The Living Dead

I was ready to start working on my post for Friday’s blog when I let my dog Bella outside.  The neighbors behind us were outside and they hollered over that there was a strange dog they found wandering around the neighborhood.  As I looked over to answer them here comes this medium sized brown Shar Pei mix over to see me.  What a friendly dog she was except she didn’t seem to want to be friends with Bella.  So I put Bella inside and we sat on our back porch trying to find this dog’s owner.  My neighbor drove around looking for someone that was driving around looking for the dog but with no luck.  The next thing I know it is midnight.  Our neighbors took the dog back to their house for the night and I went to bed.

I was thinking about the dog being scared and nervous because she couldn’t find her way and it made me think about how most of us walk around like that poor dog in life, lost.  We never find one person let alone three or four that can help us find our way so we walk around like the living dead.  If you are thinking “what in the hell is he talking about”, take a moment and think about your life.  Are you living your dream?  Is your job or career something you dreamt about?  I bet in most cases you do dream about your job or career… but they are called nightmares and directed by Wes Craven.   If you are living your dream then stop reading I’m not talking about you. But if you aren’t then keep reading. 

Okay you say, I’m not living my dream but I’m not lost, I make it home everyday.  (If you are a guy like me then you are never lost and need directions.)  In high school and college we have counselors that are supposed to help us decide on a career path and guide us in the right direction.  Well I don’t know about you but mine didn’t help guide me very well.  There are a lot of people who will have different views of their school counselors and that’s great, you are the lucky ones.  If you didn’t have very good guidance about a career in school I bet you still don’t. 

Finding a person or a group of people to help mentor you in life is very important.  Maybe it is a senior manager in your firm that you respect and admire or a very successful friend but it is important to find someone that can help you find your way.  Another avenue that you can use is a personal coach.  A down side to having a personal coach is they cost money but I have talked to a lot of people who say it was money well spent.  That’s a personal decision you have to make yourself.  Just being involved with like minded people can help you find your true calling and passion.  If you have a mentor or coach then you can sit down and talk on a regular basis about what steps you need to take to reach your dreams and goals.

I hope that you are not lost in your career or job and that you have a mentor but if you are lost and realize there is something else you would rather do just remember that it is never to late for you to go after your dreams.  Find someone that can mentor you and start walking among the living.  If you have no clue where to start looking for a mentor just shoot me an email and I will be glad to help you anyway I can.

Wishing you the Best,

Rick

Do you Organize Your Day?

Have you ever had so many things running through your head that you didn’t know what to do fist?  I feel like that quite a bit and I am always jumping from one thing to another.  I guess that’s the price I have to pay for always having business ideas running through my head.  The problem I am sure you deal with is what to do to first to complete your goal.  I know that is one of my biggest problems, I have my idea and I am ready to start work on it but I never know what steps should be taken first. 

Right now I have two projects I am working on and jump from one to the other with no rhyme or reason.  When you work like that it gets frustrating because it seems like you never make any progress.  So I decided to look through my books for something that can help.  The book I decided to start reading is just what the doctor ordered.  Its Brian Tracy’s “Eat that Frog!” I just started reading it again and only got through the first two chapters but those two chapters are just what I needed to get me straightened out. 

My biggest problem is I never start my day off organized.  One of the suggestions Brian makes is to write down a to do list everyday.  I have tried that in the past and it works for a few days and then I forget one morning because I am running late or something else happens.  But the days that I do make a list I am not as frustrated by my lack of progress because each item on the list that is crossed off gets me one step closer to my goal.  It’s amazing how a little thing like listing the most important things you need to do each day can really make you feel better about your self, well that’s if you actually do it.  If you make a list and don’t do anything on the list you wouldn’t feel good.

That one suggestion can save you a lot of time and frustration.  I have read other books and they all say the same thing about writing down what needs done and checking them off as you do them.  So if I have read this before why didn’t I do it?  That’s a great question and one that I have asked myself. (I am still waiting for an answer.)  Some times it just takes a little extra time for things to click.  I just hope that it doesn’t take as long for things to click with you as it has for me.

Here is to starting you day off organized and to reaching all of your goals!

All the Best,

Rick

Do You Have Passion

I read an article written by William J. White titled “Do You Have Passion…For Your Profession.”  As I read the article I had to reflect on my own career and how I got to where I am now.

Way, way back when I was in college I spent more time taking up space than I did studying.  I had no clue what I wanted to do when I grew up; I just knew I wanted to be a millionaire.  That’s a great goal to have but it helps to have some kind of idea or plan to get there.  Yep, you guessed it I didn’t have any clue let alone a plan.  As I struggled with what I wanted to do with my life I made a very bad decision.  I decided on a career for all the wrong reasons….Money!!  Now you may think what’s wrong with that, well nothing if the career you pick is something that you are passionate about.  In my case it is not a field that I am passionate about so there in lays the problem and why the article struck such a nerve with me.

I am sure that there are a few of you that are in the same boat as me and here is the whole point of this article.  Find what you are passionate about and go for it. For the past 15 years I have been in a career that I am not passionate about.  Only in the past five years have I found my passion and realized what I wanted.  I realized that what I really wanted is to be a motivational speaker, writer and business owner. As of June 3rd I am a business owner with the launch of www.Goldstacks.com.  With these articles being published on the blog I have become a writer, now all I need to do is give some speeches and I would have completed the triple play.  Although I am not where I want to be yet I am on my way.  I still have a job that I am not passionate about but each evening I take another step towards my real passion in life.  That’s all it takes is one step at a time.  Believe me I know it’s not easy to totally go in the opposite direction of where you are now.  It’s scary and I am sure that you have doubts about your ability to succeed.  You are not alone; we all have the same fears and worries. 

That’s why it’s a good idea to have a support system.  People that will encourage you and pick you up when you’re feeling down, it is not always easy to find like minded people to hang out with.    In today’s world it is easier to find people that are like minded with the internet and a little bit of searching.  I am fortunate to have two guys I work with that are like minded, we all have a passion for being entrepreneurs and together we developed a community for entrepreneurs, Goldstacks.com.  It’s not easy but we have taken that first step towards a new beginning and living a life of Happiness.

All the Best,

Rick

Happy Fourth of July!

I want to wish everyone a Happy Fourth of July!  I hope everyone takes the time today to reflect on what today means and give thanks to all those who sacrificed in the fight for the Independence of this Great Country. Remember what Nathan Hale said “I regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” By the way, he was hanged by the British as a spy.  All of the founding fathers suffered great hardships during the Revolutionary War.  Read Rush Limbaugh’s The Americans who Risked Everything, (click on the link below to read it.)

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_070308/content/the_americans_who_risked_everything___rush_h__limbaugh__jr_.guest.html.guest.html

That letter will give you an idea of what it meant to the signers of the Declaration of Independence for us to become free of British rule.

That spirit has carried on since that day and we have had men and women make the ultimate sacrifice to keep our Country free and we still have our brave men and women fighting to keep us safe and free at this very moment.  Make sure that you honor our military heroes past and present.  If you see one of our service men or women over this holiday weekend make sure that you thank them for everything they do.  Without our militaries sacrifices over the years we would not enjoy all that we have in our lives.

I would like to end me post today with a prayer for Independence Day from the book “Prayers for our Country”

“Today is the birthday of my country, God.  I give thanks and praise for its noble beginnings, its unwavering founders, and the bravery of all who have fought to sustain it.  May the red, white, and blue banner of the free continue to wave high above our land.  I ask you, Lord, to keep it free from hatred and protect it from harm.  Amen.”

A Lesson from the Ice Road Truckers

Last night I watched Ice Road Truckers on the History Channel, if you have not seen the show before you can learn all about it here, www.history.com/minisites/iceroadtruckers.  It is a series about these truckers who brave the Arctic winter to drive their 18 wheelers on frozen rivers and ocean.  Talk about having guts, these guys was hauling up to 70 tons of equipment on 38 inches of ice in the episode I watched.

I just can’t imagine the nerves of steel you need to have to do something like that.  Just watching them last night made me appreciate the weather we have here in Pittsburgh.  I hate when the weather hits 50 degrees, I definitely can not imagine 40 below.  I would have so many layers of clothing on that I wouldn’t be able to move.

It was neat to see them drive on the ocean and rivers, the highway looks just like any other highway except it is on top of water and there is only 36 inches of ice between you and freezing cold water.  It takes a lot of courage and confidence to drive those big rigs on ice. 

When you start your own business you need to be like those Ice Road Truckers.  They move forward at a steady, consistent pace so they can reach their destination alive.  That’s what you need to do with your business, always move forward at a steady consistent pace.  Everyday you move forward you are one step closer to your goals and dreams. 

There will be days when it seems like your goals and dreams will never be accomplished but those are the days when you need to fight through that feeling and take a step forward.  If you are having trouble moving forward on those days remember what Helen Keller said “We can do anything we want to if we stick to it long enough.”  If that doesn’t help you just remember you could be in the Arctic driving trucks on the frozen ocean in 40 below weather.

All the Best,

Rick Hyde

When your wheels spin and spin

I just read a great post on Tim Brownson’s blog that really hit home.  To read the post yourself go to Tim’s site at, http://www.adaringadventure.com/index.php .  The title of the blog is a Walk on the Beach.

Reading that post came at a good time today.  Did you ever have a day when it felt like your wheels were spinning and spinning and you were stuck in place?  I don’t have those days often but today was one of those days.  Then I read Tim’s post and it snapped me out of my little funk. 

I am sure that you have dreams and goals that you want to accomplish and some days it seems like they will never happen.  Those are the days when you need to remember that it is never too late to go for your dreams.  When they put you in the ground then it is too late for your dreams until then what are you waiting for.  Go after your dreams.  As Les Brown says – “Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you will land among the stars.”

I hope that you never quit until you achieve your dreams and then you start to work towards new and bigger dreams.   When you do have a day when it looks impossible remember Tim’s walk on the beach.

Best wishes,

Rick Hyde 

Taking Personal Responsibility

Today I read a great article by Judy Williamson, the Director of the Napoleon Hill World Learning Center.  In the article Judy discusses how Dr. Hill would often tell people to look in the mirror and acknowledge the real person in charge of our lives.  Rather than place blame on how our life has turned out on someone or something else, we need to take the responsibility for our lives.

I agree that every one is responsible for their lives.  The problem is most people would rather blame someone or something else on their troubles than actually taking responsibility; it is easier to blame someone else.  I think that is the case because today’s parents make their kid’s lives too easy.  When something goes wrong in school or athletics it is never their kids fault it is always someone else’s fault.  Kids don’t have a chance to learn from their mistakes because parents are always there to make things better.  That hurts them when they get into the real world.

You will never have a meaningful life until you take the steps to make it meaningful.  No one is going to hand you the life you dreamed of.  If you want to live the life you have always dreamed of you will have to have the vision and put a plan in place to achieve that vision.  It takes hard work and perseverance to reach your goals and dreams.  It starts with being able to look in the mirror and realizing that you are the deciding factor in how your life will play out.  No one else will decide how successful your life will be.

The weekly “Napoleon Hill Yesterday and Today” newsletter is a great way to stay motivated.  You can subscribe to it by clicking on this link
http://mailer.napoleon-hill-news.com/common/SignMeUp.html?customerId=3

Best wishes,

Rick Hyde

Driving Traffic to Your Website

When you first launch an internet business the hardest thing to do is drive traffic to your site.  You can have the best product in the world but if no one comes to your site then your product really isn’t the best. The million dollar question is how you drive traffic to your site.

That’s the question my partners and I were asking each other today.  We launched a social networking site for entrepreneurs on June 3rd, www.Goldstacks.com , and we are still trying to drive a steady stream of traffic to the site daily.    Keeping things in perspective is important to remember because the chance of you creating a website and having 1,000’s of visitors after the first couple of weeks are a stretch.  What do you do if you have 100 visitors to your site instead of 1,000?  If your expectations are out of whack than you probably get really frustrated and quit.

That is where having a well thought out strategy comes into play.  If you have a limited budget then it is tougher and takes more time and patience to become successful in driving traffic but it is possible.  We have done the basics of web 2.0 marketing for our site.  We have all joined the social networking sites; MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIN, and Twitter.  We have a blog that we post to Monday through Saturday.  We answer questions on different blogs and forums.  We also used social bookmarking to promote our site.  There are other 2.0 marketing strategies that we are working on and will be implementing within the next month.

I guess my whole point of this little article is to have patience in your marketing efforts.  Most small business owners like us don’t have a lot of capital to pour into marketing.  If you are like us then you just have to use a consistent and persistent strategy of getting your site out there.  It is a tough process, and not as easy as flipping a switch.  You always have to be willing to test different ideas for your marketing to be successful.  If something doesn’t work then try something else.  It will be frustrating at times but remember to have fun because if you don’t have fun with your business then it just becomes another job.

Wishing you the best!

Rick Hyde

Having the Belief and Courage to Succeed

“I’ve never met a person, I don’t care what his condition, in whom I could not see possibilities.  I don’t care how much a man may consider himself a failure, I believe in him, for he can change the thing that is wrong in his life anytime he is prepared and ready to do it.  Whenever he develops the desire, he can take away from his life the thing that is defeating it.  The capacity for reformation and change lies within.” – Preston Bradley

I believe that quote to be 100% true.  I don’t care where you come from, what kind of life you have had; if you want to make a positive change in your life and become successful you can do it.  I believe that if one person has accomplished something then anybody can do it.  All it takes is for you to believe that it can be done and go do it.  There are so many examples of individuals that had terrible childhoods but inside they had a desire to succeed.  That desire leads them to make the necessary changes in their lives to become the person they dreamed of becoming.

Every one of us has the ability to become whatever we want to become in life.  All it takes is encouragement, belief and hard work.   I hope that all of you have the belief in yourselves to grab a hold of your dreams and achieve them.  I have all the faith in the world that every one of you will reach all of your dreams and goals!

Wishing you much success!

Rick Hyde

Catching up with the past

Today I spent the day at a golf outing for my former high school football team.  It was a great day because I got to see a lot of my buddies that I have not seen in years.  It was great catching up with them and hearing all about their families and career’s.  It’s a shame that we have not kept in contact with each other and tried to get together more often.  A couple of my closest friends from high school live in different parts of the country so it is hard to see each other more than once or twice a year but what is surprising to find out is a majority of them live within 20 minutes of me and I never knew that.

With the fast pace world we live in it is understandable to lose contact with friends you don’t see every day but then again we do live in the technology age where everything is at our finger tips so really there is no excuse to loss contact with friends from around the country.  It all comes down to time management.  Think about it, how long does it take you to send an email to your best friend to say hello and your thinking about them?  What about a quick five minute phone call just to check in?

It doesn’t take much time at all to call each of your closest friends once a month.  I am sure if you are like me, you waste more time flipping through TV stations than it would take on making those calls.  Life is short and you never know what can happen.  Start tomorrow to incorporate 15 – 20 minutes a day into your schedule to make those calls or to send an email to a long lost friend. 

A great way to locate your friends that seem to have dropped off the face of the earth is www.LinkedIn.com.  It is a social networking site for professionals.  I am sure that these other two sites you have heard of, www.myspace.com and www.facebook.com

Well, that’s it for tonight.  It has been a long and exciting day so it is bed time.

Best wishes,
Rick Hyde