Surround Yourself with Positive Thinkers

Positive thinking is easily tainted by the people with whom you associate. If you are always hanging out with cynical people, don't be surprised if you start feeling the same way they do. That's the way things work.

Misery loves company. People love to moan and groan about things. If you want to maintain a positive attitude, you have to limit your exposure to negativity. If not, negative people will taint you. Their bad attitude and cynicism will influence your thinking even when you try to resist.

The same holds true with stories in the nightly news and on the Internet.

Sensationalized stories get people all fired-up until their emotions get the best of them. Tragic stories like that of a gorilla getting shot and killed while dragging around a kid who fell into its exhibit in the Cincinnati Zoo charge peoples' emotions. People on both sides of the argument go online and take shots at each other. Political debates over presidential candidates like Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, or Hillary Clinton's e-mail server and Bill's wandering Willy can end what were once cordial online relationships and even real-world friendships.

With news like that, who needs Middle Eastern terrorists and wars?

So much of what we put in our heads is negative. It's no wonder that cynicism is rampant.

If your emotions get the best of you in these incessant political debates and emotional reactions to news and events give you stress, don't engage in the debates and stop watching the news-- it's really all about entertainment.

When a genuine news story that might really be important to hear comes across the airwaves, trust me, you will hear about it. If you want to be aware of what is going on, just do what I do, read the headlines and not much else unless it is something that you need to know. Then, fact check it.

As for friends online and off... surround yourself with positive thinkers. You have hopes and dreams and they will never become realities if you fall into the trap of negative thinking.

Find Your Passion, Reach for the Stars

Passion is the driving force that propels people to achieve greatness. ~Mickey Maguire

The quote above is from my latest book, Ninja Mind Tricks (Take Control of Your Life with the Secret Mental Powers of Japan's Shinobi Warriors).

If you are passionate about what it is that you are doing you will do it better. You will go farther. You will give it all you've got. You will achieve more.

It's true, passion is the driving force that makes you a winner. It is what separates a champion from an also-ran. 

There are lots of great actors in the motion picture industry and in theatrical productions around the world, but the performers who win an Oscar are the ones who reach for the heavens.

Jimmy Stewart poured his heart into his performance as Jefferson Smith in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and I cannot imagine anyone else in that role. Charlton Heston played Moses in the Cecil B. DeMille's motion picture classic, The Ten Commandments. Again, I could never even imagine anyone playing that role other than Heston.

Passion is the key to reaching the pinnacle, the zenith, the highest height.

Find your passion and reach for the stars.

Keep Moving, Keep Improving

Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep your balance, you must keep moving. ~Albert Einstein

When I was twenty-years-old I started studying a traditional Japanese martial art. The 34th Grandmaster of the tradition taught his students that the goal of the Togakure Ryu ninjutsu discipline was to develop a balanced personality.

Balance is important. Like riding a bicycle, balance in life is achieved by constant learning, constant improvement, constant refinement. That is what the brilliant scientist, Albert Einstein meant when he said you have to keep moving.

Learning new things makes life interesting and infinitely more rewarding.

I had a friend who was in sales for many years. Jerry once said that in business, if you are not growing, you are dying. I don't necessarily hold to that opinion in the way he does, but there is truth in the fact that when a business is no longer expanding, it is harder to stay financially healthy and survive when the market is tough. You don't want to become complacent.

Like Jerry's business philosophy, I have looked at life in a similar way. If I were not learning new things, setting and achieving new goals, and making new memories, life would not be worth much. Growing makes life interesting and rewarding. Sharing it with someone makes it even better.

Like the way of the ninja, life is the journey, not the destination. It is the experience of learning new things, refining your skills, achieving a balance between working life and personal life.

My life has been a mix of business and artistry. I am both the artisan and the artist. I am the writer, the poet, the philosopher, and the entertainer.

There are lots of roads to success. It is important to chose one that will reward you monetarily and also build a legacy.

How do you want to be remembered?

My goal is to be remembered not for wealth, not for great possessions, but for the lives I helped make stronger, for the joy and laughter I brought to people, and for personal integrity and the fact that when I gave someone my word, I lived by it.

Seiko Pocket Watch Follow-up

Yesterday's post was titled "The Pocket Watch Saga" and I just wanted to post a follow-up to that story.

The watched arrived from Japan Tuesday at about 3:30 PM. It is extremely well-built and is keeping perfect time. The watch left Japan early Monday and was at my door the next day.

Here is a picture...

Notice that it says "Success" right below the "XII" position on the watch face. It is one of the main reasons I picked this particular watch.

Stellar service and superb quality. Again, thanks Seiko.

The Pocket Watch Saga

So much of what I see in the world these days is sloppy workmanship and poor service.

I have always had a passion for time-pieces. I love anniversary clocks, grandfather clocks, and, in particular, pocket watches.

Many years ago, I carried pocket watches with me wherever I went. For whatever reason, pocket watches became harder to find in the mid 1980s and I had no choice but to put up with wrist watches with their ill-fitted straps and cheap bezels. I like mechanical time pieces. I am not a big fan of battery powered watches. Although, in recent years, I have had more satisfaction from battery powered Timex and Casio watches than I did years ago, I still prefer pocket watches.

Around 2005 or 2006, I bought a pocket watch from Fossil. It had a quartz movement. Annoyingly, the battery lasted about a year and had to be replaced. I found out that Fossil had to use a special tool to open the watch and replace the battery and when I stopped at the store, the young lady behind the counter did not know how to open the watch back, could not find the tool, and suggested I return in a day or two when the manager was there and could help me. I went home and threw the watch in the trash.

I found a mechanical pocket watch on Amazon's website and ordered it. The watch was made by Charles Hubert Paris. It turns out, the watch was made in China using inferior materials and it stopped working about six months later.

After a couple of years using a Timex, I was irritated with having to replace the watch strap again and bought a new pocket watch in an upscale mall in Columbus, Ohio. It was made by Dakota Watch.

The Dakota would not wind at all. The spring was just turning in circles when I tried to wind the watch. They gave me another one. It stopped running a month later. They replaced it and told me that if it breaks they will not give me another and I will have to send it to their repair center to determine if it was abused or damaged by me. Winding that watch, the hands slip around when the spring is tighter, but not fully wound. Another problem.

I then ordered a Celtic design pocket watch from a store in Ireland. When trying to set the time, the hands jump around when I push in the stem. Once the watch is set right, it does not keep perfect time, but it will do. The problem is that this watch is flimsy and has “quartz movement” under the hood. In short, it is made in China and it's junk.

I would prefer a mechanical watch, but, I bought the “Irish” Celtic watch with a quartz movement in the hope that it would last longer than the mechanical watches that I have purchased over the last dozen years.

I finally ordered a Seiko pocket watch that is made in Japan. I should be receiving it some time late this month. It is a quartz movement with a five-year battery. Unlike most companies, Seiko still makes a quality product.

When I first started carrying pocket watches, they were all mechanical movements and they were all nicely made. Back then, you could buy one for as low as $30 (USD) and get years of use from them. Today, like so many other things that are deemed “commodity goods”, it is hard to find a pocket watch that is well-built.

So, what does this have to do with passion and self-discipline?

When you really love what you are doing and you pour your heart into it you don't settle for mediocrity. You don't want to make junk. No, when you really pour your heart into it, whatever IT is, you want to do the best you can. You want to be the best you can be.

Like the sword maker, the pen maker, and the watch makers of times past, you want to be a master of your trade.

NOTE: I checked the status of the Seiko pocket watch order just before I started typing this blog post. The order was processed in Japan yesterday. The product was shipped to the USA from a Japan-based UPS terminal. The watch is currently received in a UPS facility in Kentucky and is now scheduled for a delivery today, May 24th. Now THAT is SERVICE!

Perhaps it is the discipline of Japanese people. Perhaps it is their devotion to service. Perhaps it is the culture and success of Seiko. If all businesses were run this way success would be guaranteed

To Seiko, I say: 

 
arigatou gozaimashita ありがとうございました (Thank You for what you have done).

What a great way to start the day!

Kick the Habit

We are what we repeatedly do. ~Aristotle

Have you ever heard the expression "Old habits die hard"? 

People who have a long string of failures in life typically are the victims of their own habits. In many cases, they don't even realize that they have those habits.

For example, people are often guilty of inactivity. Doing nothing is actually a habit. How can that be? You ask. Picture this:

A guy comes home from work. He pops some easy to prepare food in a microwave or an oven and sits down to watch television until the food is ready to eat. He watches television while eating dinner. Afterward, he sits and watches whatever shows are available. That is the course of every evening during the week. Weekend television is mostly sports events.

So... it can be said that this guy's activity is really a habit of inactivity. Days come and go. Weeks pass... months turn into years... the guy becomes the quintessential couch potato. For you Brits... he's a Chaise tuber.

If you want to accomplish anything, you have to break free of the habit of inactivity.

Some people dream of writing a book, for example, but their inactivity gets in the way. Perhaps it is really fear of failure. Lots of people would rather sit idle than risk failure by doing something. In essence, their greatest failure is never starting to work on anything.

That is why you really should write your goals on paper and start working on a plan to make them happen. You'll never accomplish anything if you don't take the first step.

Success Secrets

Success lies on the other side of failure. ~Thomas J. Watson Jr.

It's funny how peoples' perception is easily skewed, especially during an election year. Right now, there are countless people under the impression that presidential candidate Donald Trump is stupid, a crook, a spoiled rich kid, a bigot, and a racist and cite all of those memes (I hate that term) on Facebook as evidence.

Love him or hate him, there are some facts that are simply undeniable. The Donald inherited some 200 to 450 million dollars (estimates vary) when his father passed away in 1999 and with that money, Mr Trump invested in real estate in Manhattan when it was not considered wise to do so. People scoffed at him.

Donald Trump had failed at a few business ventures while he was young and enthusiastic; but, he never quit trying. Somehow, people on the left are calling the Trumpster a total failure in spite of his billions.

FAILURE IS PART OF THE LEARNING PROCESS

What Donald Trump learned as he grew older and more experienced was that he could not do everything himself. He surrounded himself with talented people, regardless of race, creed, or color, and he accepted expert advice when it was given. In fact, he sought it.

Donald Trump took that 200 to 450 million dollars and, by wise real estate investments, he turned it into over 3 billion dollars worth of holdings. That is well over 566 percent gain.

What separates Donald Trump from a lot of people is that he never gave up on business when he failed in his youthful exuberance. He learned from it. He also proved that he had determination.

HAS THE MEDIA DARLING LOST HIS CHARM?

So, has the media darling lost his charm? No, not really, he just ran for president and eclipsed all the politicos in the process. What Donald Trump actually has to his credit is accomplishment. He built a financial empire by investing in real estate in what some thought was a series of risky ventures. He wisely managed those holdings and had gains far in excess of any losses that were incurred.

At the risk of sounding political...

How would such a businessman run the country? Well, let's look at how he learned to run a business successfully...

1. He learned from his mistakes.
2. He surrounded himself with talented people.
3. He took expert advice to heart when he needed it.
4. He worked night and day to turn failure into success.
5. He taught his kids that they, too, have to work and contribute to society.
6. He is still working and continues to make money.

Now, Mr. Trump is determined to try and make America great again. What does that mean?

Will Donald Trump make a good president? That's the question. I guess you will have to define what is good or bad according to your own brand of politics.

What I do know is this: Anyone who thinks that Donald Trump is stupid or a failure in business does not know the meaning of success.

Don't Stop Dreaming, Don't Stop Believing

Dreams are the seedlings of realities. ~James Allen

A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities. ~J.R.R. Tolkien

Dreamers have brought us the greatest advancements in science and technology. Without dreams we would not have the light bulb, the automobile, the airplane, and that iPhone everybody wants.

Dreamers were often teased by scoffers and belittled by critics. What those scoffers didn't realize is that dreamers are visionaries. 

The late Bob Nastasi once told me that the difference between an artist and normal people is the way they SEE things. Bob was a fly fishing guru, a brilliant graphic designer, and an advertising man. He worked hard and he played hard. Cancer got the best of him, but not many men could beat him or get him down.

Like the artist, the dreamer sees things that other people do not. They might not be the best business persons, but most business managers are not visionaries. Managers are tacticians and administrators. Anyone can learn to be a good boss. A genuine leader inspires people.

Don't Look Down on Dreamers

To put this in a tech-industry perspective: Gil Amelio was a effective business leader. Steve Jobs was a visionary. Without Steve Jobs Apple almost went the way of the T-Rex.

Virtually every great invention started with a single idea-- a dream. So did Mickey Mouse. Walt Disney did not accept defeat and he eventually built an entertainment empire.

Don't stop dreaming. Don't stop believing.

The Secret to Long Life

The man who has something to live for lives longer. ~Napoleon Hill & W. Clement Stone

I had a friend with whom I used to go fly fishing. He had retired from the United States Air Force. He once told me that retirement was the quickest path to the grave. He left the Air Force and started working in the civilian world.

The "major" even worked on some project or another every weekend. For instance, there was a time when he fully restored his powder blue '64 Ford Mustang. He used to rebuild and repair antique typewriters. He was always doing something.

I truly believe that Napoleon Hill and William Clement Stone were onto something when they wrote that the man who has something to live for lives longer. That's why I never plan to retire.

So how does one stay busy and continue to "work" long after the world begins to think of you as a living fossil? That's the question.

I am fortunate that I am a writer. I am also a musician and songwriter. I am a artist. Which reminds me of someone you should know-- Will Daskal.

Will is busier now than when he taught school in New York City.

I met Will Daskal more than twenty years ago. He was a part-time instructor at a fly fishing school where I was teaching fly fishing and guiding clientele in the Catskill Mountains and the West Branch of the Delaware River. Will came to the school to help out when we could use an extra instructor. We became friends and remain in touch through e-mail and Facebook.

These days, Will teaches watercolor painting. He sketches and he paints in watercolor, acrylic, and oil. He is on the board of a Pocono Mountain Trout Unlimited Chapter. He has taught prison inmates how to paint. He is involved with various art exhibitions. He does occasional TV spots on painting, on wildlife conservation and water quality. He also writes. He has written several books and remains continually busy. Will Daskal is a true renaissance man of the highest character.

The best way to keep a sharp mind is to keep it occupied. Many old people sit around and do nothing. They get bored. It is boredom that leads to an early grave.

If someone asks me what I plan to do in retirement or when I plan to retire, I tell them that I will not stop working until I am pushing up daisies. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Goals: The Key to Successful Living

The establishment of a goal is the key to successful living. And the most important step toward achieving an objective is first to define it. ~Dr. Ari Kiev

I know a lot of people who have been stumbling through life as if they were trying to navigate through a crowded shopping mall blindfolded.

If you want to get anywhere in life, you have to set clear goals. The best way to define those goals is to write them in some sort of journal or log. At the very least, write them on a sheet of paper and pin it on a bulletin board by your computer.

Once you have committed your goals to paper, read them in the morning and again at night before you go to sleep.

It is important to read your goals and visualize having accomplished them. In your mind, picture yourself enjoying the fruits of your labor.

When you were a child, did you ever look at a Sears catalog and think of yourself owning that new bicycle, telescope, or whatever else you wanted? I know one family that would circle something they wanted in catalogs. Those circled items became their Christmas wish list.

Your goals are similar. They are your wish list. So, write them down and read them daily. But don't stop there. You need a plan to accomplish your goals. That might take some homework.

Remember, establishing your goals is the first step. The road to success is traveled one mile at a time. Some goals take longer to reach than others. Break big goals into smaller interim goals. Having checkpoints on the way to your primary goal is a great way to track your progress and keep your attitude positive.

I'll see you at the finish line.

Life Is A Precious Gift

Dost thou love life? Then, do not squander time– that's the stuff that life is made of. ~Ben Franklin

Life is a precious gift. I have been face to face with mortality. If things had been a bit different, I would not be here right now. I can tell you from experience that every day is a blessing and should not be wasted.

Based on experience, here is my advice:

By all means, dream. Never stop dreaming; but, don't merely dream-- DO! Dreams, alone, are of no use. So, turn your dreams into realities and pursue them.

Never pass up an opportunity to do good. Leave the world a better place then when you came into it.

Never pass up an opportunity to say "I Love You" to those near and dear to you.

Give without thought of getting something in return. Believe me, your reward will be much greater than that which you have given.

Enhance the lives of people around you. Find a way to do that.

Always encourage your children to be the most that they can be, to try new things, to reach for the stars, to believe in themselves.

Likewise, encourage friends and give them a reason to smile.

Start your day with an attitude of gratitude and be thankful for the blessings in your life.

Be grateful for rainy days. They bring beauty to the world around you.

Be grateful for sunny days. Enjoy them and play in the sunshine.

Be grateful for chilly nights. Snuggle with the one you love.

Remember the good times and do not dwell on the bad.

Give LOVE to those around you. The love you give others is the love you will get in return. 

There is more to riches than money, fame, and possessions.

In the end, you will be remembered long after those grumpy old folks had faded away. And that is genuine success.

A New Week, New Opportunities

It's Sunday, the start of a new week and that means new opportunities.

Thursday evening I bought a new guitar. I have always loved playing music and singing. In fact, it has been one of my passions. I've played in various bands and solo over the years. I've made some decent money in music at times, but I am not mainstream.

Before there was a genre known as singer-songwriter people like me played smaller places when they were not in a band and bigger places when they were in a working band. Now that people get into the whole singer-songwriter category of performing artist there are more opportunities to play and actually make some decent money. It depends on where you live.

New York City is, of course, one of the best places to be for the singer-songwriter. The folk music scene grew in NYC faster than most places and people traveled there just to participate in the clubs in Greenwich Village. Guys like Bob Dylan would come and go, or hang with the crowd there and connect with other musicians and songwriters. 

Los Angeles was a different scene. Out there, some of the best musicians became session players later known as the "Wrecking Crew" (they recorded just about every major hit record in the 1960s and 70s). Even the Beach Boys didn't play their own music. The Wrecking Crew recorded thousands of songs for various artists. They worked night and day.

New Opportunities...

If you are creative, there are lots of ways to turn your passion into income. It is not a sell-out. It is getting rewarded for all the work you put into your art or craft.

In my case, I'll continue writing songs, writing books, writing articles, and blogging. There are lots of great opportunities available.

You have to be aware of what is around you and how you can turn your passion into income. Some opportunities are ephemeral, they are hear today and gone tomorrow. Others persist. If only you persist, you can grab the brass ring. 

Never give up on your dreams. If you always wanted to play guitar and somehow never got around to it, now is the time to learn. If you've always wanted to write a novel, put together an story, some characters, make an outline, and give it a shot. If you have a hobby, find out how you can turn it into a side income. You never know what the future may hold.