Passion Vs Obsession

By Derek Fredrickson

What am I passionate about? Skiing - pretty much everything about it. I ski every weekend from November to April and do the same with my kids. I like other crazy and outrageous outdoor activities but pretty much anything to do with snow on the ground and two boards on my feet will make me a happy camper.
However, I'm beyond passionate for skiing. I have to say I am obsessed with skiing. Ask any member of my family. And when I say obsessed I mean beyond just having ski pictures and posters in my office or at home (which I have).
I read ski magazines on summer vacations at the beach. My iPhone wallpaper is skiing. When we play family games about favorites (what's your favorite color, favorite food, etc.) - mine all have to do with skiing. I keep every issue of all four (yes, there are 4) ski magazines. I mostly wear t-shirts to work and they all have skiing references or photos on them (my favorite is the spin off from the "Got Milk" campaign and says 'Got Powder?') I follow the top ski racers on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, etc. I even bid (and won) on a pair of autographed Lindsey Vonn skis for my daughter.
I think my obsession is good - it teaches my kids to focus on what you believe in passionately - no matter what. My 7 year old daughter Claire now wants to grow her hair really long so she can wear it in a pony tail like Lindsey Vonn. How crazy is that? She's passionate about skiing and almost obsessed. I don't think that's overdoing it.
I see myself as I write this article - I could continue on and on and on - but maybe not everyone is as crazy obsessed with skiing as I am. And, wondering "what does this have to do with authentic internet marketing?" But, it does show people how it is good for the soul (and the business) to embed obsession into their values.
Now, I'm also obsessed with authentic Internet marketing. It started out as a hobby when I began working with my wife under 2 years ago. I read some books, studied some courses online, and followed some of the best online mentors. I learned everything about online marketing and then some. I took this passion and then went even further - to see what I could do for our business.
You could say I took my wealth of online marketing knowledge and turned it into something really authentic. Something people can learn from easily in a step-by-step manner to implement in their own business so they can see similar results. Now, I'm obsessed with teaching and sharing how you can authentically market your business on the Internet.
Your Assignment:
What are you passionate about? Make a list of the 5 things that first come to mind when you ask yourself that question. They must be the first 5 that come to mind. If it takes longer to think about it, they are not front of mind and something that you're probably not always thinking about. They can be values, work, hobbies, etc. For me, it's about helping people, learning, family, skiing and doing the right thing. Now, which of these could you do all day long for free? If you were given $1 million dollars tomorrow, which of those 5 would you still wake up each and every day saying - "I can't wait to get started." This is your obsession. Follow that and do everything you can to make it a reality and good things will come.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5180696

On The Roots of Chance, Isn't it Time to Dance?

By Lance Winslow

They say if you don't know where you're going, that any road will take you there. And leaving things up for chance, may not lead you in the right direction, or maybe you will get lucky. But the best way to get lucky is to be prepared to accept opportunities as they come forth, and they surely will. After all, life is a series of choices, and if you make all the right moves, you may get further faster than anyone else, or you might make a decision that appears to be the correct one, but would have been better off leaving it up to chance, and braving the future while doing a dance.

Occasionally, it makes sense to just play it by ear, and not make any plans at all. Chance can be a wonderful thing, going with the flow and not worrying about where it's taking you. To do this you must trust yourself, and know that you will figure it out as you go, and you must be unafraid and unabashed, and although it isn't for everyone, those who often throw caution to the wind, and are willing to figure it out as they go, fall into some great opportunities. I know I have.
Living a structured life is one choice, choosing to dance is quite another. Perhaps a combination of the two is right for you, but I would submit that if one lives a life by others terms, in a structured environment, one which is preplanned, and predestined, it can't be all that fun. Being willing to adjust your schedule, or figuring it out as you go well, there is a lot to be said for that. Perhaps you want to start a business and you have an entrepreneurial personality?
Perhaps you are a creative type involved in improv, maybe you are an artist, musician, and maybe you just like to innovate, to be different, or go against the grain once in a while. Life is to be lived, and if you live a life being told what to do, and you are careful only to do the politically correct, the appropriate thing each and every time, in the end you may have lived a decent life, but you will never know what you missed. And by the time you figure out what I just said, your life might be over, or coming to a close. Indeed, I also hope you choose to dance, and thanks for listening, my name is Lance

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6284222