Carve Out Your Niche

How to Force Yourself to Write

2012-03-02T08:37:00.000-07:00

"I never could have done what I have done without . . . the determination to concentrate myself on one subject at a time."
-- Charles Dickens

How Charles Dickens Did It

Charles Dickens' books were written in weekly or monthly newspaper installments, and only later were they reprinted as books. The process of writing a new chapter so rapidly literally forced Dickens to write every day. He didn't have the luxury of waiting to be inspired, he had to meet his deadline.

The interesting part is that he was able to produce books that have inspired people for hundreds of years. We might intuitively think that the quality of his work would go do with so little time to write, but obviously that is not the case.

The lesson from Dickens is that if we want to be productive writers, one way is to follow his example and set firm deadlines for when we want, or must, complete a work.

However, since we don't have publishers, or the public, breathing down our neck for the next installment of our work, how do we force ourselves to write?

How We Can Do It

Here are some ideas that have worked for me:

1. Promise someone that you will have a certain amount of text in their hands by an exact date.

2. Reward yourself when you reach certain milestones. Give yourself a trip to see a movie, or an ice cream come, or something else that you really like. When I was writing my first book, I promised myself that I would buy the DVD of the movie Serenity, when I finished my book. When I finished the book I went to the store and bought the DVD.

3. Sign up for something that forces you to write. For my most recent book, I signed up for a book contest in March 2011 that required me to have a copy of my book submitted in 6 months. I got the book in on time, and won an award!

4. Sign up to give a presentation about your book's topic at a specified date.

5. Stop watching television. Save your psychic energy for writing.

6. Stop drinking caffeine, in my case, iced tea. I find when there is no caffeine in my body, my mind works better.

7. Carry a notepad and pen around with you at all times, and at note keep them on the table next to your bed. When you just wake up is when you are in closest contact with your subconscious mind, a deep fount of wisdom. Don't let any ideas slip away because you didn't write them down.

8. Write three handwritten pages each morning, your "morning pages," using only your stream of consciousness. See, Get Struck by a Spiritual Lightning Bolt - The Importance of Writing Everyday.

Interview of Julia Cameron (The Artist's Way) with loooong introduction

9. Read inspirational books. See, Are You Big Enough to Pay it Forward?

10. Read books that inspire you to write, such as The Artist's Way and The War of Art. See, 3 Reasons Why Authors Must Read "The War of Art."

Steven Pressfield (The War of Art)

11. Think about someone who discouraged you from following, or dream or told you that you would never write a book. Walter Bagehot said, "The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say that you cannot do."

12. Listen to music that inspires you. I like to listen to Storms in Africa by Enya or Stranger on the Shore.

For even more suggestions on how to force yourself to write, see:

50 Strategies For Making Yourself Work

The Writer’s Life: Getting in the Mood

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How to Respond to Adversity with Dignity

2012-02-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

Brad Pitt made an interesting comment about the value of movies, during the Academy Awards presentation on Sunday. He said (and I paraphrase),

"By watching movies, we see how other people act with dignity, particularly when they are faced with adverse circumstances. And, it make us better people by experiencing that."

Movies Show Us How to Act

I thought about the movie True Grit, one of last year's award nominees (since I haven't seen any of this year's nominees yet, and I am presently reading the book version of True Grit.) I note how the main characters portrayed very high levels of courage, moral integrity, and care for each other.

The characteristics that they display far surpass what we see in daily life. The movie protagonists are willing to forget about their own safety to rescue their companions, or perform their sworn duties.

Marshall Cogburn rescuing Mattie Ross

Movies inspire us to live up to our own highest calling.

Books Inspire Too

In writing books, we do the same. One of our goals in writing should be to show people how to overcome obstacles and give them steps, or examples, to allow them to reach their aspirations. That's what the best "how to" books do, and, in fact, what any great book does.

David Copperfield

Take the book David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens. The story told of how a young boy overcame the death of his mother and father, growing up with mean and calculating in laws, and being forced to do fend for himself through most of his childhood years.

Yet, he also encountered kind and inspiring people in his life. When the boy becomes an adult, he is able to transcend, or transform, the tribulations of his past, to become a successful writer and to lead a life that reaches out and helps many other people.

So, as you write, keep in mind that one of your primary objectives is to inspire. People should be better off from having experienced your book.

Other recommended articles:

What’s Up With You Lately and How You Can Use It to Inspire Others

An Amazing Time to Buy a Foreclosure

Authors Helping Authors on Amazon and Beyond

2012-02-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

We must all, indeed, hang together, or most assuredly we will shall hang separately.
-- Benjamin Franklin

Yes, we're as helpless as a bunch of clowns if we don't stick together

I think there is a great bond between writers of books. We all share a common experience of delving into the great void that is our soul, and we were able to find our way back and to transcribe our seemingly inexplicable findings into book form.

I read an article recently that said that 80 percent of the people in the United States would like to write a book, but only 3 percent ever actually write a book. We are a small and ancient brotherhood of writers.

That's why I believe that writers seem so eager to help out other fellow authors. We read their draft transcripts, we encourage each other, and we review each others' books.

We All Need a Boost on Amazon

In particular, it's really useful for new authors, and indeed all authors, to get lots of reviews on Amazon. A good book with a few dozen positive reviews on Amazon can actually compete with some of the most popular books.

Self-Publishers at an Unfair Disadvantage

We self-publishers are at a distinct disadvantage against books published by the big publishing houses. We don't have the Madison Avenue publicists, with slicked back hair and martini lunches, behind us, or the mulitfaceted ad campaigns, or the endorsements from Oprah.

That's why we have to stick together, like Marshall Cogburn and Mattie Ross in True Grit!

How, you ask? How can we small ants compete against this thundering herd of elephants.

Here's How Even the Playing Field

When you read a good self-published book:

1. Write an Amazon review.

2, Review the book on your own blog.

3. On the Amazon book page, mark "agree" with the good reviews and "disagree" with the bad reviews. Sometimes it only takes one disgruntled reader to write a bad review and discredit what most people think is a very good book.

4. Mention someone's book on Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, or whatever other dazzling new internet tool they've come up with that I (invariably) am the last to know about.

I, for one, am always agreeable to do review exchanges with other writers.

Writers of the World Unite, You Have Nothing to Lose but Your Absence of Publicity!

Also recommended:

7 Simple Ways that Authors Can Pay it Forward

Paying it Forward - A Great Example

2012-02-03T08:28:00.001-07:00

I found this video over at the See Beautiful blog. It's a great example, produced by the Life Vest Inside organization, that shows how one act of kindness can touch many lives.

As I have said before, sharing your knowledge and wisdom with others by writing a book is another way to pay it forward. There is no telling how many people will have their lives improved from reading your book.

Even if you don't have a clear idea for a book, you can begin moving in the right direction just by getting up an hour early every morning and writing three pages (with notebook and pen) of "morning pages." Just write what ever comes to mind; use your stream of consciousness.

At first, it may not seem like anything is happening, but soon you’ll find you are coming up with some insightful ideas for your book. It’s a way to connect to your creative consciousness.

The important thing is to keep writing. That's the only path to becoming an author.

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Behind the Scenes at My TV Interview

2012-01-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

Getting wired up for my interview

I made this video to document my experience during my TV book interview (for Carve out Your Niche) and to share the action with my blog followers. As an author, or future author, promotion must always be a high priority in your writing career.

The Morning Blend

As I mentioned, in my interview on the Morning Blend, you should be begin thinking of how you market your book even before you write it.

Making this video serves two purposes:

1. It takes authors through the steps of doing a television interview, demystifying the process, and;

2. It shows another angle for book promotion, by not letting an opportunity pass by to record something unique and useful that you can share with others on your blog page and YouTube page.

Be sensitive to opportunities to make a video

You should be the habit of recording everything that provides useful information. Besides the promotional value of the interview itself, the backstage video provides the alert author with a useful video that he can share with others.

So instead of only one having video, with only a little more effort, you have two videos.

Without further adieu, here is my backstage video:

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Video of TV Interview for "Carve Out Your Niche"

2012-01-31T07:07:00.000-07:00

I share the stage with Ann Lauricello and Alex Miranda

Yesterday's TV interview on the Morning Blend Show at KGUN 9 News went very well. I had a great time discussing my book with hosts Ann Lauricello and Alex Miranda.

For those who were unable to see the broadcast live, here is a link to the interview.

I will also be posting a "behind the scenes" video that I filmed while I was at the studio preparing for my interview.

"Carve Out Your Niche" TV Interview Monday

2012-01-28T08:43:00.000-07:00

Join me Monday, January 30th between 11:00 and noon, for an interview on the Morning Blend on Channel 9 in Tucson. The hosts are Ann Lauricello and Alex Miranda.

I'll discuss the key concepts in my book "Carve Out Your Niche."

In particular, I'll be covering:

1. How easy it is to write, self-publish and market your own book;

2. What are some reasons that people are motivated to write a book;

3. Basic marketing tools that will allow you to reach a huge audience;

4. How writing a book can lead to a new direction in life, and why it's never too late to pursue your dreams;

and, probably a plethora of other remarkably interesting topics.

I hope they don't get me started on my confrontation with President Obama in the Phoenix Airport. I'm still mad at Governor Jan Brewer for trying to steal my thunder on that incident.

Frustrated Author Confronts Obama in Phoenix Airport

2012-01-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

Just moments after Arizona Governor Jan Brewer confronted President Obama in the Phoenix Airport, I took the opportunity to confront the President as well. In fact, Governor Brewer actually crowded me out of the way to get to the President.

Jan Brewer stole my thunder. She talked to the President about her book, in hopes of boosting sales on Amazon (yes, her book went to #1 in sales).

By the time I got to talk to the President about my book (see picture), Carve Out Your Niche, it was too late. Instead of my book getting the boost it so richly deserved, it was the governor's book that got the boost.

Anyway, the President did say that he was planning to read my book, but he just hadn't gotten around to it yet. I was merely pointing my finger and saying, "Okay, but don't forget."

He thanked me for reminding him.

Upcoming Interviews for "Carve Out Your Niche":

January 30th, sometime between 11 am and noon, I will be interviewed on "The Morning Blend," Channel 9 in Tucson, about my book "Carve Out Your Niche."

5 Rules to Avoid Being Killed by The Rifleman

2012-01-25T15:42:00.002-07:00

Johnny Crawford and Chuck Conners

Marshal Micah Torrance: You're making a mistake.
Lucas McCain: No, this is my town and Fred was my friend. I didn't ask for it, but it came. I'll handle it.
Marshal Micah Torrance: You're way too quick with that rifle, Lucas Boy. Forget their guns. Start thinking about men. You're riding in on nothing but the word of a stranger with an easy way and a hole in his hat.
Lucas McCain: I'll keep my eye on him.
Marshal Micah Torrance: You better. You don't know who he is or where he came from.
Lucas McCain: Well, maybe you want to come along.
Marshal Micah Torrance: Somebody should.

The Rifleman was one of my favorite shows as I was growing up. Recently, network TV has started running the episodes of The Rifleman again, and the show is appealing a ever.

Beyond the action and adventure is the poignant relationship that Lucas McCain (Chuck Conners) has with his son Mark (Johnny Crawford). McCain's wife died of "the fever," so he was left to raise his young son alone on a ranch near North Fork, New Mexico.

These are violent times in the old west, and McCain has earned a reputation as being faster with his rapid-fire Winchester rifle than most men are with a six gun.

The Lesson of the Rifleman

As quick as McCain is to dispatch a bad guy with his modified rifle, he is equally adept at passing out sage fatherly advice to his boy.

I think this is the great lesson of the Rifleman, that we can be tough enough to handle life's grueling challenges, but we can also rise above the evil around us by our reflective response to all that befalls us.

While many people are killed in the show, and nearly all of them deserved it, I've gleaned out 5 rules on how to avoid that same grizzly fate, if you do run into the Rifleman.

5 Rules to Avoid Being Killed if you Run Into the Rifleman

1. Don't threaten to kill the Rifleman.

McCain and Marshall Torrance

2. Don't threaten to kill the Rifleman's friend, Marshall Micah Torrance.

3. Don't kidnap or threaten to kill the Rifleman's son.

4. Don't try to rob the bank.

5. Don't call the Rifleman "sod buster."

The Rifleman in Action

Here is a montage of Lucas McCain explaining the 5 rules to people with his Winchester.

In a rare occurrence, western heavy Lee Van Cleef violated both rule #2 and rule #5, yet somehow managed to live to tell about it.

How many shots did the Rifleman fire at the beginning of the show?

What did Chuck Conners think about being typecast as the Rifleman?

Upcoming Interviews for "Carve Out Your Niche":

January 30th, sometime between 11 am and noon, I will be interviewed on "The Morning Blend," Channel 9 in Tucson, about my book "Carve Out Your Niche."
I will try to get a recording of the interview to post on my blog, for those of you in other states.

Tell Me Your Favorite Memory and I'll Tell You Your Future

2012-01-24T17:37:00.002-07:00

Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish. -- Ovid

My favorite memory of all time is my Dad and I playing catch with a baseball in the backyard of our house. Even though I was only 4 or 5 years old at the time, it still gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling just to think about it.

Keeping the feelings from our best best memories in mind, as we move through life, is a good way to stay on track. I feel that our past memories and our future memories are somehow connected, and both guide us into our future.

We get the same tingly feelings when we do certain things in the present. as we get from past memories, and these present actions generate our future favorite memories.

I know this sounds like a promo for Back to the Future, Part 4, but stick with me for a few minutes, and there's a better than average chance that this will make sense.

The Mysterious Side of Life

I intentionally try to use those warm feelings as a guide as I move through life. When we follow those feeling, we experience a fascinating and mysterious side of life, a feeling that is captured in Johnny Otis' song Harlem Nocturne.

I've had jobs, along the way, that didn't meet that sometimes didn't really give me the warm feeling, such as cleaning out cat cages, mopping floors in a dormitory, working the night shift at a 7-11 store, and many similar less-than-horizon-expanding adventures.

Yet, those types of experiences can be viewed as stepping stones, that take us closer to where our present and future memories are guiding us.

Use Your Memories

At some point, after we have experienced enough things, it starts to become clear what it is that we really want to do, and our memories and warm feelings give us the desire and power to move in the direction that we were ultimately destined to go.

What is your favorite memory of all time? Here are some other people's responses.

Why not use your past and future memories to give you guidance and strength to reach your destiny?

See also: Get Struck by a Spiritual Lightning Bolt - The Importance of Writing Everyday

Upcoming Interviews:

January 30, sometime between 11 am and noon, I will be interviewed on "The Morning Blend," KGUN Channel 9 in Tucson, about my book "Carve Out Your Niche." I will try to get a recording of the interview to post on my blog, for those of you in other states.

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The Fatal Eloquence of Newt Gingrich

2012-01-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

Is Newt Gingrich asking the right questions to set our ship of state back on course, or is he just dazzling people with his fancy footwork?

Gingrich is able to deflect questions about his own shortcomings with outrage against the media or his opponents, and by claiming that he is being unfairly persecuted. Granted, he is brilliantly eloquent. Gingrich has such a vast pool of knowledge to draw upon, and such a way with words, that it's almost impossible to listen to him for even a short period of time and not be drawn into his world.

But, does his eloquence cover up the fact that he is a ship without a rudder?

Newt's Fiery Passion

He can make an air tight case for whichever side of an argument that is held by his audience. For Gingrich, what's important to him is not the position that he takes so much as it's the fiery passion and eloquence that he can bring to bear in his answer.

Is that necessarily a bad thing? In one sense, he is a great politician in that he is squaring his thoughts with those of his constituency.

On the other hand, the question has to be asked, where is his soul? What does he truly believe?

Lincoln Weighs In

Abraham Lincoln observed that Stephen Douglas, the Newt Gingrich of his era, spoke with such eloquence that, "He can make us believe that a horse chestnut is the same as a chestnut horse."

Eloquence and sensitivity to the views of his constituents may be the qualities of a good politician, but shouldn't statesmen be made of sterner stuff?

Will Gringrich's massive supernova personality implode into a black hole? Who knows.

One thing's for sure, thanks to Gingrich, the Republican presidential nomination process has become a fascinating, if not brillant, spectacle to behold.

Upcoming Interviews for "Carve Out Your Niche":

January 30th, sometime between 11 am and noon, I will be interviewed on "The Morning Blend," Channel 9 in Tucson, about my book "Carve Out Your Niche."
I will try to get a recording of the interview to post on my blog, for those of you in other states.

Get Struck by a Spiritual Lightning Bolt - The Importance of Writing Everyday

2012-01-18T07:13:00.002-07:00

Carve Out Your Niche with Morning Pages

In the book The Artist's Way, author Julie Cameron describes a technique designed to overcome writer's block, and to connect with the source of wisdom within (which Carl Jung refers to as the "2 Million Your Old Man").

The technique, called morning pages, is to get up an hour earlier than you normally do, and in longhand writing, write three pages using strictly stream of consciousness. Every day, just write three pages of whatever crosses your mind, and don't stop until the three pages are full.

Overcome Writing Obstacles

The purpose of this is to get past the things that inhibit us from writing; our fears, our negativity, or our moods. It gets us past them to a place where we can hear that still, small voice. And, when we are in that place past the negativity, we can align with the creative energies of the universe.

It's like walking through down the beach during a rainstorm, and being stuck in the head by a 10,000 volt metaphor.

It Works for Me

If you are writing your book, (and if you're not, I'd like to know why), or if you need a boost to write more great blog articles, you ought to write the morning pages. When I first read about it, I had my doubts. It may sound far fetched, or New Age-ish, but I really think that Cameron has hit on something, because it WORKS!

I have been doing it everyday for several weeks, and my opinion is that everything she claims is true.

As Cameron says,"It is impossible to write morning pages for any extended period of time without coming into contact with an unexpected inner power."

You Can't Lose by Trying

The bottom line is that if you are in the business of writing, and who isn't, the only way to become a good writer is by writing.

Anyone who says otherwise is itching for a fight.

Anything that causes us to write more is, prima facie, a good thing, even without the promised benefit of connecting to a greater wisdom.

Why do the morning pages? Because any way you look at it, you win.

Articles that I recommend:

Always Be The Underdog To Get Ahead

Let Me Taste Your Soup – The Importance of a Search Box

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Radio Interview Replay for Carve Out Your Niche book

2012-01-12T14:04:00.000-07:00

For anyone missed my Tuesday radio interview on the Artist First radio station, here is a link to the mp3 version. Be patient, it will take a few minutes to download the interview.

The Birth of "Carve Out Your Niche"

As I mentioned in the interview, one reason that I wrote the book Carve Out Your Niche was that as I was making presentations to groups and organizations about my first two books (Fix em Up Rent em Out, and Never Sell Your Home), two distinct groups of people would be at my presentations.

One group was interested in hearing me talk about buying fixer-upper houses, and the second group was interested in learning about how I self-published and promoted my books.

Many people in the second group had good ideas to write about, but they just didn't know how to get from Point A to Point B, in terms of what to do after they finish writing. The needed a jump start!

A light bulb went on over my head and I thought to myself, "I should write a book about that." And that's how this helpful new book was born.

Thoughts on Internet Radio

This was the first interview that I have done with an intenet radio station. In comparison to my interviews on regular network radio stations, I found this interview to be much more in-depth and the overall atmosphere was much more relaxed.

Network radio, by it's nature, moves at a more frantic pace. Interviews usually only last 5 to 10 minutes (at drive to work time), and there is very little time to engage in much conversation with the host, or to delve deeper into ideas presented in the book.

I will have to revise my earlier article How to be a Guest on Radio Shows to include my new insights on internet radio.

Silent Wealth Generation with Rental Properties

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"Carve Out Your Niche" Radio Interview Tomorrow

2012-01-09T14:41:00.000-07:00

Billy Jack about ... to ... go... BERSERK

Tune in tomorrow, January 10th as I discuss my new book "Carve Out Your Niche: How to Live Your Passion,Write your Book, & Help Others Change Their World.Join me on the ArtistFirst Radio Network (http://www.artistfirst.com/) at 7 PM eastern time.

Learn about a great way to generate a new stream of income and how to share your knowledge and experiences with others. I will be talking about how you can write, self-publish and inexpensively promote that book you that were meant to write.

I may also discuss such topics as what to do if you are laid off from work, 3 reason why you become a giant when you write your book, and 3 imperative steps to carve out your niche.

Like Billy Jack, when I hear about that people ARE NOT writing their book, I ... just ... go ...B-E-R-S-E-R-K.

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What to do if you are laid off from work

2012-01-02T14:14:00.000-07:00

Job lay offs jolt the lives of thousands of Americans. It creates anxiety, depression, and can even manifest physical illnesses. Equally harmful symptoms can come from working a job that you do not like.

But, it doesn't have to be that way.

An Opportunity in Disguise

If you are laid off from work, or getting out of a bad work situation, you can turn your "problem" into an opportunity. It may give you a chance to redefine the meaning of work in your life.

Look at this as if life is trying teach you something (which it is), and take it as an opportunity to pursue a new profession that allows you to be independent of a traditional 9 to 5:00 job.

Reinvent yourself into something that you are more passionate about, and perhaps wanted to be all along.

Write the Book that You Were Put Here to Write

I suggest that you turn your knowledge and experience into a book. It can be about your profession, or hobbies like gardening, cooking, sports, or you name it. I focus on writing "how to" books because they have broad appeal.

A book can provide you with a stream of income, and establish you as an expert in your field. Use your book as a springboard to appear on radio shows, give speeches, and promote yourself on the internet though blogs, YouTube, Twitter, EzineArticles, Stumbleupon, and other tools.

It's Easy to Publish Your Book

The process of writing and publishing your book is simple. Follow these 3 steps:

1.) Use Microsoft Word to do the text and layout. These days, there is no need for complicated and expensive programs;

2.) Use lightningsource.com to print you book, and to have it available through Amazon and the other internet book stores;

3.) Promote your book with the virtually free techniques of the internet, speeches, and radio shows. Cast a wide net. Let's face it, how many books can we sell to our relatives?

You don't need to know everything to get started. You can learn as you go.

Believe in your message. Be bold and exude self-confidence. If others have succeeded in pursuing their dreams, you can too.

My Story

I was laid off from my job two years ago. I took that opportunity to pursue a dream that I had of being self employed and utilizing my latent interests in writing and public speaking.

During that time, I wrote two books (I had written a third book before being laid off), have appeared on almost 100 radio shows, given speeches to business groups, conferences, and associations, and have reached untold numbers of people through the internet.

My life is more exciting and meaningful, using skills and aptitudes that I didn't even know that I had. And, I have a strong sense of satisfaction from knowing that the information that I share, in my book and through my promotional activities, has been useful to others.

It takes learning new skills, dedication, and hard work.

But what good thing doesn't?

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/)

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The Best of Carve Out Your Niche: 2011

2011-12-31T21:27:00.000-07:00

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

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Is it Too Late to Pursue Your Dream?

2011-12-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

“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

* * *

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

2011-12-29T14:31:00.000-07:00

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/.

* * *

3 Books that Changed My Life

2011-12-27T15:55:00.000-07:00

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

* * *

Billy Jack Goes BERSERK Against Cancer

2011-12-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

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

* * *

Self Reliance, Following Your Heart, and Curing Fatal Disease

2011-12-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

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

* * *

Buster Keaton is Not Dead

2011-12-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

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

* * *

Take Some Time to Frolic in the Snow

2011-12-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

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

How to be a Guest on Radio Shows

2011-12-19T15:55:00.000-07:00

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

* * *

When My Life is Through

2011-12-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

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/).

* * *

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

2011-12-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

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/).

* * *

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

2011-12-10T08:39:00.000-07:00

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

* * *

Are You Big Enough to Pay it Forward?

2011-12-05T21:05:00.000-07:00

"You don't pay back a favor, you pay it forward."

It's easy to be ground down by all the gridlock in Washington politics, become saturated with uneasiness by the continuing recession, and feel the world is pointed the wrong way when holiday drivers cut you off in traffic.

That's why the book "Pay it Forward," by Catherine Ryan Hyde, is required reading for the hard headed optimist in all of us. It recharges our faith in humankind. It's like feeling the effects of an aspirin kick in when you have a headache. The more you read it the better you feel.

In a nutshell, Trevor McKinney, an 7th grade student, accepts his teachers challenge to do something to change the world. Trevor devices a plan to help three people, and instead of them repaying him for his help, he tells them to "pay it forward" by helping 3 other people. Trevor dives into his homework with youthful fervor, but each of the 3 people that he helps appear to drop the ball, and Trevor is convinced that his project is a failure.

However, unbeknown to Trevor, the other people did follow through and the good deeds that they passed along were changing the fabric of society.

Pay It Forward Anyway

In one of my favorite scenes, Jerry, a drug addict that Trevor gave some money to so the could get shoes for a job, tries to save a young women from suicide. Jerry says:

I'm a junkie, Charlotte. I'm always gonna be a junkie. I ain't never gonna be no fine, upstanding citizen. But then I thought, hell. Just pay it forward anyway. Kid tried to help me. Okay, it didn't work. Still, I'm trying to help you. Maybe you'll jump. I don't know. But I tried, right? But let me tell you one thing. I woke up one morning and somebody gave me a chance. Just outta nowhere. It was like a miracle. Now, how do you know that won't happen to you tomorrow?

Is it really possible to help people like that?

Yes, but perhaps not always in such a dramatic way.

In my opinion, as we carve out our niche in life, writing our book, giving speeches, and coming in contact with people in various ways to share our knowledge with them, we too are "paying it forward."

Are You Big Enough ?

At one point in the book, Trevor points out to his teacher, Reuben, that Trevor's own mom needs help. She needed Reuben's forgiveness because she had betrayed him.

Reuben responds, "I'm sorry, Trevor, I'm not sure I'm a big enough man to do something like that."

But it turns out that he was a big enough man, and he did forgive her.

Sometimes, like Reuben, we underestimate what we are capable of. But, when we follow through, like Jerry, and do what we know that we have to do, miracles do happen.

See also:

3 Reason Why You Become a Giant When Write Your Book

Carve Out Your Niche & Build a Stairway to Heaven

* * *

"Iron Mike" Tyson Carves Out a New Niche in Music?

2011-12-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

Mike Tyson

Everybody's got plans . . . until they get hit.
-- Mike Tyson (boxer)

What I did in the past is history. What I do in the future is a mystery.
-- Mike Tyson (singer)

It was an incongruous and unsettling sight to see former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson singing "The Girl From Impanema" in Brazil a few days ago.

Naturally, it doesn't quite wash away the memory of Tyson destroying people in the boxing ring, biting the ears of Evander Hollyfield, and threatening to eat the children of Lennox Lewis (who actually had no children at the time).

Still, personal failures aside, it was awe inspiring to see such a powerful fighter in the ring. He was a unstoppable force of nature.

But singing? With a funny white hat? Are we in some parallel universe?

Not exactly.

What we are witnessing is a tremendous demonstration of the power that each of us has to change who we our, to set a new course for our lives, and to not be chained to whatever we were in the past.

It would have been easy for Tyson to wallow in the past, and maintain his angry "I never got the respect I deserved" persona for the rest of his life. Perhaps he could have made a comfortable living off his bad-boy image.

Instead Tyson chose to inhabit new, and completely alien worlds , something his previous life could never had prepared him for. Yet he was obviously not afraid to try something different.

What Lesson Do We Learn?

Mike Tyson's transformation from boxing brute to golden-throated songbird, makes our relatively paltry efforts to carve out our niche by writing & self-publishing a book, appearing on radio shows, and making speeches, pale in comparison.

* * *

What the Return of Doris Day Means

2011-11-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

I heard Scott Simon (on NPR radio) interviewing legendary-singer-from-another-era Doris Day this morning. I remembered her classic rendition of "Que Sera Sera," from the Alfred Hitchcock film "The Man Who Knew Too Much." She sang the song at the climatic end of the film to rescue her kidnapped son.

It gave me a warm feeling to know that she is releasing a new album after almost 20 years since her last.

I like the idea that people can stage a comeback anytime in life. It's motivational to see that resilience that people like Doris Day and William Shatner display.

It makes me feel pretty small when I sleep late instead of facing the day's challenges and opportunities with gusto. I constantly tell myself that I have so many goals to accomplish, yet sometimes I act as though I have all the time in the world.

The great lesson from Doris Day is that opportunities should not be missed, by the old or the young (or by those of us in the middle.)

3 Reasons Why You Become a Giant When Write Your Book

2011-11-26T07:31:00.000-07:00

Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the face.
~ Helen Keller

When you write your book you are looking the world straight in the eye, as Helen Keller says, and in the process, in my opinion, you become a giant.

When you write your book you become a giant because:

1.) through self-examination you expand your knowledge of the world;

2.) by reaching out and helping others your compassion increases and engulfs others, and;

3.) when you share your good qualities new doors open, and who you are becomes how you generate your income.

Self-examination

One reason for this growth into giant stature is because to write a book you must look inside yourself and meticulously examine who you really are and why the path you have chosen has led you where you are today. By delving into your own thought processes and manner of thinking, you understand your internal workings better, and in the process, you understand the external world better as well.

As Carl Jung said,

Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.

When you write a book, particularly a "how to" book (which is what I focus on), you transcend who you are today with the insight that you uncover about yourself. Your universe grows exponentially with each book you write.

When You Help Others to Grow, You Yourself Grow Too

A second consequence of writing your book, is that when you share your knowledge with others, they learn and benefit from your experience and knowledge. If they benefit from your sharing, and follow in your successful footsteps, you benefit too.

As the old saying goes, the fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose.

Your book can greatly benefit others, and it is one way to compassionately reach out to help others. Your litery efforts can serve as the initial stepping stone for you to connect with others and reach out to help them.

In the process of promoting your book you can touch the lives of people even more deeply through:

1.) your blog,

2.) videos,

3.) radio interviews, and

4.) public speaking.

Each of these medium presents you with immense opportunities to connect and interact with people. (For more on book promotion, see my new book Carve Out Your Niche.)

Like Trevor McKinney, in Catherine Ryan Hyde's book Pay It Forward, your efforts to help others may far exceed anything you imagined.

Trevor was sparked by an extra-credit assignment in Social Studies: "Think of an idea for world change, and put it into action." Trevor's idea was to do a good deed for three people, and in exchange, ask each of them to "pay it forward" to three more. "So nine people get helped. Then those people have to do twenty-seven.... Then it sort of spreads out."

Who You Are Becomes How Your Generate Income

When you start making money from who you are, new doors open up for you. You are not confined to make a living from a 9:00 to 5:00 job. Instead, you can start making a living (or at least a part of it) from what you really love, and what you truly believe in.

Conclusion

You may not become a physical giant by writing a book, but I guarantee that you will increase your self-knowledge, expand your opportunities for compassion, and become someone who experiences a more meaningful life.

You'll be a giant on the inside.

How to be a Guest on Radio Shows

* * *

Carve Out Your Niche on the Radio Twice Tomorrow

2011-11-22T11:10:00.000-07:00

Not that I have an egomanical personality like William Tiberius Shatner (Captain Kirk from Star Trek), as discussed in yesterday's blog, nor am I one of the presidential candidates whose name anagrams reveal their self-absorbed political agendas also, coincidentally, described in an earlier blog . . .

. . . but tomorrow I will be appearing as a guest on, not one, but two radio shows.

Naturally, I will be discussing aspects of my new book "Carve Out Your Niche."

I cordially invite you to join me, if your busy schedule allows.

How can you be on radio shows? Read my article:

How to be a Guest on Radio Shows

The logistical details for the two interviews:

At 7:40 am (Eastern time) I will talk about how self-publishing and promoting your books can become a new business for you. I will be interviewed by Gary Sutton and Jim Horn of Newsradio 910 WSBA in York, PA. The interview will be available via the internet at http://www.wsba910.com/.

The second interview is at 8:40 am (Mountain time) with Dave Gillian of KRSN AM 1490, Los Alamos, NM. This interview will cover the nuts and bolts of carving out your niche. You can also tune into that interview at http://www.krsnam1490.com.

The Inimitable Gary Sutton

* * *

William Shatner Gets THE Joke, Do You?

2011-11-21T11:47:00.000-07:00

William Shatner, still singing

The thing that I most admire about William Shatner and the egomaniacle, over-the-top image that he has, is that he is able to poke fun at himself. He gets the joke, it's on him, and still he comes across as the most affable guy in the world.

When I heard that he had, at age 80 (and still carving out his niche), written a new book, "Shatner Rules," I promptly got a copy and read it.

Along with his many successes, TV, movies, radio spots, books (he has published 30 books!), he has had some equally spectacular failures. His excruciating rendition of "Rocket Man," and the rest of the songs on his universally panned album, "The Transformed Man," for some people, ranks along with the Hindenburg crash, as one of the great disasters of the 20th century.

The Album Was Bad, But Was It a Failure?

"The Transformed Man" would have been a warning light to lesser men, but not to William Tiberius Shatner. Somehow Shatner rose from the ashes to record two more albums. The first album was bad, Shatner gets the joke, but it doesn't stop him. In the Shatnerverse, even as he still makes fun of his first album, his next two win critical acclaim.

Shatner's great humor is at it's absolute finest in his new book. I had to put the book down several times because I was laughing outloud, and had to recompose myself before I could continue reading.

For example, here are some of his rebuttals to his roasters on "The Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner":

Patton Oswalt held up a paper bag and said, "Settle a bet - act you way out of this."
Shatner response: " I would, but I need to go pick up my two Emmys at the trophy polisher."

"Bill, you are one of our greatest actors. And I think I'm quoting you correctly, right?"
Shatner: "If I looked like I was enjoying myself at the roast,then I am indeed one of your greatest actors.Go ahead and quote me!"

Still Exploring New Galaxies

But, in his new book, Shatner is again blazing a trail for us, by sharing with us the truly inspiring message: "Say, yes."

As Shatner points out that saying "yes" to things means opportunity. You don't know where those opportunities are going to lead, but Shatner assures us, they always lead to interesting places. "No" closes doors. "Yes" kicks them wide open.

Shatner elaborates, "My musical career is one of the best examples of the might power of saying "yes." I said "yes" to doing a trippy, experimental album in 1968. I was certainly flogged aplenty for it,but a few years later a young man said "yes" to buying it, enjoyed it, (and which led to) performing in a series of Priceline commercials, which were seen by David E. Kelley, (which led to) me as Denny Crane in The Practice and Boston Legal, and two Emmy awards."

Be Shatneresque, Say "Yes"

In Shatner's world, you say "yes" to opportunity, and doors open up. Even when it may look like you fell flat on your face, in the long-term you are redeemed, and even more doors open for you.

Shatner gets it. You make mistakes, you take them lightly, make fun of them, and you keep on saying "yes."

To Bill Shatner, "the praises of "yes" are certainly worth singing, or at least speak-singing."

Upcoming Radio Interviews

wher I "boldly" discuss"Carve Out Your Niche"

Week of Nov 21st, 7:40 am, with Gary Sutton & Jim Horn, 910 AM WSBA, York, PA. Listen live at http://www.wsba910.com/.

November 23rd, 8:30 am, with Dave Gillian, KRSN 1490 AM, Los Alamos, NM

Carve Out Your Niche: The Miraculous Comeback of Gabby Giffords

2011-11-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

U.S Representative Gabrielle Giffords

Gabrielle Giffords is the U.S. Representative for my congressional district in Arizona. In January of this year, while meeting with her constituents in a Safeway parking lot, she was shot in the head by an assassin. Thirteen other people were shot, and six people were killed. Early news reports stated that Gabby was dead too.

But, she wasn't.

She not only lives on, but she in a spirited and inspirational fight to regain her former life.

Gabby and her husband recently published a book entitled "Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope." Most of the chapters were written by Gabby' husband, Mark Kelly, with input from Gabby. Gabby wrote the final chapter herself.

It's obvious from the way Gabby's chapter is written that, while she has come a long ways, she still has a ways to go before she can communicate like before. She writes in fragments and short sentences, but there is an undeniable beauty and eloquence in what she writes. No words that I've ever read have ever come straighter from the heart.

Gabby says, "Everything I do reminds me of that horrible day. Just rolling onto my side is hard. Hard to sleep at night. Reminds me of how badly I was hurt. It was hard but I'm alive."

She writes about her gratitute to those who have helped her to recover and talks about how she is trying hard to get better.

In the true spirit of the endurance and grit that characterizes her, Gabby concludes witht he words:

"I will get stronger. I will return."

Amen to that!

Upcoming Radio Interviews

to discuss"Carve Out Your Niche"

Week of Nov 21st, date & time to be announced, with Gary Sutton, 910 AM WSBA, York, PA

November 23rd, 8:30 am, with Dave Gillian, KRSN 1490 AM, Los Alamos, NM

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

2011-11-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

"What you know is more important than what you have been taught to believe." -- Emerson

Softball Games in Honduras

When I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in southern Honduras in the late 1980's, several of us volunteers who were working in the area got together and formed a softball team. We were a combination of Hondurans and Americans, because we didn't have enough volunteers to make a complete team. There were 5 or 6 other teams in the league and we played Saturdays in Choluteca, one of the larger towns in southern Honduras.

It was an extremely hot climate in the south. It got so hot during the summer that the hot dogs sold in the city park were actually hot! We had team t-shirts made up that said "Southern Honduras Peace Corps Volunteers" on the front, and the back read "We Can Take the Heat."

What I remember most about the softball games was the spirit of un-competitiveness that was exhibited. We were just there for camaraderie and to pass the Saturdays having fun with our Honduran teammates & opponents, and sharing experiences with them.

Winning and losing didn't enter into the equation. The shared experience of playing the game together was it's own reward.

Writing is it's Own Reward

I think that there is a similar situation when you sit down to write a book. You are so caught up in the experience of transforming your thoughts and experience into intelligible sentences, that it doesn't matter what happens later. Whether or not others like your book, or buy it, is not an issue.

As I mention in my book "Carve Out Your Niche," you get such a warm, tingly feeling and sense of accomplishment from the process of organizing your thoughts into a book, that writing is it's own reward.

And to paraphrase Emerson, if you are writing what you believe and know in your heart, and not just what you've been taught, that's a successful book.

Join Me Friday for a Radio Interview About My Book, "Carve Out Your Niche"

Friday morning at 8:05 am to 8:30 am (Pacific Coast Time) I will be interviewed by Cheryl Harle, KCUP Radio 1230 AM, Newport, OR. The interview will be available via the internet at www.kcup.com.

Can Anagrams Reveal Presidential Idiots & Geniuses?

2011-11-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

"All the life's wisdom can be found in anagrams. Anagrams never lie."

An anagram is the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once.

Do people's name's have meaning?

Or, is it just a coincidence that the letters in names not only can result in insightful messages about that person, but also give us dire warnings about their hidden character traits? (Cue Darth Vader theme).

Let's look at a few hair-raising examples:

George Bush = He bugs Gore

William Shakespear = I am a weakish speller

Tom Marvolo Riddle = I Am Lord Voldemort

McCain and Palin unite = a predictable sheer disaster!

Tom Cruise = So I'm cuter

However,the big question is, can the anagrams of the presidential candidates (anagram - "dedicated partrisan lines") actually help us to ferret out the qualifications of the next president ?

Below are anagrams that I have painstakingly extracted from the names of each of the major presidential candidates (or painstakingly copied from another source).

You be the judge! (Cue music from The Twilight Zone.)

Herman Cain = Reachin' Man

Backin' Mark James Perry = Merry Brain Jam

Vote For Ron Paul = Pure Loon Fav

Michele Bachman = Became Maniac

Governor Mitt Romney = Metro Minty

Newt Gingrich = Rich Gent Wing

Barack Obama = Maraca Kabob

* * *

Upcoming Radio Interviews

to discuss my award winning book "Carve Out Your Niche"

November 18th, 8:05 am, with Cheryl Harle, 1230 AM, www.kcup.net, Newport, OR

Week of Nov 21st, date & time to be announced, with Gary Sutton, 910 AM WSBA, York, PA

November 23rd, 8:30 am, with Dave Gillian, KRSN 1490 AM, Los Alamos, NM

Carve Out Your Niche & Build a Stairway to Heaven

2011-11-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life.

~Ludwig van Beethoven

My First Encounter with Stairway to Heaven

I was a high school student in 1971 when the song Stairway to Heaven came out. Since today is the 40th anniversary of its release, I was reflecting on this song that so intrigued me then, and still fascinates me today.

The opening lyrics to the song (see below) made me ponder the idea that there was much more to life than what we actually perceived. The lyrics only gave veiled glimpses and hints about what was actually transpiring behind the scenes of life, but that only made it more interesting. Those glimpses seemed couched in truth, and rang true with deep thoughts in my own mind that we only perceive a small slice of what is actually going on in life.

A Warning?

I didn't realize it at the time, but in what may be an ominous warning for the 2012 presidential candidates, the anagram of "Stairway to Heaven" is "whiners vote."

Stairway to Heaven Today

Now, 40 years later (as an older, wiser, more perceptive person - okay, at least older), I still believe that much of life still goes unperceived. As I mention in my book Carve Out Your Niche, I believe that what people see of us, our appearance, our disposition, and our thoughts, are only scratching the surface of who we really are. Deeper down in our spirit we are much more.

When we listen to that still, small voice, and follow where it leads, we realize that there are great snow-capped mountains in the distance calling for us to climb, and great journeys that we must undertake. We aspire to much more than before it dawned on us the depth of who we really are.

If you are going to build a Stairway to Heaven, start early, it could be a long and thrilling adventure.

Rock on!

The opening lyrics of Stairway to Heaven:

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying the stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying the stairway to heaven.

There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it makes me wonder.

There's a feeling I get when I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who stand looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.

And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter.

* * *

Upcoming Radio Interviews

to discuss "Carve Out Your Niche"

November 18th, 8:05 am, with Cheryl Harle, 1230 AM, www.kcup.net, Newport, OR

Week of Nov 21st, date & time to be announced, with Gary Sutton, 910 AM WSBA, York, PA

November 23rd, 8:30 am, with Dave Gillian, KRSN 1490 AM, Los Alamos, NM

Herman Cain Should Listen to the 2 Million Year Old Man (video)

2011-11-09T14:44:00.000-07:00

As I describe in my book "Carve Out Your Niche," psychoanalyst Carl Jung states that within each of us is a 2-million-year-old man. He contains the entire stored up history & wisdom of mankind. Yet, most of use never avail ourselves to this pool of wisdom.

It's increasingly painful to watch presidential candidate Herman Cain squirm before the TV cameras as he is questioned about mounting misconduct allegations. My advice to Herman Cain is to search for the solutions to his crises by consulting the 2-million-year-old man.

Upcoming Radio Interviews

to discuss "Carve Out Your Niche"

Week of Nov 7th, date & time to be announced, with Gary Sutton, 910 AM WSBA, York, PA

November 23rd, 8:30 am, with Dave Gillian, KRSN 1490 AM, Los Alamos, NM

* * *

Carve Out Your Niche: Follow Bob Dylan's Advice and Write Your Book Now

2011-11-04T11:35:00.000-07:00

In talking with Mark Wayne of WICH 1310 AM Radio (Norwich, CT) today about my book Carve Out Your Niche, he mentioned that he once was a member of a band. At gigs they would sell copies of a record they had produced. The problem with the record was that they had to buy thousands of copies of it in order to reduce the price low enough for their fans to be bale to afford it.

In the past, the same was true for aspiring authors.

The Times are A Changin'

In the old days, there were two big constraints to publishing your book:

1. You had to hire someone to layout the book in the proper format; and,

2. You had to print thousands of copies of your book (and store them in your garage) to reduce your cost per book.

In other words, to be an author, you had to pay a huge up-front cost of thousands of dollars.

Today, the process been greatly streamlined and less expensive. It's easy to be a self-publisher. Now:

1. You can format your book using Microsoft Word;

2.) You can inexpensively print small numbers of books with book printers like Lightning Source; and,

3.) Your printer can automatically ship copies of your book to Amazon.com, and all the other internet book companies.

Follow Bob Dylan's Advice & Get Started Now

Don't get discouraged because you don't understand the whole process of writing, self-publishing and promotion. Just keep plowing ahead. You can learn everything you need to know as you go along.

Yes the times are a changin'. As Bob Dylan said, "You better start swimming or you'll sink like a stone." Write that book. Share your passion and your knowledge. Your book could light the fire in someone's life, and inspire them to pursue their passion.

Don't wait, or the moment may pass.

Upcoming Radio Interviews

to discuss "Carve Out Your Niche"

Week of Nov 7th, date & time to be announced, with Gary Sutton, 910 AM WSBA, York, PA
November 23rd, 8:30 am, with Dave Gillian, KRSN 1490 AM, Los Alamos, NM

3 Imperative Steps to Carve Out Your Niche (video)

2011-11-03T05:50:00.000-07:00

Your niche is the world that you carve out for yourself. It involves finding what your passion in life is, your soul's purpose, becoming highly skilled in that area, then sharing your accumlated knowledge with others so that they may follow your path.

The three stages in carving out a niche are:

1. The inspiration. Look inside yourself to find the burning desire and strenght to establish you niche, or you mission in life.

2. The creation of your book. Write and self-publish your book. My motto is "unless you write it down, it doesn't count."

3. The promotion of your message. Reach out and share your book and your message through an assortment of potent techniques, including videos, radio interviews, and the internet.

Upcoming Radio Interviews

to discuss "Carve Out Your Niche"

November 4th, 8:10 am, with Mark Wayne, WICH 1310 AM, Norwich, CT
Novemmber 23rd, 8:30 am, with Dave Gillian, KRON 1490 AM, Los Alimos

"Carve Out Your Niche" Wins 2011 National Best Books Finalist Award

2011-11-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

USA Book News has announced that my book "Carve Out Your Niche" is an Award-Winning Finalist in the Business: Motivational category of The USA "Best Books 2011" Awards.

Below is the press release.

For Immediate Release
November 2011

Contact: JPX Media Group

USA BOOK NEWS ANNOUNCES
WINNERS AND FINALISTS OF
THE USA “BEST BOOKS 2011” AWARDS

Mainstream & Independent Titles Score Top Honors in the
8th Annual USA “Best Books” Awards

Simon & Schuster, St. Martin’s Press, Random House, Penguin, Harper Collins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill, John Wiley & Sons and hundreds of Independent Houses contribute to this year’s Outstanding Competition!

LOS ANGELES – USABookNews.com, the premiere online magazine and review website for mainstream and independent publishing houses, announced the winners and finalists of THE USA “BEST BOOKS 2011” AWARDS on November 1, 2011. Winners and finalists were announced in over 140 categories covering print, e-books and audio books. Awards were presented for titles published in 2010 and 2011.

Jeffrey Keen, President and CEO of USA Book News, said this year’s contest yielded an unprecedented number of entries, which were painstakingly narrowed down to winners and finalists.

Award highlights include the following: (Full results listing available on USABooknews.com)

Carve Out You Niche: How to Live Your passion, Write Your Book, & Help Others Change Their World by Terry Sproue (Planeta Books, LLC) was honored in the “Business: Motivationall” category
Oprah: A Biography by Kitty Kelley (Crown Books/Random House) was awarded “Best Biography"
The 24-Hour Customer: New Rules for Winning in a Time-Starved, Always-Connected Economy by Adrian C. Ott (Harper Business) won the “Best Business Book”
Perfect One-Dish Dinners: All You Need for Easy Get-Togethers by Pam Anderson (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) placed number one in “Cookbooks”
The Daughter's Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick (Water Brook/Random House) took home the “Best General Fiction” prize
Full results listing available online at USABookNews.com

Keen says of the awards, now in their ninth year, “The 2011 results represent a phenomenal mix of books from a wide array of publishers throughout the United States.

Winners and finalists traversed the publishing landscape: Simon & Schuster, St. Martin’s Press, Random House, Penguin, Harper Collins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill, John Wiley & Sons and hundreds of independent houses contributed to this year’s outstanding competition.

USABookNews.com is an online publication providing coverage for books from mainstream and independent publishers to the world online community. JPX Media Group, in Los Angeles, California, is the parent company of USABookNews.com.

A complete list of the winners and finalists of The USA “Best Books 2011” Awards are available online at

http://www.USABookNews.com.

###

The Price You Pay for Not Following Your Dream

2011-11-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

"Follow that will and that way which experience confirms to be your own. "

-- Carl Jung

Jeff Anderson (KSDR 1480 AM, Watertown, SD) brought up a good point this morning in our interview, while discussing my book Carve Out Your Niche. Jeff asked, "Should someone quit their job if they mostly like where they work?"

I think the real question is, "is your job something that makes you makes you come alive?" Or, is it just something that you do for a weekly paycheck?

The Price You Pay

You pay a price to change and 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. In my opinion, people who are striking out on their own, making the hard decisions that affect their future, 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 with us. We have access to his wisdom through our subconscious mind. The problem is that we have lost touch with our instincts & buried wisdom. That’s one reason why depression is rampant in our society.

Start Off in Your Spare Time

Another way to approach carving out your niche, is by beginning to pursue your dreams gradually. Rome wasn't built in a day (although the contractor told them it would be). Start up your new business in your spare time, write your book in your spare time, or promote your book in your spare time.

A few years ago, while I was still working my 9-5 job, I started a business buying fixer upper houses and turning them into rental houses in my spare time. I'd just operate my new business on weekends and in the evenings.

Look for creative ways to change the direction of your life, and to segueway into doing what is really in your heart.

Upcoming Radio Interviews

to discuss "Carve Out Your Niche"

November 4^th, 8:10 am, with Mark Wayne, WICH 1310 AM, Norwich, CT

Novemmber 23rd, 8:30 am, with Dave Gillian, KRON 1490 AM, Los Alimos

* * *

Carve Out Your Niche: Turn Your Passion into Your Book

2011-10-31T08:53:00.000-07:00

At my presentation to the Terra Del Sol Neighborhood Association last week, I talked to several people who were interested in writing books, but they were hesitant either because they thought their book would not be good enough, or they just didn't know what to do to get their book published, after it was written.

In my opinion, if you are writing about something that you are passionate about, for example real estate, gardening, cooking, or teaching, you can write a good book. Your perspective is unique and your book, based on your experiences in the trenches, can light the fire in others, who may just be waiting for a book like yours to come along.

In the area of self-publishing, these days it's relatively easy to produce a book using Microsoft Word, and then using a book printer like, www.lightningsource.com to print and distribute your opus to internet book stores. It's probably much easier than you think.

For a copy of the outline of my presentation, entitled, "How to Write & Self-Publish Books (in a Nutshell), click here.

Tune in Tomorrow for My Interview with Jeff Anderson.

For those of you in South Dakota, you can hear my radio interview with Jeff Anderson to discuss Carve Out Your Niche, tomorrow (November 1st) at 7:10 am. Tune your radio dial to KSDR 1480, out of Watertown.

Upcoming Radio Interviews

to discuss "Carve Out Your Niche"

November 1st, 7:10 am, with Jeff Anderson, KSDR 1480 AM, Watertown, SD.
November 4^th, 8:10 am, with Mark Wayne, WICH 1310 AM, Norwich, CT

Novemmber 23rd, 8:30 am, with Dave Gillian, KRON 1490 AM, Los Alimos, NM.

Why You Should AVOID 9:00 to 5:00 Jobs

2011-10-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

This morning, in my radio interview with the inimitable radio Dan Ramey (WBEX 1490 AM Chillocothe, OH) about my book, Carve Out Your Niche, I talked about why I don't like 9 to 5:00 jobs.

The 9 to 5:00 Job Blues

I have always disliked working a 9 to 5:00 job. I found them often to be disheartening. I felt that I just wasn't utilizing my strengths and hidden talents to the extent that I could.

I think I first started to realize that when I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras, where I could have palpable positive impact on the rural community where I worked.

In my efforts to avoid working a regular job, I took inventory of my talents. I knew that I enjoyed writing and I enjoyed public speaking, so I endeavored to make a living by writing books and speaking to people.

I wrote my new book, Carve Out Your Niche, to show others how I broke away from the 9 to 5 work existence and how they can too, by focusing on doing the one thing that is really important to them.

Our Future Reward?

We can't expect to have a reward after we retire from our jobs, or pay off the mortgage, or when the kids graduate. A reward is probably not in the cards, but creaky joints and frequent trips to the doctor 's office probably are. That's why we have to devote ourselves to what we are passionate about now; to do that thing that makes us come alive.

Then, to complete the circle, we write a book about our experiences so that others can follow our path. First, we are inspired, then we, in turn, inspire others.

As Albert Schweitzer said,

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.

True Rewards

The true rewards in life, such as reading to our children at night, walking with our spouse in the evening, sharing warm thoughts with friends, and yes, the satisfaction of inspiring others or being inspired ourselves, come our way every day. But, we're easily distracted and unable to appreciate these rewards because we are focused on long-term, ephemeral, goals and rewards.

In truth, the journey is the reward.

Upcoming Radio Interviews

to discuss "Carve Out Your Niche"

October 31^st, 9:15 am, with Dave Kelber, WRNJ 1510 AM, Hackettstown, NJ.

November 1st, 7:10 am, with Jeff Anderson, KSDR 1480 AM, Watertown, SD.
November 4^th, 8:10 am, with Mark Wayne, WICH 1310 AM, Norwich, CT

Novemmber 23rd, 8:30 am, with Dave Gillian, KRON 1490 AM, Los Alimos, NM.

Never Stop Getting Better

2011-10-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

Someone who epitomizes the spirit of "Carve Out Your Niche" is Kate Warren. Kate started Evolve, her physical therapy business, earlier this year. It is a compassionate business that her heart is really into. Kate helps patients to recover from injuries, and she has improved the lives of many people.

Kate's motto is "Never stop getting better."

On a personal note, Kate helped me to recover from a knee injury. I had doubts that I would ever be able to walk without pain again, but Kate helped me to rehabilitate my knee. Now I am back to walking and exercising without pain.

Below is a video of Kate Warren speaking about her business and experiences.

Upcoming Radio Interviews

to discuss "Carve Out Your Niche"

October 26^th, 8:10 am, with Dan Ramey, WBEX 1490 AM, Chillocothe, OH.

October 31^st, 9:15 am, with Dave Kelber, WRNJ 1510 AM, Hackettstown, NJ.

November 4^th, 8:10 am, with Mark Wayne, WICH 1310 AM, Norwich, CT.

November 23rd, 8:30 am, with Dave Gillian, KRON 1490 AM, Los Alimos, NM

When you carve out your niche, you share your knowledge with others

2011-10-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

In today's radio interview, Jason Mansmith (AM 1600 WRPN, Ripon, WI) asked me why I wrote Carve Out Your Niche.

In my book, I describe three steps to carve out your niche:

1. Look inside yourself to find what you your mission is, then doing what that still, small voice tells you.

2. Package your experiences and passion by writing your book.

3. Share your message through speeches, internet, radio, video, etc.

My perspective is that "if you don't write it down, it doesn't count."

Nothing is gained by keeping our knowledge stored up within us and not sharing it. When we share what we have learned, our readers benefit from our knowledge, and we benefit from being able to help others, and by receiving an income stream from book sales.

There's no telling what impact your knowledge will have on others.

As Leonardo DiCaprio said in the film Inception, "A single idea from the human mind can build cities. An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules."

In short, the answer to why I wrote Carve Out Your Niche was to plant an idea in someone's mind.

Upcoming Radio Interviews

where I endeavor to discuss "Carve Out Your Niche"

October 26^th, 8:10 am, with Dan Ramey, WBEX 1490 AM, Chillocothe, OH.

October 31^st, 9:15 am, with Dave Kelber, WRNJ 1510 AM, Hackettstown, NJ.

November 4^th, 8:10 am, with Mark Wayne, WICH 1310 AM, Norwich, CT.

November 23rd, 8:30 am, with Dave Gillian, KRON 1490 AM, Los Alimos, NM.

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Three Compelling Reasons to Self-publish Your Book

2011-10-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it. ~Toni Morrison

“Why publish the book myself?” you ask, “It’s twice as much work and I don’t know the first thing about publishing a book.”

“And, I am only just becoming an author. Why undertake this added burden?” you say.

Let me tell you about three compelling reasons to self-publish your book:

1. Unlike a few years ago, it’s fairly easy to produce your own book.

Formerly, books could only be formatted by using specialized programs, but now anyone can write and format a book in Microsoft Word.

Printing companies, such as LightningSource.com, can inexpensively print your book, and automatically ship copies to Amazon, and other on-line book stores, for seamless sales. They even deposit royalties in your bank at the end of each month. What more could you ask for?

2. You keep more of the profits if you do everything yourself.

If your book was published by a publishing company, you would typically receive a 10% royalty for each book sold. By self-publishing, I receive a 55% royalty for each book sold. That extra royalty could be the difference between you making enough money to write more books, or just stopping with one book.

3. The unvarnished truth is that it’s unlikely a publishing company will want to publish your book.

They have bigger fish to fry. They’d rather publish a book by Justin Beiber. There’s something askew in a universe where memoirs are written by 16 year old boys. My son is the same age as Justin Beiber, and in all honesty, he wouldn’t have that much to say. Ninety percent of the book would be on X-Box game strategy.

However, just because your book is self-published, that doesn’t mean that you can’t sell a lot of copies, because you can and will. It’s primarily a matter of having a good message, and effective promotion.

If you look on amazon.com you’ll find a lot of people who make a pretty good living by selling self-published books.

And, yes, your self-published book could even win an award! If I can do it, you can too.

Upcoming Radio Interviews
for me to discuss "Carve Out Your Niche"

October 24^th, 7:50 am, with Jason Mansmith, WRPN 1600 AM, Ripon, WI.

October 26^th, 8:10 am, with Dan Ramey, WBEX 1490 AM, Chillocothe, OH.
October 31^st, 9:15 am, with Dave Kelber, WRNJ 1510 AM, Hackettstown, NJ.
November 4^th, 8:10 am, with Mark Wayne, WICH 1310 AM, Norwich, CT.
November 23rd, 8:30 am, with Dave Gillian, KRON 1490 AM, Los Alimos, NM.

Radio Interviews for "Carve Out Your Niche"

2011-10-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

In upcoming radio interviews, listed below, I will be discussing my book “Carve Out Your Niche.”

Many people would like to write a book, yet they don’t know the first thing about how to self-publish, or how to promote it. They may have a great idea for a book, but they don’t know how to get from point A to point B.

This is where my new book, and these radio interviews come in. I will provide a jump start for people to successfully self-publish and market their book.

I hope you can join me for one of the following dates.

October 24^th, 7:50 am, with Jason Mansmith, WRPN 1600 AM, Ripon, WI.

October 26^th, 8:10 am, with Dan Ramey, WBEX 1490 AM, Chillocothe, OH.

October 31^st, 9:15 am, with Dave Kelber, WRNJ 1510 AM, Hackettstown, NJ.

November 4^th, 8:10, with Mark Wayne, WICH 1310 AM, Norwich, CT.

November 23, 8:30, with Dave Gillian, KRON 1490 AM, Los Alimos, NM.

Watch this space for additonal radio interviews!

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Midwest Book Review gives 5 Stars to Carve Out Your Niche

2011-10-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

While I usually don't like to toot my own horn, if someone else is tooting it, I'm always pleased to join them for a duet.

In that light, here is Midwest Book Review's recent Amazon evaluation of my new book Carve Out Your Niche: How to Live Your Passion, Write Your Book, & Help Others Change their World.

Invaluable for anyone seeking to successfully write, publish, and market their own work October 13, 2011

By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)

In the highly competitive and constantly evolving world of writing, publishing,

and book selling, creating a specialized or particular niche for your work is

often the key to being financially successful and reaching your specifically

intended readership. That's why "Carve Out Your Niche: How to Live Your

Passion, Write Your Book, & Help Others Change Their World" by Terry

Sprouse is such a valued addition to the growing library of instructional

books on writing and publishing.

Basically, "Carve Out Your Niche" breaks down the process into three

main stages: Inspiration; Creation; and Promotion. Accessible written

and thoroughly 'reader friendly', "Carve Out Your Niche" first addresses

finding something passionate within your life that will propel you to.

Then the rest of this very nicely organized 150-page compendium is

packed with specifics on not only writing a book, but also the possibility

and practicality of self-publishing and marketing what you've written.

Of special note is the chapters devoted to tips for marketing a book on

Amazon; utilizing the internet for publicity and promotion; as well as the

use of seminars, newspapers, and book contests to market your title.

"Carve Out Your Niche" will prove to be invaluable for anyone seeking

to successfully write, publish, and market their own work.

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Life Ain't What I Planned, But its Still Pretty Good

2011-09-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Perspective Gained from a Sore Knee

As we wander down life's twisting path, inevitably we face changes. We all encounter injuries, divorces, births, deaths, lay offs, or new jobs (as I discovered at my High School Reunion in July). These are common things that we all experience, yet they usually catch us off guard and can throw us for a loop.

I reflect on this because I injured my knee recently, and it will cause a change in my lifestyle. I'll have to give up playing tennis, which I have enjoyed doing with my teenage boys. It looks like it's time to take up a new sport.

I also may have to reduce the distance on my long hikes that I like to take with my dog Blackie. But, we will just go on shorter hikes, or I will incorporate a bicycle into our outings.

Blackie, the wonder dog

We don't always get what we want in life. Or in my case, I got something that I didn't want, in my injured knee. That may not be a bad thing. It's always healthy to have a broad perspective on things, and accept the new paths that present themselves.

We may slow down a little, or change what we do, but we keep on plowing ahead.

We Don't Control the Ending

Journalist, Judy Muller, in her book Now This says that, "the trick is never, ever, to assume you can dictate the ending -- to anything."

We always think that we will be happy when the "big thing" happens to rocket us to fame and fortune.But, the big thing never happens. As Muller says, it's the "little things" that happen, "the moments in the here-and-now that make up the rich stuff of life."

In those situations, we don't control what happens, but we can more fully grasp the braoder implications, by being both a participant and an outside observer, of what happens.

If One Point of View is Good, Two Points of View Are Better

I recall an early episode of Star Trek where the Enterprise is being attacked and Mr. Spock, the half-Vulcan - half human, Science Officer, observes the strange life form in the alien ship. Everyone else is in panic mode because of the attack.

However, Mr. Spock looks at the alien and famously utters the word, "fascinating," because he is a participant in the battle, but also he is an outside observer viewing it from a dispassionate perspective. He sees what's unfolding from two points of view at once.

We may never dictate the ending to our experiences, but we can be fully conscious of the moment, and that's its own reward.

* * *

Check out the new Amazon review of Carve Out Your Niche:

WHAT A HELPFUL AND PLEASING WORK THIS IS....CHUCKED FULL OF WISDOM AND GOOD ADVICE

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Upcoming Radio Show on Carve Out Your Niche

2011-09-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

I will be a guest on Prime Talk with hosts Mark Ross and Ron Wilson to discuss my new book, Carve Out Your Niche.

The station is The Jolt, at 1330 am. The show runs from 9:00 to 10:00 am on September 21st, but my segment will be from about 9:35 to 9:56 am.

I invite you to join me on the 21st. Feel free to call in with questions. The live, call-in number to the show is (520) 529-3508.

For people who live outside the Tucson area, you can also listen in on streaming audio at www.tucsonsjolt.com.

* * *

What are you made of? Be like Caroline Wozniacki

2011-09-07T07:59:00.000-07:00

I was watching the US Open Tennis Tournament yesterday. Number 1 seed Caroline Wozniacki was playing Svetlana Kuznetsova. It was a tough match for the number 1 seed. She lost the first set and was down 4 to 1 in the second. When it looked like a certain loss for Wozniacki, one of the announcers sarcastically said, "let's see what the number 1 seed is made of."

To everyone's surprise, Wozniacki was one point from losing game five in the second set when she sprang to life. She started hitting guided missiles across the net. Before we knew it, she had came back and won the match in three sets.

I might ask you the same question that the announcer asked, "what are your made of?"

When you are down by one set, do you still have enough fire in your belly to fight back and win?

When one door closes, or a hundred doors, do you still have the desire to open up that next door?

When you fall flat on your face during an interview, do you still chalk it up for experience and move on to the next one?

When you hit a wall in writing your book, do you keep writing anyway?

When it seems like you're not making any progress in the, sometimes lonely, world outside the 9:00 to 5:00 job, do you keep your permanent goals in view, and not your temporary circumstances?

Are you made of sterner stuff that the obstacles that you encounter, like Caroline Wozniacki?

# # #

Trust Your Intuition to Carve Out Your Niche and Escape "Shutter Island"

2011-09-03T08:50:00.000-07:00

A person should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

A key to success, particularly when we are striving mightily toward a higher goal in life (and carving out our niche), is to follow our intuition, or that still small voice, without question. Don't over analyze that gentle prompting that you receive and get stuck in a situation where you end up doing nothing.

As author Douglas Adams said, If you try and take a cat apart to see how it works, the first thing you have on your hands is a non-working cat.

Often times, I will go to bed with some concern on my mind about how to keep my business moving forward. Frequently, I will wake up in the wee hours of the morning, and as I lie in lazily in bed, I will feel my intuition gently nudging me to take certain specific actions. My response is to get up and do what my intuition tells me, especially if it involves something to do on the computer. If it involves something more complicated, I will write in down in the notebook next to my bed, and deal with it as soon as I get going.

Unexpected Help on Shutter Island

There is a scene in the book Shutter Island (but not in the movie) where it is dawning on Federal Marshall Teddy Daniels (Leonardo Dicaprio) that sinister forces are moving against him on the island/insane asylum. But, with no one to turn to for help, he doesn't know what to do. Then, out of the blue, one of the hospital orderlies breaks his silence and surreptitiously tells Daniels that he must immediately get off the island. The orderly informs him of a location in the electrified fence that he can escape through.

That orderly was to Marshall Daniels what our intuition is to us. When we are surrounded by uncertainty and doubt, our intuition guides us with quiet, yet undeniable, truth. And like the hero in Shutter Island, we should take immediate action to do what our intuition says.

Act quickly, your future may hang in the balance.

* * *

Your Book -- Provide Useful Information and Tell Stories

2011-08-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

Tell Your Readers How You Did It

To write a successful book, you must focus on the needs of the reader. Readers expect to learn something new and useful from your book. Many books promise much in their titles, but the information that they offer is too general to be of use to the reader.

You must provide specific, useful information to your readers. Tell them exactly how you learned to operate your business. Give them step-by-step instructions. Lay it out for them in simple English so it is easy to understand. Make it your goal to pack so much information into your book that your readers will refer to it again and again. It should become a guide and a reference for them.

Incorporate Stories

However, our goal is not to write a sterile book that just presents all the dry facts. For your readers, that's like listening to a speech by someone who reads directly from their notes and never looks at the audience.

Rather, our goal is to reach out and touch the lives of others. To do this, we must draw relavent and illustrative experiences out of our past and write about them in our book. It may not be easy at first. We might incorrectly think that these stories might seem boring or inappropriate to our readers,. But, in reality, it's just the opposite. The stories make your book come to life.

Stories bring the cold facts of your experience to a level of feelings. Stories touch deeper chords in people and are more easily understood and remembered.

Telling A Story to My Son

When I am driving in the car with one of my teenage sons, I often take advantage of our time togther to tell them stories about interesting things that happened in our family, that they are too young to know about. I usually try to tie a lesson to the story, so that my kids can have a morsel that they can apply to their own lives.

Recently, I told my younger son, Bryan, a story about when I was doing some research in Mexico. I was gathering information about rural farming activities for my master's thesis. As part of my study I had to get some reports from a bank that worked exclusively with farmers.

Even though I had an aquaintence who worked at the bank, the bank manager would not even meet with me, let alone give me the time of day (or the reports). The same was true of some of the government extension agents who worked with farmers and who I wanted to interview.

Fortunately, I had a made friends with a neighbor who played in a softball league. I told him that I had played softball in the United States. One thing led to another and he said his team was looking for a pitcher.

I wound up pitching for his team, and it fortuitously turned out that some of the other teams had players who worked at the bank and some who worked as extension agents. I got to talking with them after the games, and told them about my research project. They said, "When are you going to stop by the office and see us? We'd be glad to help you out."

They were my new best friends.

"So just remember," I told my son, "if people don't know you, they won't want to listen to you or help you. You have to share some of who you are with them first."

*******

Great People Make Us Great

2011-08-25T21:58:00.000-07:00

Really great people make you feel that you can be great too

--Mark Twain

Writing to Inspire

When we write a “how to” book, aren’t we really telling people, “I did something great and you can do it too,” We don’t write out of a sense of misplaced pride, but rather, to improve the lives of others. To us, it may seem like we not writing something out of the ordinary, but to someone who has not done it before, it can appear like a great achievement.

We have a moral obligation to share our experiences with others. What good does it do if we keep it inside of us? It must be shared. If it remains inside of us, it may just dry up and wither, like a flower in the desert. But when it is released through the words that we put on a blank page, we release it, and it grows and lives on through our readers who are inspired and who take our words to heart.

Observing Greatness at a Summer Job

One summer, when I was a student in college, I worked at a dude ranch in the Rocky Mountains, near Granby, Colorado. I became friends with a guy who had just got out of the military and was planning to transfer to the same university that I was attending.

Masao Yokoyama did everything with the fire of inspiration. The college students who worked there that summer had rotating ranch duties. If Masao was assigned to wash dishes, the dishes would be cleaner than they had ever been, and both he and everyone who worked with him in the kitchen, would have fun doing it.

Masao and I were on trash detail once and we not only picked up the trash around the ranch, but he insisted that we also pick up all the cigarette butts, and even small twigs. No small task since we were in a forest, which was, by definition, full of small twigs. But I did it, and I enjoyed doing it, as though it was the greatest thing that I could be doing.

Masao did everything he was assigned to do better than anyone else, and he inspired us to have the same enthusiasm that he had. Everyone looked up to him and admired him.

I’ll never forget how he always made us else feel that we were as great as he was.

This photo of C Lazy U Ranch is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Unless You Write It Down, It Doesn’t Count

2011-08-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own.

--Carol Burnett

Step two in creating your niche is to write a book to describe your experiences and to share your knowledge with others. Establishing your business had its share of challenges. You had to gather and process a great deal of knowledge to become successful. However, when you write your book, the challenge is completely different. Now you must pull the knowledge from inside yourself and put it on a page. The challenge is more mental and less physical.

Writing books is a key component in your niche. The act of writing solidifies and reinforces your own knowledge of your business. If you truly put your heart into writing the book, your words will connect with the spirit of the readers. They will be touched through the book. By incorporating heartfelt truths into your book, you will be seen as more than an author or an expert. You will be seen as a “teacher,” someone who has knowledge about both his profession and about life.

On another level, your book will establish your credibility as an expert in the field. It will also generate another stream of income that gives you even greater independence from your 9–5 job.

High School Reunion Update & Free "Carve Out Your Niche" Book Chapter

2011-08-05T15:55:00.000-07:00

"A true friend stabs you in the front."
-- Oscar Wilde

My reality once again exceeded my expectations, just like every time I eat chocolate mint ice cream, at my high school reunion last weekend.

I stayed with my friend Glenn, and he took my son, Bryan, & I whitewater rafting on a nearby river. My son rated that as one of the top 5 things he has ever done in his life, right behind playing XBOX. For Bryan, that's quite a ringing endorsement.

I got to play my much anticipated tennis match with my old team mate. It was a great match but I met my match, and Pete was the undisputed winner. I'll have my revenge thought in 10 years at the next reunion.

I met all the classmates that I had wanted to meet, and even some I hadn't anticipated meeting, or didn't want to meet, but still enjoyed meeting them.

What struck me as most interesting about the reunion was the way that people re-connected with me. In some cases, some of the people that I knew best in high school didn't seem to interested in spending much time talking.

With other friends, as soon as we saw each other, we picked up talking almost where we had left off many years ago. The connection was still as strong as ever. It filled a gap in my heart that I didn't ever realize existed, to renew those old friendships.

Like Carl Jung said, "The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed."

New "Carve Out Your Niche" Book Fast Approaching

My new book, Carve Out Your Niche: How to Find Your Passion, Write Your Book, & Help Others Change Their World, has been sent to the printer.

It will soon be available at Amazon.com and other internet book stores.

If you would like a preview of my book, you can fill in the form to the right and receive a free download of the Introductory Chapter.

Joe Sabah, author of How to Get on Radio Talk Shows all Across America, has reviewed my book and commented,

“Carve Out Your Niche” is a true pleasure to read. Follow Sprouse's steps and you will succeed!

Watch this space for further developments.

High School Reunion, Tennis, and Great Accomplishments

2011-07-28T20:30:00.000-07:00

Is high school the mouse race to prepare us for the rat race?

This Saturday is my 40th year high school reunion in Fort Collins, Colorado.

I haven't attended any of the other reunions for my high school. I was always too busy or it seemed too far away. But this year is different. I have the feeling that this is the last chance to reconnect with my old high school friends, most of which I haven't seen in 40 years.

I don't expect make any great discoveries or find closure for something. I just expect to have fun.

It seems a little strange that the people that were closest to me for 3 years of my life, for the most part, just disappeared once high school was over. I suppose with most of going our separate ways to study at universities, or joining the work force, it is only natural. But looking back, it seems like a drastic end to one existence and beginning of another (as I discussed in a precious post).

Bryan (my 13-year-old son) and I are going to play tennis on the same tennis court that I played on when I was on the tennis team in high school. We are also going to play with with one of my buddies who was on the tennis team with me.

When I got out of high school they retired my jersey, but it was for hygiene and sanitary reasons.

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

2011-07-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

"Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain."

--Mark Twain

I was reading a book about famed martial arts star Bruce Lee last night. In 1963, when he was a complete unknown, Bruce gave a talk on Chinese philosophy at Linda Emery’s High school. She thought he was very good-looking.

A few months later when she saw that he was offering classes in Kung Fu, the eighteen year old Linda signed up as one of the first of his new students, so that she could meet him. She didn’t expect to like the class, but to her surprise, she enjoyed learning Kung Fu. A year later, Bruce Lee and Linda Emery were married.

Linda Emery could have been like her high school peers and appreciated Bruce Lee’s presentation, personality, and good looks, but never have taken action to actually get to know him. It must have taken a lot of courage for an eighteen year old high school girl to sign up for martial arts classes in 1963. She must have felt at least a little outside of her comfort zone. Yet, her attraction to Bruce was stronger than her fear of doing the unknown.

What impresses me is that she saw what she wanted and she took action. She put herself in a position to win.

The same principle applies to us when reach a point when we realize that we have to change and grow in order to reach our goals. As entrepreneurs, we may see the next step that we have to take to achieve our goal, but that step involves something we fear to do. It could be fear of public speaking, fear of putting our beliefs and experiences in a book, or maybe fear of appearing on radio or television.

It’s been my experience that when we take the next step we not only have the fear, but we also receive the power to do what we need to do.

And, like Linda Emery and Kung Fu, we may find that we enjoy doing the thing that we feared to do.

Bruce & Linda Lee

Are You Big Enough to Pay it Forward?

3 Reason Why You Become a Giant When Write Your Book

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