I got one today and it got me thinking about compliments. Are we encouraging others enough? Being focused on one’s individual quest can be very narcissistic. Yes, we are working hard to make our lives better, but we are not the only one. We live in a society of very diverse people. Some are working to better their lives and some are just trying to stay where they are now. They are all striving for something and in most cases being unrecognized for their efforts. But that doesn’t have to be case. You can make a difference very easily. When you see someone doing something well, say something to that person. Many jobs in this world are thankless boring trials. Make a difference today by adding to the positive energy in the world. Compliment someone.

Quest On….

Rubber Chicken. http://www.rubberchickencards.com/

So, what’s the moral here. Your quest is not always going to be easy. There will be challenges along the way. Some will be bigger than others. You will overcome them if you keep going. The path may not be linear however. Some days we have to backtrack a little. Sometimes life lessons need to be learned before you can move forward. I still believe in my total success regardless of the dark days. My quest is still valid even if the road is bumpy.

Many people want to hear that they won’t have any problems finding their dreams. That’s true for some people. For many more that is not the case. Joe Vitale spent some time being homeless. Stephen Pierce had a time when he slept in a friend’s office. They overcame those times and found their quest.

The current financial downturn could make this year a tough one for a lot of people. I want to tell you that you don’t have to give up your dreams when it’s tough. Sometimes the universe thinks we need a little temper to our steel. I know I’ll overcome this and still find my quest. You will too.

Quest On…

In the meantime I put together a motivational poster for you.  It is in the store under the other tools category.  It is a free bonus to my readers and you are welcome to give it to friends who would enjoy it.

When I saw this quote I realized that it would be a great poster with the right picture.  I searched and found this picture that really went with it.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did putting it together.

Quest On….

Cathedral Quote Poster. Free Bonus Offer - No Charge

Just like chapter two I am releasing this chapter at only a dollar.  This is an important tool for getting your quest on track and I wanted everyone to be able to afford it.

Quest On…

Chapter Three of Mastering Your Quest - “Eliminating Your Limiting Beliefs”…….only $1!

Just like chapter one I am releasing this chapter at only a dollar.  This is an important tool for getting your quest on track and I wanted everyone to be able to afford it.

Quest On…

Chapter Two of Mastering Your Quest - “Identifying Your Limiting Beliefs”…….only $1!

This e-book is a collection of my experiences and research on what it takes to reach your quest.  It will be divided up into sections and this first section is on limiting beliefs.  I found them to be major stumbling blocks for me and don’t want you to be tripped up by them.  This chapter is the introduction and will start you on the process of freeing yourself from the limiting beliefs that are stopping you from reaching your dreams.  On Friday, the nineteenth,  the second chapter will be released.  So order now so you can get up to speed before the next one comes out.  Here is the down load link to get you started on freedom from your past limitations.

Quest On…

Chapter One of Mastering Your Quest - “What are Limiting Beliefs?”…….only $1!

I awoke this morning with the song from the old movie ‘Flash Dance’ going in my head. It just kept running over and over. I was sure I was still asleep and having a nightmare. But no, I was awake and the song was still going. I considered counting backwards from a million or any of those other things you do when you are trying to distract yourself. But my curiosity was peaked. I couldn’t remember hearing this yesterday. Had I thought about this old movie yesterday? I barely remembered the movie at all. Was this more than just a case of having a song stuck in your head?

Sometimes you hear a catchy song and it stays with you. That wasn’t the case here. I realized that it was a message from my subconscious. In it’s own clumsy manner, it was attempting to signal me. I thought about the song. Why this one? In the movie this song was the one that signified the star had reached a break though in her career. She took an action that made a massive difference in her life. That could be the message. I should learn to dance and move to New York. No, but I do have some actions I’ve been procrastinating on that will affect my life and quest. That’s most likely the message. It’s the ‘do it now’ message.

So, I’m fired up and charged to take action today. I’m starting those projects that I’ve put off. I feel like I’ve gotten the word on their success. It’s going to be a great day.

So what’s the moral of this odd little tale? When you find something happening out of the ordinary, look at it. It could be a message. Your subconscious has limited ways to communicate to you. So listen to the quiet voice. Even when it’s a old song.

Quest On…

Our dreams are what drive us to excel. Nothing makes us happier than thinking about our dreams and goals. I have spent a lot of time planning my future writing career. While doing this I have seen a lot of information on all the aspects of being a paid writer. I love reading about the art and business of writing. I’ll bet you feel the same about your quest too.

That’s a good thing. You need to learn a lot about your quest. Otherwise how are you going to get there? However I want to warn you about one of the dangers that I run into from time to time. Reading, researching, and learning are fun. Sometimes doing things physically is a little outside your comfort zone. It can be scary to talk to clients, or expose your efforts to outside review. You can be rejected or your work can be laughed at. Those are the hard aspects of following a quest. However, they are important ones to overcome.

If you are ever going to be successful at completing your quest, you are going to have to do the hard things. Challenges are a part of the journey. Overcoming them is what separates you from the pack of mere dreamers. Only reading about your quest makes you just a wanna be. Don’t become an expert on the idea of your quest. The goal is to achieve it. You need to start taking action to really make progress.

So, don’t stop reading, but start taking some actions to get you moving. You don’t have to start off attacking dragons. You can start off facing down some really angry squirrels or fat ground hogs. Chose actions that are challenging but achievable. It’s the cumulative effort that gets you there. You start off small and gradually build up. Persistence is the secret to a successful quest. Go out there and move your quest into the physical world.

Quest On…

 Yes, if we had that money to invest, no job to interfere, or the time to go to Paris or wherever. If those or any number of other obstacles weren’t in the way, we would be great. We would be the artist, writer, explorer, or business mastermind of our dreams.

 But, have you ever thought about it. Are those obstacles really holding you back. If you really looked at them maybe there are a few work-a- rounds that might at least get you started. Maybe you don’t need a studio in Paris to begin your art career. Perhaps a community college night class might get you started. Maybe just getting started doing something might get you started.

 Those obstacles are not so much out there as they are in here. Most of our limitations are of our own making. What we have is a set of beliefs that dictate our efforts. They may be true or they may not be. Unless you look at them you will never know which is which. So next time you think I’d be doing this if only life itself were different, try thinking a little outside of the box. You may not be as limited as you think.

 Quest On…

 P.S. I am currently working on a series of mini-reports on finding and resolving your limiting beliefs. They will be short explanations and exercises to work on getting past the obstacles that we place in front of ourselves. This should be out shortly. When it is releases I will also start my newsletter series. Quests can be scary at times but you are not alone in this. The rewards are great.

This is the second article based on a conversation with Steve Willinger. Steve is a business consultant that specializes in marketing and small business start up. Yesterday we discussed finding clients. One way of finding them is using referrals.

A referral is simply someone that you are introduced to by a common friend of both of you. It can be a very powerful method of finding clients for your business. It is basically a two step process. First you define who you are looking for. We discussed this in yesterday’s article. Second you ask people if they know anyone like that. It sounds simple but that does not mean everyone does it. Most people don’t know who they are looking for. If you don’t you are most likely not going to find them. Since we talked about defining you search yesterday, let’s talk about the second step today.

You mainly have three types of people who can help you with this. First, you have the people you haven’t done business with. These are people you just run into. You just ask them. They may know someone. Second, you have the people you do business with. They have seen your services. They were people who fit your customer profile. They very likely know someone like themselves. You may want to include the giving of referrals as part of your contract with them. Third, you have people who you know that are in similar businesses to yours. Business is not really war no matter what you see on TV. You can be friendly with people in your business category. Everyone can benefit by a little cooperation. Most likely you have a little different skill set and orientation than they do. If you send them a few customers along they will feel obligated to do the same.

You may have to prompt people a little to get good information. Rather than ask if they know anyone like you want at all, ask if anyone at their church or gym is like that. That makes it easier and easier makes getting good results more likely.

People in your field may be a good source of customers. You have a unique skill and interest set. People in the same industry have different specialties. If a customer needs something that’s a little stretch for you, but a match for someone you know, send him over. By helping the other person they will be likely to send over someone who matches your requirements more than theirs. But, you have to do your part about referring people back. If someone just sends and never gets anybody back, they will eventually stop sending people over. Be a team player. Be helpful and everyone will benefit.

This is the rest of the discussion with Steve on this topic. In the mean time you should check out Steve’s web site. It shows the areas that Steve is involved in and is a good resource for information on marketing small business.

Quest On….

Steve’s Web Site: http://www.amarketingguy.com