The Best of Carve Out Your Niche: 2011

Buster Keaton Article was #1 in 2011

I started this blog in late March of this year, to help lay the PR groundwork for the release of my new book "Carve Out Your Niche" on August 12th. Over the past 9 months there have been over 3,000 page views, 2,000 of those occurring in November and December alone. 

Based on the total number of page visits, here are my top 10 most popular articles for 2011.

1. Buster Keaton is Not Dead. Buster Keaton is my favorite silent comedian. His style and eerie calm in the face of tremendous adversity always intrigued me. As great as Keaton is, I'm not sure why so many people flocked to see this post. His last great film was made 80 years ago. Apparently, there's still a mystique about this great movie maker.

 2. Are You Big Enough to Pay it Forward?. I had seen the movie years ago, and I just recently read the book. I was so inspired by this great tale of sacrifice and courage, that I wrote a review of the book for my blog. A great many people still revere the book, as witnessed by the fact that this article finished right behind Buster Keaton is Not Dead for page views.

 3. Can Anagrams Reveal Presidential Idiots and Geniuses? One day I started playing with the letters in the names of the presidential candidates, and I came up with some strangely provocative anagrams. This article has nothing to do with the theme of my blog. I just thought it was a fun thing to post.

 4. 3 Reason Why You Become a Giant When Write Your Book. I have spoken to many people who have told me that they have a book inside of them that they would like to write. This article was my way of giving this type of person a little nudge, and perhaps to demystify the process a little, so that maybe they would make that life-changing first step to write their book.

5. Carve Out Your Niche on the Radio Twice Tomorrow. In this article I was announcing that I would be on two radio shows, to promote my new book, the next day. I have a feeling that I may have confused people who read the title. They may have thought that they could be on two radio shows. I added a link at the bottom of my announcement, to another blog article I wrote entitled How to be a Guest on Radio Shows, for those people who had arrived there expecting something else.

The next five articles, without editorial comments.

6. Carve Out Your Niche & Build a Stairway to Heaven

7.  Do the Thing You Fear To Do: How Linda Emery met Bruce Lee

8. Do the Opposite of Everyone Else

9. Carve Out Your Niche: The Process of Writing a Book is it's Own Reward

10. What the Return of Doris Day Means

I hope you have the most productive, rewarding, and happy new year ever!

Always remember, the greatest pleasure in life is doing what other say you cannot do.

My Upcoming Radio Interviews

Tune in Tuesday, January 10th at 7 PM eastern standard time for post holiday treat, as I will be discussing my new book "Carve Out Your Niche" on the ArtistFirst Radio Network(http://www.artistfirst.com/)

* * *

Is it Too Late to Pursue Your Dream?

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”

-- Henry David Thoreau

In my interview today with the ever insightful and charming, Patti Penn, of WJBC radio in Bloomington, Illinois, I was asked if people are ever too old to pursure their dream.


My answer was that, your dream is what that small voice inside you is telling you to do. That voice comes from your spirit, or intuition, or subconscious. It is trying to lead you to true happiness.


You pay a price to change your life and to pursue a dream, but you also pay a price to stay where you are. Americans pay $20 billion dollars a year to treat clinical depression. People completely wrapped up in what they are doing don’t have time to be depressed.


Carl Jung, the psychoanalyst, said that there is a 2-million year old man within us, who contains the cumulative knowledge of the entire human race. Jung confirms that we have access to his wisdom through our subconscious mind (in our dreams). The problem is that we have lost touch with our instincts buried buried wisdom. That’s why depression is rampant in our society.


As I mentioned in my article Billy Jack Goes BESERK Against Cancer, only 20% of the cancer that people contract can be attributed to external factors, such as asbestos and formaldehyde. The other 80% may be attributable to people being repressed from fully expressing what is inside them.


And, as I observed in my article Self Reliance, Following Your Heart, and Curing Fatal Disease, we sometimes develop migraine headaches, drink alcohol, take drugs, withdraw into a shell, or destroy our health, before we do the thing that our hearts tell us to do.


So, the answer to the question is, no, it's never too late to pursue you dream.


In fact, it's the only way to find true happiness.
  


3 Reason Why You Become a Giant When Write Your Book

My Upcoming Radio Interviews

Tune in Tuesday, January 10th at 7 PM eastern standard time for post holiday treat, as I will be discussing my new book "Carve Out Your Niche" on the ArtistFirst Radio Network(http://www.artistfirst.com/)

* * *

3 Reasons Why Authors Must Read "The War of Art"

You book is something that only you have the genius to do, and if you don't write your book you are cheating the world of a great contribution. The three reasons that Steven Pressfield's book "The War of Art" can help you to give birth to your book (or other artistic endeavor) are:

1. To Recognize Your Biggest Enemy

Your biggest enemy is resistance. The only thing standing between you, and you being the writer that you would like to be, is resistance. If you are a writer who doesn't write, then you know what resistance is. Resistance deforms our spirit and prevents us from utilizing the genius that God gave us, and from achieving what we were meant to achieve.

In our brightest and most lucid moments, we can see the person that we were meant to be. What is stopping us form being that person? Resistance. Resistance does everything it can to distract us and discourage us from writing.

 As Pressfield says, the great secret to writing is:

It's not the writing that's hard. What's hard is sitting down to write. What keeps us from sitting down is Resistance.

2. To Combat Resistance

Pressfield distinguishes between a professional writer and an amateur writer. An amateur writer only writes when he feels inspired. A professional writer writes every day. Resistance hates professionals.

A professional knows that she becomes inspired, or taps into her genius, in the process of writing. The Muse doesn't start to come to her aid until she takes the first step.

Although the professional makes money from his writing, she writes because she loves to write. The professional is also detached from her work. She knows that the work that she creates is separate from who she is.

This allows the professional to avoid flame out and false expectations about the time it takes to write a book (usually twice as long as imagined) and allows her to impartially accept criticism. The actions of others do not define the writer's reality.

Regardless of what obstacles or distractions that Resistance may present to us, such as fear, illness, friends, headaches, or rejection, the writer soldiers on.

3. To Reach Higher Realms, Beyond Resistance

Pressfield points out that there are great forces who become our allies, as we move boldly forward. These forces, like the Greek Gods, take an interest in the affairs of humans, and intercede in our activities. Their activities explain how great works of art have been created.

Pressfield identifies the possibility that great works of art, like the Fifth Symphony, may have already existed on a higher plane, before Beethoven ever wrote it. The music only "potentially" existed, but it didn't have a physical body. It needed a human to bring it into our plane of existence.

The Muse may have whispered a few bars into Beethoven's ear. She may have previously whispered the same few bars into many thousands of other ears, but only Beethoven got it.

Artists are like mothers. They don't make new life, they only bear it.

In the end, writers don't write to advance their own standing. They write for the sake of writing, obey the guidance they get from their Muse, and ultimately, give birth to a work of art.

Conclusion

A great book motivates you to take action.

The overwhelming reason to read "The War of Art" is because it will make you write. You will read sections, then you will be so motivated that you will go directly to the computer and start pounding out text for your book.

Were you put on this earth to be a writer?

As Pressfield says, "Don't cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you've got."

 
Are You Big Enough to Pay it Forward?

3 Reason Why You Become a Giant When Write Your Book

My Upcoming Radio Interviews

Jan 30th, 10:40 AM (Central Time), I will discuss how people can find their niche in life in what their heart tells them to do, with Patti Penn of WJBC AM 1230 in Bloomington, IL. You can also listen to the interview on the internet at http://wjbc.com/.

Tune in Tuesday, January 10th at 7 PM eastern standard time for post holiday treat, as I will be discussing my new book "Carve Out Your Niche" on the ArtistFirst Radio Network(http://www.artistfirst.com/)

* * *

3 Books that Changed My Life

The Power of Books

I believe in the power of books to change lives. Sometimes just the right book comes into our hands when we at a dead end, or a crossroads, in our lives, and it inspires to take a new path. While many books have inspired me over time, below are three books, in particular, that changed the course of my life.

Out of My Life and Thought 

In 1978 I read the book, "Out of my Life and Thought," by Albert Schweitzer. Schweitzer described how he resigned his university position as a theologian and musical scholar, at age 30, to undertake the study of medicine so that he could become a medical missionary in the Congo (Africa). He had read a pamphlet that described the great need that existed for doctors and he decided to answer the call.

I was inspired by his life to follow in his footsteps. Although my motivations were not religious, and I wasn't a doctor, I used a different way to accomplish the same goal of helping out people in underdeveloped countries. I chose to get a degree in agriculture, since most people in developing countries rely heavily on agriculture for the sustenance. I previously had received a degree in political science, but I realized that a degree in agriculture would be more useful for the purposes that I had in mind.

The culmination of my dream occurred in 1985 when I joined the Peace Corps in 1985 and was sent to Honduras where I worked for three years. Hardly a day goes by that I don't think about my rewarding experiences there.

Creating Wealth

I bought a used copy of "Creating Wealth" by Robert G. Allen around 1989. The book described how to make money by investing in real estate. I was inspired by the idea of buying rental houses, although I didn't think the book itself was very clear on how to do it. I read the book and kept it on my book shelf.

In 2001, after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, and subsequent  economic recession, my work hours were being cut back. l and I started to cast around for another job that would be recession-proof.  I remembered my book "Creating Wealth," and thought that real estate might be the answer.  I started doing extensive research on real estate investing. I took classes. I read books. I went to meetings, and I talked with people who had experience doing it.

In 2002,  my wife and I bought our first, of many, fixer-upper houses that we turned into a rental property. It has been a rewarding business for us.

Aiming at Amazon

In 2004 I started to write down the things that I had learned about my fixer-upper house business. Initially, I kept the notes for my own personal reference. Later, I decided to write a book and share my experiences with others who might benefit from following a similar path that I had taken.

I had written a lot of text, but I didn't know to actually get my book published, or self-published. When I came across "Aiming at Amazon" by Aaron Shepard, I almost couldn't believe that I had found a book that told me exactly what I needed to do to get self published.  I followed the book step by step, and I carried it with me almost everywhere I went for a period of about three months, as I was constantly referring to it.

I established my own publishing company, and I layed out and formated my book. I hired someone to make a cover for me. And in September 2007, my first book, "Fix em Up, Rent em Out," appeared for sale on Amazon.com. I felt a tremendous sense of gratitude towards Aaron Shepard.

Conclusion

The changes that these three books sparked are still reverberating in my life. I am still in touch with people that I made friends with in Honduras. My real estate business provides my family with a safety net of economic security. I have found a new satisfying niche in book writing, and am presently working on my fourth book.


Are You Big Enough to Pay it Forward?

3 Reason Why You Become a Giant When Write Your Book

My Upcoming Radio Interviews

Jan 30th, 10:40 AM (Central Time), I will discuss how people can find their niche in life in what their heart tells them to do, with Patti Penn of WJBC AM 1230 in Bloomington, IL. You can also listen to the interview on the internet at http://wjbc.com/.

Tune in Tuesday, January 10th at 7 PM eastern standard time for post holiday treat, as I will be discussing my new book "Carve Out Your Niche" on the ArtistFirst Radio Network(http://www.artistfirst.com/)

* * *

Billy Jack Goes BERSERK Against Cancer

Tom Laughlin Takes on a New Role

Tom Laughlin, star of the "Billy Jack" movies, has taken a role teaching cancer patients how to overcome their disease. It's been said that only 20% of the cancer that people contract can be attributed to external factors. The other 80% may be attributable to people being repressed from fully expressing what is inside them.

After analyzing the works of Carl Jung, the founder of analytical psychology, Laughlin applied Jung's principles to curing cancer.Laughlin's teachings involve how the mind and the emotions create specific biological changes that lead to the development of many cancers.

Laughlin now teaches and leads workshops for people who are diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Tom Laughlin as Billy Jack

I remember watching the 1971 film "Billy Jack" several times. Laughlin was motivated to write the movie after witnessing mistreatment of Native Americans by local whites near a reservation. The film became the highest grossing independent movie of all-time.

Granted, it was a grade B movie, but it was inspiring to see the ex-Green Beret karate expert standing up for the underdog. The great fight scene where Billy Jack cleans up the ice cream shop with 3 or 4 thugs who are picking on some Native American youths, is a classic.

Before tying into the bad guys, Billy Jack famously says,

"When I see this girl... of such a beautiful spirit... so degraded... and this boy... that I love... sprawled out by this big ape here... and this little girl, who is so special to us we call her "God's little gift of sunshine"... and I think of the number of years that she's going to have to carry in her memory... the savagery of this idiotic moment of yours... I just go B-E-R-S-E-R-K!"

A New Inspiration for Laughlin

It's even more inspiring to see Loughlin transform himself from beating up movie bad guys, to fighting for an off screen worthwhile cause.

He went from being on-screen hero to real life hero.

Lesson from Tom Laughlin

There are 2 important lessons that I take from Tom Laughlin's life:

1. You can always change your path in life, and do what your heart really wants you to do;

2. Cancers do go into remission. People do get better. If diseases are caused by the actions we take, or don't take, in life, the cure may lie in taking the path that we were meant to follow.


Are You Big Enough to Pay it Forward?

3 Reason Why You Become a Giant When Write Your Book

My Upcoming Radio Interviews

Jan 30th, 10:40 AM (Central Time), I will discuss how people can find their niche in life in what their heart tells them to do, with Patti Penn of WJBC AM 1230 in Bloomington, IL. You can also listen to the interview on the internet at http://wjbc.com/.

Tune in Tuesday, January 10th at 7 PM eastern standard time for post holiday treat, as I will be discussing my new book "Carve Out Your Niche" on the ArtistFirst Radio Network(http://www.artistfirst.com/)

* * *

Self Reliance, Following Your Heart, and Curing Fatal Disease

Christmas Money Well Spent

My son is using the money he got as Christmas presents to make a potato canon. I admire his independent spirit (although I still need to reel him in a little to make sure that he incorporates some safety features into his canon).

Still, he could have used his money to buy a manufactured toy or electronic device, but he chose the path of "do it yourself" self-reliance, which I always encourage.

Society Keeps us Out of Touch

I think a fatal flaw in our society is that we rely on to many "things" to entertain us, to tell us what to eat, what jobs to take, and at the end of the day, to tell us what is important in life.  Instead of carving out our own niche, we carve out the niche that society tells us to.

The more we get back to being self-reliant the better off we are, both physically and spiritually. The more we get away from electronic, artificial forms, of entertainment. And, the more we find our entertainment in activities involves physical interaction with others and doing things for ourselves rather than buying everything prefabricated and pre-packaged, the better off we are.

Self Reliance Can Change Our World

Just imagine the cumulative effect this might have on our world. Doctors would be put out of business. Our physical health would improve because we would be eating better foods, watching less television, and getting more exercise.

Americans spend over $20 billion a year to treat clinical depression. We could make better choices by looking within ourselves for guidance, rather than taking our cues from the outside world, and many psychosomatic illnesses would disappear like a playground bully.

Cancer Cured by Following Her Heart

Steven Pressfield, author of The War of Art, tells a story you may be familiar with. 

A woman is diagnosed with cancer. She immediately quits her job and starts to follow her long forgotten dream of writing Tex-Mex songs (or starts studying classical Greek, or moves to the inner city to devote herself to caring for babies with AIDS). Her friends think that she's crazy, but she has  never been happier.

Six month later, her cancer is in remission.

What Does it Take to Make us Change?

Is that what it takes?

Do we have to develop migraine headaches, drink alcohol, take drugs, withdraw into a shell, or destroy our health, before we do the thing that our hearts tell us to do?

You can change right now. It just takes an act of will.

You might start by making a potato canon.


Are You Big Enough to Pay it Forward?

3 Reason Why You Become a Giant When Write Your Book

 

My Upcoming Radio Interviews

 Jan 30th, 10:40 AM (Central Time), I will discuss how people can find their niche in life in what their heart tells them to do, with Patti Penn of WJBC AM 1230 in Bloomington, IL. You can also listen to the interview on the internet at http://wjbc.com/.

Tune in Tuesday, January 10th at 7 PM eastern standard time for post holiday treat, as I will be discussing my new book "Carve Out Your Niche" on the ArtistFirst Radio Network (http://www.artistfirst.com/)

* * *

Buster Keaton is Not Dead

No man can be a genius in slapshoes and a flat hat. -- Buster Keaton

Watch his  (Keaton's) mind as it contemplates a hostile universe whose violent whims Buster understands, withstands and, miraculously, tames.  -- Richard Corliss


The trait that most characterizes Buster Keaton, and what makes him ever fascinating to watch, is his serene and dispassionate response to all that befalls him. When Keaton's face that looks upon unforeseen and unprecedented disaster, it displays no reaction at all.

It's not just that the expression on his face never changes, it's that he immediately accepts the most blatantly abnormal occurrences, he immediately adapts himself to the new reality without blinking an eye.

Sustained Optimism

Roger Ebert said of Keaton:

Buster survives tornadoes, waterfalls, avalanches of boulders, and falls from great heights, and never pauses to take a bow: He has his eye on his goal. And his movies, seen as a group, are like a sustained act of optimism in the face of adversity

My Favorite Keaton Scene

In my favorite Keaton scene, in my favorite Keaton film, The Navigator, Keaton is adrift on an ocean liner. Just he and his girlfriend are on board the ship. At one point, Keaton must put on a diving suit and make some repairs under the ship. While making the repairs a swordfish attacks him. He subdues the swordfish, but then is attacked by a second sword fish. Without hesitation, he uses the first swordfish as his sword to duel with the second sword fish.

It's the essence of Keaton, complete acceptance of reality and dealing with it on its own terms.

 Adopting Keaton's Perspective

I think that we are on pretty sturdy philosophical ground when we adopt the perspective of Keaton. As you carve out your niche in life, meet overwhelming adversity with the same unruffled acceptance and sustained optimism, and you may live a more harmonious life.

As long as we take that attitude, the spirit of Buster Keaton lives on.


3 Reasons Why You Become a Giant When Your Write Your Book

Are You Big Enough to Pay it Forward?

My Upcoming Radio Interviews

Jan 30th, 10:40 AM (Central Time), I will discuss how people can find their niche in life in what their heart tells them to do, with Patti Penn of WJBC AM 1230 in Bloomington, IL. You can also listen to the interview on the internet at http://wjbc.com/.

Tune in Tuesday, January 10th at 7 PM eastern standard time for post holiday treat, as I will be discussing my new book "Carve Out Your Niche" on the ArtistFirst Radio Network (http://www.artistfirst.com/)

* * *

Take Some Time to Frolic in the Snow

The boys preparing to blaze down the hill

If Christmas reminds us of anything, it's the inherent need that we have to put down our hammer or pen,  and to take a break from our normal work-oriented existence. You will never carve out your niche if you don't take time for frivolity.

Fun for Fun's Sake      

Sherlock Holmes, when a client tried to persuade him to agree to take a case because of the honors and riches, said "I play the game for the game's sake." So, it should be with us. When we play we should have no other motive than to have fun.

I say, spend some time doing nothing more than to take your kids up to the mountains to go sledding! That's what I did with my two boys today.

The Zen of Sledding

There is just nothing like watching one my boys coast down the slope at breakneck speed, the freezing wind blowing on his cheeks, dodging the certain death of rocks and trees, and finally crashing into a snowbank, then, barely stumbling to his feet and saying, "let's do in again!".

I wouldn't be surprised if all that exercise and fresh air actually did us some good. At least, we'll all sleep well tonight.

Kids Never Forget

Adults too often try to shape children with words. The unvarnished truth is that children may forget what we say, buy they will never forget how we make them feel.

I know that one of my fondest memories of childhood is when my Dad took my brother and I sledding. Once we were on our sleds, we never wanted it to end.

Racing in the snow

My Upcoming Radio Interviews

 

Jan 30th, 10:40 AM (Central Time), I will discuss how people can find their niche in life in what their heart tells them to do, with Patti Penn of WJBC AM 1230 in Bloomington, IL. You can also listen to the interview on the internet at http://wjbc.com/.

Tune in Tuesday, January 10th at 7 PM eastern standard time for post holiday treat, as I will be discussing my new book "Carve Out Your Niche" on the ArtistFirst Radio Network (http://www.artistfirst.com/).

How to be a Guest on Radio Shows

Moe, Larry & Curley on Radio

"Without promotion somthing terrible happens . . . Nothing!  "

-- P.T. Barnum

Doing radio interviews to promote your book is great way to reach huge audiences with little cost or effort.

Radio can be a little more time consuming than internet marketing, since it requires calling the host of the show to arrange the interview, but it's worth the extra effort.

Don't Take Rejection Personally

Sometimes the hosts are difficult to get a hold of, or it may turn out that they just aren’t interested in your topic. If that’s that case, don’t take it personally, just move on to the next host.
If you make enough calls, you will get booked on many radio shows. My average is about five calls for each show that I get booked on. So, if I want to be on ten radio shows I will have to make around 50 calls.

I've use radio shows to promote three of my books, and I can testify that it’s not as difficult as it may sound. Radio show hosts have a lot of air time to fill, and they like to talk to authors. It's a match made in heaven.

You Don't Need a Trainer or a Publicist

You don't need to pay for someone to train you to be a radio guest. In the same vein, I don't think you need a publicist or to buy a listing in a marketing publication either. You would just be paying an excessive amount of money for something that you can learn to do yourself.

I believe in on-the-job training. Just learn the basics, and then start calling radio shows to set up your interviews.

Here are my steps to get booked on radio shows

1.)  Get a list of radio stations and contact information.

Here are some options for obtaining lists:

     a. Use Joe Sabah's list. Get a list of 900 radio shows from Joe Sabah for around $150. You will receive the names of radio stations and host contact information, and his book, How to Get on Radio Talk Shows All Across America. If you have any questions, you can call Joe and he will talk to you. I've found ther lists that are available on the internet, but they are usually much more expensive.

     b. Assemble your own list. It takes a bit more digging but you also can find radio stations and contact information at www.radiostationworld.com.

     c. Another option is the world of internet radio. You can find internet radio (and other) listings at www. radioguestlist.com. My experience has been with traditional radio stations, so internet radio is a realm that  I am just starting to learn about myself. (My very first internet radio interview, will be on January 10th. I'll let you know how it goes.)

 2.) Saturation email. Send an email to everyone on the list requesting an interview. I don’t try to target my emails at this stage. I just contact everyone on the list. I will get 9–10 responses for interviews this way.

3.) Cull your list. Go through the list and identify the shows that have the appropriate format and time frame for me. Some shows deal with politics or flower gardening, or a topic that my book wouldn’t fit in with.

4.) Call at the right time. To set up an interview, call the radio show hosts either just before their show starts or just after they finish. They prefer to talk to you directly to get an idea about who you are and your personality.

5.) Have a “hook.” My “hook” is the connection of my book to tough economic times. If there is any way, try to tie your book to some current event. That’s your “hook,” and hosts are always looking for a hook to current events.

6.) Mark your calendar. I have a special desktop calendar I use to write down information about the interview.

7.) Gather information on the host. Between the time that I make the bookings and I talk on the show, I try to find information about the host, so that I can mention something about him or her, or about the host’s community, during the interview.

8.) Prepare notes. Before going on the show, you should write down a list of things you want to cover. You don’t want to promote your book directly, you want to promote the business that you are in and give the audience useful information about your business.

9.) Call the host back. As you get started, a good way to improve your radio presence is to call the host back after the interview and to ask them how you did, and to ask for suggestions for how you can improve your presentation skills.   

10.) Send a note. I always send a handwritten “thank you” note to the host after the interview.

11.) Post the link. Some radio stations post a link to the interview after the show is over that you can post on your blog. 

12.) Keep a list. Immediately after I speak to on a radio show, I type all of the information I have related to the interview onto a spreadsheet. This includes host name, location, phone number, mailing address, email address, and date of the interview. I add notes about the show or the host that I want to remember for a future interview.
 
Other articles about getting on radio shows:

How to get on a talk radio show at Understanding Marketing
How to Get Booked as a Talk Radio Guest at Investors DigestShould I Promote My Book on Radio Talk Shows? at WordMaps Every 1000-Watt Place Can Help: A Strategy pertaining to Todays Talk Radio Landscape at MartinSanders

My Upcoming Radio Interviews

Tune in Tuesday, January 10th at 7 PM eastern standard time for post holiday treat, as I will be discussing my new book "Carve Out Your Niche" on the ArtistFirst Radio Network (http://www.artistfirst.com/).

* * *

When My Life is Through

Amelia Earhart

"KHAQQ calling Itasca. We must be on you, but cannot see you. Gas is running low."
Last radio communiqué before her disappearance.~~ Amelia Earhart, d. 1937


At the point when we realize that our life is through, what will run through your mind?

In Amelia Earhart's case, she died in the midst of her greatest challenge, in a daring around the world flight. Not all of us will die so suddenly, or so heroically. Most of us will probably have time to reflect on what we experienced throughout the years.

Eric Idle

Of course, as former Monty Python member Eric Idle sings, we always try to look on the brighter side of life. But, as we near the end of life, it may look at more of a mixture of thoughts. At that point, money and fame won't be our chief concern. 

Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back into the same box.

What Will I Think About?

I imagine that in my case, when my life is through I will be thinking of my wife, and the fullness of life that I experienced since we met, and throughout our lives. I will think of my children, and be grateful for their lives, love, and accomplishments. I'd recall the strong influence of my parents and brother.

I'll probably think about the people I worked with, and the schoolchildren I knew, as a teacher trainer in the Peace Corps. I'd reflect on the close friends I've had over the years.

I might reflect on my fond memories of triumphs in tennis, baseball, and jujitsu. I' may feel a sense of satisfaction that I took the time to share my knowledge and experience in the books I wrote.

The Value of Thinking About the End

Reflecting on our demise has value because it helps us to realize what is truly important in life.

Mostly, I find that I value most the relationships that I have had with people, and the worthwhile accomplishments that I have dedicated my heart to.

There may be things in your life that you would like to have accomplished, but never had the time. Now's a good time to take inventory and start on that path to your deeply held goals.

The Magic of Lists

Author James Allen, in his inspiring little book As You Think, said "all we achieve and all that we fail to achieve is the direct result of our own thoughts."

I find it useful to make a list of the things that you would like to accomplish. Something magical happens when you write your goals on a piece of paper and carry it around with you everywhere you go.

I made a list of goals some 20 years ago after reading an article about the value of setting goals. I carried that list in my billfold for several years. A few days ago I came across that list. A few items from my list were:

1. Learn to speak fluent Spanish
2. Live and work in Latin America
3. Write a book that would be helpful for others

Almost everything that I had written on my list had come to pass.

Death may be nature's way of telling us to slow down, so don't wait too long to spring into action.

Ask Away

I think that the universe gives us precisely what we ask for, no more, no less. So ask away.



Upcoming Radio Interviews
Tune in Tuesday, January 10th at 7 PM eastern standard time for post holiday treat, as I will be discussing my new book "Carve Out Your Niche" right here on the ArtistFirst Radio Network (http://www.artistfirst.com/).

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The Family Man - A holiday movie with a life-changing message

Tea Leoni and Nicholas Cage

The Family Man is a movie that never ceases to capture my imagination. I always watch it when it perennially shows up on TV over the holidays.

Jack Campbell is a Wall Street shark who has a wealthy, but superficial life. Fate gives him a chance to see what his life would have been like, had he married the girlfriend (Kate) he left behind 13 years earlier, raised two lovable children, worked in his father-in-law's tire store, and lived his life as a family man in suburban New Jersey.

From Nightmare to Understanding

The movie is an examination of what life is really all about, and, at the end of the day, what is really important. When Jack is thrust into his "new" family, it's a living nightmare at first, but it gradually dawns on him that there are values and rewards that he was unaware of in his previous high powered lifestyle. He's drawn in like a drowning man to a life preserver.

There is one particularly poignant scene, which is the turning point for Jack. He is alone in his house and he is still pineing to return to his life in the fast lane. He plays an old video in which Jack and all their friends are celebrating Kate's birthday.

In the video, Jack demonstrates his love to Kate by singing her a romantic song, and in Kate's warm reaction to the song, Jack realizes how deep and endearing the love was between he and Kate.

It may sound corny, but it works. There's ample humor mixed in with the drama, such as the famous "cake scene."

A Message to Take to Heart

Jack realizes that all of the expensive trinkets that he valued so highly before meant nothing in comparison to what his family life had to offer.

Even in our consumption-driven society, the most basic human needs and concerns still apply.

You might  even say, the fundamental things apply, as time goes by.


Upcoming Radio Interviews

Tune in Tuesday, January 10th at 7 PM eastern standard time for post holiday treat, as I will be discussing my new book "Carve Out Your Niche" right here on the ArtistFirst Radio Network (http://www.artistfirst.com/).

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Promote Your Book With Fire and Passion (like Billy Graham)

Billy Graham

Is your book important to you? Does it contain information in it that will improve the lives of others? It must, or you wouldn't have written it!

Then you should feel compelled to promote your book as though you believed that.

John Kremer on True Passion 

John Kremer, in his book 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, said:

If you really had any true passion for your book, nothing would stop you. … You would climb the highest mountain, if need be, so people would know about your book. Or you would parachute into Windsor Palace. Or you would stand in front of a speeding truck. You would die for your book.

While I'm not sure that I would die for my book, Kremer's point hits the mark, so to speak, in terms of the passion that we must feel for the value of our book.

Billy Graham illustrates his passion for the Bible in the photo above.

Wayne Dyer's Burning Passion

Wayne Dyer demonstrates the incarnation of that passion, as he describes:

When I published my first book, Your Erroneous Zones, back in 1976, it was my burning desire to tell the world about those ideas. … I toured the country visiting every radio-TV show that would have me. … I couldn't extinguish that burning desire to tell anyone who would listen what I believed in so strongly. (my highlight).

Do Something Every Day

The beauty of the internet is that it is so easy to do something each day to promote your book. Here are some suggestions:

·    write a blog article  

·    comment on someone else’s blog

·    write an Amazon book review

·    send a copy (or electronic version) of your book for someone to write an Amazon review

·    add books to your Amazon book lists or guides

·       work on an ezinearticle.com piece

·       make a YouTube video

·       comment on someone else’s YouTube video

·       send a Tweet

And beyond the internet are opportunities such as book contests, seminars, newspaper articles, speeches, and guest spots on radio shows.

Are You a True Believer?

Do you truly believe in the value of your book? If so, you will force others to share your belief!

3 Reasons Why You Become a Giant When Your Write Your Book

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