Passion Plus Profits

If You Can’t Fly Then Run

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

There will be times when you don’t feel like taking a step forward towards your dreams. When the pressure seems too much to handle. When giving up sounds good enough. It is during these times of uncertainty where you will need to rely on your definite chief aim.

When the going gets rough, it’s important to be able to visualize and experience your primary objectives as if they were already accomplished. You need to tap into your reasons to keep moving forward because if you stop on the way up to the top, then you risk the chance of sliding all the way back down and losing all your previous efforts.

When everything is going your way, it’s easy to be positive and feel like you’re flying high. But how will you respond if you get knocked down to the ground? Will you dust yourself off and get back up to run, walk, or even crawl forward if need be? Continuous progress will set the foundation for your success. Keep moving forward and I’ll see YOU at the top!

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If You Want to Receive More, First Give More!

Exercising generosity is one of the quickest ways to tap into the abundance all around us. We must first give before we receive. Want a smile? Then start offering your smile to every person you pass by. Want happiness? Find a way to make others happy. Want love? Then love yourself first and then give it away. Want more money? Then find effective ways to give and contribute to others financially.

Our rewards in life are a direct reflection of our contribution to others. If you’re serious about earning more money, then get serious about giving value to others. Many people practice this law in reverse. They demand the money first before they are willing to give. It doesn’t work that way. That’s like demanding a wood burning stove to give you fire and heat, before you provide the wood.

I don’t know exactly how it works, but I know from my own experience that giving without expecting anything in return is the fastest way to get what you want. If you’re broke, then you’ll need to find a way to feel prosperous instead. If you can give what little you have backed with a feeling of abundance then you’ll start the process of receiving. Sooner or later you’ll receive what you deserve, often multiplied! It’s almost magical.

I encourage you to begin the practice of giving. If you’re skeptical, then start small. Give what you can and remain aware of the people, circumstances, and resources that come your way. I’ve noticed that what you want often comes in the form of opportunities to earn it. Also, when you don’t get what you want, watch out for something even better than what you asked for. Let’s commit to giving!

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Do What Failures Are Unwilling to Do

Major success is uncommon so you must learn to act uncommonly. Failures are satisfied with pleasing methods (i.e. taking the easy path) and then settling for whatever results they get. Successful people are influenced by pleasing results and are willing to take the difficult path to get what they desire. The easy choice when not in the mood to do something is to not do that specific thing. The more deliberate and challenging choice is to act no matter how you feel. This is what the professional does; they put in the work regardless of emotional state. They decide with their mind and their body follows.

For example, are you willing to wake up before the sun rises, even if you don’t feel like it? The easy answer is to say no and claim that you are not a morning person; the easy choice is to stay in bed. In contrast, it takes a specific willingness to get up out of your comfortably warm bed even when you don’t feel like it. The ability to make yourself spark that activation energy to get out of bed is the same type of energy you need to make yourself go to the gym, to make that important call, or to start writing.

Successful people don’t like doing the same things that failures don’t like to do, but the difference is that they still do what needs to be done in order to obtain their objectives. It’s a deliberate choice backed by a burning desire and purpose. What are you wiling to do?

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You Either Manage Your Money Well or Mismanage Your Money Well

In this New Year, I’ve been spending a lot of time focusing on finances. My aim is to become an efficient master of money. I’ve been frequently playing with my budget and beginning to notice areas where I’m not being so smart with my money. Now, I’m actively monitoring money spent on food and dining (one of my biggest and most adjustable expenses). Also, I’m starting to watch who I’m around and being generous with. Generosity is important to me, but it’s very important to give to those who need it and appreciate it most. There’s a difference between giving with the heart and spending lavishly to satisfy the ego.

There is no doubt that I’ve got a natural hunger to increase my financial literacy. It’s part of my daily conversations and others are starting to take notice. I’ve learned a very important lesson right away: when it comes to seeking education about money, there are countless individuals/organizations who are eager to separate you from your money under the guise of teaching you how to become rich. Be cautious of others who make promises to get rich quickly. Process any financial information you receive with caution and always challenge the ideas you come across! When it comes to your financial future, do not follow anybody blindly.

Be a student, not a follower! No one will care more for your money than you, so it’s up to you to learn how to master your own money! Yes, it’s important to seek advice from trusted sources, but in the end, you must make the final call on your own financial decisions. If you desire financial freedom, then there is no way around it; you need to learn how to manage your money well and make it work hard for you!

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To Earn Victory, You Must Learn That Consistency Is Key

Making small progress every single day will eventually lead to achieving large results. Want to get in better shape? Want to earn more money? Want to strengthen your relationship? Then commit to making small positive progress on a daily basis. Even if it’s just one single step in the right direction, it’s ultimately a step towards your desired destination.

In these times of increased instant gratification and decreased patience, we often underestimate the impact of slow but steady, cumulative progress. If I wanted to strengthen my body, would it be smart to go to the gym and on the first day attempt to bench 500 pounds? The smarter strategy would clearly be to start off with smaller weights that are closer to my current limit and to steadily increase weight over time.

This strategy of consistent activity is nothing new. It’s simple but it may not be easy to implement. We’re constantly being bombarded by distractions and temptations that take away from our commitment to progress.

For me, I’m taking it back to basics and committed to writing 20 minutes every single day. That’s it. I’m intentionally writing for quantity first, quality second. My aim is to create and to develop the habit of writing daily no matter how I feel. Discipline is the ability to get yourself to take action regardless of our emotional state. Not doing something because you don’t feel like it is a sure sign that you’re heading in the wrong direction. Consistent, small victories added up will lead to success. Conversely, small losses added up over time will lead to failure. Remember, consistency is key!

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Taking It Easy is for Sucka’s!

Has anybody told you to “take it easy” recently? I often hear this said to myself and between others in passing. It may seem harmless, but I’m starting to think that it can seriously influence you in negative ways. Today, as I was heading to the gym, I ran into a friend who told me to “take it easy!” as he went his separate way to get lunch (fast food). I unconsciously responded in kind and told him to take it easy too. Then I stopped to think.

Are we unconsciously lowering expectations for ourselves and for others with this little phrase? I truly believe that we are a product of our environment. The people we interact with will influence our actions and results, whether we like it or not.

The words we choose to use shape the meaning in our lives. Seriously, do we deserve to take it easy? Let’s start by taking an honest look at our results. Are we where we desire to be physically, financially, and spiritually? If not, then it’s not time take to “take it easy”. Instead we need to keep moving, creating, and making things happen.

Taking it easy when you haven’t really been putting in the work is living lazily and in delusion! Let’s push each other. Let’s keep each other accountable. Let’s take it to the next level!

I’m committed to removing this phrase from my vocabulary and replacing it with something else like “step it up!”, “challenge yourself” or “keep hustling!” Perhaps, I’m being too critical of a seemingly harmless phrase, but I don’t have the time or luxury to take the easy path to find the answer.

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Don’t Be Afraid to Face the Unfamiliar

While the unfamiliar may seem scary and intimidating, it is often on the other side of our fears, where we find what we are most looking for. You may not want to hear this but, whatever it is you desire will require you to exercise courage. The larger your desire, the more courage will be required.

The good news is that it is possible to strengthen and develop your personal courage like a muscle. Find ways everyday to get uncomfortable. Intentionally put yourself in small, yet uncertain situations, and eventually you’ll be able to deal with the larger uncertain scenarios you’ll face along the way.

Interestingly, much of the fear and anxiety we experience are simply matters of our imagination. Once we proceed forward with undeniable determination to keep going, the fear in our mind usually never occurs in real life or we are presented with opportunities to conquer our fears.

On my own personal journey of becoming financially free, I can see an overwhelming and unfamiliar path before me. I am getting back to my writing habits in order arm myself with mental toughness, to find clarity in my message, and to connect with others who are traveling on a similar road.

Let’s commit to not allowing fear to stop us from venturing forward into the unknown and unfamiliar! I’ll see you on the other side!

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Get Organized with Bullet Journaling

Today I attended a workshop on bullet journaling. I’ve heard about this technique before as a planning tool, but never really understood the details. Fortunately, I saw a flyer at my local library last weekend and had the chance to learn more. Read below for more details!

What is bullet journaling? Bullet journaling is a customizable hand-written organization system. This planning tool is intended to be used with a physical notebook where you have complete freedom to decide how your journal is used. You can use it to plan your days, weeks, months, and years. You can also use it for project, goal, and habit tracking. Additionally, your bullet journal can be used for meal planning, chores, budgeting money, and travel lists. It’s totally up to you.

The bullet journal format uses a specific symbol system to help keep track of your entries. Below are the symbols you can use at the beginning of each new line entry:

Task (·)
Event (o)
Note (-)
Completed (X)
Scheduled (<)
Migrated (>)
Canceled (/)

The key is to organize your journal so the bullets are easy to read, understand, and organize. If done right, you’ll have a visual system that allows you to quickly review your plan at a glance.

What do you need to start your bullet journal? All you need to get started are a notebook, pen, and ruler. If you want to get fancy, you can also use colored pens, stickers, and sticky notes.

Is bullet journaling right for you? In short, a bullet journal is a system for organizing whatever areas of your life you want to track in a hand written-format with visual symbols to organize your thoughts. For more information you can check out http://bulletjournal.com/get-started/. I also recommend checking out #bujo on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/bujo/) or Pinterest to get a better visual understanding.

As for me, I know that there are benefits to keeping a physical planner (e.g. tangible, less distractions, ultimately more portable than digital, etc.), however, I’ve experimented with this in the past and haven’t incorporated the daily habit of using a physical planner.

Just like with everything else in my life, my aim is to pick, choose, and apply the right knowledge that works for me. Currently, I’m using a combination of iOS Calendar, Reminders, and Notes. I’m still fine-tuning my system and I’m eager to explore how I can incorporate aspects of bullet journaling into my own digital planning system.

In the end, there is no one-size-fits all planning method. The important thing is that you find a planning system that works for you. Also, keep in mind that you will need the flexibility for your planning system to change and grow as you do.

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I Am Committed to Reviewing My Goals Multiple Times a Day!

In 2018, I am committed to reviewing my goals multiple times a day! The idea is to keep my vision at the “top of my mind” so that I constantly see it, and more importantly feel it, as if my goals were already accomplished.

Last year, my primary goal was to get married, and our wedding ceremony and reception were a resounding success by my own expectations! Since wedding planning required the majority of my attention, I ended up not reviewing and pursuing my other goals with consistency.

This year, I will be actively using a digital system to review my goals, daily habits, mission, and vision. I’m still fine-tuning my system (digitally and physically) and will share my results and progress!

In the meantime, here are my daily habits that I’d like to share:

Exercise 30 minutes per day
Read 20 minutes per day
Write 20 minutes per day
Meditate 5 minutes per day

Here’s to an organized and intentional 2018!!

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Past Performance Does Not Guarantee Future Results

Take a moment to reflect on your past results. Think about where you are now and where you truly intended to be. In regards to your own expectations of love, wealth, health, and happiness, where do you currently stand? Did you do better or worse than you planned?

Regardless of your past results, the good news is that no matter where you’re at, your future is still in your control. Take any loss as a lesson and be cautious not to be become idle because of past success. Find a way to learn from the good and the bad, and continue to take steady movement towards your desired goals. It is your action today that will determine your future results.