I have a vision for your life. Yes, yours.

So, you may be asking yourself, “how could he have a vision for my life? He doesn’t even know a thing about what I want.”

Or do I?

You have dreams, right? Aspirations, goals, something that you want so badly it keeps you up at night, or enters your dreams repeatedly.

If you’re anything like me, your entire life has felt like it was leading up to something big, something meaningful, something that would not only impact your life, but those of everyone who knows you.

You were MADE for something bigger than a mere existence.

The purpose of what I’m writing today is to let you know that I believe in YOU.

And you may wonder, what difference does it make if I believe in you? Well, if it doesn’t mean anything to you for some random stranger to believe in you, then you may just want to stop reading this right now.

But if it matters to you that someone out here cares about you, then please read on.

You see, I was blessed early in life with parents who believed in me, despite the fact that frequently I just didn’t deserve it. But yet, they just kept believing, kept caring, kept seeing something in me that I didn’t yet see in myself.

What’s especially amazing to me is that they believed in me by choice. They didn’t have to believe, but they CHOSE to do so, from the very beginning, because they adopted me.

From my 5th week of life, I was chosen by two of the best people I could ever hope to have care about me, to love me and to love me not because of who they wanted me to be, but because of who I AM.

Sure, I know they wanted the best for me, and always do. Sometimes, I misinterpreted this as expectations they had for my life, and for the way they expected me to behave. But now, I understand that they were simply loving me in the best way they knew, and a way they felt would give me the most happiness in my life.

I love THEM for that, because what they taught me is that love and belief is a choice. A choice that we make every minute of every day.

Like many people, I was very self-absorbed, self-centered and overwhelmingly selfish for too many years in my life. Because I was given so much as a child, I expected to have all those same material things as an adult.

There’s nothing wrong with material possessions, but I do believe there is something wrong with putting it at the center of your life, and especially when you place it above the needs of others.

Today, I’m grateful that I’ve learned that happiness does not come from money, or from the things you own. It comes from believing in and uplifting others. If you don’t believe me, test it out.

I’ll tell you what… I’ll help you out if you need it. Let me help you achieve your financial and material goals in life. I’ll help you get to a point where you can live the life you want.

And we’ll focus on obtaining material possessions. Money. Cars. Houses. Vacations. While we’re at it, let’s make your entire life a vacation. I’ll help you make enough money so that you can quit your job so that you never have to request time off again.

You can go on vacation anytime you want.

And while you’re on vacation, imagine yourself livng there full time.

But before I get ahead of myself, let me tell you a bit about my story.

I’m not going to tell you all of it right now because I’m sure I’ve already taken enough of your time today.

What I want to focus on is WHY I want to help YOU.

You see, a few years ago I thought I had everything I needed.

Did you notice I didn’t say that I had everything I wanted?

This was during a time in my life when I still believed that money and material possessions were the goal. Sure, I wouldn’t have admitted it, but that was what kept me going every day.

And then I got laid-off.

I should’ve known better. I’ve been self-employed before, and I used to say that I would much rather know that I was running out of money than to get called in to my boss’s office on a Friday morning to be told that due to budget constraints, my position had been eliminated.

But did I listen to my own advice? No, of course not. I gave in to the idea of job security, and repeatedly learned that there is no such thing.

I said that I wouldn’t go too deep into my story, so let’s fast-forward to the day my life changed forever.

It was February 27th, 2011. My life had reached the lowest of lows. I had been unemployed for about a year and half and every morning I woke up having no idea what was to become of my life.

I needed income, but I HATED the idea of getting another job.

I gave my life over to God on that day and I believe that due to His divine intervention and a willingness to admit I had no idea what I was doing with my life, I was provided with an opportunity to realize one of the biggest dreams of my life… to become a real estate investor.

For the sake of brevity, I’ll skip all the details and bring you up to date.

I’ve been a real estate investor for almost two years now and I learned something along the way.

Money does not create security and money does not create happiness, and it most definitely does NOT fulfill life-purpose.

So I got into internet marketing. I admit, at first it was because I wanted a way to diversify my income. I was looking for a way to leverage the money I made in real estate into other ventures, and to give me a way to live the “laptop lifestyle” from any place on earth that offered me an internet connection.

So I got involved in all sorts of business opportunities and started making money. A little here, a little there, but yet there was something missing.

That’s when it hit me.

It wasn’t about leverage.

It wasn’t about making money.

It wasn’t about living the “laptop lifestyle”.

I realized that my purpose in life was to give YOU the opportunity to live the life of YOUR dreams.

I realized this on a day that I was attending an event of approximately 4000 people in Austin, Texas. For the first time, I visualized that I was on stage speaking to everyone there, but more importantly, I realized that what I was visualizing had NOTHING to do with glorifying myself, but to uplift others.

You see, I realized that my purpose in my life is to give YOU hope. To give you faith in yourself. To give YOU back the power that has been stripped from you.

Now, I know my mission. I know that my mission is to put that smile back on your face, to give you confidence to believe in who you are, and what YOU have to offer. So many things in your life may have taken that away from you, but I want to give it back.

You are more powerful than you ever imagined. If you don’t yet believe it, allow me to believe it FOR you until you believe it for yourself.

You have a purpose, and I believe that purpose is to be a blessing for others.

This is WHY I do what I do; because my belief in you is deep, and I cannot imagine anything more powerful than seeing YOU on stage, sharing your story, your belief in others, and your vision for the future with thousands of other people.

LIVE your purpose. Live it every day. Command the universe to help you realize your potential.

I’m here for you. I believe in you.

Seriously, I have no idea what to write today.

I feel stuck, paralyzed and simultaneously motivated to do everything at once. It’s a weird feeling that’s being met with some internal resistance.

I’m absolutely bound and determined to balance everything I want to do in my life and to not give any of it up.

And yet, I think there’s simply not enough time in the day to do everything I want to do, along with everything I need to do.

I live a simple life, so it’s not that I have a bunch of obligations pulling me in a million directions.

It’s more that I feel like I want to conquer the world in the areas of expertise and interests I’ve undertaken.

Honestly, I’m blessed to even have this problem. Some people don’t even have jobs or their own businesses.

I’m fortunate to NOT have a job.

That made me think, “How long has it been since I last had a JOB?” And I’m surprised to say that the last time I was employed was 2009… THREE YEARS!

I spent the first two looking for another job… well, sort of.

I really didn’t want a job, so I was mostly going through the motions while I tried to figure out my next move.

Fast forward to early 2011…

My unemployment insurance was running out.

I didn’t know where I would get the money to pay my next month’s rent.

I had filed bankruptcy, and lost my house to foreclosure.

I was at rock-bottom, and had NO IDEA what to do.

Reaching the lowest of lows, I could only pray for answers.

I had completely screwed-up my life thus far, thinking I knew what I was doing, but I really had no idea.

None.

I woke up the next morning and knew that I was supposed to start packing, but I had no idea why, or where I would be going.

It was the end of February, 2011. By March 1st, I had given notice that I would be vacating my apartment.

For the next three weeks, I packed. And packed, and packed.

And then I ran out of things to pack. All I had left was my clothes, some cookware… and my computer.

I had been helping my dad with a real estate investment deal that had not been working out as expected. It turns out the company that lined-up the two properties he had expected to purchase had somehow underestimated the closing costs by $4000 per house.

And this is a company that was selling about 300 investment properties per year… so it made me wonder, was this a simple mistake or deceit?

I tend to believe it was the latter.

So I spent some time looking for another company that would not make the same mistakes.

What I found surprised me.

The company that I found was located in Jacksonville, FL and it just so happened that ONE DAY before I had found their website, the CEO of the company had posted he was looking for an intern.

Did I mention that I had always harbored a dream of being a real estate investor?

I applied for the internship, and got it.

Now I knew why I was supposed to be packing.

The internship started on April 15th. Perfect timing

So I arrived in Jacksonville, and got to work on learning everything I possibly could about being a real estate investor. I put in long hours, and was learning fast.

I started out as a rehab intern, but ended-up working primarily in acquisitions.

The internship was for six months, but it ended abrubtly, 2 and 1/2 months shy of the the six month mark.

Why?

I miscalculated.

I went to the ATM one day to withdraw my weekly unemployment check and was denied. Insufficient funds. Balance: somewhere close to ZERO.

Ooops.

Now what?

Well, this is a good time to share with you one of my favorite phrases, one I coined during this time in my life.

“There is no Plan B”

So, I gave notice that my internship was over, and as much as I had enjoyed my time there, I needed to hit the ground running.

I was now officially, for all intents and purposes, a “real estate investor”.

I was surprised that they offered me a job. I asked, “Would I be able to control my income?” Surprisingly, the answer was, “no”.

Of course, I turned-down their offer.

(to be continued)

Sitting at the Cedar Door in downtown Austin, TX, I'm “supposed to” be relinquishing the deep thoughts trapped in my mind.

But that's not where they're trapped. It's easy to let thoughts out of your mind, especially if you are like me and rely too much on the logical, left side of your brain.

No, my problems run closer to my heart, in a place I protect from harm. I like to believe I'm not afraid. Really, I never even want to admit it's a possibility, because I still don't believe I am even though I can't imagine there's any greater possibility.

I ask myself, “are you all-in?” Am I fully, completely, 100% invested in my life? Do I fully and completely believe in myself?

I'm surprised by the deafening silence. There is no resounding “yes” or “no”, only silence. That horribly empty silence of a question I am unwilling to answer.

Despite being raised by incredibly supportive parents, I managed to do so much to mess up my life from a very early age.

I was the kid that sat on my knees when the teacher asked everyone to cross their legs.

I was the kid that spoke out randomly while everyone was supposed to be reading quietly.

I was the kid that loved the teacher's attention so much, it seemed that I didn't want to share it with anyone else.

It's not that I was selfish, it's that I just didn't realize what I was doing.

I never really learned how to fit in as a kid, and now that I'm an adult, it's one of the few things I'm proud of… that I simply don't WANT to fit in. But it doesn't mean that I don't want to be liked and accepted.

It's just that I want to be liked and accepted for who I am. I want it to be not only good enough, but something that's able to be so unique that others tell me that their lives were improved by something I shared.

Being the random person I am, I'm going to take a diversion at this moment to list 10 things I'm feel grateful for at this moment:

1. The beautiful evening I'm able to experience here on this outdoor patio on January 19th, 2013 in Austin, TX.

2. I'm grateful for having the financial means to be able to travel to Austin, TX for the Empower Network event where I've gotten to meet some of the most wonderful people I've ever had a chance to meet in my life.

3. I'm grateful that the people I've met don't feel different to me, and that everyone so warmly and openly accepts and embraces me for who I am.

4. I'm grateful for the amazing pork taco I had just now.

5. I'm grateful for my new friend, Jon Gillman, with whom I shared my hotel room this weekend.

6. I'm grateful for my friend, Kerri Shafer for not only being a great friend, but for caring and believing in me.

7. I'm grateful for my new clothes (and for Kerri helping me pick them out). I feel like myself in them, and that makes me happy.

8. I'm so grateful for my health, and for making the decision to recommit to my physical fitness.

9. I'm grateful for all the great things I've heard this weekend at the EN event.

10. I'm grateful to God for giving me the constant burning desire to always learn and grow.

So, why do I hold back? Why are those voices always speaking doubt into my life?

I told Jon this afternoon that in some ways I wish that I had never come across Empower Network, because now that I see what is possible, I can't seem to let go of the desire to either prove that I can take it all the way to the top, or that it can't succeed.

Giving up would be easy, but way too hard. Why? Because it would be a defeat, and not just any defeat, but a self-defeat.

So, the funny thing is that I have no desire to give up because I believe it's too hard. No, that's not the case at all, because really I don't believe that for one minute.

If anything, it has more to do with the doubt I have in myself to stick with anything long enough to truly master it.

Many people describe Empower Network as a blogging platform. If that's all it was, I couldn't possibly get excited about it. It's so much more.

Empower Network is an outlet of expression for all of us who have been constrained by the limitations of life. It's a way to make money off of a personal development program, and they give you all the tools you need to express yourself.

But you need to be “all-in”, and that's so much more than just getting all the products. It's about getting out of your own head long enough to let your soul soar.

Take a chance on yourself. You deserve it.

Oh, and I'm also thankful all of you… every single one of you.

Yes. You.

Carl “these darn tortilla chips are too good” Hays

p.s., What are YOU thankful for today?

Life Purpose.

I think about what mine is… a lot, perhaps too much.

 

I had a conversation with my neighbor recently. We were discussing all sorts of things from a macro level all the way to a personal one.

 

While we were talking, he shared with me that he was struggling a bit with a new assignment he had undertaken, selling some sort of advertising.

 

It wasn't going well. The first two people hung up on him.

 

I asked why. He replied, “probably because I was trying to use the script they gave me”.

 

I don't know my neighbor very well. He just moved in about a month or so ago and we've slowly been getting acquainted.

 

Despite that, one thing I've observed about him is that he's *really good* at communicating, at relating to people, and putting them at-ease.

 

He's very likable.

 

So I had to ask him why he would use a script. Turns out he was experiencing a little self-doubt.

 

He told me that when he ditched the script, things went much better.

 

I asked him for an example.

 

He told me about one guy who he called who owns his own business. If I remember correctly, the call started off with my neighbor using the script, despite having two hang ups during his prior attempts.

 

He could hear the panic in the business owner's voice. The guy almost hung up on him, or at least that's the way my neighbor felt.

 

So he tossed the script aside and just started talking to the guy. Really talking to him, like you would with a friend.

 

He told him he could hear the panic in his voice and just asked him what was up. What started out as another bad call quickly turned into a great conversation.

 

Why?

 

Because my neighbor tapped into his authenticity and his natural talents.

 

I listened to a couple more stories he shared about other calls he felt went well, and frankly, I was astounded.

 

I felt like I should tell him, so I did. I said, “you should do more of that, you're obviously good at it!”

 

Deeper into our conversation, we talked about life purpose. Evidently this is something he thinks about a lot as well, and he shared with me that he feels like he's seeking it, but still doesn't know what it is.

 

Me, too.

 

So he told me about a book. And it wasn't so much the subject of the book that got my interest as it was the way he felt it came into his life. And in Grand Island, Nebraska of all places!

 

A lot of people tell me about books they think I should read.

 

Sometimes I jot down the name. Sometimes I add it to my wish list. Sometimes I have no interest at all.

 

This time, I bought it the next day.

 

It was a book about finding your life purpose, and is based on some mathematical principles related to your birth date.

 

Now, you should know.. I consider myself a pretty open-minded person, but when I first looked at this, I couldn't understand how mathematics could have anything to do with someone's life purpose.

 

But then I thought about how absolutely and precisely amazing mathematics is, and how it seems to apply to everything in our universe. There seems to be something about it that feels a bit like the hand of God at work.

 

Just because I don't understand it doesn't mean I have any right to judge it. So, more out of curiosity than anything, I bought the book.

 

I feel like I know myself pretty well, and I'm not easily swayed, so I knew that if it was really off-base, I'd have wasted my money. But I took a chance, and so far have been really surprised at how accurate it's been.

 

“The Life You Were Born To Live”, by Dan Millman is the title, and using an online tool that calculated my number from my birthdate, I learned that mine is a 32/5. More on what that means later.

 

First, I want to leave you with two quotes from the book that got my attention right away.

 

Our life purpose–what we're here to do–is not what comes easiest.

Those of us who become disheartened or discouraged when life feels like an uphill climb have forgotten that it's supposed to be a challenge; the effort creates fires that temper us and strengthen our spirit.

 

So, from what I've been reading so far, the book is telling me that my purpose is “freedom”. I agree completely, but what shocked me was the description of “true freedom”.

 

And here I was thinking that it meant that I could just do anything I wanted to do, whenever I felt like doing it.

 

It would appear I was wrong.

 

Carl “freedom seeker” Hays

 

p.s., Please let me know what talents other people tell you that you have that you seem to take for granted, or are dismissive about. For instance, do people tell you that you're a great artist, and yet you think your work stinks?

When you wake up, do you believe for just a moment that the dream you just had was REAL? It felt SO believable, right?

I’m sure you’ve experienced it.

When this happens to me, I just want to go back asleep, hoping I can get back to that magical place, and more importantly, away from the conscious state of “reality”.

I have a recurring dream where I’m able to fly, sort of like Superman.

I’ve had variations of that dream for years, but it wasn’t always as much fun as it is now.

As far back as I am able to remember, I’ve been able to fly in my dreams, but at first, I didn’t quite get the hang of it.

Imagine for a moment that you’re flying… like a superhero, except your legs are dangling below you like two dead weights.

That’s how I used to fly. It sucked. And it was really frustrating.

And I used to fly with one hand stretched out in front of me.

So there I was, one hand stretched out in front of me and my two legs dangling. But I was still flying, so you would think I’d just be happy with that. But I wasn’t.

Funny, even in my dreams I was unable to fully appreciate just how magnificent it was to be able to FLY. Instead I felt ashamed, embarrassed and frustrated.

If I were a dream analyst, I’d probably say that this recurring dream paralleled how I’ve felt in my life during those times.

For instance, what started out as being something that was fun and cool, but really frustrating because I just couldn’t get it right, has now become something completely different.

Now when I fly, both arms are stretched out in front of me, and my legs are swept behind me, where they should be.

Sometimes I feel like I need to avoid obstacles like electrical wires and tree tops, but overall it’s a pretty cool experience.

And I’m fully aware, even in my dream, that I am the only one who’s able to fly. I never see anyone else flying around, and I admit it would be pretty cool if I had some flying partners.

I digress. I could write about my flying dreams for a lot longer than you’d likely be interested to read about them, so let’s change the subject.

Or more importantly, let’s get to the point.

Our subconscious mind is SO POWERFUL to be able to create all these fantastic, amazing and completely BELIEVABLE stories in our minds while we sleep.

So much so that upon waking we so desperately do not want it to end. So why do we?

Why do we let it end? Why do we set so many limiting beliefs about what we’re able to do in our lives? Why do we allow our conscious minds to have so much control over us?

I’m sure a lot of it has to do with how we’re raised. Everything about our society, our educational system, our friendships, our schools, workplace, neighbors, relationships, is all designed to hold us down.

Like hermit crabs in a bucket (look it up).

So of course, when no one else is doing the job of keeping us firmly grounded in reality, we do it to ourselves through self-limiting or self-defeating behaviors.

This is why personal development is so important. Because there’s a battle for our minds, for our free will. The hermit crabs are trying to keep us from climbing out of the bucket.

Why?

Because it’s threatening to others. We’re supposed to be good citizens, good workers, never stepping too far out of line.

Like ants, or bees. Serving something, someone, somewhere without ever discovering our true purpose.

Take a look at this photo. I shot this while on my bike ride this morning. It’s a house being built down the street from mine.

You can’t tell from the photo, but on the other side of this house is the Gulf of Mexico. This is prime real estate.

And from what I can tell, this is at least two, maybe three lots merged together.

This house is easily twice the size of any other home on this stretch of road. Maybe three times bigger.

Yesterday I shared a video of Tony Robbins talking about the cycle of Potential, Action, Result and Belief.

The most important of all these is BELIEF. Without it, nothing else is possible. Our BELIEFS determine everything.

When we wholeheartedly BELIEVE something so deeply, so completely and with such conviction that it doesn’t even require effort… when we already believe something about ourselves to be so true that there is NO QUESTION about it, it will either destroy us, keep us where we are, or allow us to soar to heights that would make all the other hermit crabs jealous.

Let me ask you a question. When you see houses like the one above, or see someone who’s achieved success you can only dream of, what do you say to yourself?

“They inherited it.” “They were lucky.” “They must be special.”

What you’re telling yourself is that there’s a reason why YOU don’t deserve it. You’re trying to make yourself feel better about your limiting beliefs.

So the next time you ask yourself if you deserve the things you dream of, ask yourself, “what’s stopping me?”, “what’s holding me back?” or “WHY NOT ME?”

The world of possibility exists squarely between your two ears.

You only have one life to live.

So what will YOU choose to believe??

Carl “carpe diem” Hays

p.s., tell me your dreams, how you’ve kept yourself from achieving them, and what you plan to do about it TODAY.

You’re Not Skeptical, You’re Gutless

It’s paraphrased, but that’s what I heard Tony Robbins say in a video I watched yesterday.

I forgot why, but I was watching a completely different video on Youtube yesterday, and the one I just mentioned showed up as a suggested video.

By the way, those “suggested videos” makes me think Youtube is spying on me. They always seem to know exactly what to suggest at the right moment.

Speaking of Youtube… have you ever watched “Daily Grace”? Freakin’ hilarious stuff (at least most of the time… sometimes I just shake my head in disbelief).

Anyway, getting back to Tony Robbins…

The video was recorded back in 2011 as part of a “Money Masters” series. I was too lazy to look this up in more detail, but from what I gather, it’s a collaborative effort of some sort.

I took notes. OK, I wrote down a couple of things, but I’ve never really been a “note taker”. Maybe that’s part of why I struggled to finish high school.

Tony Robbins, Frank Kern and some dude I’ve never heard of, John Reese (evidently this guy is some sort of big deal… you’ll see Tony explain this in the video) have a discussion about why people in the industry (work from home/network marketing/internet marketing) so frequently fail to follow-through after they buy a product.

The discussion was prompted by a statistic that John Reese read that showed that over 70% (ok, that’s from memory… remember, I don’t take very good notes) of people who buy an internet marketing course or product fail to even peel off the plastic wrap and take a peek inside.

They simply spend their money on it, and then NEVER use it.

Talk about flushing your money down the toilet! But who am I to judge. I’ve done it many times myself.

I had to know why this number was so high, so I watched the whole video. And wow, I not only learned why, but how to overcome it.

I also learned why 99% of the money in our industry is made by 1% of the people.

The secret? There is no secret.

It actually makes a lot of sense when you hear it, and is likely the reason why you may have failed at so many other things before. Watch the video and you’ll see what I mean.

Tony Robbins made a comment that I did write down because it resonated with me, “In life, there are only two things… a result, or a story about why it didn’t work.”

Personally, I know there’s a third “thing”… a story about the result that did work

So today I’m writing this post again from my new favorite spot. I’m sitting on a bench on Pier 60 in Clearwater Beach.

It’s made of concrete with no back to lean against. And there are huge blocks of wood running perpendicular to the length of the bench.

Very uncomfortable.

I think the blocks of wood are meant to discourage skateboarders, or maybe sleepy people.

So, why am I sitting on this bench instead of sinking my toes into the warm sand? Maybe I’ll answer that in my next email, because my butt is getting sore sitting on this uncomfortable bench.

I feel sorry for my friends in more northern latitudes, especially my friend, Kerri in Kansas City, MO.

Why? Well, two days ago she slipped on the ice while spear hunting out on the frozen tundra.

Either that, or she was just going for a walk. I can’t really remember the details, but I suppose it really doesn’t matter.

Kerri asked me yesterday, “Do you think it’s ok if I lay on the couch for the rest of the day?”

What was I going to say? Of course it’s ok… she hurt herself and besides, when you work from home, whose permission do you really need?

If she really wanted to work, she could probably prop her laptop up on her abdomen and get something done.

That, or browse Facebook and watch movies, but I digress.

Note to self: “Self, you should check on Kerri today and make sure she didn’t superglue herself to the sofa. Or worse, she can’t move at all and is withering away as we speak.”

Kerri used to be an architect, a darn good one… well, she still is, but she just decided not to do it anymore. I know because I asked her if she’d design my next house.

She laughed. And then she said, “my rates have gone up.”

Kerri is like me. She gave up corporate life. Those ridiculous commutes, stupid water cooler discussions, backstabbing, gossip and the never worth it clamor up the ladder of “success”.

I love my life.

Carl “livin’ large” Hays

p.s., let me know what you think of the video. And I have no idea where the links in it will take you, so click with caution.

 

Wow, how intimidating.

A huge, blank canvas… a wasteland. A desert of nothingness.

And it's my responsibility to turn it into 750 words of creativity. A city of words strung together to form meaning.

You may be wondering, “why 750 words?”

I'm glad you asked.

A few weeks ago I decided I wanted to do more writing. I mean, most of what I do these days requires a good deal of communication, so I figured I might as well try to become good at it.

However, I needed some motivation. So I found a little site named, 750words.com that helps you stay on track to write at least that many words each day.

They say, “write about anything”; “write about what's on your mind”.

Easier said than done.

My mind seems to be inspired by novelty, like a dog who sees a squirrel and is gone before you have a chance to stop him. One day I'm probably going to chase that squirrel across a busy road and get hit.

So what's on my mind? Lots of things.

First, I wonder why I seek novelty so much. Why do I like to pursue things only as long as they're new and challenging? Is this one of those deep, dark mysteries that traces back to my childhood?

We moved a lot. That was exciting because I got to experience new things, new relationships, new experiences.

Perhaps it does have a lot to do with my childhood, but I wonder if this is something I'm supposed to get over, or if this is perhaps the life God designed for me.

Speaking of God, I think about my purpose a lot. I feel like I was destined for something deeply meaningful, something I could contribute to the world, but have never been able to identify.

I think about this frequently. In fact, it guides almost everything I do.

I'm never satisfied. The more I change things in my life, the more I realize how much more I want to accomplish.

Does this happen to you?

Do you think about your purpose, or are you content to live the life that's been defined by others, or by the decisions you've made?

I see people every day who are like zombies. They go through the motions without much thought about what it all means, or why they are doing it.

I wonder how they can live that way. Do they not question it all? Do they not seek to find deeper meaning beyond mindless televised programming, sensationalist news stories and exchanging their precious time for very few dollars?

Seriously, who does that and truly accepts it? How can it not make you mad to know that your life is being traded, one hour at a time, for a few dollars or for things that do not IMPROVE your circumstances, or more importantly, the circumstances of the people you love??

Right now… yes, at this very moment, I'm sitting on a bench halfway down a long, public dock overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. It's a delightful late Tuesday morning in early January.

The breeze is ideal, the sun is shining, and over the music playing in my headphones I hear the sounds of seagulls, children and waves crashing against the shore.

I'm not on vacation. I'm not at a tropical destination far from home. No, I'm only a short bike ride away from my home.

This is the life I am blessed to live, and yet I guarantee you, this place where I live is not my destination. A destination is not a geographic location, it is a mindset of finality. It is a feeling of having arrived.

I don't think I've ever arrived. I'm either coming or going. I'm either chasing something or running away from it. Always. I kind of like it that way, but in some gnawing, disturbing way, I feel like I need to at least arrive and stay for awhile.

I wonder, is this an expectation entrenched in me for which there is no basis? Do I need to fix this, or is this part of who I am… who I am meant to be?

I'm happy, but not satisfied, and it bothers me.

Time is a wicked thing. The longer I live, the more I realize how much I have never really lived.

I feel as though I wasted the best years of my life, in relationships that didn't work, seeking things that didn't matter.

I abused my body by gaining too much weight, and spent too many hours indoors. I still spend too much time indoors, which is part of why I chose to write this outside, away from home… seeking a change of scenery and inspiration

When you’re single, you look for inspiration in the strangest ways… sometimes even from your dog.

Inspiration. Wow, now that's a loaded word! If there's one thing I NEED daily, it's inspiration. And yet, I only tend to look to the same things every day to find it.

You'd think I would've learned a long time ago that inspiration is not really inspiration if it doesn't cause me to take action.

What do I mean?

Well, take social media for instance. I'm going to pick on Facebook for a few minutes as an example.

A long while back, I decided to surround myself only with more positive people. There's always something in life that we could complain about, but why bother? Life is much too short wasting it on the things that bring us down.

Every minute is a new chance to choose how we will experience it.

So these days, if you were to look at my Facebook timeline, you'd see LOTS of inspirational, motivational photos, quotes, etc. But very little of it actually inspires me. Even as I type this, I find it surprising that I feel this way.

It doesn't mean that I'm cynical, or that I don't appreciate it, but I wonder how many of those people are really living an inspirational, motivated life?

Again, what is inspiration without motivation, and what is motivation without action being the result of that motivation?

So today, I ask you to take action. If you're inspired, find your motivation and then ACT on it!

No matter how young or old you are, NEVER live your life in a way that will lead you to later say, “I could've…” or “I should've…”

Do it TODAY.

Go back and read that last word again. Let it sink in. Think about it for a long time.

TODAY. This is the only one you get.

What will you do with it?

When it comes to Financial Freedom, Zander Woodford-Smith Knows that Diversity is the Key

If early diversification is any indication of future success, Zander is going to have no problem making it to the top!

His accomplishments range from playing on the Pro Tennis Circuit to investment banking…

Kerri Shafer and I had the opportunity to sit down and visit with Zander about internet marketing…what we actually learned was so much more than we anticipated.

Watch our Google Hangout with this well-rounded, young entrepreneur from England and learn some surprising insights into how he’s implementing his understanding of business structures and systems into a well diversified, exciting future.

There is no debate – Zander is one of the most interesting, charming entrepreneurs I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.  This industry continues to amaze me with all the extraordinary people that have chosen to invest in its unlimited potential.

If you submit your gift of leadership to servitude rather than to dominance, give from your heart rather than for exaltation, you’ve taken a position of virtue that no one can prevail against.  No other human being will determine whether you stand or fall – not in famine, not in plenty.

Leadership Qualities are easy to discern – just listen to your heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can work part-time from home by sharing your experiences through video….
…..or blogging about things you’re passionate about or that interest you.

You Can Make Money Blogging and Sharing Videos ~~

That’s right, get paid for doing something you may already be doing!

So, what’s the secret to making money every time you share a Google Hangout video, a viral video, news story or article?

Enter your email address here to find out…..and then watch the video showing how Dave and Dave are paying out 100% Commissions to people like you and me, everyday.

From newbies to veterans, our team, The Wow Network, knows how to develop and teach a system of action steps that gets results.  As long as you are willing to follow directions and take action, it’s a simple game of follow the leader.

Within Dave and Dave’s system, The Wow Network has put together an unbeatable combination which includes strategies that are allowing normal people to create their own economies:

• A Turn-key marketing system that allows you to access highly targeted audiences which are simply “out of reach” to 99% of all other marketers. The Wow Network’s “Ultimate Co-op” delivers powerful results which is a key component in building your Empower Network business, to any height I might add, within the structure.
• As affiliates of Banners Broker, Wow Network members are building huge revenue streams to fund their marketing campaigns while also putting money in their pocket. As part of the 400 Billion Dollar Online Advertising Industry, Banners Broker is enabling affiliates to share in their profits. The viability and massive growth of this company means it’s never too late to start implementing simple income-building strategies, as outlined by Kris Darty and Simon Stepsys HERE.

It works like this:

• Join Empower Network inside The Wow Network
• Set up your Banners Broker account
• Make money

It’s a combination you won’t find ANYWHERE ELSE other than within The Wow Network.

How do you join The Wow Network? Simple…..

…..Watch this video to learn how to get started. You’ll also learn how the two Ex-homeless founders of Empower Network are changing the world with their Vision to Pay out Nearly $20,000,000.00 in 100% Commissions…Watch Here

It’s only $25 to get started….

Then set up your Banners Broker account here…

Make the Decision to Create Your Own Economy.

Don’t be left behind, get in now…

You can earn money sitting on your balcony blogging, drinking coffee and eating chocolate Pop Tarts…. (Just Sign Up Here)

Nancy Neubauer is one of the most hard-working people I’ve met, especially when it comes to making sure her teammates are taken care of!

In this Google Hangout, Kerri Shafer and I sit down with Nancy Neubauer to explore Nancy’s journey from the corporate world into the world of internet marketing.

My first-hand experience with Nancy has shown me that there are still leaders in this industry that genuinely care about people whether there’s any monetary benefit or not…..

….to Nancy, it’s all about service and making sure that everyone who comes to her for advice, gets all the help and encouragement they need.

If you submit your gift of leadership to servitude rather than to dominance, give from your heart rather than for exaltation, you’ve taken a position of virtue that no one can prevail against. No other human being will determine whether you stand or fall – not in famine, not in plenty.

Leadership Qualities are easy to discern – just listen to your heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can work part-time from home by sharing your experiences through video….
…..or blogging about things you’re passionate about or that interest you.

You Can Make Money Blogging and Sharing Videos ~~

That’s right, get paid for doing something you may already be doing!

So, what’s the secret to making money every time you share a Google Hangout video, a viral video, news story or article?

Enter your email address here to find out…..and then watch the video showing how Dave and Dave are paying out 100% Commissions to people like you and me, everyday.

From newbies to veterans, our team, The Wow Network, knows how to develop and teach a system of action steps that gets results. As long as you are willing to follow directions and take action, it’s a simple game of follow the leader.

Within Dave and Dave’s system, The Wow Network has put together an unbeatable combination which includes strategies that are allowing normal people to create their own economies:

• A Turn-key marketing system that allows you to access highly targeted audiences which are simply “out of reach” to 99% of all other marketers. The Wow Network’s “Ultimate Co-op” delivers powerful results which is a key component in building your Empower Network business, to any height I might add, within the structure.
• As affiliates of Banners Broker, Wow Network members are building huge revenue streams to fund their marketing campaigns while also putting money in their pocket. As part of the 400 Billion Dollar Online Advertising Industry, Banners Broker is enabling affiliates to share in their profits. The viability and massive growth of this company means it’s never too late to start implementing simple income-building strategies, as outlined by Kris Darty and Simon Stepsys HERE.

It works like this:

• Join Empower Network inside The Wow Network
• Set up your Banners Broker account
• Make money

It’s a combination you won’t find ANYWHERE ELSE other than within The Wow Network.

How do you join The Wow Network? Simple…..

…..Watch this video to learn how to get started. You’ll also learn how the two Ex-homeless founders of Empower Network are changing the world with their Vision to Pay out Nearly $20,000,000.00 in 100% Commissions… Watch Here.

It’s only $25 to get started….

Then set up your Banners Broker account here...

Make the Decision to Create Your Own Economy.

Don’t be left behind, get in now….

You can earn money sitting on your balcony blogging, drinking coffee and eating chocolate Pop Tarts…. (Just Sign Up Here)