How To Be Cool and Do Stuff

I recently came across this blog post at TomBrownsWorld.com , loved it, and felt it needed to be shared immediately. Do you see the brilliance in Tom’s honesty? Important lesson here, that truly applies to ‘being cool and doing stuff’.

Warning - I Do This For The Money

There. I said it.

While I like helping people and enjoy life, I need to make money — and I do make money from this blog.

I just wanted to say that because some people get upset once they realize it, for some reason. So be it; I just thought that I’d save you the time and trouble of possibly reading this blog for months before you realize that I’m in it for the money (among other reasons).

So what does this mean to you?

First, the only way I’m going to make money is if I can provide my customers (hopefully you — you can become one by purchasing this computer and website security interview — see, I just tried to make money!) with more value than what they give me in exchange. Money is a universally accepted instrument that represents value. In this case, when you give me $27, I need to convince you that I’m giving you at least $27 worth of value before you’ll pay me. If I can’t do that, you don’t pay and move on.

So who got more value? I always try to ensure that my customers get more value than I.

And the next reason why I’m so self-centered is best revealed in Dr. Robert Anthony’s Secret of Deliberate Creation course (oh no, not again! ). I’m listening to it again, and just today I heard about how we are constantly creating. That creation takes on the form of positive and negative creation. And we can’t help BUT create — we were made to create.

Now if we focus on all of the bad stuff around us and try to change others, all it does is drag us down to their level. In what may appear to be a paradox to most people, the only way to really help others is to focus on improving yourself. Focus on yourself, think positive stuff (more or less; I’m glossing over a lot), and things get better for you. And guess what? Once your lot in life improves, you have something to give finally, don’t you? And there’s a universal law about giving that says you get it back — just not from the same source you give it to — and you get back much more than you give.

So I do focus on making money so that I’ll have more to give. Heck, if I didn’t make money, I couldn’t even afford to pay to host this website and you wouldn’t be reading this. In other words, how can I help you if I don’t make money?

OK, this post may be a bit strange, but it was inspired by a thread that’s currently running over at Willie Crawford’s Internet Marketing Inner Circle (Argh! Another money-making attempt!), it’s spur of the moment and entirely impulsive, and I’ll probably regret it at some point in the future. But then again, who wants to read the same old boring stuff day in and day out?

Oh, one parting random thought: I absolutely despise people who try to take advantage of me. Both my wife and I are extremely generous, but if we find out that somebody took advantage of our generosity when they could have taken care of themselves, we’ll cut you off at the kneecaps. And don’t put one hand in my wallet while the other one is stabbing me in the back.

OK, now I’ll get back to being my nice old self…

Thanks for listening,

Tom

Original Post Here

For those who must have things perfect before taking action, Seth Godin, has a few words to share…

The object isn’t to be perfect. The goal isn’t to hold back until you’ve created something beyond reproach. I believe the opposite is true. Our birthright is to fail and to fail often, but to fail in search of something bigger than we can imagine. To do anything else is to waste it all.

Excerpt from Seth’s Blog: Is it worthy?

I’ve struggled with this myself… if you really want to BCDS, then you’ve got to start failing.

Fun Fact: Did you know that a plane is off course the majority of it’s flight?

The continuous corrections in flight, get the plane to the final destination. Isn’t that applicable to your life’s destination? I believe it is

Tags: perfect, failure, seth godin

It’s official. I have not proper style.

When I was a kid, the DUMBEST POSSIBLE THING YOU COULD DO and the EASIEST WAY TO LOOK STUPID was to leave the brim of your new hat flat. Instead, what you really wanted to do was bend it until it curved upward slightly.

Today, the DUMBEST POSSIBLE THING YOU CAN DO and the EASIEST WAY TO LOOK STUPID is to BEND THE BRIM OF YOUR NEW HAT. Kids today!

Anyway, if you want to look cool and feel summery, a DC Hat should do the trick. And if you don’t believe my fashion observation, just ask Jesse Litch, pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays. He knows what’s up.

Excerpt from: Highly Obsessed

The evidence: (note the curved brim)

Tags: fashion, proper wearing of hats

This dog is awesome. I want one.

I get distracted easily. I battle with this constantly.

To be truly cool, you have to get stuff done. Here’s how:

1. Eliminate Distractions. Even one distraction can bring your house of cards down, so be complete about this. This means:

• Clear your desk. If you need to, clear it all off into a pile on the floor to deal with after you are done.
• No internet or computer programs open that are unnecessary for your project. *
• No TV or Radio unless it is instrumental or unless you are doing art work and you work best with music.
• No noise. If you have other people nearby that make noise on a regular basis, consider getting a pair of noise canceling headphones.
• No phone. That’s what voice mail and caller id are for. Don’t answer it. If you think it might be important you can listen to the voicemail and decide when will be the best time to call back. Imagine that you are in a meeting and can’t be interrupted.
• No email or feed reader.
• Just you and your project.

2. Visualize Take 5-10 minutes to visualize your project and what you need to do overall and today.

3. Planning Write out the plan for your project whether it is to clean the house, design a website, complete a writing assignment, create art, complete a day of errands, studying for an exam, or whatever. Write out the major steps from start to finish in a basic outline format.

4. Today Plan Write out the action steps you will take today and the approximate time you will be working on each step. Be as granular in your outline as need to keep yourself on task, but not any more than is necessary.

5. Breaks & Rewards Build in breaks into your Today Plan. Write in the times and use a timer to stay on track. Here is a free online timer. Plan a reward for the end of the day.

6. Take Action Work your plan. Use your Today Plan as your guide. Keep moving forward. When you find yourself getting distracted go back to your Today Plan. Be strict with yourself about keeping distractions from creeping into your project time.

Complete Article: How to Focus Your Mind on the Project

Tags: howto focus, get stuff done

I think you’re starting to feel better, too.  I know I am.

Tags: Awesometown

I’ve been using this tool for the last week. It’s great.

Introducing the Flock browser.

If you’re a Facebook junky, check this out. And you can thank me immediately.

That’s not all, either. You may have noticed the tagline “Blogged with the Flock Browser” in the lower right corner of a few posts.

Flock makes blogging super quick and easy, giving you a lot more time to Be Cool and Do ‘other’ Stuff.

Download it and start flocking.

Tags: flock, blogging

“If you don’t change your beliefs, your life will be like this forever. Is that good news?”

- Dr Robert Anthony

This is just incredible to think about.  Our beliefs direct our lives, whether we know it or not, and whether we like it or not.

Original post here

Started in March.  It takes me 6-8 weeks for this to come in.  Just shaved it off, as Mustache May has officially ended. New haircut as well (still adjusting my self image).

Tags: mustache