Alright ladies and gentlemen, I have been doing a lot of thinking and planning lately and have decided to completely rearrange my plans to match with my goals. What do I mean, you ask? Well, have a seat and I'll explain everything.
Obviously, I haven't written anything for a while this month. That is because I have been remarkably busy between finishing school, going to work and mostly because I have been building the e-Commerce business on the side. Quite frankly, it's been paying off. This brings me to the next point on the list: I am staying here next semester. London will have to wait for now. And it will, as far as I know it's not going anywhere. I gave it a lot of thought and sought counsel from many respected people in my life, and have come to the conclusion that this coming semester would not be the best to leave behind. Realistically, the e-Commerce industry is exploding right now and is going the economic phase we call critical mass. Once any technology or innovative process hits 10% market penetration (10% population is using it and finally everyone starts asking "Now how does this work?"), it goes through critical mass and forms an S-curve, where it goes up, explodes and then levels out.
Having this in mind, seeing how well my business is growing, and knowing that all the business I create from here til the end of summer when I would be leaving would mostly die down in my absence, I have come up with another plan to make things work best for me! By staying and working this business solid all the time I would be away, I'll be right on target to even be able to go to London for two weeks of pure vacation time by winter break! I would be able to quit my job by September, having replaced and exceeded my present monthly income. It's the practice of delayed gratification. I still can not wait to go to Europe. I can't wait to go anywhere really! The streets of Egypt, the mountains in Nepal, the adventure in Brazil, the canals of Italy. It's all going to be so good. SO good! You may say "possibly...", I will say "watch". Progress I make will be so enjoyable I will not be able to help from recording it, so stay tuned. I will quite possibly take a trip to San Diego soon, so keep reading!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
A Helpful Equation (Not Just for Mathematicians)
Good day! I hope that as you are reading this, you are coming to the realization that today is, in fact a great day! If today wasn't so hot, then at least you know you have brand new one tomorrow, yeah?
Something I was taught from a young age is the simple equation of E + R = O. Event plus Reaction equals the Outcome. Now events (the "E") happen to us in life that no matter what we do, we cannot change. You can't blame yourself for something out of your control, nor can you change it once it happens. Simple enough so far. The important thing to realize is that the outcome ("O") can vary greatly, and is solely dependent on... you! The variable that we control is our reaction (the "R") to events that occur in our lives.
Depending on our reaction, whether positive or negative, we determine if the outcome of said event is positive or negative as well. The best thing we can do is to react positively as much as we can to events that happen to us, so the majority of the outcomes we experience are positive and better our wisdom and understanding of life as we come to know it. Obviously, it is incredibly simple, but I have found that thinking of it in simple terms often increases the chances of success.
An example of how simplicity can often pay off, I have a short story for you. Andrew Carnegie once had a man come in and meet with him because he was very excited to show Mr. Carnegie a process that would make him money. Being the man of business he was, Mr. Carnegie did not hesitate to take his offer and meet. The man very clearly explained to him the simple organizational process of categorizing priorities in an "A", "B" and "C" fashion. As simple as it was, it made all the difference in the world to Mr. Carnegie and his financial exploits, and he promptly paid the man $100,000 for showing that to him! I believe that's the equivalent today of around $1.5 million.
This shows that often the most simple forms of organization can make the biggest differences. This example in particular also shows the true importance of organizing priorities to accomplish goals you want to accomplish. However, that is perhaps for a different day. So make today a great day; a day of growth!
Special thanks to my dad, Glen Andrews for teaching me this valuable equation from a young age.
Something I was taught from a young age is the simple equation of E + R = O. Event plus Reaction equals the Outcome. Now events (the "E") happen to us in life that no matter what we do, we cannot change. You can't blame yourself for something out of your control, nor can you change it once it happens. Simple enough so far. The important thing to realize is that the outcome ("O") can vary greatly, and is solely dependent on... you! The variable that we control is our reaction (the "R") to events that occur in our lives.
Depending on our reaction, whether positive or negative, we determine if the outcome of said event is positive or negative as well. The best thing we can do is to react positively as much as we can to events that happen to us, so the majority of the outcomes we experience are positive and better our wisdom and understanding of life as we come to know it. Obviously, it is incredibly simple, but I have found that thinking of it in simple terms often increases the chances of success.
An example of how simplicity can often pay off, I have a short story for you. Andrew Carnegie once had a man come in and meet with him because he was very excited to show Mr. Carnegie a process that would make him money. Being the man of business he was, Mr. Carnegie did not hesitate to take his offer and meet. The man very clearly explained to him the simple organizational process of categorizing priorities in an "A", "B" and "C" fashion. As simple as it was, it made all the difference in the world to Mr. Carnegie and his financial exploits, and he promptly paid the man $100,000 for showing that to him! I believe that's the equivalent today of around $1.5 million.
This shows that often the most simple forms of organization can make the biggest differences. This example in particular also shows the true importance of organizing priorities to accomplish goals you want to accomplish. However, that is perhaps for a different day. So make today a great day; a day of growth!
Special thanks to my dad, Glen Andrews for teaching me this valuable equation from a young age.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Envision
A few days ago I was able to spend some quality time with most of my family at the beach. After the sun went down, I walked to the end of the pier at Newport Beach and leaned against the wood railings and thought of something interesting. It was nightfall by this time, and the lights amidst the black mountainous shapes were clearly visible farther off in the distance. Leaning against the railings, I slowly began to drown out all other sounds. The laughing, coughing, yelling of children; all of it. I focused intensely only on the moonlight on the waves separating me from those lights.
From that vantage point I was able to envision myself out in the ocean on a boat with the lights of the land far away and the lights of the boat behind me. It is one of my dreams to someday have a house on the Mediterranean Sea and a sailboat that goes right along with it. This sailboat, when out for nightly excursions, will have lights strung along the lines of the sails overhanging a covered table with a white tablecloth on which to eat and drink. Slowly, the music I imagine playing on the boat replaces the various voices of others that would not be there.
And the night got even better.
From that vantage point I was able to envision myself out in the ocean on a boat with the lights of the land far away and the lights of the boat behind me. It is one of my dreams to someday have a house on the Mediterranean Sea and a sailboat that goes right along with it. This sailboat, when out for nightly excursions, will have lights strung along the lines of the sails overhanging a covered table with a white tablecloth on which to eat and drink. Slowly, the music I imagine playing on the boat replaces the various voices of others that would not be there.
And the night got even better.
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