Who are You?… What Defines You?

I believe all of us need to do some soul searching occasionally and by doing so we take a pulse on how we are doing meeting our own expectations of ourself.

Try this simple exercise to give you a glimpse of what you aspire to be versus where are you at with your own self appraisal in reality. 

If the person you aspire to be is nothing like the person you are acting like daily, then you need some deep rooted house cleaning.

Who are you?

What defines you?

What will be your life story?

Why did you matter?

What lessons did you teach others about life that are inspiring?

What dreams of your own did you realize?

How’d you do it?

Do you live life without regrets? 
Most of us could use a great honest refocus of our money mindset and s new perspective on how to live our life based on positive attitudes and a focused on our own best interest.

Cheers

Racism Violence and Religous Violence

The news anymore is full of violent people acting out to hurt others for the not believing their views or not treating them with tolerance or kindness. This is a difficult time because those in authority are acting out of line for fear of their own safety and survival. Random acts of violence are increasing exponentially now and while the media are reporting this to draw attention to it, this can also ignite and raise public outbreaks of violence. People are being beat to death, shot and be headed on TV now. 

With this huge rift in society of treating people with dignity, tolerance and fairness even when being arrested, others are now using this to justify their own malolicious violent nature against innocent people

So what happens next?  Those in authority are fearful to do their job out of their own desire to be safe. Vigilantism is now on the rise to combat urban thugs and gangs attacking people openly.  More and more citizens are now carrying firearms because they see the police can no longer protect them.

If we do not quell this increase in violence you will soon see America turn to Marshall Law and utilize the military to take control. This is the beginning of anarchy and social unrest boiling into full scale civil chaos.

I am hopeful that we can get law and order back in control, but it will require that we all become strong and reinstitute respect, tolerance, kindness and fairness when dealing with folks who we do not resemble or agree with. I still believe we can stem this tidal wave of each of us decide not to let fear or anger change our disposition into violent actions or opinions.

• God help us if this violence continues to increase. 

Making Success Your Mindset

Life is far simpler than we all choose to make it. It is usually us and our stinky thinking that make situations worse than they are and/or that create problems instead of opportunities. It is our approach that needs fixing. If you just have faith in your destiny and give your best effort more times than not your outcomes will be successful. Our own mindset and positive outlook coupled with our own genuine best effort is a pretty potent and powerful mojo. Next time a circumstance presents you with some tough choices and your fearful of the outcome try to just trust in your destiny. Even if the outcome immediately us not what you desire it may put you on the path that ultimately gives you that success you have been looking for. In many of our lives success is shrouded in our own self created fog of our fear of failure.  In the end we are truly our own worst enemies. I hope that you try this simple formula for your own success.

Building Your Wealth Foundation

part 1: 

You must recognize that in order to become financially wealthy you must have more cash than debts. Building debt is not a wealth strategy, especially if used for non-performing assets.

Today versus Someday

So many people espouse their grand plans for their lives, yet when you observe their behavior it becomes clear their lofty statements are simple empty words. They lack the power of conviction, direction, focus and action. Usually when pushed to support their statements these type folks say things such as; ” Well Someday I will accomplish this.” Yet they have no visible behavior that should lead anyone to believe such a foolish use of bravado.

In truth the vast majority of people tell themselves that someday their lofty aspirations will become reality and they even convince themselves into believing their own tales. This is no different than waiting for manna to fall from the heavens or for the jackpot in Vegas or to win the lottery. They are the beliefs of fools and failures.

Every day you must check your actions and refine your behavior to correct your course I life to hit your goals. It takes constant attention and a reality based assessment of your performance if you want to succeed. To believe that your life will miraculously improve by no actions of your own is a fools dream.

Today is the only true factor in each step towards achieving your goals.  Everyday counts as do all your behaviors. It is those that approach their aspirations from this perspective that end up the winners in life.

Modern Chivalry a Fathers Advice to his Son

Living like a Modern Chivalrous Knight

Son I won’t always be here to give you advice, so I would like to give you this
Example of how to live your life.

“Always act and conduct yourself with Honor and integrity and treat others with respect and be a just and fair arbiter of your interaction with others. Be kind to those you meet because you don’t know the burden they may carry. Success comes to those that work hard and smart and not by taking advantage of others and those that attain it deserve it, if it was gained honestly. If you remember to live by these principles I will be very proud of you no matter the outcome. I love you, Dad”

Funding Your Life Plan

Myths of Owning Timeshare

I’m going to make this post short, sweet, and straight to the point. There are very few people who are just given an abundant and prosperous life by birthright. We mostly have to find out own unique way to create this scenario. As is the case in most things in this world, that requires we spend our hard earned cash on ourselves (that’s why we work to exchange our money for the quality of life we desire to create.)

Many people ask why I’m a proponent for owning timeshare? The sine reason is I believe it’s a practical, realistic and very cost efficient way for me to purchase the leisure lifestyle I desire for me and my family.

I can own the amount of time and the style and comfort level of travel I wish to accommodate me and my family on our journeys and adventures. It also makes me accountable to set time aside and take the time to actually go on vacations and make those memories that fuel us through tough times in life and invest in my relationship with my family and friends.

This type of investment is not about making money but rather avoiding exponential costs that would eventually render my ability to travel to nothing. I thus save hundreds of thousands of dollars and have a much fuller life with far less regrets than those that don’t invest in their dreams and relationships. I’ve seen the dividends over and over again each time I see my family discuss our many trips and adventures together. I’ve also taught my boys the value of taking time for what matters most your loved ones.

The philosophy is simple. If you go on vacation without owning an equity product, you pay far more for the same experiences, eventually that cost stops you from traveling as much as you desire in most cases. Your use of an equity product such as timeshare allows you to recycle your money and thus create a fixed vacation expense and pay it off. Then you use it over and over again to create enormous additional economic value.

All timeshares are not alike. I like those that allow you to own your points outright and are tied to a real physical asset base, comprised of tangible real estate, where your deed is in few simple property.

Yes, we have to maintain our property just as you do your home and vehicles. You do get a tax write off for doing so, therefore there is some additional economic benefit to it. I do want the property to look like the picture and be properly maintained so I do not have a honey do list while on vacation related to repairing my vacation property.

So, now I’ve set the record straight as to why I advocate and promote the active ownership of equity based timeshare products to create a cost-efficient accountability to go on vacations each year.

Have a happy, healthy and very prosperous 2015!

Zero Tolerance for Racial Violence & Racism

If my position causes people to dislike me then so be it! I don’t need friends that are going to physically hurt people over their skin color and I won’t tolerate those that accept such actions as acceptable. I am so sad at our current state of our country it sickens me! I don’t have absolute answers but I won’t tolerate absolute abuse while we search for those answers!

Racial Tension this Year and something I wish for us all to consider this holiday season and beyond!

I am sad to hear and witness with my own eyes the huge shift during this century in our efforts to recognize and eliminate racial inequalities in our society. I had such high hopes that the issue of preconceived prejudice and bias was truly going to fade into our history from the past centuries. Instead we have lost 60 years of progress by my estimation in one year 2014.

Let me put my own belief system out there… I don’t care if you disagree with me it saddens and sickens me that many still hold racial prejudice as a justified reaction to events and interactions with other humans.

First, there is NEVER a reason to judge someone based on their skin color as a less than human being and therefore not entitled to their own basic human rights under our laws.

Second, if you are charged with enforcing the laws you must do so without prejudice or bias…. Period!

Third, you may not EVER use deadly force unless your life is in jeopardy… So if you see a child with a gun toy or real maybe use some common sense and stay at distance or under cover and seek to talk to them first before shooting them.

You may not ever lose your cool, bully verbally or physically another person where you insult them or strike them or shove them if they are not physically assaulting you.

Those charged with enforcing the rules of you break the rules shall be dealt with harshly and with Zero tolerance for personal bias or prejudice being tolerated by their management and elected officials. If they break the laws they enforce they are fully subjected to a trail by a jury of the people for punishment consideration.

If we do not reign in the abuse of power taking place today we are going to create the basis for a race war or worse yet genocide in our own America… The Melting Pot of Humanity and home of Freedom and Civil and Human rights defined by the Rule of Law… Not popularity!

We cannot tolerate any further erosion of our compassion for our fellow Americans and any others that treat us with respect and kindness not hatred and violence!

May God truly bless and heal America from this day forward and please God make 2015 a better year for us with respect for how we treat each other!

Just Say Yes… the Negotiators Mindset

I learned a very important lesson from a very powerful negotiator friend of mine. I thought about his comment and decided it was very valid. It just works in almost any scenario. When you are considering anything that requires you to make a tough decision and get the choice right, you should keep this simple philosophy in our mindset. Once the situation starts to get rolled out and the team or folks involved with asking you to make a decision to do something or purchase something, give them time to make their spiel. Listen attentively to the pitch, proposal and what they are asking you to do and timing of their pitch for their call to action. Then simply say “YES.” Now that may seem strange to you, but in fact it makes perfect sense. If you say Yes the entire situation switches from the sales mode of trying to convince you why this in your best interest to the button up the details and perfect the sale mode. This impacts the other team perfectly to your advantage. They are first caught off guard but then usually realize that they have made the deal (at least in their mind they feel that way) so they switch out of the sales mode and begin to give you details that really are critical to your actual choices. Now the soup and meat of the situation get down to laying out the brass tacks. You can much better question and ask for clarity on situations as the sales mode has been put to rest. The discussion is much more logic driven, which is of course to your advantage. Always remember this simple fact of negotiating… it is in YOUR best interest to gain the upper hand without the other party knowing it. YOU have done this with your Negotiator Mindset by saying YEs… simple as that.

Now you can begin to ask hard questions that will not seem abrasive because in the other parties mind you have already said yes. So they are more open and forthright. YOU must realize YOU can always say no at any point even after you have said YES. The right to rescind your offer remains your ultimate trump card, no matter how this scenario plays out.

Let me give you an example. Let’s say as the information unfolds you find things that you really do not like. YOU can note those concerns along the discussion. Then at the end say, “YOU KNOW I REALLY LIKED this and I thought it might work to fit my needs but I don’t think so now.” YOU can walk away if it is something that cannot be fixed, removed or mitigated so your concerns are fully alleviated and addressed. YOU can also many times begin the role reversal of striking a much harder bargain… they are desperate not to lose the sale that they believe they actually made earlier. Now they will give substantial ground to get you back in the deal. By using the Always Say YES Negotiator Mindset you take control of the situation without the other side even realizing your shift in power at the negotiating table. That is why you should always say YES.

Italian Race Car the Winners MIndset … Keeping the Rat Race in Perspective, Winning is Everything!

This post is short and sweet but it is very critical to your Money Mindset as a Successful person. A person that can handle any situation that presents itself and turn the event into an opportunity to become even more successful. This mindset refuses to accept defeat or failure as a final outcome. Instead each set back, obstacle and perceived failure whether by their peers, family, friends or colleagues is seen as merely a short term problem. Problems are to be solved and then mitigated by coming up with a strategy that will allow you to move through it. As you know I always have said, you have to see yourself as a winner, act like a winner and think like a winner and of course you become a winner. YOUR YOU Mindset transforms you no matter what the situation into a winner. So, the Italian Race Car Driver mindset is what I always say to myself when I am in the midst of some major stressful time filled with chaos and perils based on how I make my choices. The Italian Race Car driver philosophy goes like this, “Rip the rearview mirror off the windshield. Because whatsa behind me is not important (in an italian accent of course). The only thing that matters is what is in front of me in the windshield… I gotta pass everyone and get to the checkered flag first, thatsa all that matters.” Winning is always everything. You have to put the accelerator to the floor and hang on and pass everything in your windshield. Winners know that the satisfaction of winning is an important adrenaline rush to their psyche.

One of my favorite slogans that celebrates this philosophy is that we should always remember that yesterday is history, so I can’t change what has happened and today is a gift, so I have to cherish it and use it to my best opportunity, because tomorrow is a mystery… I have no idea what lies ahead but nobody else does either. The time to act and be decisive is now today, because it is here and in the present. The gift of opportunity to make the best of each day lies with me and my Mindset.