Volume 4 Issue 11

November 1 2014
DONOVAN INSURANCE SOLUTIONS
Conquering your Fears b y P aul Donovan
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Conquering Your
Fears
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The Pink Army 2
Running your
business like the
military
2
Encouragement
Chronicles
3
Match the Lyrics 3
Renovations and
Insurance
4
Insurance News 4
Inside this issue:
A recent article by John Maxwell on the topic of fear got me thinking, what do most
Americans fear? The spread of dread diseases, war, terrorism, the collapse of our
financial system, deteriorating health, our way of life, loneliness, the list is large. Fear
is universal. It crosses all boundaries of race, culture, religion and generation. We all
experience fear. Avoiding it never really makes it go away; we can become paralyzed
or defeated (experiencing fight or flight). So, how should we deal with fear?
1. The foundation of fear - most fear isnt based on fact. Just like the act of worrying, its based
mainly on feelings. Acknowledging that first, allows you to release yourself from its power. One
of our biggest misconceptions is that courage equals a lack of fear. Actually, the opposite is true.
Mark Twain said, Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear not the absence of it.
2. Accept the frailty and brevity of life - We are all going to die sometime and life will often be
hard and painful. Those things are completely out of our control. Accept that reality, then focus on the things we actually
can control. The only thing we have 100% control of is our attitude. Therefore, dont let what you cannot do, interfere
with what you can do.
3. Fear is often the price of progress - As long as I continue to push out into the world, said Susan Jeffers, as long as I
continue to stretch my capabilities and continue to take risks in making my dreams come true, Im going to experience
fear. To do anything of value, we have to take risks and with risk comes fear. Accept it as the price of growth, then
take appropriate risks that can yield great reward.
4. Develop a burning desire that overcomes fear - Sometimes the best way to fight fear is to focus on our reason for
confronting it. Is the goal bigger than the fear? The firefighter runs into the burning building not because hes fearless,
but because he has a calling that is more important than the danger.
5. To fight fear, you must act - Fear stifles our thinking and actions. It creates indecisiveness that results in
stagnation. General George S. Patton said, When you have collected all the facts and fears and made your
decision, turn off all your fears and move ahead! Taking action in the face of fear helps us become more
courageous.
We all have a choice to make, control our fears or be limited by them. Be encouraged, nothing worthwhile is easy to do.
A ship is safe in its harbor, but thats not what ships are for. You don't develop courage by being happy in your
relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
P A G E 2
I N S U R A N C E NE WS Y O U C A N US E
Breast Cancer Awareness
There are many valuable lessons that our businesses could utilize that are taught in our military. Some lessons are
general in nature such as the need for discipline, personal accountability, teamwork and a clearly defined mission.
Others are more specific, heres six of them.
1. Identify your employees strengths. At West Point, Ulysses S. Grant was a poor student but one of the greatest
horsemen ever. Steer your employees away from their weaknesses and decide if youre looking for a scholar or a
horseman before you hire.
2. Define objectives clearly. Do your employees know how the firm defines success in all aspects of the business? This
includes sales, marketing, accounting management and HR. Always communicate metrics that are clear and concise so
that all actions pull towards that end.
3. Identify your key players. Once identified secure their allegiance and help them to thrive.
4. Each campaign is unique. Challenges occur with growth, turn them into learning opportunities. Once a method has
been exhausted search out creative new approaches to resolving issues
5. Maintain a state of readiness. In an ideal world there are no threats and everyone wins, nothing is a problem and
everyone makes lots of money. Reality proves this isnt always true. Use the good times to encourage
preparedness.
6. Commit to change. Adapting to change is a frequent occurrence on the battlefield and also in business.
Encourage and communicate your commitment to change so that youre in a position to seize advantage
when others falter or rest. The military preaches overcoming and adaptability as a method to winning.
If we ran our businesses like the military by Kevin McPoyle
"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the
people to restrain the government, lest it come to dominate our lives and interests." Patrick Henry
As the most common form of cancer found in women, breast cancer is a formidable enemy, but it is one that
can be beat. The Pink Army is enlisting an army of individuals to help create greater awareness about the
life-saving benefits of annual mammograms and early detection, all while having a great time through fun
events. They have created the following tips for reducing breast cancer risk.
- Learn to care for yourself the way you care for others
- Eat a healthy diet and maintain a normal weight
- Follow a balanced diet containing the main food groups (fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy and protein)
- Eat whole grain foods such as whole wheat flour, oatmeal and brown rice
- Take a daily multivitamin
- Limit alcohol intake
- Limit saturated and trans fat intake
- Examine the stress in your life and find ways to reduce them, if possible, with activities such as meditation,
yoga or exercise
- Perform monthly breast self-exams and have an annual physical exam
- Get an annual mammogram beginning at age 40, or earlier if there is family history
When cancer strikes you or a loved one, education is typically the first step in resolving a problem. The Pink Army is
aggressively seeking to help those in need, raise funds to eradicate this disease and raise awareness through education.
If you would like to donate your time, talents or treasure, please go to https://jointhepinkarmy.com
P A G E 3
V O L U M E 4 I S S U E 1 1
Match the Lyrics b y P a u l D onov a n ( j us t t h e me s s e ng e r )
Encouragement Chronicles B y P a ul D o nov a n
In her book The Hug Therapy Book, Kathleen Keating explains how hugging is healthy. It helps the
bodys immune system, keeps you healthier, cures depression and reduces stress. It helps induce stress, its
rejuvenating has no unpleasant side effects and is the ultimate miracle drug. Its organic, naturally sweet,
contains no pesticides, no preservatives, no artificial ingredients is 100% wholesome. Theres no batteries,
no movable parts, no periodic check-ups, inflation proof, non-fattening, no insurance requirements and no
monthly payments. Its theft proof, non-taxable, non-polluting and of course fully returnable. Hugging is no
doubt one of the most naturally therapeutic actions we can engage in. It seems to me that we may owe it to
ourselves and those we love to frequently share this mutually beneficial gift. One word of caution: Hugs
can be contagious and increase valued relationships. Lastly, never, under any circumstances, perform this
action with a bear.
This Classic Rock edition. Guess the artist and the song.

1. Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends. She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys she calls
friends how they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat. Some dance to remember, some dance to forget.
2. Forget your lust for the rich man's gold, All that you need is in your soul, And you can do this if you try. All that I
want for you my son, Is to be satisfied.
3. When I was younger so much younger than today. I never needed anybody's help in any way. But now these
days are gone I'm not so self assured, Now I find I've changed my mind and opened up the doors.
4. I woke up in a Soho doorway a policeman knew my name. He said "You can go sleep at home tonight
If you can get up and walk away.
5. All the vampires walkin' through the valley, move west down Ventura Blvd. And all the bad boys are standing in
the shadows, All the good girls are home with broken hearts.
6. Mine's a tale that can't be told, my freedom I hold dear. How years ago in days of old, when magic filled the air.
T'was in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair. But Gollum, and the evil one crept up and slipped away
with her, her, her
7. There are plenty of ways that you can hurt a man and bring him to the ground. You can beat him, you
can cheat him, you can treat him bad and leave him when he's down. But I'm ready, yes, I'm ready for you
I'm standing on my own two feet out of the doorway the bullets rip, repeating to the sound of the beat.
8. We roll tonight to the guitar bite. Stand up and be counted for what you are about to receive. We are the dealers
we'll give you everything you need. Hail hail to the good times, Cos rock has got the right of way. We ain't no
legends ain't no cause we're just livin' for today.
9. When I'm watchin' my TV, and that man comes on to tell me, how white my shirts can be, but he can't be a man
'cause he doesn't smoke the same cigarettes as me.
10. 'Cause I'm leavin' in the morning and I must see you again. We'll have one more night together til the morning
brings my train and I must go, oh, no, no, no! And I don't know if I'm ever coming home.
11. Talk about things and nobody cares. Wearing other things that nobody wears. Ya callin' my name, but I gotta
make it clear, can't say where I'm gonna be in a year.
12. If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.
Answers on next page
A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. George Bernard Shaw
Money wont make you happy and debt will make you unhappy. Anonymous
Pg. 4
Renovations and Insurance
Its better to shun the bait, than to struggle in the snare. Ravi Zacharias
1. Ebola is spreading throughout the western coast of Africa at pandemic rates. New cases of the deadly virus
are also popping up in Europe and in the U.S. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has come under fire for
not issuing strict protocols on quarantine and treatment of anyone coming into contact with the virus. This
comes after two nurses (with protective gear) have already contracted the disease here in the U.S. With no
readily available cure, tensions remain high for both international and domestic travelers.
2. The Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is one of more than 100 non-polio entero-viruses. Symptoms include mild to severe
respiratory illness, fever, runny nose, sneezing, cough, and body and muscle aches. Severe symptoms may include
wheezing and difficulty breathing. This virus has affected almost 700 children in almost 45 U.S. states contributing
to two fatalities so far.
3. International Dairy Queen, the ice cream chain owned by Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway Inc., said
customer data was compromised by hackers. The breach with the so-called Backoff malware affected 395
of more than 4,500 U.S. locations. Fewer than 600,000 cards were affected, however, Backoff software has
been used to target more than 1,000 businesses, according to the U.S. Secret Service. Dairy Queen said it
will provide identity-repair services for a year to customers of the locations that were struck.
4. Europe has been hammered with heavy rains with northern Italy and southern France receiving the brunt of the
damage. The Bisagno River, one of the largest waterways in the region, overflowed its banks, flooding the city of
Genoa, Italy and killing at least one person, who was swept away.
5. The Pacific ocean classifies their hurricanes as Typhoons So far this season has been very active with 8
major storms causing massive damage. The latest storm on Oct 11 (Vongfong) est damages at $8.4 billion.
Insurance News Making Headlines
Answers to page 3 Trivia: 1. The Eagles -Hotel California, 2. Lynard Skynard -Simple Man, 3. The Beatles -Help, 4. The Who - Who Are
You, 5. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers -Free Fallin, 6. Led Zeppelin -Ramble On, 7. QueenAnother One Bites The Dust, 8. AC/DC
For those about to rock, 9. The Rolling Stones - Satisfaction, 10. The Monkeys - Last Train to Clarksville, 11. Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion,
12. Rush - Freewill
Have you ever considered adding a room to your home or contemplated major renovations to a room in
your home? If so, heres a few tips that you should carefully consider.
I. Before Construction - Hire the right contractor. Most homeowners should never act as their own
General Contractor (GC). They typically dont have the skill set nor the background to confirm that
every step of the process is compliant with building codes and appropriate costs associated with
professional trades. One of the jokes in the military says, remember your weapon was made by the
lowest bidder. You cant base your costs on lowest bid. Professional contractors always have reputations (good
and bad) on budgets, workmanship and scheduling. Always hire based upon references that have been confirmed.
A qualified GC will know the inside scoop on who to trust and who to avoid. Lastly, consider if increased
security, heat/cold protection and sound systems should be built into the budget.
II. During Construction - Worksite safety for the family (including pets), the crew and the home is paramount. If the
family will be living in the space while it is under construction expect the normal routines to be a little chaotic.
Tensions are bound to increase during this time so communicate regularly the time frames during the process.
Confirm that the crew is segregated to work areas only and that cleanliness of the work area is maintained. Dirty
rags tossed in a pile have ignited more than one home during renovations.
III. After Construction - Once the project is completed and the city inspectors have signed off, discuss the appropriate
amounts of insurance with your insurance agent. Notify him/her that there has been a significant increase in the
value of the home due to the project. Its not as simple as adding the cost of the project to the previous amount of
coverage. On many larger projects the cost of the project at the time of start has exponentially increased by the
conclusion of the project. Spending $100,000 in March may be worth $170,000 by the end of November. A
qualified appraiser may be worth the time to accurately provide you with information to make a more informed
decision when increasing values. You will avoid any potential co-insurance penalties and have the peace of mind
that proper protection is in place.
Practice good judgment and educate yourself before you invest.