters to keep a localised as well as a global edge on the career market
you’re in.
10
Not Knowing the Numbers That Count
Do you know how much you are worth to your company? Have you ever explored how they
value and decide on salary packages? In most companies or industries there is a formula that
is followed. X percent of the value of projects you will manage or bring in. Or perhaps it is
based on an industry norm, or a scale of experience. Either way, it is good to be in the know
of how you are remunerated so you can understand the maths.
Then it’s time to be frank with yourself: are you earning enough?
Firstly to maintain the lifestyle you want and need, within reason of course. And secondly are
you being remunerated according to your value and skill level?
Based on these answers you will need to decide whether you need to up skill yourself to earn
higher, or have you reached the cap of earning at the job you are in, or do you need to ask
your boss for a raise. None of these tasks should scare you. All of these are a reasonable and
normal part of navigating career advancement. If you add value then you should be
remunerated. If you want more money you need to ensure you add value to cover that
amount. It’s simple, don’t overthink it. Go in confident and make money moves.
11
Throwing Away the Key
It sounds good in theory to make a big gesture to let the job you’re leaving know what a pain
in the ass they were. But what good will really come from it?
No matter how you leave a job, on good or bad terms, it’s better to try make nice before you
leave. You never know if your current boss might show up later on as your senior again. Or
one of your work colleagues could end up in a company you want to be hired at and tell the
story of your malevolent exit.
Co-workers are a good group to stay firm with. At the end of the day it is more likely than not
that your paths will cross again soon. And if not, it’s always nice to have friends in the same
industry who understand what work throws at you.
12
Not Working Networking
I don’t care who you are, where you’re from, what you did…you still need to network.
Underestimating the importance of connections is one of the worst career mistakes. Perhaps
it doesn’t seem like an immediate fit, in this universe of energy conspiring for our benefit, you
never know what will lead to something else.
In case you don’t know where or how to start, we made you a crash course in a video: Why is
NETWORKING so important?
13
Missing Out on Mentorship
If you have your sights sets on a top job, and like most Aluxers you don’t plan on taking the
long route there, then it is advisable that you get a mentor.
A mentor is such a valuable relationship to have. It also helps that you will have someone in a
high position who can pull some strings to make things happen. But more importantly they are
a good sounding board, can offer support and the right introductions for you to make big
strides in your career.
Identify someone that you admire in your field that you know you can learn from. And then go
about trying to get them to sign up to mentor you. We made a video about this too: 15
Reasons Why You Should Have a Mentor
14
Underestimating Your Intuition
A hunch, your inner voice, a gut feel, whatever you call your intuition, it’s best to heed the
inner warning. Obviously only if what the voice is saying is rational, but we didn’t need to
remind our sensible Alux fam of that, did we?
A healthy mix of reason and instinct will make sure that you are guided to better decision
making that you will be able to live with. And this isn’t all mumbo-jumbo, this is tested by
science. A study by the New Jersey Institute of Technology surveyed hundreds of business
managers for intuitive abilities. Those with superior intuition were good decision makers. So
driving with your intuition locked in the trunk, Aluxers, that’s a blinding career mistake.
15
Underemployed for Life
The job market is tough, so it’s not unusual to take a job in a good company, in a lower
position than what you qualify or are skilled for.
But once you are in, it’s not time to settle in and forget your goal and start coasting. This is
where having clear goals helps. Remind yourself often that this was just a way in. Make sure
you are included in good projects, and try to be noticed by those who would be part of the
team recruiting for the job you ideally want.
Take a combination of the advice from this article, like get a mentor, share your career goals
with your boss, dress for success and network to make sure that this is just a steppingstone
and not a full stop.
15 Best Street-Smarts Secrets
18 JULY 2021
EMIL ANTON
You Need to Be Street Smart to Live a Successful Life. Here Are the Best
Street Smarts Secrets.
It doesn’t matter how book smart you are.. Statistically speaking, when it comes to getting the
job done, street smarts almost always outperforms book-smarts? Why? Because street
smarts is anchored in reality while book smarts is anchored in theory!
That’s why we always encourage you guys to get both!
By the end of this piece you should have a good idea of how streets smarts can be applied in
business and life.
With that said, here are 15 Best Street Smarts Advice!
1
Don’t Make It Easy for Them
The first thing you learn is to never be an easy target in life. Don’t walk around all vulnerable
and expect the predators to ignore you. A little paranoia goes a long way when you grow up in
shady neighborhoods.
In business and in life, predators always go for the low hanging fruit. That’s not where you
want to be. Your place is at the top, become a hard to get target and they jackals will ignore
you because you’re simply too much work.
2
Look Like a Threat or at Least like You Will Fight Back
Every gable we make in life is based on the risk – reward ration. If the reward is big enough,
somebody out there is willing to take the risk. Increase the risk of people screwing with you.
That’s why the rich always bring the bus of lawyers with them to court. It scream out don’t
mess with me for hell will rain on you.
In everyday life you want to be bold, but not so much that you’re issuing a challenge. This is a
very important distinction you learn out in the world. Once again, if you seem like the risk of
things going south is there, they’d rather go for someone else, that low hanging fruit we
mentioned.
3
Carry Cash Outside of Your Wallet
We learned this when negotiating with a gypsy woman when we were younger. We were
bargaining for something and, while negotiating, we pulled out our wallet that had more than
enough money to pay the amount she was asking.
Revealing how much money you have obliterates any negotiation.
That’s when we learned 2 valuable lessons:
1. Never disclose what your buying power is
2. Keep some cash separate, just in case you need it for small transactions. You don’t want
everyone to see your hundred dollar bills.
Also, here’s something a pickpocketer once taught us:
Always put your wallet sideways in your pocket so it gets stuck if trying to pull it out. Most
pickpockets can tell where and how easy you wallet is to reach and they’ll always go for the
easy targets.
4
Money That Has Left Your Hand Is No Longer Yours
This right here, is straight up facts! The same goes for your bicycle or for playing ball.
Some of you learned this lesson the hard way didn’t you?!
The opposite is also true: a deal is done only when the money is in your hand.
Pay attention to how money is changing hands because:
Money is never actually yours, it’s just your turn to hold it!
5
They’re All in It Together
Ever watched a group of hustlers do the 3 card monty on the corner? There’s the guy who’s
shuffling the 3 cards and then there are the folks pretending to win. This is a classic set up.
In business and in life you’ll find this type of set up meant to trap you. Don’t take the bait.
6
If You Get Arrested: SHUT THE F**K UP & Call Your Lawyer
This is by far the most valuable legal advice there is. Shut the hell up!
Always be polite, don’t offer any kind of information. Ask if you are free to go or if you are
being detained and until the moment you can call your lawyer, you keep your mouth shut.
They even say it to you upfront: Everything you say can and will be used against you!
So don’t give them anything to use against you.
7
If Someone Asks You What Time It Is, Keep Walking
C’mon guys, we live in the age of the internet and smartphones, everyone knows what time it
is.. Just keep walking.
Depending on how bad the neighbourhood you grew up in is, you might even have people
ask you about your shoe size.. That’s when you know you have to move the hell out.
8
It’s Not What You Know, But Who
This one has to do with power plays. Growing up in a corrupt country teaches you this first
hand, unless you know someone in the right places, you’re not getting the problem solved
quickly. You know what we’re talking about right?!
This power dynamic can also get you out of trouble. Name dropping is a very powerful
weapon, it open the right doors either for you to enter or exit through.
9
Always Thug Hard at the Plastic Card Reader When Using an
ATM
One thing you learn growing up street smart, is to be a bit paranoid. To this very day, if we
have to use an ATM we thug had at the plastic cover over the slot where you put the card in.
We’ve seen first hand how the operation works, where they install a card cloner on top of the
real reader in order to steal your info.
This happens in business as well, especially with contracts. The more time we spent talking to
our attorney the more complex our contracts have become. You never want to leave any
doors open for intruders + you want to make sure that somebody else didn’t leave one open
for themselves to come after you.
Speaking of credit cards and having your info stolen..
10
Scammers Will Use Anything to Get to Your Money
4 months ago we let youtube know that a new scam is going around on their platform. The
scam is simple. Scammers create fake accounts with our logo and a name fairly similar to
ours and spam reply to comments pretending to be us and inviting you to talk to us about
investing your money on whatsapp… like we would ever do business on whatsapp.
We reported them to YouTube. Blocked their pages, but they kept coming back. We even
offered YouTube a simple technical solution which would flag anyone who replies 3 times or
more with the exact same text, but they wouldn’t listen.
Now, we assume you guys are smart enough to realise that these aren’t the real ALUX, or
whichever influencer you follow that’s being targeted by these scammers, but we were
shocked to find out that people are sending them money.
So here’s one piece of advice: NEVER SEND MONEY TO ANYONE YOU DON’T KNOW
PERSONALLY! Every product we sell is sold through our website.
These scammers are getting more sophisticated by the day. They use email scams to get
cookies on your computer and track your activity. Which is why for the past 4 years we’ve
been using a VPN to hide our online activity for anyone who’s looking our way. We reached
out to the company we use, NordVPN, and they have an exclusive offer for the alux
community. Go to alux.com/vpn
If you move fast, you can get 73% off a 2-year plan. That’s the bargain of a century. Go
to alux.com/vpn and start protecting yourself online.
11
If You Withdraw a Large Amount of Money from the Bank, Put
the Money Bag inside a Retail Store Bag
This concept is about construding wealth. The more money you have the less you want to
actually show it. We keep saying the money is loud but wealth whispers!
You don’t need to put a target on your back. Just keep living your life, be happy and don’t
waste time trying to flex on people you don’t even like.
12
Test People’s Character before You Trust Them
You give your friend $5 for something… do they give it back?
Do people talk you up or down behind your back?
Growing up around inconsistent values, you get a forced education into reading body
language and small behavioral traits. We can call out a side-eye in your sleep.
If you can’t trust someone with little money, you most certainly can’t trust them with a lot. By
the way, this applies to you as well.
If you don’t know how to handle $1000,
You most certainly can’t handle $100,000.
13
Know That Not Everything Shiny Is Gold
Anyone ever tried the gold ring scam on you? That’s when somebody comes to you holding a
gold ring saying you must’ve dropped it. After you say no, they still offer it to you as a gift and
maybe you’ll give them something in return. You take a look at it and it seems like a genuine
gold ring so you give them some money and walk with your newfound treasure, only to realise
you’ve been scammed.
Rule number 1. Nobody is stupid enough to give you the treasure when they can keep it
themselves.
Rule number 2. If you didn’t earn it, don’t take it!
The first rule speaks to human nature and the second rule speaks to who you are as a
person.
Investing in gold is kind of outdated now, check out 15 Reasons Why Crypto is Gold
2.0
14
Always Know Where the Closest Exit Is
For your own sake and that of those you care for, always have an exit plan. This is both true
in life and business. If things go well you don’t have to worry about it, but as experience
taught us, things are not going to go in your favor 100% of the time, so you best get ready.
That law of averages will make the pendulum swing back anytime now.
This is the thing that made us be prudent and disciplined with our investments. What if Alux
disappears tomorrow? What do we do then? We have our other investments in companies
that we advise in. What if those go away as well?
That’s why we have our real estate to provide for us and our stock portfolio that can be
liquidated for cash.
Always have a way out. Failure to plan = planning to fail!
15
You Can Always Cut a Deal
Booksmart people have no idea what emotional intelligence is and how important it is to talk
to people like humans are supposed to. Everytime you’re dealing with a human, there’s a deal
to be made. We learned this from our Arab friends.
Everything in life is negotiable!
You just have to ask for the negotiation to begin.
Question:
We have so many more street smarts examples, but come on, we want to hear yours!
What is something you learned in the real world that they don’t teach in a book?
Throw the most valuable street smarts in the comments and let’s see how educational your
upbringing was!
15 Brutal Truths about Life Everyone Learns in Their

20s
10 SEPTEMBER 2021
BRIONY SPARG
You Learn Many Important Life Lessons in Your 20s. Here Are 15 of the
Most Brutal Life Truths That You Learn.
Your 20s are so much fun. If you’re doing it right, you’ll be stepping out into financial
independence, connecting with your social tribe and finding out what you are really good at,
and what makes you tick.
But there are some crushing truth bombs that also land on you in your 20s, the type of thing
you wish someone might have prepared you for in school. But here at Alux, we’ve got your
back and together we can help make these truths slightly less brutal.
If you like motivational content that moves you ahead in life then don’t forget to Subscribe to
our channel and click the bell icon to be the first to know when we post new content.
Don’t be brutal on yourself by trying to read this boring article till the end. Switch out to the fun
video version of this article:
Okay, so let’s rip it like a band aid, here are 15 Brutal Truths About Life Everyone Learns in
their 20s.
1
Nothing Is Free
Yup, this one is probably the one we all start noticing as soon as you start paying for
everything yourself. Everything costs money. Even the things you didn’t think about. Like a
dish drying rack, or new car tyres, or a hook to hang a picture on your wall. Yup, there are no
free tickets when it comes to living independently.
Thankfully a lot of these things you will keep for life, so accumulate quality items that you
really like and you won’t have to replace.
2
Life Isn’t Fair
This one’s another doozy. Suddenly your moms not there to make sure everyone gets the
same amount of M&M’s or that the chores are equally divided. You might be in a house share
situation with total slobs, and a “beat em or join em” is going to mean you live in squalor.
Same goes for your “luck”, maybe it’s not fair you didn’t get the job, or your girlfriend moved
towns and broke up with you, or that your car got towed. But saying “it’s not fair” doesn’t give
you more control over the situation, it gives you less. If you’re older than 12, time to ditch that
phrase for something more becoming of your age.
3
You Don’t Get a Prize for Participation
Showing up isn’t enough. All those participation prizes in school were a lie. The world doesn’t
just give you a prize for showing up. Showing up with a great idea, a novel approach, a new
skill, yes. But just rocking up and thinking the world will rain money and opportunities and
prizes is a lie.
Sadly, in line with this, just getting a degree doesn’t guarantee you a job. It’s what you do with
your degree, how you are able to sell your skill and prove that with that degree and your skills
and personality you are a great addition to a team.
4
Doing Your Best Has Nothing to Do With Succeeding
Another dumb piece of advice kids get fed is “just do your best.” That is the worst idea ever,
unless your best is A-aggregate worthy. Otherwise, you can do better.
And while your mom, and maybe even your teacher will tell you that you did a great job,
success in the real world is based on much more than your best effort.
What does spell success? Well, first off, you need to do what is required. If your boss wants
everyone to draw up a quarterly expense report and you paint a brilliant picture of an octopus,
then your best is still wrong. Next up, once you know what the instruction is, you need to ace
it. Complete the task on time, accurately and of the highest quality. Now you’re getting closer
to the prize.
If you want to be successful, don’t forget to check out 10 Most Important CORE
VALUES for SUCCESS.
5
Sitting on Your Butt in an Office Everyday Will Lead To Weight
Gain
Now that you have your first job and aren’t walking between classes every hour, playing
varsity soccer and dancing until 2am twice a week, you’re going to notice you’re getting unfit.
Add that to the sitting 8 hours a day in front of a computer in an office and you’re going to
notice your jeans are a lot tighter.
The brutal truth is that you’re going to have to adjust your calorie consumption to suit your
more sedentary activity levels. French fries eaten in your car in the work parking lot are a lot
different to sharing a plate with 4 friends in the cafeteria. Don’t fool yourself, you didn’t eat
and move the same when you were younger.
6
Maintaining Stuff Costs More than You Think
Scraping together the bucks to buy a new washing machine or a car is only the start of the
costs. It’s a brutal truth when you realise just how much maintaining all these items costs.
Servicing, fuel and electricity, having the right soap and replacing parts is all super expensive.
Maintaining your health and your social life also needs finances. Be sure you have enough
money set aside to be able to join your friends on a holiday or get an Xray if you need one.
You shouldn’t have to choose, both are important.
Give yourself a maintenance savings account so that these things don’t crush you.
7
Don’t Dwell On What Didn’t Work Out
Some things fail. Relationships, jobs, projects. Sometimes it’s your fault, sometimes it’s not.
It’s hard to realise that there is often little success in mulling over your failures forever. Once
you have identified what didn’t work that’s about all you can get out of the flaming wreckage.
It’s time to learn and move on.
It wasn’t for you. Whatever the reason. Stop with the cycle of going back over in repeat and
regroup yourself. Now move ahead.
8
You Don’t Actually Know SH*T
They say, “Hire a teenager, while they still know everything,” because when you hit your 20s it
becomes crushingly apparent you don’t know everything. This is normal.
The truth is you only know what you know and it can be quite brutal to accept. So, eat a little
humble pie and listen up.
Realising this young is a gift, it means you will have an openness to onboard new knowledge,
and you have the advantage of many years ahead of you. The sooner you realise you know
nothing, the longer you have to learn what you don’t know.
We believe life-long learners become the happiest, most successful people out there, and if
you’d like to constantly learn and grow, learning how to learn is… pretty vital.
That’s why we created our new online course called, Learning Mastery where we’ll teach you
how to grow your knowledge, stack unique skills and use them to thrive.
Learning Mastery goes live this weekend at alux.com/courses.
9
You Often Have to Work through the Pain
Unlike your mom, your boss is less easy to con and get off your deadline responsibilities with
a fake cold. And even if you do, your problem will be right there waiting for you when you
return to work. In your 20s you suddenly have to work if you’re tired, sick or even sad.
Sure, some companies offer sick days, but that doesn’t mean that they encourage you taking
them. It’s a brutal truth, but even if your partner breaks up with you, or your cat dies, you will
be expected to report to work.
10
Things Don’t Always Go as Planned
You might have had your whole life planned out with great love and success, big bank
accounts and bigger adventure, and by your mid 20s it might not all be shaping up. But that
was probably a younger 18-year-old you, making these plans. Someone with no real-life
experience or wisdom on how things work, or cost for that matter.
So, things don’t always go as planned -but that’s okay. Because your previous plans might
need some adjusting as you go. And growing up is about learning to master things on the run.
The best way to succeed is to be willing to change and adjust your plans and goals as you
gain knowledge and experience.
11
Leaving the Office Doesn’t Always Mean Leaving Work Behind
There are few jobs where you clock out at 5pm on Friday and not think about work again until
Monday.
Emails are on our phones, time zones are international, and remote teamwork is around the
clock. There will be calls you need to take, or a big client’s emergency that you will need to
attend to. You might have to miss brunch or stay late a few nights or take a call at a bad time.
And sometimes inspiration will strike in the middle of the night and keep you from sleep.
That’s all part of building a career.
Which brings us to the next point:
12
There Is No Real Truth in Work-Life Balance
Like Sheryl Sandberg, the COO or Facebook explains: “there’s no such thing as work-life
balance. There’s work, and there’s life, and there’s no balance.”
The balance is realising that when work is hectic, you will have to substitute some of your free
time to make up the extra work hours. When work is slow, enjoy a rich home or social life.
Riding the season that you find yourself in, is the best kind of balance you can hope for.
Don’t wait for your time to suddenly be perfectly divided and everything to stick to it’s time
slot.
13
Drama Doesn’t End
Drama isn’t exclusive to the school playground. In your 20s you might realise that you’re
experiencing the same childish dynamics you thought you left behind in your teens. The brutal
truth is that drama is more a personality type than an age group.
But you now have the power to make choices that remove you from it or reduce it. You can
distance yourself from people and situations that cause it. You don’t have to be at every
family gathering if it is toxic, and you don’t have to sit through unhealthy conversations or
spaces.
Basically, you can summarise this new mindset in our next points title:
14
Be True to Who You Are
Now that you have some living under your belt you probably realised that no one’s going to do
a better job at living your life than you. Or as Steve Jobs put it: “Your time is limited, so don’t
waste it living someone else’s life.” Your friends, parents or partner can’t actually influence
how you live your life, even if you feel stuck in their expectations of you. Know that you have
the freedom to walk out the door and into who you really are right now.
You probably don’t need to be that dramatic, but just knowing that can be the freedom you
need to live your truth!
15
This Is Your Life Right Now
This life isn’t a test, a dress rehearsal or optional. This is the one you have been selected for,
at this very time, at this very age and with all that is going on. Life is what you have right now,
it’s doesn’t only begin when you reach your future goals.
There won’t be some big announcement when you can begin having fun, or when to take
things seriously. You kind of just have to live your way through it and figure that out as you
go. Don’t forget to live today.
And that Aluxers, is true gold in advice. Remember, subscribe for our amazing videos and hit
that bell notification to get alerts instantly.
Question:
What was the most brutal truth you learnt in your 20s, or maybe learnt too late?

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