Archive for August, 2008
To some, being poor is embarrassing and shameful, but to a select group of people; being poor is something they’re grateful to be. They embrace it and use it to their advantage to achieve better lives for themselves and for those around them.
If you were poor or are poor don’t fret because you’re in good company and you’re actually at more of an advantage than those with bigger bank accounts.
Being poor empowers and motivates
It may seem hard to believe for some, but having little money can drive people to greatness. But it can also drive individuals to destroy themselves. It all depends on the way a person reacts to a financial situation. Here are a few tips for empowering and motivating yourself if you are poor:
- Don’t become jealous, become even – When you see someone richer than you, you should only be jealous for so long. You must turn that jealously into a competitive edge. Every gadget, car, and vacation they have should motivate you to achieve the same luxuries. Don’t become too consumed by one-upping these people because the grass isn’t always as green as you think on the other side.
- Your rags-to-riches tale will inspire - Whenever I feel frustrated I read a rags-to-riches story. There are so many of them, and new ones are being written every day. These stories aren’t unique to the United States either. Some of the most well-known of these stories are:
- JK Rowling
- Andrew Carnegie
- Roman Abramovich
- Tamir Sapir
- Chris Gardner
- Oprah Winfrey
- Felix Dennis
By rising above poverty, your story will go down in history inspiring people for generations to come. This is motivating because simply by positively changing yourself, you will positively change lives.
You’ve got nothin’, you’ve got nothin’ to lose
Think you need money to achieve your dreams? Think again. You’re so much better off with little to no money, even if you’re launching a business. When you have no money, you have the freedom to pursue your dreams without the fear of losing money or putting yourself in financial ruin. Fear is the biggest deterrent of success. The fear of losing money is probably the biggest for most; and you can easily be fearless by being poor.
I know there will be people rebutting saying that you do need money to achieve a lot of dreams. I still beg to differ though. Take the story of Liz Murray. She dreamed of attending Harvard but was poor and homeless. With hard work, perseverance, and ingenuity; she found a way. Liz received a scholarship and attended Harvard. The old cliché of “where there’s a will, there’s a way” is certainly true.
Here are a few tips to achieve your big dreams with little money:
- Use your talents – You can develop many talents over your lifetime, but there are some that you were born with and were meant to use. They give you an advantage over other people. Properly harness their power and you’ll find that you can achieve what you desire in life.
- Use the internet – If you’re reading this article then you have access to the internet. The web is one of the greatest and cheapest (often free) tools to help you chase your dreams. It’s a time suck for some people, but if you can stay focused, the learning and networking opportunities are priceless. Social networking sites like Facebook give EVERYONE the opportunity to network with extremely successful individuals.
- Grow your mind – Knowledge doesn’t discriminate. Rich or poor, you can have all the knowledge you desire. You might not get the greatest education in school, but you can take it upon yourself to learn and fill in the gaps that public education misses. Knowledge has more power than any pile of money. Read articles on the internet, watch educational tv shows, or borrow books from the library.
You have something to live for
Most parents may think it’s best to give their children everything they desire. But the only thing that this does is stifle ambition. When you have everything, what do you have to strive for or even live for? We all need a purpose to get us up every day. When people have everything they ask themselves, “is this all there is to life.” It almost like you’ve hit a dead end in your life. Now don’t get me wrong, not everyone born with a silver spoon in their mouth lacks ambition. But I rather have the ambition that only comes from being poor. It’s unstoppable.
You aren’t as poor as you think
If you’re reading this article, then you really aren’t poor. You have internet access, which means you have electricity, which means you have a roof over your head; which in most books isn’t considered being poor, no matter what government statistics and labeling say. You have more luxuries than many people of the world have necessities. Even if you’re reading this at a library because you can’t afford a computer, you’re less poor than plenty others. So before you read any further, please get this misconception out of your mind. “Poor” is such a broad term today that it doesn’t have the same meaning it used to. YOU ARE NOT POOR.
The best things in life are free!
You can’t buy love. You can’t buy real friends. You can’t buy family. You can’t buy happiness. You can’t buy time. There are so many things that make life great which you can’t buy. Even though you are “poor” you have access to the most valuable parts of life. So I guess if you think about it; you’re as rich as they come.
*A note to the critics:
I know the critics out there will say there is nothing great about being poor and tell me to think about all the children dying in poverty stricken countries because of lack of access to food, clean water, and medical care. There are many horrible and tragic things that result from poverty. That is why I have signed up Lyved to be a part of Blog Action Day 2008. On October 15, 2008 some of the most influential blogs in the world will unite to discuss poverty. My intention of this article was to inspire people who think that they are poor to take action and achieve more in life. They’ll change their life, the lives of those around them, and by doing so; they’ll change the world.
You can’t stop thinking about it; you lie awake at night because of it; no matter what you do; every other thought is about it. You “eat and drink” it. You’re completely obsessed.
Now depending on what “it” is; your obsession may be crippling or your obsession may be the greatest asset you have to accomplishing monumental tasks. Obsession has a negative connotation mostly because of stories about people infatuated with celebrities. These individuals usually have mental problems such as the man who killed John Lennon.
In this article we’re going to focus on the positives of obsession and how to harness its power to improve your life and the lives of those around you. We’ll also briefly cover the negativities that are brought forth so that you can avoid them.
Let’s begin with the positives and negatives of obsession. Some are pretty obvious, but others are often overlooked or forgotten.
The positives
These are the advantages to being obsessed with something positive; such as success, a business, music, a goal, or even your health.
Focus
Laser focus is what you get with complete obsession. Your mind will not be scattered thinking about a million different things. It will be your obsession and nothing else. With this focus you’ll be learning so much more by immersing yourself in as much information about your obsession as possible.
Persistence
When you’re obsessed, nothing; absolutely nothing is going to get in your way. You’ll find any path around, under, over, or even through those walls and obstacles that appear. Persistence is crucial to any success, and it’s just a side effect of obsession.
Faster results
If every other thought you think and every other action you take pertains to your obsession; think of how fast you can achieve results. What could take years, will take an obsessed person only months.
Quality
You’ll be obsessed with every little detail which will improve the quality of your work.
Quantity
This is one of the only circumstances when quality and quantity will be at almost the same level. The productivity that pertains to your obsession will increase for sure.
The negatives – “too much of a good thing”
There are plenty of negatives to being obsesses over a business, success, or a goal. You must be aware of them before you fall for their traps and let them negatively affect your life.
Less time for family and loved ones
This is the worst side effect of obsession. Less time and enjoyment with those who mean the most to you. You’re so caught up that you’ll keep postponing events and time with them until a later date.
Neglecting other responsibilities
With so much focus on one thing; other responsibilities such as your job will take a back seat. If you’re moon lighting a business or other project, you need to find a balance and remain productive at your daytime occupation until you can support yourself.
Narrow mindedness
Often when you’re obsessed it’s your way or the highway. You shut out everyone else’s ideas, opinions, advice, and criticisms. By doing so, you’ll miss many opportunities and errors.
Burnouts
When you obsess over something every hour of every day, you’re bound to burnout and just get so sick of it. Sometimes so much so that you may never come back to it again.
Now that we know several of the positives and negatives to obsession, let’s move on to some tips on harnessing its power.
Absorb as much info as possible
Use your obsession to learn as much information about one topic as possible. Read every book, magazine, blog post, and article you can. There’s no way you can learn too much about your obsession. Try to always carry reading materials with you that are related to your obsession. Whenever you feel like you’re wasting time at a doctor’s office or on a train, you can keep your mind working and remain productive.
Don’t let your obsession last
One year to one and a half years maximum, should be the duration of your obsession. Even that may be too long. You will yield amazing results in a short time, but as you continue to obsess you’ll miss more and more of the small things that make life enjoyable. Your quality of life will eventually deteriorate; no matter how much money you’ve earned.
Carry a notebook & pen
This is a really simple and cheap way to stay obsessed without missing out on things in your life. Whenever you are trying to enjoy the day with family and friends, bring a notebook with you. Creativity and ideas can strike at anytime. And when they do, you can jot them down and try to forget about them until later and enjoy the present time.
Cultivate a few positive obsessions
By having a few different obsessions you’ll keep yourself from focusing too much on just one of them. This will also give you an opportunity to improve other areas of your life, including your health.
Tackle difficult goals
Obsession gives you everything you need to tackle the biggest of goals. So don’t waste its power on goals that you can easily achieve without it.
Have a selfless obsession
Don’t be selfish with your obsession. Yes, you’re going to have to sacrifice time with the people you care about, but make certain that your obsession is for their greater good, not just yours. Even go bigger, and use your obsession to benefit the world.
Make sure the obsession brings you joy
A positive obsession should bring you happiness. Don’t bother if it doesn’t because you won’t last long enough to yield results.
Obsessions to avoid
Here are a few obsessions that would not be considered as positive:
Obsessed with work - Wasting away your life in a cubicle, pushing papers around.
Obsessing over dieting & exercise – Being healthy and fit is one thing, but exercising for hours a day is an addiction.
Obsessed with a person – Being a celebrity fanatic and knowing Brad Pitt’s favorite color is just ridiculous. Get your own life. And don’t waste your time obsessing over someone who wants nothing to do with you.
Real life examples
There are many individuals who were obsessed with what they were doing which turned out to be a major key to their success.
Thomas Edison – Mr. Edison was completely obsessed with inventing and enjoyed every minute of it. Who knows where the world would be if he wasn’t so obsessed.
Mark Cuban – When Mark Cuban launched is first company MicroSolutions; he would read every computer and software manual he possibly could to learn as much as possible and to stay one step ahead of his competitors. Mark says if you want to start a company it must be an obsession (Please read “A Couple of My Rules for Startups”).
Tiger Woods – To Tiger, golf wasn’t a passion, it was an obsession. He has been playing since he was a small child.
It doesn’t matter whether you are an entrepreneur or aspire to be one. There are places you must visit for inspiration and motivation. Much of it can be drawn from others who have built businesses and empires from nothing. To see pictures and video of these locations is one thing; but to be there, seeing and smelling the humble beginnings and the hard work it took to become successful; is a whole other experience.
Palo Alto & Silicon Valley
Some of the greatest business stories have come out of the Silicon Valley. From Hewlett Packard to Google; many of these companies got their start in the humblest of beginnings: garages. Many aspiring entrepreneurs believe that you have to start big with lots of money; when in fact it’s better to start with little capital. It forces you to become resourceful and creative to go against bigger competition.
Though you might not be able to go inside; drive by the offices of various companies. You’ll soon realize that these “offices” are more like college campuses.
The Lincoln Memorial
Abraham Lincoln may not have been an entrepreneur but he accomplished many things and has dispensed some of the greatest advice.
“Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today.”
“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing.”
President Lincoln is not the only reason to visit the memorial. The second is symbolic. Every large fortune starts with a penny and on every penny is the Lincoln Memorial. As an entrepreneur, you need to realize that you aren’t going to strike it rich right away. No matter how many “overnight” success stories you’ve heard or read about; these stories aren’t totally truthful.
Hollywood & Beverly Hills
Nothing epitomizes taking a big risk like Hollywood and nothing epitomizes success like Beverly Hills. The film industry was originally started in New Jersey but many film makers decided to take the risk and move westward to California.
Beverly Hills is a testament to what hard work and determination can get you. Though it may seem like an exclusive town, it really isn’t. Anyone can live there if they have a strong enough will and desire to.
Philadelphia
What’s more inspirational than the city where the United States of America got its official start? Entrepreneurs have flourished because of America; the first country that truly let them pursue their dreams.
Las Vegas
If you can take a moment and step out of the hustle and bustle of Vegas, then you can really learn about the history of the city and soak in some of its success. Years before any casino; Las Vegas was just a dusty, boring town. It’s hard to believe the destination it has become. But those first entrepreneurs who built hotels and casinos envisioned it.
Despite Las Vegas’ success in the past, Steve Wynn knew it could be even bigger and better. He took a big risk when building The Mirage. Many didn’t believe a themed casino would succeed. Steve proved them wrong, and with his risk, he revolutionized the Las Vegas landscape and the gambling business.
Bureau of Engraving & Printing tour
There’s more to life and entrepreneurialism than money. A tour at a Bureau of Engraving and Printing location will show you that money is nothing more than paper and ink. As an entrepreneur you don’t want to be pursuing just paper. You need to have another purpose and you need to assist as many people as you can by helping them achieve their dreams.
There are two locations that the Bureau of Engraving & Printing lets you tour; one in Washington, DC and one in Fort Worth, Texas. For more information please visit this link: http://www.moneyfactory.gov/locations/index.cfm/3
A car dealership
This may seem strange to include in this article but almost everyone has a dream car. And what better way to increase motivation than to be next to your dream car but knowing you can’t afford it? You’ll get the feeling of being so close, yet so far away. To the truly motivated; this is all they need to start taking action towards their goals.
The quality of our lives is determined by the quality of our health. You can have all the money in the world but if you go through your day feeling tired, fatigued or weak, you can’t be living your life to the fullest. Here are 25 quick tips to increase your health and fitness:
1. Diets are evil
Because of their temporary nature, diets don’t work. The people who do lose weight end up gaining it back again once they come off the diet. Instead of dieting, try to change your lifestyle. The changes you make to the way you eat should be sustainable for the rest of your life.
2. Get rid of the junk food
The easiest way to ensure that you don’t eat the food you shouldn’t is to make sure it isn’t available. Go through your fridge and toss out all the junk food. Next time you go grocery shopping, make sure that you don’t buy more.
3. Make use of healthy snacks
Having a snack between your meals is a good idea – as long as they’re healthy. Stock up on fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds. Have them readily available for whenever you might feel hungry. This means both at home and at the office.
4. All carbs are not created equal
While carbohydrates are a necessary part of your diet, there are some that do more damage than good. Avoid white carbs wherever possible and switch to the whole-grain alternatives.
5. Kill the caffeine addiction
Whether it’s coffee or soft drinks, caffeine is a drug. It’s a legal drug but a drug nonetheless. If you feel the need for a warm drink, choose an herbal tea instead.
6. Don’t forget the fat
Although trans-fats and the like should be avoided, you need to consume sufficient essential fatty acids. Make sure you are getting your omega-3 and omega-6 fats. These can be found in flax oil, nuts, and seeds.
7. Water is your friend
Your body is made up mostly of water. The problem is most people walk around dehydrated. If you are feeling thirsty, it’s too late: you are already dehydrated.
8. Breathe deeply
Oxygen is more important than water for your health. You can survive days without water but only minutes without oxygen. Most people today have very shallow breathing and are not getting enough air. Breathe deeply from your diaphragm to ensure your cells are well oxygenated.
9. Eat your veggies
Vegetables are rich in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) that are essential to your health. Plus they have a cleansing effect on your body because of their alkaline pH.
10. Buy organic
Much of the commercial produce available today is devoid of nutritional value due to the depleted soil used in the industrial farming process. Organic produce also has the benefit of tasting a lot better. It might be more expensive but the benefit is well worth it.
11. Get friends that live healthy
The ongoing interaction with people who have the health you desire will be a positive influence on you. It is far easier to make the transition to healthy living when you have the social support.
12. Find healthy foods you enjoy
Just because you are eating healthy does not mean you need to suffer eating foods you hate. Look for healthy foods you enjoy and eat them more often. Find recipes online that are both healthy and enjoyable.
13. Take your lunch to work
Not only will brown bagging your lunch save you some money, it will help you avoid eating unhealthy foods for lunch. Take the extra time to make your lunch in the morning or make extra for dinner and eat the leftovers.
14. Eat out intelligently
For the restaurants that you visit frequently, find out the menu choices that are healthy options. This way, you can enjoy going out without jeopardizing your health.
15. Give yourself a cheat meal
Every now and then, it’s okay to indulge in something you know that it is not good for you but you enjoy. You shouldn’t deprive yourself. Just make sure that this only happens from time to time.
16. Sleep deeply
Get a good night’s rest every evening. Sleep in a quiet room that is dark for the appropriate amount of time for you. Most people have heard that you need 8 hours of sleep for proper health. In my experience, the amount of sleep I need varies with my eating habits and exercise. When I am living in a healthy manner, I find I feel fully energized with about 6 hours of sleep. Find the amount of sleep that is right for you.
17. Schedule exercise
Make your workout an important appointment for yourself. Schedule it at a specific time and place. Make it as important to you as a business meeting or doctor’s appointment.
18. Get a workout buddy
Sometimes your motivation to exercise wanes. When you have a partner that pushes you, it is far easier to take action. Working out with a friend also tends to make it a lot more fun.
19. Exercise aerobically
Cardiovascular exercise helps to burn fat and raises your metabolism. It also strengthens your heart and lungs. Do at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at least 3 times a week.
20. Don’t forget to stretch
Stretching is important for your flexibility and the recovery of your muscles. Don’t stretch a cold muscle – it’s a good way to injure yourself. If you stretch before your workout, only do so after warming up. It’s always a good idea to stretch after a workout where your muscles are already warm.
21. Train for strength
Building muscle not only increasing your strength but also increases your metabolism. Strength training also stimulates the release human growth hormone in your body which slows the aging process. It’s important to engage in strength training 2-4 times a week.
22. Make exercise a habit
The easiest way to follow through and make sure that you exercise is to make it automatic. Exercise at the same time every day if possible.
23. Get a trainer
Although a personal trainer is not necessary, having one while you start out exercising can be very helpful. They can show the proper form for exercises and help motivate you to really push yourself.
24. Make changes gradually
If you’ve been living an unhealthy lifestyle for a long time, the challenge of healthy living can seem daunting. Instead of trying to change everything at once and getting overwhelmed, make sustainable changes gradually.
25. Don’t give up
If you fall back into unhealthy patterns, there is no reason to beat yourself up about it. Identify why the lapse occurred and learn from your mistakes. Move forward with this knowledge and continue to move towards health.
This article was written by Anand Dhillon. Anand writes about personal development at www.AnandDhillon.com. For more from Anand, read his series, How to Master Money & Wealth.
Here are some various links from around that internet that you should check out.
Slow-Motion Lighting Video
It’s a short clip but spectacular nonetheless.
Ridiculous Keyboard Napkin Crumb-Proofs Your Laptop
This simple invention might not be the most cutting-edge and might be wasteful, but it goes to show that there are still plenty of opportunities to innovate everywhere.
Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Ad
At least she can make fun of herself.
How to Use Clarity to Get Things Done
Read the article at the Huffington Post.
Google launches 2008 Olympics page
http://www.google.com/landing/summergames2008/index.html
Amazing waterfall display
The video is not the highest quality but the display is simply amazing.
How to Save Money - Common Money Mistakes
Read the article at Good Housekeeping.
How to Get In Lean Shape with Little or No Equipment
Read the article at Zen Habits.
