Thursday, November 20, 2008

MMS Blogging

Well the text message blogging helps but I am going to need a little more education or a much better phone (read BlackBerry Storm) to load pictures

Is it really possible?

This is my first attempt at mobile blogging. Look out world!

Civic Lessons

Quiz



I got a 78.79 per cent

Harvard seniors got a 69

Average score 49

Average score for an elected official 44



What will you score?

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

How to Follow

I am so excited that there are so many of us creating blogs. There are several ways to follow a blog. To make it easy for your followers to add and follow your blog you can click on customize and then click on add gadget. Once you do that another window will open that allows you to add a follower gadget. Then anyone who likes your blog can just click and follow you.













If someone has not added the follower gadget then the easy way to follow is to highlight and right click to copy the address of the blog.




Then click on the orange B in the upper left corner, that should take you to your dashboard. Then you click on the add button. Then the page will change and you can paste into the blank provided the address of the blog. You are now following the selected blog.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

For my Daughters

For my daughters

It is important to know that Discipline equals Freedom. Most of us say that we want more money, but what we really want is the freedom that money provides. Same with fitness we say we want to be fit but what we really want is the freedom that fitness gives us. So, if our underlying desire is for Freedom then we reject what we perceive limits our freedom. Discipline is what most people perceive to limit freedom. It is important that you understand that distinction. If you discipline yourself to get fit then you have more freedom in what to wear and what activities to participate in, and your self esteem grows which makes it easier to be more disciplined.

Now lets take it a step further. If I want more money then I must be disciplined and many tell me that I must cold call. Cold calling is a very painful way of doing business. I would much rather talk to my friends and past clients and get business that way. So, if you decide to be disciplined you want to enhance the activities that you already do or have fun at. It is like a seed. If you drop a seed on concrete then it will be very difficult for that seed to grow. Cold calling for me is concrete. If you plant a seed in rich soil and water it every day it is easier for that seed to grow. If I call my friends and past clients every day and help them then they will help me to grow. My friends and past clients are my rich soil. You must create an environment where success is a natural consequence.

I have set my alarm clock at 5:25 am and I have it far away from my bed. So that I have to get up to turn it off. That is an environmental change that helps me be successful. I have scheduled the things that I WANT to do in my calendar and I have my phone remind me of those appointments. That is a method I use to help me create the environment I want to help me be successful. It is so important to know that Willpower fails EVERYTIME. No one has the energy to sustain willpower over time. Think about this. If I decided to stop overeating but I was always going out with my friends that over ate and were always at Carl’s Jr. My willpower might carry me for a little while until I ate one fry then it would be a downhill slide from there. Your environment and your friends are the best help you can have to become more disciplined and more successful. Look at the food in your refrigerator. That is your environment.

Discipline is easily achieved if you plan it out in advance. Like pushing the alarm clock away so that you have to get up and then deciding that when it goes off that you will get up. Create the environment where success is natural and it will be. Choose friends that are in shape or have a huge savings or get things done. It will be uncomfortable at first but you will begin to change just to fit in, and your life will improve.

Soldiers know that war makes Generals.


When I was in the army, so so so long ago. I remember reading about the experiences of Viet Nam veterans and WWII veterans. I was always impressed with the stories of soldiers that would take up the mantle of leadership when their leaders were disabled or killed. Then, during a calm in the action or upon returning to their base of operations these impromptu leaders were given battlefield commissions. A commission for those of you that don't understand is different than a non-commissioned officer (private, corporal or sergeant). A commissioned officer goes through more leadership training and schooling(lieutenant, captain, major and colonel). In order to reach the highest levels of leadership in the military you must be a commissioned officer. In Tribes Seth Godin says that soldier's know that war makes Generals. My thoughts turned to our current economic situation and our real estate markets. I know that many of you have already excelled in this battle and are reaping the benefits of your battlefield commission. For the rest of us, I think it is a great metaphor to think that we are in a war and ask ourselves if we are performing like leaders. Would we, looking back on our mindset and action over the past year, deserve a battlefield commission? Honestly, I have performed less than admirably by allowing negative thoughts to persist and believing them. I am going back into battle with an new mindset. HUWA!

Friday, November 7, 2008

This has been so much fun. I love getting out and competing. Thanks a lot Greg for setting this up.