It’s been brought to my attention that some spammers have hacked my site and posted a bunch of ED ads and links.
Ugh. Really? My little blog is a target for this kind of stuff? C’mon now.
So instead of writing a post, I’m going to spend hours trying to solve this problem.
I’ll be back tomorrow….after a long, long night.
Here’s hoping you’re having a better day than me.
[photo courtesy of My Favorite Petsitter - and not my car]
Today is the last day that my wife and I are staying in our rental apartment. We’re moving to our newly renovated home – more space, home of our dreams, etc, etc. This is a good thing, so why am I talking about bird poop?
I walked up to my car this morning and the front hood was covered in bird poop. It was as if an army of birds took aim at my car. No other cars parked next to me were so blessed.
I immediately reacted negatively (who wouldn’t), but then I shrugged it off. ‘At least it’s good luck,’ I mumbled to myself and smiled.
Good Luck – really? Why is a ton of bird poop a lucky thing? Why when it rains on a bride’s wedding day is it good luck?
It’s not of course, but I love the rose-colored glasses approach to seeing
When your boss shits on you or you miss out on a promotion, don’t let it get you down. Try and see the positive in the situation. Your boss might be pushing you more than humanly possible, which just might make you a better leader some day. Perhaps missing out on a promotion might make you available for that next position that will transform your career.
The point is you get to CHOOSE how you react to the situations you encounter and to what people say and do to you. No matter if these situations you’re encountering are literally covered in bird poop or come dressed in the form of extra work or criticism or major let downs. In short…
Don’t let the temporary let downs in life get you down for life.
See the positive and get back to doing what you know needs to get done (and do it well).
What’s your hidden talent? Have you found your platform for sharing it with the world?
These days if you’re a singer or musician, you’re all set. There’s a reality show holding auditions every other month and you can get your big break. Jack Vidgen just did. Susan Boyle did and so did Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson.
But what if your talent is leading people or getting the best deal on things? These are equally great talents, but the PLATFORM and the STAGE to share your talent with others is not as easy to find.
If you want it bad enough, you’ll have to bootstrap and create it yourself. There are literally dozens of free platforms out there – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, StumbleUpon, Digg….on and on the list goes.
Every day people like you and me shared their talents with the world. They started with NO, ZERO, NADA, ZIPPO followers, now they have millions. People like…
Seth Godin via Typepad and his blog.
Gary V via Twitter and his Wine Library.
Justine via videos and YouTube.
The list goes on and on. If a marketing guy, a wine guy and well, a wacky fun girl can go on to share their talents with the world via free (or virtually free) tools, why can’t you?
No more excuses. If you have a talent (rhetorical question: we all do), figure out how you’re going to share it with the world. Don’t worry about being perfect. Just look at my blog. Not perfect, is it? No, of course not, but for me, it’s the first step. I’ve taken mine. How about you?
Go launch something and make a difference in people’s lives. Don’t die with your genius still inside you. Share it with the world.
It seems so old-fashioned these days, but I still like to pull a stack of blank sheets of paper, grab a great writing and feeling pen and go to town. Whatever the issue, whatever the roadblocks I’m encountering; it all seems to make sense when I draw it out.
Now I’m no Dan Roam of Back of the Napkin fame, but writing and drawing out my thoughts just gives me a way to think things through. Another side benefit is that you give your eyes a rest from the computer screen. I also find that using my hands by actually writing instead of typing makes me instantly more creative. Or I could be just thinking it does, but that’s how it feels.
Give it a try when you’re stuck and having trouble finding the solution to a problem or trying to figure out a path forward on a project.
By the way, I love using a pen and paper to sketch out my presentations a la Dan Roam style. Try it for yourself and you’ll see how liberating picking up a pen and stack of paper can be.
I’ve written in the past about why you should eliminate some of your TV watching from your routine. But there are actually times when you should completely unplug your internet and social media feeds and just veg out in front of the TV.
I know, I know, heresy from the guy who advocated that you completely shut everything down in order to get more rest, but hear me out on this one.
I think the mindless sit-com that makes you laugh is great “medicine” for taking the edge off of your hectic days. TV can be addictive and stop you from reaching some of your most important goals, but like everything in life, it’s good in moderation.
If you’re completely exhausted, completely shut down and go to bed. If you’re wired and your eyes are hurting, go for a walk and just think about things. If it’s cold or raining or , then pick up the phone and call a friend.
This is a simple tip, a reminder really, to say that you don’t have to be connected 24/7 to get things done, even if you’re looking to connect more with others. Connecting offline still is one of the best ways to form great relationships in life. But first things first, step away from your phone or computer and head for the couch and relax in front of the TV. I’m sure you can find something to watch.
Fabio Marciano is an accomplished author and runs the popular blog Cubicle Millionaire. He is dedicated to radically changing people's lives first through their finances and their work. He frequently writes about a variety of topics, namely getting ahead at your full-time job, doing great work, losing weight and getting in shape, creating a second income, how to plan for the future and how to be more productive (to name a few topics). 
