A little about the Blog

First of all it is nice to see that we are mostly here. I want to reiterate something that I said in my first post that if we want to invite family to participate in this blog please let me know email addresses and such if your wives would like to participate. Also, when creating a new post you have the opportunity to give it a Label at the bottom right corner of the blogging text please try out this feature because it will help organize discussion type entries versus family information entries. Just thought I would say a few things there and thanks again for posting everyone. I made some labels feel free to edit them if you feel they don't capture the true flavor of your post. I also have added a links section to the page for links to personal/other blogs and such things.

Greetings Fellow Nerds!

Well, I guess this makes it 4 out of 5 now...

I was sitting down, going through some of my emails on my spam account, glancing to see if anything important had slipped through, and was led here to this. I must say I was glad to see this, I have had a blog up for a months on blog.jameswarrick.com, and have not gotten past switching themes every 2 days because I don´t like any I have seen :-) I think this will be good fodder for some writing material, but even better it will be a way to personally connect with some of the most important people in my life, who helped me to where I am today.

Anyway, that being said I am going to sign off for now, this keyboard is driving me nuts. (bad xorg.conf file, in case anybody cares ;-)

My philosophy of money

A common thread in all of the personal finance books I've ever read (a list which admittedly includes all of about 3 books) seems to be "All you have to do to be financially independent is _______ and _______ and ________ etc." They make it seem like you can make a to-do list, start checking items off the top and by the time you reach the bottom your net worth will have met or exceeded a million dollars. Can it really be that simple? Isn't a million dollars a lot of money? More than any normal person out to be able to get his hands on?

Think about that point of view though. Do we tell ourselves that we won't ever have much money in our lives because we feel like we don't deserve it or that fate probably won't pick us to be wealthy? Well where's the sense in that? By finding the right investment and putting a mere dollar or two a day into it anybody can retire on a million bucks at 60 or 70. The fact is in our day and age, being a millionaire is easy.

The ease at which a million dollars can be amassed is both exciting and terrifying. In a class system which inevitability forms in a free-market system, the lower ends of the classes seem to look up at the upper ends and, in a form of enmity, tell themselves one of two lies: either that the ones with the money can't be happy for the simple reason that they have money, or "if I only had money I could be happy." To suggest that one's happiness is either conversely or directly related to one's net worth is outrageous. Happiness is absolutely not about money.

What, then, is money about? That depends on the person and his motives. For me it means security and freedom. It's a fact of life that, living in our world, the overwhelming majority of things that sustain life come through the exchange of money (unless you want to completely isolate yourself from the rest of society and farm a few acres of land to keep yourself and your family alive). With that fact in mind, money in the bank to cover your costs is security. During the last 3 weeks or so I got Bell's Palsy, a condition which paralyzes half of the victim's face for at least 2 weeks and Ashley got a throat infection and fever which refused to subside without medical intervention. We did not feel secure knowing that we had no insurance and may not be able to afford a trip to the doctor nor the treatment that might be prescribed. Fortunately, my face came back to life of its own accord and IHC has a financial assistance program which will hopefully cover most of Ashley's treatment.

Also there is the question of freedom: our world is covered from corner to corner, pole to pole with opportunities for growth and education. We all believe that the purpose of life is to learn and progress, so why not seek out these opportunities? Financial resources can provide that freedom. I think of the psychology concept of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (apologies to the theory's author if I've misspelled his name) which says we seek to satisfy our most basic and important needs which all animals have before seeking to satisfy some of the higher needs which define our humanity. Our Pioneer ancestors had to spend most of their time fulfilling the needs of food and shelter, so they didn't have the opportunity to travel the world (not sightseeing anyway), but they did make every effort to refine their humanity when they could by having dances and building opera houses, establishing bands and symphonies, and so on. Think of the sacrifice it would have been for one of them to own a trumpet. Certain of them actually sacrificed the unthinkable amount of weight and space in their wagons to take a piano to the Salt Lake Valley. I think that they would have embraced the opportunities available to us to learn from any avenues possible -- opportunities which we have because of their legacies.

Security and freedom are things I want. A lot. If money is the means by which they come, then I'm going to need some of that, and as long as I'm going to use it to extend freedom and security to people around me, what's wrong with having a lot?

I've finally decided that I'm not afraid of money, that I'm ready to be in control of my life, my security, and my freedom. I'm ready to invest my talents and work to grow them. This week I'm going to be starting a blog at benjaminhowe.com which will serve as my journal on my road to a bountiful life. I'm inviting you all to be part of a "dream team." I believe there is nothing wrong with money and I hope that we can work together to build freedom for us and many others.

Who's game?

I just need a goal

I find myself looking at these posts and I think to myself good for those guys that are working on something. I dabble here and there but I am at a turning point of decision in the next couple of months. It seems that you guys are a little more organized and have a bit more vision of where you want to be in the future and I am just examining my options still. Still I have had a little more of a feeling of some things I want to accomplish and I doubt I will be a "wealthy" person when all is said and done at least I won't get there by having big paychecks that is. I am happy for you guys that at least have some idea of where you want to be and are working towards it. If you ever need help I am willing to help.

A Slight Edge

I must admit that I know how to build an organization, and network properly. I could shed some light on the subject, and I'd be happy to help. However, I'm not the best person to turn to. (After all, I've only been networking for two years now, and still have much to learn.) Ask me all you want, I'll help out all I can. But I've learned something CRUCIAL over the last two years about success and people:

First, a disclaimer: This is a touchy subject. Nothing in this blog is meant to demean, belittle, or ridicule any one's beliefs, opinions, or feelings. I love you guys, and you're my best of friends. We may have differences in opinion and our goals in life will vary, but I KNOW that one thing we all want in this life is to be successful (however you define it) in one or more areas of this wonderful experience called life. Okay, with that said...

There is far too much to talk about, and I'm not going to say it. There are countless books out there written by people who have greater minds and more experience. Unfortunately some will make the mistake of not reading those books because of one discomfort or another. ONE that I recommend (understanding Ben's concern) is "THE SLIGHT EDGE" by Jeff Olson. It is THE book to read before you read any other how-to or wealth book. It is the book you need to read, highlight and reread along with your classes, your career planning, your exercise routine and pursuit of new skills. The book to keep with you as you set out to grow and pursue greater accomplishment, achievement and fulfillment in any area of your life. I've read it a couple times now, and if you don't get it soon you can expect a copy from me under your Christmas tree this year.

The more "success" or "get rich" books you read, the more you'll notice that it points to YOU as the only major variable. The greatest gift you could ever give yourself is also the wisest business investment you could ever make. It is also the most critical step in accomplishing any challenging task, and is the one step without which all other success strategies, no matter how smart or time-tested, are doomed to fail. This gift is your own personal development. Abraham Lincoln said "Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four hours sharpening the axe." Obviously a good philosophy on personal development and preparation. Your success and income can only grow to the extent that you do. If you come into big money (or a big organization) when you're not ready for it on the inside, your success will be short lived and you could lose it. (Just look at the latest lotto winner.) I had to learn this lesson the hard way last year. I was building an organization, things were going great, and I was making money. But I didn't know how to manage my business or lead that organization, or at least I hadn't developed those leadership muscles well enough yet. I didn't fit into those shoes... yet. Most people give up at that point thinking to themselves "I guess I'm just not cut out for this." or "this will never work for me." But the past doesn't have to equal the future! Sure, I wasn't who I needed to be then, but I've sure come a long way, and I know that I'm getting there. We can all get there, wherever that end is for you. Ben was right, accumulating wealth carries responsibilities. It aids good men in blessing those around them, and bad men in cut-throat ambitions for personal gratification. If money is your means to a righteous end, you will be blessed in your efforts to acquire that money.

People everywhere want "the secret", the path, the formula. "Tell me how you did this, so I can do it too." Millions of people keep asking HOW, but how to do it is not the issue. Why? Because the answer is only the answer - it isn't actually doing the thing. It isn't applying the answer and living the answer. Ben obviously pointed this out, as I'm sure Abe knows too. You can only build your dream by building it. Something else I think we all agree to is that your life isn't just about you. It's also about contributing to others. It's about living true to your mission and reasons for being on the Earth at this time. Being rich (in the truest sense of the word) includes adding value to other people's lives. Getting rich (or being successful, if "rich" is another four-letter-word to you) is not easy. Anyone who tells you it is is a little out of integrity. It takes focus, knowledge, courage, expertise, 100% of your effort, a never-give-up attitude, and of course a "rich" mind set. It also requires you forget about results, and put your hand to the plow for a season. It is easy to be seduced by the promise of results. We live in a results-oriented world, but there's a problem: You can't judge the course of action you're taking by its results, when its results com last. Remember: Plant, cultivate, then harvest. We can't plant expecting to harvest in the same season. It takes faith, patience, and the ability to withstand criticism from those we sometimes love most.

I could go on forever, but I know this is getting long. I'm going to post my recommended books later on. Best of success to you in achieving your success, and becoming the men needed to carry out such great work. Thanks for being my friends!

Young Stuff

Hey Everyone! Here we are at Lagoon on one of our days off. There's me, Melanie, Jensen Prestwich, Jake, and down below is Jessica Howard. These characters are my sales team. Good looking group, eh?

Apparently we have a home where the buffalo roam, and the skys are not cloudy all day. (We wish there were more clouds though, maybe it would cool off for once!) One of these buffalo beasts started to charge at me when I stopped to take this picture! (He's the mean fella' on the far left.)

This is a neat look at the ground cross-sectioned by a powerfull saw designed to remove concrete sidewalks. It cut so smoothly you can see many of the tunnels created by little pests in the ground!

Well, I just thought I'd share with you some of the amazingnesses of the Great State of Selling. ...er, I mean Wyoming. Make it a great day! Love you guys!

Networking a million dollars

So lately I've been reading a book, one some of you have probably read before, titled "The One Minute Millionaire." This is somewhat significant for me, since in the past I've had my reservations about reading books meant specifically written to show you how to be filthy rich. To be sure, I still have grave reservations about anybody or anything whose singular goal is to put a million bucks in your pocket, because I believe that that much money is very powerful and ought to be earned and the person to whom it belongs ought to know how to use it to the benefit of those around him, lessons he hopefully learned along the way of acquiring said million dollars.

I've always thought that these make-a-pile-of-money books really ought to not be written about money at all, but rather about principles that can be used everywhere in life, including, but not limited to, finances. Take the principle of accountancy for example: you can account for a lot of things -- time, money, physical resources, shelf space, whatever. Wouldn't it be better to teach somebody how to be a good accountant and then have that person extend the principles of accounting to every applicable part of his life instead of stopping at teaching a person to be a good financial accountant only?

Anyway, to get back to the point, this book actually does focus on good principles and habits that improve a person's whole person and emphasizes constructive motives, means, and ends.

About 1/3 the way through the book, when it actually starts getting to talking about how to make a million dollars, they present this analogy of a lever doing the work of moving the million dollar idea where you are the fulcrum and the lever is your resources and the forces pushing down on the lever are things like your network, a mentor, your team, skills & tools, etc.

While talking about networking, they bring out the point that you really only need to find the one "key contact" in your infinite network, or the list of people you know and the people they know, and so on. You don't have to sell a widget to a million people, you just have to sell a million widgets to one person. Or for some other applications, you might just need to find the person that knows a million people who want widgets.

At the moment, I'm working on a photo and album management system called Webatography.com which, like software always is, 80-90% done. I'm looking for ways to promote it and get it in front of people's eyes. What this website does is allow you to organize your photos and build albums out of them that you can post anywhere on the Internet. It has huge application for real estate buyers and sellers as well as eBay sellers and bloggers and such. I'd like to leverage my network to get this thing flying, and that's why I'm writing this post. How can I build a network from the people I know (you guys) which will help me find the people that are going to pay for this service? Word-of-mouth advertising is the best because a) its free and b) it actually works.

I know Nate has quite a pile of expertise in networking, and has a couple of huge networks of his own, so I especially want to hear from you. Abe is bored most of the day, so maybe I'll hire you on (with a salary even?!) as help in this venture. I'm sure my network is full of the skills that will make this succeed, I just have to learn how to find them.

I appreciate your input, and have a nice day.