Did You Hear About Ear Coning?

If you haven't heard, maybe it's because you need to have your ears coned. Also known as "ear candling", this particular procedure has been performed through the centuries by many cultures. However, this was my first experience with ear coning.

It's easy to be skeptical with a practice that claims it can keep you from being sick and rids your body of toxins and bacteria as well as ear wax. I was unsure myself, but was willing to try it just to have an educated opinion about it.

I went to Exquisite Hair Designs and Bodywerks where Sharon happily invited me into her treatment room. This is where she does facials and massages. It's a very calming room and the restful music definitely added to the atmosphere. Sharon insists on using two cones per ear to ensure the best service. She draped me with a blanket as if I was going to take a nap. Then she put a sheer cloth over my head and shoulders so I wouldn't be distracted by the instruments.



The cone was inserted into my ear and was lit at the other end. I could hear a crackling sound, but my ear canal did not experience any discomfort or other feeling. Once the right ear was done, I turned over and Sharon proceeded with the left ear. I couldn't wait to see what the inside of the cones looked like. It had been a busy day and what should have been an exercise in relaxation was instead filled with anticipation.

After an hour and fifteen minutes, I was done. Looking back, it didn't seem like it took that long because Sharon read me an article about ear coning and my daughter was taking pictures. Both were keeping me entertained. It was finally time to see what supposedly came out of my ear canals. What I saw made me a believer. Here is my thought process: If the cones didn't extract anything from the ear canals, then they would all look relatively similar inside. However, the cones from my right ear were different than the ones from my left ear indicating that one ear was cleaner than the other. In addition, the first cones had more debris than the second cones, indicating that the first cone removed the majority and the second cone removed the remainder.



Yep. Gross, right? Well, let me tell you that although I didn't feel light-headed or "stoned" as some people have experienced, my ears did feel that they had opened up and I could hear better. There you have it, my ear coning testimonial. I would recommend trying it for yourself and making your own judgment. Sharon offers this service for $40 for a limited time. Make an appointment and find out for yourself what people throughout history have sworn by.

Sharon Antonucci
Exquisite Hair Designs and Bodywerks
(949) 631-3183

Faking the Happy

There are times in one’s life when happiness seems like a dream you once had – never to repeat and difficult to remember what it felt like. Life throws out challenges and sometimes they cause you to doubt your ability to persist and endure. It’s times like these that you find yourself asking all the wrong questions. “Why did this happen to me?” or “What did I do to deserve this?” In asking this line of questioning, what kind of answer do you think you will receive?
Internal dialog is more powerful than you think. Going down the road of self-doubt and destructive questioning will only deliver you more unhappiness and discontent. You’ve probably heard the saying “Thoughts Become Things” and dismissed it as ridiculous. How can a thought produce a thing? Let’s analyze the process.

Thought > Action > Result > Thing

On a level of energy, thoughts can also produce results without action. Have you ever had a thought pop into your mind about someone you haven’t talked to in a while? Then, shortly thereafter, the phone rings and it’s the person you were just thinking of? It happens all the time, right? So, why couldn’t it happen with other types of thoughts? If you are thinking today is going to be a bad day, then it probably will. You will be unconsciously looking for all the negative things in your path and will be incapable of dealing with them rationally. On the flip side, if you think the day is going to be productive, you will automatically search out those things that will make it a productive day.

My advice: Fake the Happy. When you are not feeling well or your attitude has taken a turn for the worse, fake it. The more you fake it, the more you start to believe it. Go back to your childhood when you used to pretend. It’s the same thing. If you start make-believing your life is perfect, your actions will follow suit. As a result, you’ll eventually have that perfect life! Let your creative mind surprise you!

Marketing Your Story

I should probably start off by answering the question, "Who Are Marketers?" Marketers are story tellers. A powerful brand is built, not on product, but on a personal message. Therefore, it is crucial that you develop your story. It is your competitive advantage.

Example: Sheldon's Story

Sheldon was born into a poor family and grew up fighting in the streets of Ghettotown, USA. When his brother was shot by a rival gang member, he decided he did no longer wanted to be involved in gang activity. The very next day, he went to the recruiting office and joined the Army. He served several tours during the Gulf war fighting for his country. He thought seriously about re-enlisting, but thought of another way to protect his fellow citizens and also be close to his family. Today, he fights for your financial freedom as an Independent Financial Services Professional.

Would you come to Sheldon’s fund-raiser for a program to get inter-city kids off the streets, off drugs and out of gang activity knowing that he himself grew up in Ghettotown, U.S.A.? That his family was affected by gang activity? You would come to support him because of his own personal story - because it touched you emotionally. This is the element that encourages people to take action.

Recommended Reading:
All Marketers Are Liars: The Power of Telling Authentic Stories - Seth Godin

For more recommended reading, visit my LinkedIn profile.


"With focus, consistent effort and a positive attitude, anything is possible."
- Patty "River of Money" Rivadeneyra