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The Law Mankind Breaks Everyday

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I was catching up on Oprah (I’m not a daily watcher but come on it’s her last season!) and she did an interview with Tom Shadyac. Don’t know who he is? I didn’t know who he was but I bet you’ve seen his movies before. Ace Ventura, Liar Liar, Nutty Professor, and Bruce Almighty.

 

He is the director for those hit movies and made millions of dollars. He lived the glamourous Hollywood life. Big parties. Private jets. Owned three homes including one 17,000 sq ft home with 17 bathrooms and 13 bedrooms!

 

That is the American dream for most people! That is the picture of success. But is it? Well he wouldn’t be on Oprah now to talk about how much money he has. Oprah’s got him beat!!

 

He came on to talk about his new documentary called I Am. He talked about how living the glamourous Hollywood life made him feel empty. It was a lie to him. He stopped making big Hollywood movies and started searching for the meaning for his life.

 

After a hiatus, he took a crew of 4 people (compared to 400 people for his last movie) to find the answer to two burning questions. What’s wrong with our world? What can we do about it?

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22 Failed Predictions and What To Learn From Them

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Below is a list of predictions made by the so called “experts” who at the time thought they were right. Oh boy were they wrong.

 

Hindsight is 20/20 I know but these people thought things were impossible. Even the experts are wrong too. People who’s opinion you value can be wrong too. They may think you’re flat out crazy with your idea.


What’s the lesson from this? Don’t believe things are impossible. Remember can’t is the cancer of happen. When it’s something you’re passionate about, listen to your gut and just go with it.

 

Thank goodness in these 22 examples no one listened to them.

 

“The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a ‘C’, the idea must be feasible.” - Anonymous Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith’s paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. (Smith went on to found FedEx).

 

“Everything that can be invented has already been invented.” - Director of the U.S Patent Office, 1899.

 

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” – IBM Chairman 1943

 

“Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?” – H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927

 

“To throw bombs from an airplane will do as much damage as throwing bags of flour. It will be my pleasure to stand on the bridge of any ship while it is attacked by airplanes.” – Newton Barker, US minister of defense (1921).

 

“Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You’re crazy.” – Associates of Edwin L. Drake refusing his suggestion to drill for oil in 1859.

 

“Taking the best left-handed pitcher in baseball and converting him into a right fielder is one of the dumbest things I ever heard.” – Tris Speaker, baseball hall of famer, talking about Babe Ruth, 1919.

 

“A rocket will never be able to leave the Earth’s atmosphere.” – New York Times, 1936.

 

“Rail travel at high speed is not possible because passengers, unable to breathe, would die of asphyxia.” – Dr Dionysys Larder (1793-1859)

 

“With over fifteen types of foreign cars already on sale here, the Japanese auto industry isn’t likely to carve out a big share of the market for itself.” – Business Week, August 2, 1968.

 

“Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” - Lord Kelvin, British mathematician and physicist, president of the British Royal Society, 1895.

 

“There will never be a bigger plane built.” – A Boeing engineer, after the first flight of the 247, a twin engine plane that holds ten people.

 

“There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” – Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC), maker of big business mainframe computers, arguing against the PC in 1977.

 

“The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to no one in particular?” – ?Associates of David Sarnoff responding to the latter’s call for investment in the radio in 1921.

 

“Television won’t last because people will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.” - Darryl Zanuck, movie producer, 20th Century Fox, 1946.

 

“I must confess that my imagination refuses to see any sort of submarine doing anything but suffocating its crew and floundering at sea.” – HG Wells, British novelist, in 1901.

 

“The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys.” — Sir William Preece, Chief Engineer, British Post Office, 1878.

 

“The horse is here to stay but the automobile is only a novelty – a fad.” – The president of the MIchigan Savings Bank advising Henry Ford’s lawyer, Horace Rackham, not to invest in the Ford Motor.

 

“There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” - Ken Olson, founder, chairman & president of DEC, 1977.


“We will never make a 32 bit operating system” — Bill Gates

 

“A rocket will never be able to leave the earth’s atmosphere.” - The New York Times, 1936.

 

“Ours has been the first [expedition], and doubtless to be the last, to visit this profitless locality.” - Lt. Joseph Ives, after visiting the Grand Canyon in 1861.

 

Photo by relgar

Would You Be Miserable for $120,000?

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I was watching a news story not too long again in Taipei and they were reporting on one of the most famous restaurants in all of Taipei, Ding Tai Fung. The food is truly amazing and it’s always one of the first things I want to eat when I arrive. There’s always a wait no matter what day of the week. Besides Taipei, there are locations all over the world.

 

Back to my story. They were reporting on the salary of the employees there. The dishwashers made about $1,000 US per month (I know it’s not much but stay with me). In the video it was mostly older ladies doing the washing. Seriously. My fiancé’s mom was watching and said she would totally do that. She would go wash dishes there cause the money was good plus they got six days off a month.

 

It got me thinking. If she’s saying this then there has to be many more people out there thinking the same thing. The money is good so I’ll wash dishes. Forget the duty that is involved. It’s easy and pay is good.

 

<Sidenote: Now the cost of living in Taipei is much cheaper. Minimum wage starts at about $3 an hour. So you can see that $1,000 US can be considered a lot. However don’t think Taipei is a poor city. It’s a bustling metropolitan city.>

 

Let’s make the salary something relatable. If someone paid you to wash dishes and paid you $50,000 a year, hypothetically of course, before taxes would you take it?

 

You’d have to work 6 days a week. It can’t be the weekends cause that’s when it’s the busiest. When friends are out playing, you’re working. The days you work would be from 10am till 10pm. After work, you’re exhausted. You don’t get holidays off because holidays are when the restaurant is most busy. Christmas dinner with the family? Sorry. You’re not doing this just for a month, or a year. You do this for five years or ten years with no promotion. But hey the money is unbelievable!

 

I’m not talking about getting your foot into a 5 star restaurant and you have to wash dishes to move your way up, if that’s what you want. I’m talking about that’s your job. You wash. They pay. Thank you very much.

 

Don’t forget what washing dishes is like. If you’re never done it before, it’s a great way to go on a diet. After seeing all the food that is wasted, scraping it off, and unclogging sinks and drains full of food, you won’t feel like eating. Not to mention you’re standing near a hot dishwasher all day.

 

Sound appealing? According to my fiance’s mom she would. Maybe she didn’t think about it that way.

 

Photo by Striatic

As for me, I wouldn’t do it for $120,000 a year. Screw that. I’ve washed dishes a few times before and it’s miserable. I don’t even like washing dishes at home. Sure that’s a lot of money. I could pay my bills and have money to spend but where is the time when I get to spend that money? When do I get to take a vacation? How can I be proud to be a dishwasher?

 

I understand there’s no dishwashing job that’s going to be pay anywhere near $10,000 a month. The point is the dishwashing job could be any job you despise. It could be a past job. It could be your current job. Long hours. Meaningless. Boring. Unfulfilling. Fill in the blank. “I would not (horrible job) for $120,000.”

 

Money isn’t worth the agony and depression. If you’ve never been in that situation then it’s hard to describe how it feels at the thought of just going to work. Sadly it can get to the point where the thought of death sounds much better.

 

Some people have to take the dishwashing job for minimum wage. It’s all they got. The world needs dishwashers. The world needs garbage collectors. The world needs people stand on the side of the road dancing and holding an advertisement.

 

However if you’re reading this, then I know that does not have to be you. You’re here because you know you’re capable of much more than that. You have the opportunity to do more. Don’t be the one that does something for money.

 

Your well being and happiness is worth much more than a paycheck. Don’t be the one that takes the money while feeling like you’re stuck in prison.

 

Were you in a situation where you walked away from a higher salary cause you hated your job?

Are you in a job now that you wouldn’t stay on even if you were paid more?

Or is sacrificing your well being worth it for a bigger paycheck in certain situations?

 

If you found this thought provoking or interesting, share it on Facebook or Twitter.

Main photo by _J_D_R

 

What Does “Get Busy Living” Mean to You?

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When I was thinking of what to call my blog one of the inspirations came from The Shawshank Redemption, a movie I have seen countless times. If you have never seen the movie, stop reading now, slap yourself silly with a dirty sock and go rent the movie right now. You deserve it.

 

Andy Dufresne is in living hell. Wrongly accused of murder and sent to prison. No matter how close he is to freeing his name, there’s people stopping him. Andy, though, is a different man than anyone in there. His willpower was unbelievable.

 

Before he’s ready to break out he tells Red the famous line “get busy living or get busy dying”. He sure did after that.

 

The movie can mirror your current situation. Life can feel like a prison with invisible bars holding you back and dreaming of the time you’re released. It’s your Shawshank and you don’t even know you’re in it.

 

Let’s take a closer look.

 

The story of his escape is a metaphor for your life. He’s trapped in prison and wrongfully there. Don’t you feel like it’s not your fault you’re in the situation you’re in? There’s people and circumstances in your life screwed everything up. There are extenuating circumstances that keep you there. Nothing is your fault right? Here is the reality. You take all the blame.

 

He finds the answer to his freedom but the warden tells him he’s crazy and ends up killing the man who can testify his innocence. In your life, you may have a dream that you want to pursue but there’s people there to tell you how ridiculous it sounds and how you need to face reality. Those people are your warden. They are plain evil. It’s worse when it’s someone close to you.

 

Andy doesn’t give up. He’s devised a plan to dig his way out. Who knows if he knew where it would lead but he just started digging. The best way to start your escape is to just do it. Take action. Don’t listen to the ugly people. Follow your passion or dreams. If you have to do it while working a full time job, find extra time in the morning or at night. You just might run into a dead end but you might find another direction to start digging. As long as you’re always digging, you are making progress. The other alternative is to sit on the cold metal bed and do nothing. Which is better?

 

Andy could have easily quit digging. Imagine using a spoon to dig out all that dirt and then smuggling it little by little to the courtyard. Any lesser man would have quit. He could have gone back to his cell and lived a life as a prisoner. When you’re trying to work towards your goals, you will want to give up. It’s bound to happen. No one ever said success is smooth sailing. How you deal with that determines your fate. Do you move on or do you go back to your cell and keep dreaming about freedom?

 

Even though he’s dug the hole to the sewer, he has to crawl through raw sewage for miles to get to real freedom. This goes back to obstacles standing in your way. The road to success isn’t like a Slip-n-slide. There will be crap to crawl through which seems like it will never end. Few will crawl through the crap while many won’t even try. Who do you want to be?

 

In the end, all the planning, determination, motivation, and hard work paid off. He’s made it to Zihuatanejo where it’s paradise everyday. Where is your paradise and are you willing to work as hard and as long as him?

 

The turning point in the movie was when he said that famous line to Red played by Morgan Freeman. So I ask you…

 

What does get busy living mean to you? Here are some meanings I came up with while brainstorming.

 

  • Does it mean start living your life how you dream it to be now?
  • Does it mean carpe diem?
  • Does it mean pursuing what you love instead of what pays the rent?
  • Does it mean don’t wait you’re 65 to retire and do all the things you’ve been waiting to do in life?
  • Does it mean focus on the current day and don’t worry about the past or the future? Does it mean if you’re not doing things that excite you in life, you’re just one day closer to death?
  • Does it mean following your passion?
  • Does it mean generate passive income so you have more time to do what you love?
  • Does it mean only working on projects you want to do instead of being told to?
  • Does it mean taking less pay but having more free time?
  • Does it mean starting that weight loss program so you’re not one step closer to high blood pressure or a heart attack?
  • Does it mean just living in the moment and appreciating the gift of life that you have?

 

How do you interpret get busy living? What are you doing to get busy living? Of course there is no wrong answer. Everyone has a different idea.

 

To sum up everything I wrote, just take on sentence from this if nothing else.

 

Are you truly living life or just waiting to die?

 

 

 

Triberr: How One Post Can Be Tweeted to 380,870 Followers

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Last month I was reading a blog post about getting traffic to your website by creating a tribe of Twitter users who tweet out your post once a week. You would do the same for everyone in your tribe. The benefit is that you would be able to reach your group member’s followers and in return driving more traffic to your blog. I thought that was brilliant but that group had closed a long time ago.

Then last week I’m reading another blog post about this website called Triberr. It’s started by Dino Dogan and Dan Cristo. This is how they sum up what they do.

Every time you publish a new post, Triberr sends it to everyone in your tribe and they automatically tweet it to their followers. You do the same for everyone in your tribe. They have it setup so the tweets by members in your tribe are spread out in case you have some of the same followers.

I thought this was something I wanted to join. However the only way to get in is to be invited. You can’t sign up.

The next day I get a message from Kevin at the Smart Income Blog, who’s blog I enjoy, who reached out to me on Twitter and asked if I wanted to join Triberr. What a coincidence! Of course I did. He sent me an invite and I joined his tribe aptly called “The League of Extraordinary Bloggers”. Kevin is a comic book fan, hence the cool name.

Once in his tribe, there were four other people besides him. All experienced bloggers and a couple I’ve come across while going from blog to blog. I felt honored to be in this group since I feel like the new blogger.

So Kevin is the leader of this tribe and gets to invite whomever he wants. You can have up to 7 people in your tribe. There are ways to increase that number too. So my posts get RT automatically by each of the people in the tribe. Currently the total reach for 5 total members is 5,837. Much better than my reach of 131 followers. There is the Jaffa tribe that has 11 members and a reach of 380,870 followers. Staggering numbers.

You invite who you want. So you’re getting real people. Not pictures of eggs or bots who spam sales links. You can leave the tribe if you want. As chief you can remove members from the tribe if warranted.

Now that I’m invited to Triberr I can create up to three of my own tribes. I can name them whatever I want and invite whoever.

The best part about it is it’s free.

I love the concept and really think it’ll become one of the next big web properties for social media. Everyone is trying to get more traffic and get their blog or brand seen by more people. This is one way to do it. It’s not spamming people. It’s doing it in a legitimate way.

Triberr is fairly new so they’re constantly improving the service. I believe it’s great now but I know it will only get better.

I’m working on building my tribes so if you’re interested in joining Triberr send me a message at bhsu21 (at) aol (dot) com.

Here is a video explaining how it works if you want to learn more.

About Triberr

 

Charlie Sheen: The Ultimate Life Coach for Winning

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Unless you don’t watch television or read the news, then you know well the story of Charlie Sheen being fired from his show Two and a Half Men and his journey from just a television actor/tabloid headliner to Twitter sensation.

He was the highest paid sitcom actor on television ($1.8 million per episode) and made CBS and Warner Bros a plethora of money but drugs, booze, and violent outbursts led to his eventual firing.

Most celebrities would go hiding in their mansion and let their publicists clean up the mess. Instead he says he feels awaken and embracing his life. Charlie has been shot out of canon with so much force that no one expected.

Since then he’s become even more famous. He was the fastest person to ever amass one million followers on Twitter, spawned a series of unforgettable quotes that have gone viral such as “Duh, Winning”. His tour, “Violent Torpedo” is selling out everywhere including Canada. He’s full of tiger blood and making everyone wonder what the hell is tiger blood?

His honesty and free spirited nature is infectious. Some say he’s a train wreck. Others love the attitude of winning and loving life. He talks with the energy of a motivational speaker who’s banged seven gram rocks. Oh wait..he has.

Forget the drugs and the booze. Forget what violent things he’s done in the past. Take away the part of his life you shouldn’t be doing. He’s definitely not a role model. Behind all that and he turns into an unexpected life coach. Charlie Sheen? Yes. Here is a guy who’s high on life and loving it despite the bad press.

Acting wacky makes people wonder if he is still on drugs. He answers by saying:

“I am on a drug. It’s called Charlie Sheen. It’s not available because if you try it you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will be weeping over your exploded body.”

Well thank you Charlie for putting it ever so gently. As far as drug tests are concerned, he’s drug free.

I took all the Charlie Sheen quotes, sorted through the wacky ones, and there are some nuggets of wisdom in there. If you could harness a little bit of that Sheen attitude in a positive way, you could start living a “bitchin life” (his words. Not mine. You’ll see).

Here are Charlie Sheen, the ultimate life coach, giving tips on living your best life. Seriously.

 

“The only thing I’m addicted to right now is winning.”


This is something we all should be addicted to. Who doesn’t want to be a winner in life?  He’s spreading that attitude. He’s made #winning so popular on Twitter and in pop culture and fans love it.

Just had the best home cooked meal? Winning. Found $10 in the parking lot? Winning. Had a great night? Winning. Asked a girl for her phone number and got it? Winning. Got an empty seat next to you on the plane? Winning.

Think about things in your daily life that are winning moments. Everyday is full of those moments but too often neglected. Be happy and thankful for the little things in life. It’s like stopping to smell the roses as said Charlie Sheen style.

 

“Can’t is the cancer of can’t happen.”


I love this one. Just say that a few times to really let it soak in your mind. Charlie’s crazy but he’s absolutely right this time. Can’t is one word that you should never use. Using it brings you down instantly. As Edgar Albert Guest said,

“Can’t is the word that is foe to ambition.”

Some people hear they can’t do something and believe it. Others hear it and it motivates them. Don’t let anyone say you can’t do something. If you believe you can’t do something, then you’ve already lost.

 

“You make a choice to win and you win.”

 

Everything you want is attainable if you put your mind to it. Isn’t that what we tell kids? What happened when we got older? Oh you’re taught to think realistically.

Go back to thinking like a kid. You want success? Make a choice to have success. You want happiness? Make a choice to be happy. Want to travel the world? Make a choice to travel the world.

Forget for a moment how you will accomplish those things. They will come. Make up your mind to win and you will win. You must believe in yourself. There’s going to be people stopping you but if your why reason is so strong, you will always win at the end.

 

“I have one speed. I have one gear. Go”

 

 

Rick Vaughn


Ok sure he said this when he was talking about how he parties. However it’s a slogan you can use in life when it comes to getting things done.

Right now he’s living life as if it were his last day. That is how you’re taught to live life. It’s Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn throwing 100 mph fastballs. He could bottle some of that up attitude and sell it along with his t-shirts.

Since being fired, he seems more busy. He’s got a sold out comedy tour. He’s doing web video chats. He’s selling t-shirts. He’s on Twitter. He’s kissing Jimmy Kimmel. It’s go, go, go for him right now.

 

“Sorry my life has been more bitchin than yours. I planned it that way”


Any successful person could say the exact same thing. However they would have said it in a nicer way. This is just how some with tiger blood says it.

You have the power and resources to create the life you want. Your life isn’t predetermined. Life isn’t about sitting around and waiting for something to happen. As Charlie said, it’s about deliberately making your life how you want it to be. Successful people don’t achieve success because they are lucky. They are lucky because they have been preparing and working at what they want to achieve.

You want to plan a bitchin life? Go ahead. Who says you cannot. You want to plan a boring life? Fine by us too. No one lives in your shoes but you. Decide how bitchin you want your life to be.

 

“Faith is for winners. Hope is for losers.”

 

If you keep hoping for something to happen, it will never happen. Reminds me of a quote that I love by Oscar winner James Cameron:

“Hope is not a strategy. Luck is not an option. Fear is not a factor.”

Said from a successful man we’d listen to more than Charlie Sheen but both men are correct. Hoping alone will never get you anywhere. It takes action as well. Hoping for something without action will leading to your life being stagnant. You will never get what you hope for.

It’s like the man who prays everyday hoping to win the lottery. After a month of praying, God finally replies back and tells him to at least buy a lotto ticket!

 

“I’m still alive, which is pretty cool.”

 

Yes that is pretty damn cool considering how he has lived life. We all take life for granted sometimes. Moaning about problems large and small. Also thinking about what you don’t have and want you wish you had so you could be happy. How about just being thankful for being alive? That’s a huge gift.

 

 

If you’re stuck in a rut or need a little kick in your life,  you could just take some of the Charlie Sheen wisdom and attitude and harness it for yourself. Again, don’t lead his lifestyle of drugs and booze but take feel free to take some winning attitude with you.

If you’ve read this far then you deserve to be a #winner in my book.

 

 

 

Learn to Live in the Moment

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We’ve all heard of the saying “Stop and smell the roses” but when was the last time you did that? When was the last time you were “living in the moment”? Don’t feel bad if you don’t remember. It’s a simple gift that we tend to overlook. However starting after this post, you can be different than most. Let me explain how to boost your well being and happiness in less than 10 seconds.

 

How do you typically go through a day? Lots of things on your mind right? Too often you are worried about what happened in the past or what’s going to happen tomorrow. There are so many things in one day that consume your attention.

 

Stop thinking about how a busy day feels. Just think about how fortunate you are. I’ve talked about how important gratitude is in your mindset. You are given the great sense of smell, taste, touch, sight, hearing, and feeling. What other creature on earth can do this? You have those things but you don’t use them to enjoy life enough.

 

It’s like we’re superheroes and need to decide how we want to use our super powers. Unlike the comic books where there can be only one Spiderman and one Superman, we as human beings are all super heroes. It’s a gift we’re born. These gifts can be used to lift you up or bring you down. How do you want to use your powers?

 

Maybe it’s been awhile since you’ve really stopped to enjoy each moment and realizing that your moment and experiences make up your life. There’s too much worrying and thinking. You may think “When I get a new job I can enjoy life more.” or “When I have a girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse, I will feel so much happier.” or “When I make more money, life will be great”. Maybe you can’t remember the last time  you had your moment. Don’t feel bad.

 

You can change today. Right now.

 

If you need some examples of living in the moment, let me share mine. Here are some recent experiences where I let myself just enjoy that moment and that moment only.

 

- Walking on a cool evening in Taipei and feel a nice cool breeze on my face. Every breath I felt the cool air enter my body. Next to me was my girlfriend who’s soft hands I was holding while walking home.

- While sleeping in my villa in Bali on a recent trip, I enjoyed the sounds of insects and frogs outside the room. No cars. No people. Just nature. Oh and the bed was so comfortable I wanted to take it home.

- Biking along the river bank on a sunny Sunday afternoon and taking a moment to enjoy the breeze in my face while looking at the blue skies, scenery, and families having fun.

- Watching my fiancé’s little 2 year old niece laughing hysterically as she tries jumping up and down on a trampoline.

- Eating strawberry ice cream and savoring all the flavor in my mouth with each bite.

 

All these moments could have been doing without any thought or thinking about the wrong things.

Here is how I easily could have been at those moments.

 

- My feet are tired! I’m feeling sleepy and ready to just get home away from the sound of loud buses, scooters and inhaling exhaust fumes.

- I wish those frogs would just shut up!! Why are they around our room?? Every night they croak!! I hope this mosquito net is keeping out all the mosquitos while we sleep.

- Holy crap there are so many people biking today?!?! It’s like half the city here here. I can hardly move on my bike and my butt hurts.

- Why is that little boy crying so loud on the other side of the room? That kid licking the floors. Gross. Gosh there are so many kids and they’re so loud here.

- Blah Blah Blah (eat) blah blah blah (eat) blah blah blah (eat). Then all of a sudden I realize I have no more ice cream!! I forgot how it tasted already.

 

Which Benny do you like better? Six months ago I would have reacted more in the latter group. Don’t I just sound like I’m whining? Don’t I sound so stressed out? Don’t I sound so unhappy? Would you want to be next to me? I wouldn’t either. (sidenote: If you have many friends like this, you need to get away from them)


All these things were actually going on around me. Yes Taipei city is full of buses and loud scooters. Yes our villa in Bali was surrounded by loud insects and mosquitos. Yes there were so many people biking that some places I had to walk my bike and the bike seat wasn’t all that comfortable. Yes there were tons of kids playing at the same time and we know kids will be kids. Yes I was talking and eating in spurts. However that was not how I decided to focus my attention on. 

 

In the first group I sound like I am really enjoying life. I sound happy. You can imagine every moment I had a smile on my face. I felt happy. Those were life’s little moments and I took the time to enjoy them. That’s what savoring the moment you will do for you. It will change your mood, outlook, physiology, stress level and so many other factors for your well being.

 

I don’t walk around smiling with a spring in my step because it may sound like I’m forever in this happy trance. That is being honest. I have my ups and down during the days. I just make sure I have more up moments in my day. In a single day there are so many moment to be savored. Just start to be more aware of those opportunities.

 

These aren’t huge drastic changes. It doesn’t require a huge amount of time and effort. It just happens in your mind and can happen instantly. No extra effort is needed. Actually it takes the same amount of effort to feel crappy as it does to feel happy. How would you rather feel since you do have a choice?

 

So if you want to improve your happiness, savor and celebrate the good things. Taste, touch, feel, smell, look at and embrace each sight, meal, walk, and every activity you do. If you do that, you’ll be living your life NOW.

 

Do you agree with me? Is this something you do? Are you willing to try it?

 

Photo by Sunkato Debnath and Xurble

 

If you enjoyed this post, I would appreciate it if you spread the word!

 

 

5 Blogs Worth Your Precious Time

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I love to find great blogs that really speak to me in a way that inspires, inform and motivates me.

With so many blogs out there, it’s easy to find the big blogs but it’s hard to find a diamond in the rough. However they’re out there. Not all blogs resonate with me after I’m done reading them. Sometimes they really do.

I’ve found these blogs through a comment on another site, a guest post, or a RT on Twitter. I’m thankful for being able to find some awesome people.

Here’s a list of great bloggers and a post that I’ve enjoyed so far and will in the future and believe you should too.

El Thompson @ask_el

She retweeted an @reply I made to another blogger. I wondered who this person was. I read her profile and just saw the words “dreamcatcher” and “not working for the man” and knew this is the type of person I want to know better!

I found out she’s also made the list of Problogger’s 40 bloggers to watch in 2011, which is a huge accomplishment!

She writes at Truthpassionjoy.com. A recent post of hers really spoke to me about stay inspired to keep writing even when I think my writing isn’t good enough at times.

The Curse of Comparison

I’ve spoken with her briefly on Twitter and email and she’s very friendly you can feel she’s writing you with a smile on her face.

Ana Hoffman @Webtrafficcafe

She came on my radar when Pat Flynn said he did a guest post on her website. His blog is massive so her blog must be great to get him to write a guest post. I was correct.

Her website, Traffic Generation Cafe, helps you increase traffic to your blog through SEO, social media, list building, and get them coming back for more. I found her posts to be so full of information but easy to read. She obviously knows what she’s doing cause her blog has become a place to go to for blog traffic optimization.

She has so many great posts that I’ve read and still have yet to read but the one post that I’m focusing on is getting more targeted Twitter followers. She said in 2-3 months after using Twitter, it became the largest source of traffic.

How Twitter Traffic Became my Largest Source of Referral Traffic: Lessons to Share

I’ve had Twitter for years but never learned how to really use it. However it’s a powerful way to reach an audience and get traffic as she has proved. So I’m taking her suggestions and using it now to gain followers, find great people to follow, and bring traffic to my website.

Also just sharing a couple messages back and forth made me feel how genuine a person she is. Be sure to check out her blog.

Onibalusi Bamidele @youngprepro

Obi is a 17 year old blogger living in Nigeria. He blogs at YoungPrePro He makes a over $5000 a month online. Amazing and just 17 years old! He’s doing something most dream about for their whole lives.

I learned more about him when I read his guest post at another blog. He is a master at guest posting having done 300 year last year! To even write 300 posts is impressive enough for your own blog.

The Ultimate Guide to Guest Blogging

I believe you can learn from him about how to make money online and his definitive guide to guest posting. I’ve re-read it again and will definitely follow it it when I begin to find guest posting opportunities.

Corbett Barr @Corbettbarr

He’s traded million dollar startups for blogging and making money online. Is he crazy? Some would say but he’s happier than he’s ever been. He took a six month sabbatical with his wife to Mexico that forever changed his life. Now he can work any world in the world with an internet connection.

His writing is phenomenal. You would think he’s been a writer all his life but his blog is only about 2 years old.

I really enjoyed his manifesto he wrote called 18 months, 2 blogs, six figures. Great title and he tells you how he did it. That gave me motivation to know that work and love can co-exists

His latest post talks about his business plan from the beginning and looking ahead towards the future. This is a great business plan for any internet entrepreneur.

7 Phase Plan for Total Internet Domination

Pat Flynn @PatFlynn

You’ve most likely have been to his blog. If you haven’t, it’s worth visiting.

Reading his blog really got me back into blogging. I found his blog through a guest post on Entrepreneur’s Journey. After reading his blog, The Smart Passive Income, and reading his success, it was inspirational. He got laid off from his job and turned into a huge blessing in disguise.

His monthly income numbers are staggering.In January he made $35,000+. However he’s earned it because of the killer content he puts out. It’s all free too. When I first found his blog I tried to read as much as I could because all of it was so good.

And he produces really nice podcasts that are worth listening to.

Because of his blog and success with iPhone apps, I’m a month in to my own app being developed. It’s something I’ve dreamt about doing but learning how he did it gave me the confidence to actually get started! I hope to share more about it when it’s released.

 

This is a small list now but each of those blogs really packs a powerful punch. They’re having success blogging and making an income online. If you’re not a reader please take the time to see what they’re saying.

Photo by Vramak

 

Promote Yourself: More About You

3 awesome comments

Hello and welcome!

Benny Hsu here. I run this blog. If you were unaware most big blogs out there are have NO Follow links, which means no outside links will get any page rank from their page to your blog. I don’t like that so I’ve made this blog a DO Follow blog.

So I wanted to create a place where friends and visitors have a place to promote yourself, your blog, and your businesses. (while getting a nice link back to your site that for the search engines).

So I created this page to tell us more about you.

Feel free to:

  • introduce yourself
  • tell us more about what you do
  • what drives you
  • whether you need/offer help with anything
  • promote yourself, in other words.
  • Tell us what you’re passionate about

I enjoy meeting people and especially other bloggers and being here gets you noticed by other bloggers.

Meeting new people and networking is a huge part of having an online presence. The more people know about you the more you will thrive online!

You should also join me and others on my new Get Busy Living Facebook Fan Page!

I would love for you to look around my blog and leave some comments on my posts. This is truly a win-win situation: you get links to your website, and I gain a repeat visitors (hopefully!)

By the way, when you leave comments on my blog, I always do the same.

Yes, this is a way for me to promote this blog, but as long as everybody wins, i.e. my readers benefit from it, I am cool with that.

Here’s an idea on how you can get some exposure on Twitter: as soon as your comment is done, come back to this page, and click on “Tweet” button at the bottom of the page.

All your followers (and mine if you add me @Benny_Hsu) will read about you, your company or blog – free advertising.

What Can You Do to Help Me?

Yes, there is one thing you can do for me: SPREAD THE WORD!

I really want to grow this blog into a community where people can come together who don’t want the 9-5 lifestyle but instead work on what they’re passionate about while having free time to do the things they LOVE.

Read my other posts – I promise they will help you or your 100% money back.
Leave me comments on my other posts – it helps me tremendously to know what people think!
Let others know about my blog – share some Twitter, Facebook, etc.
Refer your friends and let me know what you think, in other words.

All of it will be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks,

Benny

Photo by NASARobonaut

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