A great question, I’m glad you asked. I’ve always been a fan of writing, having written numerous poems, songs, short stories, and even 1 novel that hasn’t seen the light of day. As you read this I’m working on another novel that I hope to get published (I guess all writer’s hope for that :-)) My journey into blogging began over a year ago when I was talked into keeping an xanga journal. I began blogging every couple weeks on there, mainly keeping up with the events of my day to day life and also writing encouraging material. From there, I had a few people that liked my encouraging articles and sort of got me thinking that maybe other people would like to hear my opinion and advice on some things. It took me a while to get to that point, being humble as I am.

The final thing that got me to start my own site was a man named Steve Pavlina. I stumbled upon (literally) his page and read an article about waking up earlier each day, something I struggled with my whole life. I tried his advice and viola; I started getting up earlier and sleeping less everyday. I gained nearly an extra month of “awake” time each year. Truly a valuable gain. Check out Steve’s article, it’s worth it.

Then, I found an article on Steve’s site that talked about making money from your blog. I didn’t know such a thing existed. I’d heard of google adsense, and I’d heard of blogging, but for some reason I never put the two together. So with my newfound knowledge I delved into the world of WordPress, trackbacks, pings, posts, and blog carnivals. After finding a good theme, I wrote my first article.

I’m coming up on a month of blogging and I love it. I find new topics to post about everyday and it’s a blast. There’s so much going on in my life and blogging is a way to explain all the principles that guide me as I become healthier, wealthier, and wiser. I suggest anyone with goals and ambition have a blog, even if it’s only for your own benefit.

Back to the question of this blog. I write this blog because I believe that I have something to share with people. I don’t have all the answers, but maybe I have an answer you might be looking for. We all can learn from each other, because we are all students in the classroom of life. So, feel free to ask questions, debate, comment, even argue a little bit if something I say really upsets you:-). Oh yeah, I also enjoy blogging because I know it can earn enough money to free up my time for my Documentary Productions, public speaking, and education.

I am intending that this blog earn $3000.00 per month within 6 months from today. That means by January 28, 2007, I will be at my goal. I’m writing this intention on here now so I can look back and see the progress I’ve made. This goal will be reached by me writing quality articles that help people and by those people telling their friends, and those friends telling other friends. So, if you like my articles then tell a friend about them!!!

Finally, in about a week or more I will be introducing a new layout for my page. I will have a homepage, a better look, and even an audio podcast page. It might take you a couple of days to get used to the new look, but it will be much better and easier to use.

What does it take to be a success? I have spent a lot of time asking myself that question. I heard some good definitions before, but my favorite comes from Tom Hopkins. Here is my translation.

• Success is the worthwhile pursuit of a predetermined goal.

Short and sweet, but very to the point. Too many people think success is something we have to wait for. We only have to wait for success if we choose to wait for it. Becoming a success is as easy as making a choice you know you’re going to stick too. I have a line I love to say that goes like this.

• Success is a Decision, Not a Destination.

This simply means that once you have made up your mind to reach a goal, you are already successful because you will achieve that goal. Also remember that goals are dreams with deadlines, so make sure you assign a time the goal has to be accomplished by. You can’t just say someday I’ll lose weight. That’s not a goal, that’s an opinion, and a poor one at that. Instead, say something like this: Within 6 months I’m going to lose 50 pounds. Now you have a target and a deadline. Team those up with persistence and you have a powerful, magical, wonderful combination.

You are instantly a success because you can’t fail. Failure is never permanent, and success is always achievable. What great thing would you do if you knew that you couldn’t fail? Would you write a novel, start a business? Or how about not smoking anymore. As a quick aside, I’d like to talk about quitting smoking and relate to you a funny observation I heard by Dr. Wayne Dyer. He was talking about chocolate, but smoking will be just the same.

Is it easier to smoke or not smoke? Dr. Dyer says that not smoking requires less effort. If you want to smoke you have to work to earn the money to buy them, you have to drive to the store and pick them out, you have to pack the tobacco to ensure good flavor, you have to open the package, flip the lucky, take one out, put it between your lips, light it, smoke it, throw away the butt, and put away the pack. All just so you can do it again in a few minutes. Compare that to not smoking. All you have to do is not smoke. That’s it! So is it easier to smoke or not smoke? I guess it depends on how you look at it.

I hope to convey a central theme with this article. You are a success once you set a goal. A goal has a deadline and must be accomplished. Success is a decision, not a destination. By the time you reach your goal, you’ve already been living as a successful person. Thinking of yourself as a success now will make you finish your goal, because you will become what you think you are. Successful people meet their goals and do great things and with your new decision you’re now a successful person.