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

Be Great

By Lance Winslow 

Are you one who wants to make a dent in the world? Really do something great with your life? Do you want to be someone that people say "leads by example" and truly have earned that observation by your fellow man and peers? Well, then, you can you know, but you have to affirm that you "will" to do whatever it takes, that you will live your life that way, and that you will be great, by believing in yourself, your cause, and the future. You have to affirm that you will make it happen in the present and future. Will you "will" yourself to do that, if so "affirm it" and mean it. How can you do this you ask?
Well, do this for me; look into your mirror, into your eyes, and say it, say it like you mean it, and believe it. You will transform yourself into the person you wish to be. Affirm action, and the attributes you wish to possess, become one with your vision, your goals, and then inevitably with your future accomplishments and achievements. Anyone can affirm anything, but it's those who believe who ultimately achieve - it's those who want it, go out and get it, and affirm in advance of their activities, as they accelerate towards their affirmations.
Being Great is not putting up a sign on your Facebook Page - look at me, I'm great, and I suppose if that makes you happy it's all good, but you can do better than that. You might put up your goals for the future, so you can have witnesses who help you pursue those dreams and ambitions in life, that can certainly help, but more importantly you must have strength from within, you must be dedicated to the cause, and commit yourself to future victory, and achievement, and yes, that will take some strong affirmations on your part.
Strip your mind of intimidation of the tasks ahead, affirm that you will meet any challenge, conquer any hardship, and deny any detractors along the way. Affirm that you will get up, dust yourself off, and do it again, and again, and again, if that's what it takes, and if your goals are lofty, it surely will take all that and more.
How would I know this?
How do you think?
Yes, it's going to take some strong affirmations, continued inner support, mental toughness, and if you can do that, your body will follow, it will follow you to hell and back, I am certain of that. Just remember if you have to go through that place to get to where you are going, then once you do get going don't stop, keep on going and never give up.
Be Great!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6468217

How to Handle Anger Appropriately

By Mary Bodel 

Anger can come from many sources. It may be righteous anger, either for yourself or for others. It may be guilt related anger. Sometimes stress causes it, and fear as well. The question is, how do you deal with it, and is it right for you to do something about it?
Righteous Anger: Has someone said something slanderous about you? Perhaps they told their boss or spread it around your workplace, school or the internet. You've got two choices. One is to act out your anger and the other is to let it pass. Acting in anger, even if it's righteous anger, does no one any good. If you're the target, then it especially does you no good. Before you react, calm down, look at it rationally and then decide how you're going to handle the problem.
The same advice holds true if it is because of something done to someone else. Anger begets anger. You can let it spur you to action, but not while you're still feeling the emotion.
Guilt: This is a sneaky one. The more true an accusation is, the angrier you will become. It's a reflex to shield the mind from the realization that you've done something wrong. It will take a lot of self control to swallow it, think about what's being said and then do the right thing, whether it's an apology or some other means of restitution.
Stress: Stress causes a lot of emotions, and anger is only one of them. If you are under a lot of stress, you may need to learn some relaxation techniques to help control them. Visualization is the best if you have the time. If not, deep breathing and counting to ten do actually help. Herbs such as lavender and passionflower could be beneficial, but not when you may need your wits about you.
Fear: In some cases, anger caused by fear may save your life. In others, it may cause lasting harm. It can give you that added push to get out of the way of something, which is good. However, it can also cloud your judgement, make any illness worse and if you open mouth and insert foot, it could ruin relationships.
It is a good idea to talk to your doctor if you have anger issues that aren't resolved by the simple steps above. You may have an underlying medical condition and you may need counseling. The counselor can help you learn stronger techniques to hold anger at bay.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6442086

A Lesson on Persistence

By Sunita Woodcheke

I am inspired by the story of Mohammed as re-told in Napoleon Hill's chapter on persistence. He believed so strongly in what he was preaching that he was willing to face poverty, ridicule and banishment while his followers lost homes and property and were also forced into the desert with him. He preached for ten long years in spite of it all. Over the course of the next ten years he became a force to be reckoned with. What changed?
I don't know what changed but I can make some guesses just from the story.
· Most people give up under pressure so his persistence and that of his followers must have drawn curiosity.
· His beliefs grew with every passing day as he spent time meditating and preaching.
· He learned to speak forceful words that moved the hearts of men and women everywhere he went.
His persistence changed the course of human history forever. Jesus also persisted under taunts, death threats, orders of silence and mockery. He died an infamous and painful death for his beliefs. He and his followers also changed the course of human history forever.
What is it about perseverance that cause others to look up and take notice and that inspires others to take action? I believe it's because when you persist in something you stand apart from the crowd. You allow no room in your mind and heart for feelings of rejection and failure.
Even on smaller, less history-changing scales, persistence will pay off because anything worth having is worth the effort. In business and in life building people skills requires time, patience and persistence. People are not easy to figure out and oftentimes tough, irritating and demanding. I used to be so intimidated by people it was hard for me to talk and my feelings got hurt so easily. Sometimes, I got really nasty because I didn't want anyone to see how hurt and insecure I was. I had to work hard just to smile sometimes. But you know what? I found that when I smiled, most people smiled back. When I said hello, most people said hello back. That's how my people-skills training began - a smile here, a hello there, occasional hurt feelings and doing it all again. It was very hard at first but I've gotten to the point that I can make someone else's day a little bit brighter just by saying "hello, how's your day?"
The results are well worth it. I know I walk a foot taller and my step is far more assured than ever. I take more time to enjoy the sky rather than my shoe-laces. I am able to help others find strength to go after their dreams.
Encouragement for the day: never give up.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6383634