Logitech Prize Pack

Well today was my 38th Birthday and I was really hoping Logitech would call today to tell me we were selected as the NYC Host. Guess what? That did't happen. However, as I arrived home from my Family Birthday get together, there sat a HUGE box that said Logitech Host With The Most Prize Pack.

That's right. The prize pack for making the Final 9 in the contest got delivered on my Birthday. Crazy huh? The box contained...
V220 Cordless Optical Mouse
MX Anywhere Mouse
K800 Wireless Illuminated Keyboard
Z-506 Sourround Sound Speakers
Logitech Squeeze Box Radio
Pure-Fi Anywhere 2 Portable Speakers
Ultimate Ears 700 Earbuds
Logitech Harmony One Remote
Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N700
ClearChat PC Wireless Headphones

...and lets not forget to mention the HD Pro Webcam C910 they had already sent me. WOW!

This is what I think is REALLY cool. I received all this on my Birthday but I wouldn't have gotten any of it with out the help, hard work and dedication of GREAT PEOPLE LIKE YOU. So ultimately, this was given to me by ALL of you for my Birthday and for that I am greatful and want to say THANK YOU! As great a gift as the Prize Pack is, having such great friends and people like you in my life is the Greatest Gift anyone could ever ask for. We are Truly Blessed. Thank you once again and know we love you all!

Stay Focused & Feel Good!

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Looking Over The Crowd

From our Skybox

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Our Skybox

Our Skybox at the American Airlines Center in Dallas TX

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Meet Bill Guyther - Your Host With The Most NYC

It's A Different Day

UPDATE: So we did it. We made the Final 9. Great work and Thanks to everyone. Whats next and what can you continue to do to help? Well the next step is for me to make you all PROUD as I go through the interview process with Logitech. Don't worry, I WILL make you proud. What you can do to help in the mean time, is go post your comments letting Logitech know WHY Bill Guyther. The more comments the better. Comment Here: http://www.Vote4Bill.info  I will keep you posted on how we are coming. Follow this Blog for Future Updates.


So the voting part of the Logitech Host With The Most contest has ended and now we just wait and see if we made the Final 9. They are supposed to announce it today, August 25th, sometime. So, once again, thank you to all of you that got behind it and supported it. Anyways, that's not even what this Blog is about.


I wanted to share my feelings on what happened for me and what I saw throughout this contest. I knew it was going to be fun from the beginning but I had no idea what was really about to happen. I entered the contest, in the beginning, just because I thought it would be something cool to do in my life and I thought I was a good candidate. It wasn't for several days after I entered and had began promoting it, that I found out that it was a paid gig. So it wasn't at all for the money. As we got a few weeks in to it, I started to see something, something that I can only describe as MAGICAL, begin to happen. People began to get passionate about it. A buzz started to get around and the DESIRE to MAKE IT HAPPEN set in for many, many people. My "WHY" or reason that I wanted it to come to fruition changed. It quickly became because I wanted to deliver the feeling of strength and great accomplishment to those that were working to make it happen. I didn't want to let anyone down. This drove me to work that much harder.


As excited as I was and as amazed as I was to see this happening, what happened the final night of voting left me in aw. As we came in to the final 5 hours of voting, I saw people reach deep down inside themselves and DECIDE TO WIN! It was unbelievable! The postings started and about every minute a new post about the contest, asking people to help, was up and then the messages were going out from individual to individual asking for the same and soon after, we moved in to the #5 spot over all and the #3 spot for the NYC gig. I made sure to let as many people know that as possible. As it started getting later, past Midnight EST, people started signing off and going to bed as normal but many were still promoting like crazy. Around 1am est, we got bumped back to the 4th place spot for NYC. Even after some had said they were calling it a night, when they found this out, they not only answered to call for help but charged to the front line with the attitude to kill or be killed. Wow! Then the IM's started. To heck with all the posting and asking for help, people were going directly to their FB friends that were currently online and asking for their vote and sending them the link in an IM. Even though this is what I had started doing, and I even posted that as an idea, people were way ahead of me. They were already on it and many of them continued to stay on it, fighting to make it happen right up until the 3am deadline. I don't know how many total votes we accumulated in that last 2 hours, but it was a bunch. The end result was, we moved back up in to the #3 spot for NYC and stayed there until it was over.


Here's what I want to share with everybody about this whole thing. Many of the people that sacrificed their time, sleep and maybe even a few FB friends (lol), and went after it with us, were people I don't even personally know. Some of them I have never met or talked to or even chatted with on FB but they were a BIG part of the beating heart that was created through this. The funny thing is that a lot of our "REAL FRIENDS" didn't even take the time to cast one vote throughout the entire contest. I think Jim Rohn would say..."Isn't that interesting". So today is A DIFFERENT DAY in that technology can now allow us to strengthen something that is already strong. The Human Will. People always have and always will want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. A Movement where they can make a difference and today, with technology, it becomes easier to to find that thing or things that help us have a feeling of purpose and fulfillment and the thing that was CONFIRMED to me once again was, people are still GOOD. I have always loved and believed in people, even if sometimes they did things to make me doubt my belief in them, and now I know that is the correct way of thinking. I am so glad we did this and I am PROUD to call myself a friend of the people and please consider yourself a friend of mine. Thank you all for this experience. Until the next adventure!


 Stay Focused & Feel Good!


 Bill

Today Is Maniac Monday!! The Final PUSH! Are you In?

Ok Monday 8/23/10 at 12 Midnight PST (Tuesday 3am est) will be the end of the Voting part of the process. So we need a BIG push to move up at least 1 spot to secure the Final 9.

Maniac Monday!
Here's the plan.
Goal: Each of us get 10 people to vote tomorrow that have not yet voted at all.

How?:
Call people...
Email People...
IM People...
Text People...
...and flat out ask them to take 1 minute and Vote! Send everybody to www.Vote4Bill.info This will take them to the article written about us in the Newspaper so they will get an explanation of what we're doing. There is a link in the article right to the voting page. Here is the Direct Link to the voting page
http://apps.facebook.com/logitechhost/contests/44461/voteable_entries/6756759?order=votes
In addition to that, post the link to the Voting page on your wall every 15 minutes (or as much as you possibly can) all day on Monday WITH A MESSAGE asking/telling people what you want them to do. To achieve extraordinary things you have to DO extraordinary things. This is the plan. I hope you will participate for the last 24 hours. If we all do, WE WILL PREVAIL!

Thanks to all. Lets close out EXTRAORDINARY!

Bill

If You Believe You Can, You Can!

We Are going Viral. Watch The Video

The Most UNITED Group Of People On FB

We Are In It To Win It!!!

Well as many of you know, we are vying to win the Logitech contest for the NYC Host With The Most position and we are consistently in the top 3. Not bad. We have gotten some attention along the way as well.

First, we were contacted by GTVHub.com to do an online interview, which we did, and it came out pretty good I think, you can read it here http://www.gtvhub.com/2010/08/logitech-host-with-the-most-contestant-interview-bill-guyther
(Please leave comments at the above link)

Second, to my surprise, Logitech sent out a short Blog yesterday entitled "Future Logitech Hosts With The Most" and because of the hard work and voting efforts of a lot of people, we were featured as a contender for The Host With The Most for NYC. You can see it here.
http://blog.logitech.com/2010/08/12/future-logitech-hosts-with-the-most/comment-page-1/#comment-29323
(Please leave comments at the above link)

We have also set up a Group on FaceBook that is now a few hundred strong and we are using this to keep everyone up to date on where we are and what we are doing. You can also find some cool pics of the NYC Loft that parties will be held in, links to different articles and promotions as well as several Video Blogs I have done since the contest started. It is important to grow this group as big as possible so when we win it, we will have a way to communicate with everyone and send invitations to everyone to join us in NYC for the parties. So continue to invite people to join the Group so they will get the invitation once we win. Join it here
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=141555925874385

Last but not least, even though we are doing well int he contest, 3rd place or higher, the challenge is that the person int he #1 position is for the NYC gig, so we will ultimately have to be #1 overall, better than any other group of people voting out there, to win this. It is really a simple process to make that happen but we have to be able to depend on all of us to make it work. All we need to so is Vote Daily (every 24 hours you can vote) and 3 to 5 times a day Repost the voting page on your wall (there is a SHARE button on the voting page)  with a message asking your FB friends to vote Daily and repost asking there friends to do the same thing and leave comments anywhere you possibly can so Logitech can see the support and will of this group of people. Believe me they are watching. All this is very simple to do but it is also very simple not to do. The reality is though, the only way we will win it is if we DO this. Here is the Voting and Sharing page.
http://apps.facebook.com/logitechhost/contests/44461/voteable_entries/6756759?order=votes&ref=mf

So with only 12 days left to vote, I ask, invite, encourage and hope you will stand strong with us, follow the system we have laid out and together we will prevail!

We thank you all for your help and support with this venture a we look forward to inviting you all to NYC!

Stay Focused & Feel Good!
Bill

Why Vote For My Daddy as Logitech's Host With The Most NYC!

Flood FaceBook Friday Proposal

The Host With The Most Contest Vlog 1

Something Magical

Ok, so I have decided to enter myself in to a contest to host a series of parties in New York City to roll out a new product by Logitech called the Logitech Revue. What is it? It's a box that goes on top of your HDTV that runs on the Android (powered by Google) platform and will integrate everything your TV has to offer with everything the internet has to offer. I have been watching and learning about this for several months now as I think it is going to be just flat AMAZING! To tell the truth, I am itching to get it.

Anyway, back to the contest. Logitech is having a contest, which I entered, to find 3 "Hosts With The Most" to run a series of parties promoting the Revue in NYC, L.A. and San Francisco. I am running for the NYC position. There is a number of reasons I decided to enter. One is that I am a gadget junkie. I love, love, love technology. Two is I am a Google freak. I think Google is the 800 pound Gorilla on the internet and they continue to expand exponentially. The Android phones have hit the market with a vengeance and now Google TV is on its way. It seems to me they are centering themselves to be the HUB of everything we use today. The third reason I decided to enter is because I think it would be crazy FUN! I love being at the front of any room. I love to laugh and get people to laugh with me. If its not fun, I'm not doing it. lol. The Fourth reason is it is a paid gig. That always helps. I mean, I would probably do it for free but hey, if they are going to pay me, I am in!

The last and real reason I decide to enter was for the challenge. I knew this was something that would take a TEAM of people to accomplish. A group of dedicated individuals would have to get behind it to make it happen and there is just SOMETHING MAGICAL about getting and seeing a group of people come together on a common cause to achieve a common goal. In all of my experiences in life, I find this to be the most rewarding. To see others work for others success. To see one persons blood and sweat go to another for no other reason than to be there for them. It is a very NOBLE thing really and the truth is that it's the true sign of a leader. Service to others and many leads to greatness, not service to yourself. So the challenge of bringing people together to make it happen is the real reason I decided to enter. When I win it, I will have won it on the shoulders of great people. I would be merely a spokesperson for the people that really made it happen and the feeling of accomplishment for all involved will be an experience they wouldn't have had otherwise. This is what I give to them by entering and the joy I receive, win or lose, by seeing people come together to work towards it, makes me smile.

Having said all that, if you would like to become a part of the TEAM of people that are working to make this happen. If you would like to experience the joy of winning or the agony of defeat as one with the rest of us, you can join our group on FaceBook here...

http://www.facebook.com/notifications.php#!/group.php?gid=141555925874385

There you can read more about the contest, more about the Logitech Revue and Google TV, vote for me as your candidate to be the "Host With The Most" in NYC, Invite your other FaceBook friends to join the cause and SHARE the group and the contest page on your FaceBook wall. Together we can!!

Stay Focused & Feel Good!
Bill

The Trivial Parts Of The Process?

I was speaking with a young man today, a young man that told me, at one point, that he wanted to have MASSIVE success in his life and his business. Yet, this same young man CHOSE to miss an event in his business that is a true part of the process to reach his goal. When I asked him about it and why he CHOSE to not attend, he responded to me that he couldn't go because he didn't make enough money to go and that it was really a TRIVIAL part of the process. Trivial? I knew right away that it was not the money that kept him from attending but rather his way of thinking.

First off, most of the reasons people say they CAN'T do something is not really that they CAN'T but in fact that they CHOOSE not to. It is not a high enough PRIORITY in their life. That same person that says I CAN'T go because I don't have the money will find the money if their is a BIG enough reason to get there. For example, if there was a 2010 Mercedes Benze waiting there for him to pick up when he arrived, even if it was clear across the country, and it was his free and clear if he got there, he would have figured it out. It would have been a higher PRIORITY in his life. So the first lesson to learn is that to just say "I CAN'T" is the easy way out. It's what most people say and do when they are faced with a challenge and if you do what most people do, you will get what MOST people get. It's the successful people in life that will figure out how they can. I always knew that the more challenging something was for me to pass on my road to success, the more I needed to make sure to accomplish it. Find a way to go over it, under it, around it or maybe even straight through it!

The second thing that came to light in his way of thinking during our conversation was his statement that it was TRIVIAL. Meaning that it really wouldn't make any difference. Again, this is a common way of thinking. The way the 95%ers in life think. It's not their fault, they just don't know what they don't know. I came to understand this from the story of the Penny Doubled. See if you double the amount of one penny every day for 31 days (one month), on the 31st day you have over $10.5 Million. The amazing part of the story is that the amount doubled seems very insignificant for most of the month. As a matter of fact, after 15 days, you only have around $81. It's on the 28th day that the amount exceeds $1 million. On the 29th day it goes over $2.5 Million, on the 30th day it goes over $5 Million and on the 31st day it grows to over $10.5 Million. So it's the compounded effect over time that allows it to become significant at the end. But here is what I came to realize and the question I asked him and would like to also ask you...What happens to that amount in the end if that penny fails to double just one time during the course of that 31 days? Hmmmm? You end up with $5 Million instead of over $10.5 million. The end result becomes HALF of what it would have been. So that 1 day that seems to be very insignificant or TRIVIAL, especially if it missed a day inside of the first 15 days, turns out to be extremely significant in the end. So our commitment to each and every step of the process, even as TRIVIAL as some of it may seem, will, in the end, determine our results. Every step counts. None of it is TRIVIAL.

Understand that the majority of your success doesn't come from your ability to be successful. It comes from your way of thinking. If you were a teacher, a computer tech, mechanic, doctor or whatever, you were taught or PROGRAMMED to be that. To be Wealthy and Successful, you simply need to change your PROGRAMMING. When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change. Work on changing you first and the things around you will change with you.

I hope this made you want to SUBSCRIBE VIA EMAIL at the very top of the page so you will get my articles emailed to you as I post them or you can LIKE my facebook page The Conservative Entrepreneur.

Stay Focused & Feel Good!
The Conservative Entrepreneur

My Good Friend Resid U Al

Do you know my good friend Resid U Al? Where is he from? India, Iraq or Israel? Most people don't know him yet everyone wishes they did. I just met him about 10 years ago myself but he really has changed my life. Who is this mysterious person I refer to as Resid U Al? He is the one that will set you free and give you your life back. RESIDUAL income is what I'm talking about. If you're like me, you may have heard of it but you may not really understand it or know how to get it because if you did, you wouldn't do anything that didn't have it.

Lets put it in perspective for you. Most people work on a Salaried, Hourly or Flat Commission wage. You go to work, put in your time and go home and you are compensated for that time. The problem with that is, if you stop going to work, you stop getting paid. With that being the case, how in the world are you ever going to be able to stop working if your income only comes when you go to work? Most people are thinking they will save enough money to retire on with their 401k or just in a bank account somewhere but the reality is, most people today don't have enough money to live for a month if the money stopped coming in. So that plan hardly makes sense if you really think about it. I was taught many years ago that if you are the sole asset to your income, that's a problem because when your asset aint at work your asset aint getting paid. lol. It's funny but true.

So lets define Residual income. This is income that is paid to you for an ongoing period of time for work or business that you did at one time but are no longer currently doing. It's a very common thing in the entertainment industry. Actors and Musicians get it and in their industries it's called Royalties. Unfortunately, most of us aren't talented enough to make it big there and draw royalties in those industries. So where can the average person find it? Well the Insurance industry is the first thing that comes to mind and then there is the Network Marketing Industry. Now, let me clarify one thing. There is a difference in Residual income and Passive income. Passive income is what a Broker type person or a Upline in a Network Marketing business would get when their team produces new business. This is passive because it only comes if that team of people is producing. Don't get me wrong, that is still better than all your income being dependent on you but it is not residual. I only say this because a lot of Network marketing companies will claim to have residual income when, in all reality, what they have is Passive income. Again, nothing wrong with that but just be aware of the differences in the two.

So lets see. Your going to work for like 40 years only to stop (hopefully) and pray that you can survive on what the Government is paying you along with whatever money you have saved up. Seems pretty risky to me and this is whats considered to be the SAFE bet. I just don't see it. 40 years of hard labor that you just walk away from and never collect another penny from and can't even leave it to your family when your gone. This plan, ladies and gentlemen, is a plan for disaster. You better start doing something different. You better be looking for something that pays you in spite of you after the fact. Something with Residual and/or passive income. Or you can go ahead and start practicing now for your future. Say it with a smile..."Welcome to Wal Mart". Believe me, the elderly in our country are not saying that today because they were just looking for something to do to pass the time. They are there saying that because they were sold on the 40 40 40 plan. Work 40 hours a week for 40 years and retire and live on 40% of your income. The income you couldn't make ends meet with when you were getting 100% of it.

The doom and gloom is out there. Already more people today are depending on the Government to survive and already they are quickly becoming disappointed. You better step up and add something on the side that will build an income for you and your family later. Something that you can call yours. Something you can leave to the ones you love when your gone. Something that will pay you what you are worth, not what the JOB is worth. There are plenty of opportunities out there, you just have to open your mind and evaluate them and find one that makes sense and, even more importantly, excites you! Your going to work for 40 years anyway, wouldn't you like to have something to show for that when your done. If you can ever really be done.

I'm just saying!

Stay Focused and Feel Good!

Kicking The Fag

OK! So after almost 25 years of smoking cigarettes I have DECIDED it's time to quit. I should have decided to a long time ago but whatever, the time is now! I thought by blogging about it and publicly declaring it for everyone to see, it would help me tough it out. It's only been like one day but the first day had to happen sometime.

How am I going to do it? I asked myself that question several times already. It's not like I haven't "TRIED" before. Well there is the first difference. I am going to implement and abide by the same philosophies I have learned, and today teach, in business. So philosophy number one is..."To TRY is to fail with honor" or as the Master Yoda from Star Wars would say..."Do or do not, there is no try". So this time I am not going to "TRY" to stop smoking, I WILL NOT SMOKE ANYMORE!

To accomplish anything, you need a plan. I understand that the plan you start with is not the plan that will get you there but you have to have a plan to start. So, what's my plan? Well, it's Cold Turkey. I have seen lots of people go gradual and I have seen some just stop. I choose to just stop. I realize this will probably be harder in the beginning but I think it will pass quicker than dragging it out gradually. I also, have equipped myself with "THE GUM", lol. I feel like this is going to be a battle and in any battle, you better have some weapons if you plan to win or even just survive. I am treating my gum like heavy artillery. It's there just in case but I am not going to use it unless it is absolutely necessary. I am also using affirmations. Affirming to myself how much better off I am and everyone around me is with cigarettes no longer being a part of my life. These affirmations are tricky to because, I have to be sure to focus on what I want and not what I don't want. For example, If I say..."I am a non smoker", that still focuses on smoking, so I have to say something like..."I only allow fresh and clean air in to my body". Lastly, I am looking for something to occupy my habit of having something in my hands. I think for me, and maybe others as well, the habit of having that cigarette in your hand is as big a part of the problem as the nicotine its self. I haven't quite figured out what I am going to do to replace that activity but I am testing several theories and paying close attention to what seems to work best. I will let you know what I end up doing as this objective comes to fruition.

Well, there you have it. The Decision is made, the Philosophies to support that Decision are in place and the Plan is put together and the Execution of that plan has begun. I am in control of myself. I am in control of what I do and I am responsible for my own actions. Bring on the cravings and addictions and let me show you who the real boss is.

Stay Focused & Feel Good!

Success Is In 3D

That's right, 3D it is. But this is not the kind of 3D that you need some silly glasses for. This is the 3D's I am talking about...Desire...Decision...Determination. Just like the 3D that uses the silly glasses to make things seem closer to you and more defined and ultimately more REAL, these 3D's (Desire, Decision and Determination) will do exactly the same thing, only for your business or venture.

One thing that all successful people (not just in business but in anything that someone has accomplished) have in common is they didn't "TRY" to do it. They had a DESIRE to do it, they DECIDED to get it done and they were DETERMINED to complete it at any cost. The amazing thing about having really acquired these 3D's is once they are instilled in you, nothing can stop you. I was once told a story by an acquaintance of how he was in jail in Texas and for some reason they released him on short and unannounced notice. He told me he needed to get to NC but he had no one to call, no money and he didn't even have any shoes. Surprisingly he got there. How does somebody with no money, no shoes and no one to call on make it 1000 miles across the country? DESIRE, DECISION and DETERMINATION. One of my favorite quotes of all time is from the "Scottish Himalayan Expedition" and in it is says...

"that the moment one definitely commits oneself,
then Providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one
that would never otherwise have occurred.
A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one's favour all manner
of unforeseen incidents and meetings
and material assistance,
which no man could have dreamt
would come his way."

This is a lesson that changed my life forever. I have seen it over and over and over again. When someone "TRIES" to do something, very seldom does it ever pan out. But when someone DESIRES to do something., they DECIDE to do something and they are DETERMINED to do something, it almost ALWAYS comes to be true. I can't tell you how to get to that point of no return. That point where there are no other options. Actually it's been my experience that it is usually some unforeseen turn of events that happens in someone's life that usually puts them there. Some day of disgust where they have just had enough and BOOM! you are off to the races focused only on the finish line and knocking everything and anybody that may deter you out of the way.

So if you are not happy doing what you are doing or if there is something out there in the world that you want to conquer, you really have two choices. You can choose to instill the 3D's in you now and go for it (you can't "TRY" it) or you can wait until something happens to instill them for you. Either way, your going to end up getting it done once you have obtained the DESIRE, DECISION and DETERMINATION because that's what it takes to have true success.

Stay Focused and Feel Good!

Rain Rain Go Away. Really?

Well it's another rainy day here in NC. We have really been getting it this year. I feel like I moved to Seattle. lol. On days like this, it's easy to wish for more sunshine and warmer temperatures. I see people posting things like that in their Status Updates and making those kind of comments at the grocery store, but is that what we really want? I know rain may put a DAMPER on things we all have planned but plans change all the time.

On days like today, I can't help but think of a poem I wrote nearly two years ago. It's probably the first and only poem I have ever written. I am no poet by any means, but this one came out pretty good and it's helped me through a lot of "RAINY DAYS" in my life, so I thought I would share it with all of you. I titled it "THE STORM" Enjoy!

The glowing of the sun
Warms us to the core
It provides the brightness
That allows all life to soar

The existing life we know
Of all the different types
Loves the days the sun can shine
Upon our stars and stripes

Then one day the clouds roll in
A dark and gloomy sky
Anticipations of the day
You stop and wonder...Why?

As the rains begin to fall
We see our plans must change
Some see the day as ruined
I see now that's just strange

The clouds provide protection
To much of anything is bad
Look to find the good in things
Even things that make us sad

The rains are a necessity
A must for all things living
Broaden our vision to receive
The gifts that life is giving

Guarantees? There are a few
One is there's an end
No matter how bad the storm
THE SUN WILL SHINE AGAIN!

Written
9/14/08

I hope this helps somebody look at things just a little different. I learned many years ago, that when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change. Be thankful for everything life gives you. There is a reason for all of it.

Stay Focused and Feel Good!

ALL ABOARD!? Not Necessarily

In the book Good To Great they talk about making sure you have the right people "ON THE BUS" with you. That's easier said than done. Finding the RIGHT people, no matter what you are doing, is not an easy thing to do but ultimately your success, in any particular endeavor, depends on it. No one is successful by themselves. No matter what they say, there is ALWAYS someone or some people that contributed to that success.

So how do you get the RIGHT people "ON THE BUS" with you? That's the Million Dollar question. I think it starts with your immediate law of associations. Understanding that what you focus on expands, if your immediate group of friends, family and acquaintances (these are the people you spend the most time with, which means that these are the people you FOCUS on) are not the right people for your BUS, it is almost impossible to attract a different type of person to put on your bus. Even if you did happen to get one of the RIGHT people on your bus, they probably won't stay on there because they will feel out of place and uncomfortable. So I think the first step toward getting the RIGHT people on your bus is probably to unload the wrong people off of your bus first.

This may also be harder than it sounds because you may really like some of the people that are currently on your bus but how you feel about someone and how they are going to affect your end result are two totally different things. This is a very hard lesson to learn and an even harder lesson to teach. People easily become offended when you imply that they may need to evaluate who they are spending most of their time with. I have had many people just come right out and tell me..."I am not giving up my friends for this!". Well you don't have to, you just have to pay attention to who is getting your time and are those people a part of the "BUILDING CREW" or the "WRECKING CREW" when it comes to what you want to accomplish? Let's face it people, your "FRIENDS" have changed your whole life. You have different friends now than you had at your last JOB, in College, High School, Middle School and Grade School. I know that you may still have a few that are long time friends from Grade school but really, come on, for the most part, all new people over the years. So why in the world would anyone think that when you changed your focus to do something different that you could possibly do it without changing your influences? You can't and that is the simple bottom line answer. In "The 17 Essential Qualities Of A Team Player" it says when it comes to building a championship team and the people on that team, you will have to "TRAIN THEM OR TRADE FOR THEM". We see that and accept that everyday in professional sports. Doesn't it just make sense to apply that same PHILOSOPHY to the CHAMPIONSHIP team you are putting together to insure your success?

Although the wheels on the bus may go round and round, just because your moving doesn't mean you are getting any closer to you destination. Just like the wheels, you may also be going ROUND AND ROUND. It's like a multi-person row boat. If you have the RIGHT people on one side rowing and the WRONG people on the other side rowing and they are not in sync with each other, you will still be moving but not toward the finish line. I think this is an example that most people can understand.

So, take inventory of the people you currently have on your bus. Is there a Synergy among them? Do they feed off of each other and make each other better or do they pull against each other? I heard one time that the way to kill a snake is to cut off its head. Find the source of the issue you are encountering and remove it. Escort those people off of your bus and then begin to fill those seats with new, energetic, team oriented people and off in to the sunset you will go!

Stay Focused and Feel Good!

I Want It Yesterday!

There is nothing like immediate gratification. To decide that you want something and for that to immediately come to fruition. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) for the greatest things in life, that typically is not the way it works and most of the time, if the truth be told, we really don't want it "NOW" anyways. I've always said..."Be Careful What You Wish For".

I think as a Society, we have really gotten spoiled with immediate gratification. Fast food is no longer fast enough. We stand in front of the microwave waiting for our food to hurry up and get done (the same food that would have taken 10 times as long to prepare before the microwave was invented) and a plethora of other things that we can IMMEDIATELY call on for ourselves. Now, I understand that anytime you can speed up a process and make it more efficient, there is a lot of opportunity there from a business point of view but really, haven't we created our own "RAT RACE" today. To many times, people don't slow down to realize what life has to offer until something tragic happens and makes them. Sad but true.

What happened to all the old values we were taught? "Patience is a virtue". "Good things come to those who wait". "Slow and steady wins the race". "Stop and smell the roses". Do they even apply anymore or are they just old news that have no value in today's Society? For what it's worth, I believe they carry a lot more weight than many of us want to admit.

There is nothing more fulfilling than working toward something to accomplish it. Where is the sense of accomplishment in immediate gratification? It's convenient, yes, but fulfilling and I mean REALLY fulfilling? Not so much. There is no warm fuzzy feeling that comes over you when you hit a drive through and bring it home like there is when you prepare that meal for yourself or someone you love. You know the feeling. The one that says..."I DID THAT!". What's the lessons we are teaching our children with immediate gratification? Will they grow up without ever knowing the values of hard work and patience? Could you imagine what our world would be like if nobody worked hard or put in the time to accomplish something? What's the hurry anyways? None of us are getting out of this life alive. The day we were born started the clock ticking to the day we die. From start to finish, shouldn't we actually take some time to ACCOMPLISH something in the middle? I think so but I also think we are in such a rush, we lose track of time, purpose and the ultimate goal. Goal? What Goal? Hmmm? There's a slew of great questions. What is your Life Goal? Do you have one? Are the Life's Activities that you follow and commit to everyday in line with and reflect that ULTIMATE Goal? Those are deep questions we should all take a minute to ponder.

I understand that we will never get rid of, nor should we want to get rid of, the things that make our lives simpler. The fact is, these immediate gratifications can actually provide us more time to enjoy the things life does have to offer. All I am saying is, they should be a PART of our lives, not the WAY of our lives.

Figure out what you want to accomplish. Set it as your GOAL. Develop a PLAN to achieve that GOAL. Begin the execution of that PLAN and give yourself the TIME to complete it. Reward yourself with the feeling of ACCOMPLISHMENT. We have all gotten some type of Trophy or Award in our life and we remember how that made us feel. Well, we don't have to wait for someone or somebody else to reward us, we can reward ourselves as many times and as often as we like by simply accomplishing in this life. And that's Noble on your part because the more you accomplish, the more hope, belief and confidence it gives someone else that they can accomplish to.

Stay Focused and Feel Good!

Poker Anyone?

You know I usually start my day drinking coffee and playing a little Texas Holem on FaceBook. Today was no different. I am not the worlds greatest Poker player (that's really an understatement. lol) but I do win some and I lose some. That's the way the game goes, right? I mean even the best players in the world don't win em all. The thrill of it is, that maybe, just maybe, you might win the NEXT hand. I think it's the NEXT hand that keeps us coming back. You just never know what's coming NEXT. What's the two cards your gonna be dealt and how will you manipulate those cards, whatever they may be, to your favor?

As I sat there playing this morning it dawned on me that life is really the same way. You win some and you lose some but the fact is, if you never play at all, you have no chance of winning at all. Just like the cards that get dealt to you in poker, life is constantly dealing to us. Sometimes it's situations that we are excited to play with and sometimes it's situations we aren't so sure how we are going to play with. There's even times we get dealt a hand that we are excited to play but it turns out to be a loser even though it looked like a winner from the start and visa versa. So where is the pattern? Is there a pattern? Is there some possible way we can win win win? NO NO NO! To win you have to play and as I was taught in Vegas, the very first time I ever went, you can't play with scared money. I think that's why most people never even try to go for it. They are scared they might lose. TIP: There is NOTHING wrong with losing! So rather than gamble they just don't play at all. To me, that seems like a pretty long and boring life. We are here for 50, 60, 70, 80 or even more years. That's a long time to play it safe. To just go through the motions until we die. Now, I am not saying you should go "ALL IN" all the time but sometimes you just gotta take a chance. You just gotta go for it! Even if you don't win, it's not the end of the world. When I was "GOING FOR IT" to become free from the rat race of a JOB, I remember saying to my wife..."Even if we lose the house and the cars and everything, will we survive?" and the answer was "YES". It might not have been my perfect scenario or what I wanted to have happen but the fact was that it wasn't going to kill us. That was enough to keep me pushing. To keep me in the game. It was what was coming NEXT that I saw, not what's happening now.

Take your finger and hold it out in front of you pointing at the ceiling. Look at it. When you look right at it, it's all you see. It's clear as a bell and you don't see anything but your finger. Now instead of looking AT you finger, look at the furthest point you can past your finger. What happens to your finger? It becomes translucent. You hardly see it at all. That, Ladies and Gentlemen, is how you succeed. You look past the obvious right in front of you and see and stay focused on where you are going. Just like your finger, those things that we can usually only see right in front of us, that typically stop us from getting any further, become translucent and we are now able to pass those points to get to a further place in life.

Life is short. Don't worry about what others are doing, saying or thinking. Do what YOU want to do. Accomplish what YOU want to accomplish. Your going to lose some along the way but you will be better and stronger because of it. Why? Because you learn more by losing than you do by winning. Stay a student of life and you can enjoy the riches (not just financial) that life has to offer.

Stay Focused and Feel Good!

A Hopeless Case Of Optimism?

Today I want to share with you an experience I have been having over the past couple of days. As funny as this may sound, I have been in a somewhat heated debate with a young lady on a status comment thread on FaceBook. The real funny thing is, it wasn't even one of her status updates. As a matter of fact, it was her brothers status update that started the whole thing.

Her brother had posted something about how working hard and believing will take you far in life and how many people are not believers and he wrapped it up by saying..."I'M GONNA BELIEVE". I thought the post was exceptional. Especially coming from this young man. It actually excited me to see him stand up for what he believed and scream it from the mountain top for everyone on FaceBook to see. So much so that I was moved to comment on such a bold statement. So my comment said simply..."Anything you TRULY believe is truth. Ponder that for a minute. Go go go!". The purpose of the comment really was just to support his new found philosophy. To encourage him to continue thinking in a positive way. Little did I know, the Optimist vs. Pessimist war was about to begin. lol

The next comment on this thread came from his very own sister. She opened it with..."I remember when Bill (me) used to be cool" and went on to commend her brother for such a great post and she would "KEEP IT IN MIND". Needless to say, I was a little offended and I told her so on my next comment. I mean come on, what is uncool about supporting someone's belief? Hello! This is your brother! I didn't say all that. All I said was, I am offended and have a great day. Here is where things got fun.

She replied for me not to be offended but half of what I say doesn't even make sense. Her explanation to follow said that just because someone believed they could fly doesn't make it true. I find that to be fair. A good argument, if your a pessimist. Now don't get me wrong, I am in NO WAY saying that if you put on a cape (to steal from her example) and truly believe you can fly, that you should jump off of a building to see if that theory holds water or not. It most likely will not work out in your favor. But aren't are own personal truths, the things that we perceive as true, based on the things that we believe? Or is our beliefs based on the things the we perceive as true? Either way, they absolutely, positively coincide with one another. I mean, come on, have you ever told a little white lie about something you did or experienced and you told it so much and for so long, that in your life and your mind it was true? Have you ever been told by so many people that you couldn't do something but your belief was different and you did it in spite of their belief. I think Henry Ford said it best when he said..."A man that believes he can and a man that believes he can't are both right". Imagine what our world would be like if we were all pessimists and no one ever believed in the unbelievable. We wouldn't have electricity, airplanes, cars, televisions or the internet. These were all far fetched ideas in the beginning that most people (pessimists) objected to. But it was the believers, the optimists, that prevailed in the end. I'm just saying.

Sorry, got on a little bit of a rampage there. So on with the story. After defending my side with basically what I just stated above, she replied to inform me that she now understands but it still doesn't mean that someone with a cape can fly. She also informed me of her Psychology "Major" (I don't know if that meant she has a degree in it or not. lol) This next statement made me literally laugh out load. She said, and I quote..."You have a hopeless case of optimism". What does that mean? Is that a documented condition? Can I get a prescription for that or should I use an over the counter cream? WOW!

So anyway, the whole thing got me thinking. Optimist vs. Pessimist? Positive vs. Negative? I don't think either one is right or wrong. As a matter of fact, you can't have one without the other. It's the challenge that pessimists provide that creates success when optimists do it anyway. If nobody thought it was impossible, how would we know it was a great accomplishment? I appreciate the views and values and truths and beliefs of others but, just like everyone else, I have my own personal beliefs and truths. I choose to be a positive, optimistic person and I stand fast that we are only limited by our own thoughts. What do you think?

Life's Puzzle

Today is a dreary rainy day here in NC where I am and on days like today, you tend to be in more and in my house that means more time to think.

As I am sitting here, I have been able to reflect on my life over the last few years. There has been a lot of things that most people would call BAD that have happened in my life (as does in everyone's life). I, on the other hand, am not so sure. I am finding myself having a harder and harder time really defining what is GOOD or BAD anymore. Things use to be so cut and dry. At one point in my life, I thought I had it all figured out but then I began to learn many of life's lessons. Lessons that made me stop and look and think. Lessons that started me asking myself questions. Deep questions at that. Soul searching I guess you could say.

I don't know where I am really going with this except that It is my first blog EVER and it seemed like a good place to start. A lot of the lessons I have learned are amazing to me. Philosophies and thought processes that will never allow me to be the same again. The funny thing about learning is, once you have really learned something, you never forget it. It always applies. I think that's why I find myself searching for more knowledge each and every day. It has become a small addiction for me. Everyday I wake up and wonder...what will I learn today? I wonder if others have that same feeling?

Well I guess, for me, this is a start. I think I will take some time each day to blog about what I am learning, how it applies and where that knowledge will take me. I don't know that anyone could ever "FIGURE IT OUT" but I am sure going to enjoy the journey toward that destination because I think, in all actuality, the Journey IS the destination.