Month: March 2013

It is. If you are unhappy right now, you are choosing to be unhappy. I understand that sadness exist, I understand that sad things happen. We all had suffer that. The problem is being Happy doesn’t mean that you don’t have problems, or that you aren’t ever sad.
Many happy people had huge problems, huge reasons to be sad, but they are happy, they are choosing to be happy.
Stop for a moment if you are not happy and think why. Think if all those reasons are good enough to make you choose not to be happy. Think what would take to make you choose happy.
After you get that answer, understand that not everything will be perfect, not everything will work. You will have problems. You will have set backs. You will have reasons to be sad and be unhappy. But also remember that you are consciously choose to be happy and focus on that thing that make you happy, on the motivation behind the choice.

We all hope not to be involved in one, ever. Sadly it is not completely up to us, so it’s better to be prepared. This list may not apply to every place, but it’s the one that had been on my phone for years. I had been blessed and had use it only once. That time I was so grateful I had it.
We don’t think on the worst case scenario, and it is important to consider them when we are not in the middle of the storm that in general those moments mean.
i.e. This is my current list, I don’t know if it’s complete or not, it’s the best list that I compile and hope never to use.
In case of Car Accident:
– Get Licence Plate, Model, Make and Color of the Car.
– Get Name, Address & phone number.
– Get Driver License Number
– Get Insurance Company and Policy Number.
– Call 911 or wait for Cops. (if there are injuries or car can’t move)
– Take as many pictures of the surrounds, cars and damage as possible
– Report the Incident in my insurance.

As a writer the most important thing you have is your voice. It is your voice what make you unique. It’s the voice of your favorite writers what make you read book after book.
Learn to listen to your voice. Learn to follow it.
In my experience, Writer’s Block, happen when you ignore your own voice.
That little voice that you can’t tell the people that you hear (they will put you in a mental hospital or something if you said that to enough people) is your voice, listen to it, learn from it and more importantly don’t ignore it.

Want to recommend a book to someone? Go buy it and send them their way. With eBooks now, I add into the contact card of a person if they prefer a format or other. For example my friend A reads on Kindle as well as T. My friend S and C use the Apple iBooks and my friend K the Nook.
When I want to send them a book, I know the format and can simply send it their way. When in doubt send a paper one.
Receiving a book is one of those things that make you smile, can change your mind, or give you hours of entertainment and answers.
Don’t recommend a friend that they go and read that book you just finish and loved. Send it their way.

Don’t buy it yet. Just add them there. I had stuff on that list that had years there. I want them (at least I think I do).
There is always people asking for what you want, so it’s a good time to open the list and tell them.
The other great thing with this list, especially if you like me, love gadgets and other useless things, is that you will not forget about that cool gadget that gave you that cool idea to solve that not so cool problem, but will provide you a time to settle and later on decided if it is really something to get or not.
i.e. I have a Levenger Leather Index Card holder (The Bomber Jacket Pen Pocket Briefcase) in that list for years. I drool over it every time I get the Levenger catalog. Someday I will pull the trigger. In the mean time, I know exactly where is that little thing I really want.

When was the last time you told someone you care about that you are grateful they are part of your life? You don’t know what’s happening with that person today, and telling them that, can not only make their day better, it can completely transform it.
We all have people that we are grateful that are part of our life, and somehow time pass and we don’t tell them how much we appreciate the fact that they are in our life, that they make our life’s much better.
When we take the seconds that will take you to write that note, email, or text message, you may be changing the course of someone’s day, even week.
Don’t believe me, I wish someone that it is grateful that you are in their life let you know today.
i.e. If you just read this, Thanks! I am grateful that you came here and read this. You are the reason I show up daily.

The first time I recall reading that sentence was from my friend Jason Womack on his book “Your Best just Got Better”. The question in reality was: You are at your best when…
I am a writer, so I see opportunities to write, stories to write, adventures to tell every where I look. When I saw that, I create a list called: I write best when.
Think about it, when you as a Writer write best. Write it down, make sure you add the detail. Then after you have this, after you get a complete image of this, you will be able to reproduce it easier, you will be able to write at your best at will… Can you imagine the power of that!

So you have been giving advice to co-workers, friends, your wife or husband, your kids… Are you following your own advice.
I had a boss that constantly talk about working ethic, but never show any. I had a friend that talk about all those great things he was planing to do some day, but never had done any. I know a writer that never write, but talks about writing someday; a musician that had not touch his guitar in years, but dream to do it full time someday.
Doesn’t matter in what you believe or what your dream is, EAT YOUR BANANA!
i.e. For years I dreamed on write a Novel. Took me years to eat that Banana, in 2011 I publish it. Best Banana Ever!

Nothing you said. If you are right, (and I doubt it) then you need to pay more attention. Pay attention to the learning opportunities around you.
The reason we make the same mistake again and again is that we are not paying attention and therefore we are not learning the lesson.
Pay attention, at least once a week ask yourself if you are learning something, if you had learned something.

Do me a favor, open your Calendar right now. Check the next seven days. How many FUN things are there? How about the next 14 days? Next 30 days?
Don’t forget to have fun. Work Hard! thats fine, but in order to Work Harder you also need to Play Harder!
Many of us, simply don’t have a clue what to do for fun. I am not talking bring others to have fun, I am telling YOU having fun.
Think about it, what will be something FUN to do in the next 14 days. Then put it on the calendar and do it. Rinse and Repeat at least once a month.