New Blogging Website: Check out Kalatu Through the Empower Network!

I’m writing this blog post to let you know that I haven’t abandoned blogging and left all of you hanging. I know that there have not been any postings on here since December, and I’m sorry about that because I enjoy writing, blogging and getting all my stories out into the mainstream.

I know there are people that like to read my stories and articles and of course some people who are not fond of how I put together a sentence, a paragraph or an article. I can no more stop writing and blogging than I could stop breathing. I enjoy the creative process of crafting sentences, paragraphs and the final post itself.

I am going to be exclusively blogging on a new platform. The genesis of this platform began about five months ago. I have been involved in a blogging platform through the Empower Network that was not as sophisticated as I wanted it to be. Within the last five months the new Kalatu blogging platform was rolled-out and replaced the original platform that was there when I started blogging with Empower. I am completely dedicated to the new blogging platform. This platform is easy to use, and the different templates available for your blogging website will let you build the site exactly the way you want it to look.

Please click the link below and take a look at the new blogging platform. You will not be disappointed if you decide to join me in blogging on the new Kalatu platform.

Watch this video:

Now click this link NOW:

http://www.empowernetwork.com/totalshortcut?id=the-book-kahuna

I am also attaching two videos to this blog post. The one video is my video about why and how I’m changing to this new blogging system, and the other is a video I produced for you, the authors and bloggers who need help in the area of residual finance and sales.

Let me know if you have any questions, I would be glad to answer them for you.

I hope you will visit my new site and read all of my upcoming blog posts, but if you decide not to follow it has been a wonderful ride to have you all checking out my content whenever you got a chance. Thank you for taking the time to read one of my blogs every now and then.

Best regards

The Book Kahuna

Think and Grow Rich: Chapter 6: A Book Review

In chapter 6, Napoleon Hill gives us the impression that ideas can have power in terms of how we can get to the riches we seek. He lays out the tenets that there are two types of imagination.

Time to Think

The first type of imagination that he speaks of is Synthetic Imagination.

“Through this faculty, one may arrange old concepts, ideas, or plans into new combinations. This faculty creates nothing. It merely works with the material of experience, education, and observation with which it is fed. It is the faculty used most by the inventor, with the exception of the “genius” who draws upon the creative imagination, when he cannot solve his problem through synthetic imagination.”¹

The other type of imagination that Hill writes about is the Creative Imagination.

“Through the faculty of creative imagination, the finite mind of man has direct communication with infinite intelligence. It is the faculty through which “hunches” and “inspirations” are received is by this faculty that all basic, or new ideas are handed over to man.”²

In making the case for these two different types of imagination and thought process, what is very clear is that creative imagination can be the direct result of synthetic imagination. In other words, taking information that has been previously known and thinking about a different way to use that information to create something that has never been thought of before can be the basis for successful and truly enriching business experience.

Build Your Vision

What I got from reading this chapter pertains to the ability to think and create without tethers. It brought to mind many of the old dictums of how man is only restricted by the bounds of his imagination. If you can think of something it can be done. This is what makes building a business in an entrepreneurial fashion such an exhilarating task. Instead of being put in a situation where you are trading time and experience for money to an employer, now you are using the progeny of your own mind and thinking to create a basis of wealth for your good and the good of your family. There is no higher cause then using your God-given talents, stretching them to the limit and beyond, and making a sustainable income beyond your wildest dreams.

In these endeavors you do not have to be the expert. Again, Hill discusses his relationship with Andrew Carnegie and how the “Steel Baron” had absolutely no idea about the process of steelmaking. What he did have was a genius for pulling in those people who had the information that he needed and using them to create his corporate structure. Although Hill never mentioned this person, another person who used his imagination to the utmost and was a contemporary of Hill’s, was Walt Disney. Disney founded a company based on a mouse. That mouse became the most famous rodent in the history of the world. Imagination can even turn a household pest into a viable corporate structure.

Coke and Learning

In this chapter Hill also gives us two examples where imagination played an incredible role in final success. The first example, of the clerk in the general store, Asa Candler, who pays $500 for a recipe, a kettle and a paddle to stir the kettle, was a lesson in foresight and vision. Candler used this recipe and kettle to make the most famous soft drink in history, Coca-Cola. The other example, was Pastor Frank W. Gunsaulus who used his imagination to craft a homily that was responsible for giving him the $1 million that he needed to build his university, The Armour Institute of Technology (named after the man who gave the $1 million to Pastor Gunsaulus: Phillip D. Armour).

What did Candler and Gunsaulus have in common?

They had a burning desire to be successful and they set their minds to the task of building their dreams by tapping into their imagination.

Imagination, dreams, desires, these are the building blocks that successful entrepreneurs build on. Withstanding the disbelief of others is of paramount importance at this crucial point in time. The people who do not follow their dreams are the ones who are never happy in their employment situation.

In Closing

Follow your dreams, the going may get tough, but in the end when you reach the successful finish line it will be so worth it!

Napoleon Hill:  Think and Grow Rich:  1 & 2

Click here for more information  ——->  http://bit.ly/workwithDon

Online Holiday Shopping for Cash Back

What’s New in Holiday Shopping?

 

Holiday Shopping

Elf Kahuna knows holiday shopping. He also knows that you have to get things done and accomplished so that your own Mrs. Elf Kahuna can get a nice piece of jewelry from the CASH-back. Make sure you don’t let her down!

Home Delivery or Store Pick-up

If you want to wait and get your holiday purchases delivered, you can handle your online shopping that way. If you want faster access to whatever you’re buying, you can order it online and then go pick it up at your favorite store, whatever that store may be.

Travel Time After the Holidays

If you are like Elf Kahuna, you will be really happy when the holidays have been completed. Instead of thinking about all the work that’s getting done and how much you have to do before that magical day, wouldn’t it be nice to go online and plan a trip, with airfare, hotel, car rental and anything else that you want to include at a big discount with CASH-back for you? I think the time is right, so click here—http://bit.ly/1rRNLEK

It’s YOUR Man CAVE, So Build It

When you know the big game is coming and you want to have all your friends over to watch at your place, not just any TV is going to cut it.  Build your MAN-CAVE the way you want it and get the BIG Screen TV and all the electronics and accessories to outfit your domicile.

 

Pet Food With Cash Back

You can order anything you need for your dog, cat, bird, rodent, rabbit, or lizard online and then either have it delivered or available for pick-up at the local store.  You chose the most convenient way you want to receive your purchase.

 

Holiday Decorations from the Hardware Stores

When you need a tree, some lights, or decorations that need to be replaced, remember to order online and then pick up from the Big Hardware stores.  You’ll love getting the CASH Back!

 

The answer for all of the videos cited above is to CLICK HERE————————–>http://bit.ly/1rRNLEK

 

Click here for more information  ——->  http://bit.ly/workwithDon

Twitter:  @thebookkahuna Website:  http://thebookkahuna.com/

Empower Blog:  http://thebookkahuna.net/

YouTube Channel:  http://bit.ly/1zGj1r7

New York Islanders Resurgence, 2014

Setting the Stage

Over the last couple of weeks a very interesting occurrence has transpired. It doesn’t have anything to do with politics or the economy, or any news about celebrity dating habits. No, this occurrence comes from the world of sports. Before I start to embellish you with what this means, I want to give a little history lesson and a personal history lesson as well.

I went to college at a small SUNY school in upstate New York. My undergraduate alma mater is SUNY Potsdam. I started school at SUNY Potsdam in the fall of 1979. My initial time was very uneventful. My grades were passable but not exemplary. I was underage when I first got into college and had never really been a partier, and this meant that I spent my first semester studying very hard on the weekends. At a certain point I decided that I needed to branch out and open up my mind to complete the college experience. In other words, Beer Blasts were okay in my book!

This idyllic college experience went on for one year. In my second year, my father passed away from Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. While my father was in the hospital, I made a promise to him that I would finish my schooling at Potsdam and get my degree. Little did I know that this would be one of the most difficult things that I would ever have to finish. A week after my father was buried, I was driving back to school, but this time I had a small black and white television in tow with me.

My Therapy Begins

Now you might be asking yourself, “What does this have to do with the New York Islanders?” When I was driving home from my first year of school, I was listening to the 1980 Stanley Cup Finals on my radio in the car. I actually heard the Islanders win the Stanley Cup on Bobby Nystrom’s overtime goal at 7:11 of Overtime as I was on the road. This whole “winning a championship thing” was unknown on Long Island. At first the powers that be did not know what to do. They thought about having a parade in Manhattan, but then again they were not the New York City Islanders, they were the New York Islanders geographically and fan-base-wise from Long Island. Also, I believe New York City turned the Islanders down about having a parade there. They eventually settled on having a parade down Hempstead Turnpike in Nassau County.

That was in Spring, 1980, but now I was staring at a whole different set of personal circumstances in the early part of 1981. My father’s passing and funeral occurred in November 1980. I drove back up to school with a million different things running through my head. The grief was unbelievable. I felt like I was someone else, someone who was in pain all the time, not a physical pain just this incredible annoying pressure that was there all the time. I knew I had to find an outlet. I talked to some counselors at school and they suggested that I should find something that could take my mind off the pain and grief even for small periods of time. With this in mind I knew exactly what I needed to do. I found an open cable outlet in the bowels of my dorm: Lehman House 2.

NY Islanders Dynasty 1980-1984

I would get the New York Times and mark the calendar for days when there would be a game. On those days I would trudge down into the basement of the dorm, attach the cable, and turn on WOR channel 9 and watch the Islanders seasons unfold before me. I didn’t become a fan just because I loved hockey, I became a fan because I needed an outlet that reminded me of home and kept me in touch with who I was. I was also thinking about the future of success and happiness I was grappling toward. The fact that I learned to love hockey in this process is a delightful afterthought for what they did for me.

Bossy, Trottier, Smitty, Potvin, Morrow, Langevin, Sutter, these names mean nothing to the average person, but these were the guys who helped me more than they will ever know. I watched as Mike Bossy scored 50 goals in 50 games, I watched as the team powered its way to its second Stanley Cup in 1981, and then a third Stanley Cup in 1982, and then the most satisfying Stanley Cup of all was number four when they swept the Edmonton (Oilers) Gretzky’s in 1983.  As fate would have it, the Islanders and Oilers faced off in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1984, but this time the result was different.  On the day that I graduated from SUNY Potsdam, May 19, 1984, the Islanders lost in the Stanley Cup Finals to the Edmonton Oilers.  I always look at that moment in a surreal, dreamlike fashion. It was as though the Islanders were saying, “we helped you get through college, and now our work is done!”  I know this is just my musings, but it does seem very coincidental that this was the last time the NY Islanders made it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

We Move on and Overcome the Pain

Little things keep us focused. Little things help us stay sane. Little things can erase pain for a period of time. The New York Islanders did that for me. I know I would’ve found a way to get through the worst period in my life if there were no New York Islanders. All I know is that there was a New York Islanders team that was amazingly good at a time when I needed them and they helped me through the roughest period in my life.

I will always be an NY Islanders fan. It doesn’t matter where I live, or where they are in the standings. Of all of my sports allegiances, this is the one that can never be broken.

Now that I live in Denver I went to the game on October 30 between the Islanders and the Avalanche. Unfortunately, it was not a good game for the Islanders who ended up getting shut out 5-0. It doesn’t matter, they are still my team but I do hope this winning thing they have going on is not just a flash in the pan. I support them either way, but it’s so much sweeter when they are good and winning. Start the Chant…

Funny that this fan has a story to tell… I’m sure there are others out there with a similar story.   Let’s Go Islanders!   Let’s Go Islanders! Let’s Go Islanders!

Click here for more information  ——->  http://bit.ly/workwithDon

Twitter:  @thebookkahuna Website:  http://thebookkahuna.com/

Empower Blog:  http://thebookkahuna.net/

YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJMnrFtQkrX72q8-nhqeAWQ

Think and Grow Rich: Book Review-Chapter 5: General Versus Specialized Knowledge

Chapter 5:  Specialized Knowledge

This is another blog post that is going to continue with my journey through the book Think and Grow Rich that was written by Napoleon Hill and published in 1937.

In chapter 5 we are confronted with a dilemma of what specific knowledge is necessary to the entrepreneurial mind. Hill goes very far to say that book intelligence is general intelligence and is not necessarily what is needed when looking to start a business or begin an entrepreneurial venture. When dealing directly with those who teach in universities and colleges, Hill had this to say:

“Most of the professors have but little or no money. They specialize on teaching knowledge but they do not specialize on the organization, or the use of knowledge.”1

The knowledge that you need to be an effective businessman or woman in this particular day and age is not all that different from what you needed in 1937. Robert Kiyosaki is the modern-day business maven who also calls for a revision of what is taught in schools and universities. Children need to be taught about money, about credit, about assets, and about liabilities and how all of these financial tools are used to build wealth.

Ford’s Got A Better Idea

Napoleon Hill used as an example Henry Ford. Hill relates the story that during the First World War, Henry Ford was labeled an “Ignorant Pacifist.” We are not told directly if Ford was more upset about being be called ignorant or a pacifist but he decided to take the Chicago paper that labeled him to court for libel. During the course of the trial it was brought out that although Ford did not possess a large amount of classical education, he was a man who knew how to put together the teams of specialists who could get to the desired result he envisioned. In some respects this is a much greater gift than having all the book smarts of every library in the world. He could use his ability to set goals, integrate teams of specialists and get his cars off the production line as he saw fit. Ford also answered one question that particularly made him angry. When asked one particularly offensive question, Ford’s response was:

“If I should really want to answer the foolish question you have just asked or any of the other questions you have been asking me let me remind you that I have a row of electric push-buttons on my desk and by pushing the right button, I can summon to my aid men who can answer any question I desire to ask concerning the business to which I am devoting most of my efforts.”2

Others who were mentioned in this particular chapter were Thomas Edison, who did not have a formal education, and Andrew Carnegie, who knew nothing about the steel industry but was another who knew exactly what specialists to speak to when he needed to get things accomplished.

The MasterMind

Everything revolves around how you can get your knowledge, but not just any knowledge. Everyone who aspires to be an Entrepreneur needs to find a mentor and a group of those who are on a higher level in the particular field to become a Mastermind group. The Mastermind group can completely transform the abilities of one individual by utilizing the specialized knowledge of the many for a desired outcome. Hill was very specific on how this knowledge was to be attained. He was also very specific about the leadership qualities of those who sought out this particular type of knowledge. The main avenue of knowledge that was proposed in 1937 was the Home Study Course. The amount of writing that Hill gave to this avenue of study leads me to believe that he was a firm devotee of home-study as a way to rise to the top of one’s profession. In this day and age an online degree or specialized courses in whatever an individual’s field of employment would seem to be the closest relation to the Home Study Courses in 2014.

In this chapter Hill specifically points out that lack of ambition is a killer in today’s workplace. You have to be driven, you have to use your specialized knowledge, and you have to use all of the first chapters in this particular book to achieve your final goal of riches. You can also use the ability to purchase specialized knowledge as well, and knowing where to purchase the specialized knowledge is also a well-respected trait for any businessman or businesswoman.

Success through Imagination and Application

Finally in this chapter, Hill has two specific examples where people use their knowledge and ideas to build a business that was outside the realm of the everyday individual. The first example he gave was of a Mr. Wier who had been let go from his previous employer where he was a Construction Engineer. Mr. Wier took this time to go back to law school and complete his degree in a much accelerated fashion. Now Mr. Wier was over 40 years old when he made this change, but he decided that his prospects were better if he took this step and applied himself to becoming a lawyer. Once his law firm was up and running, he was hugely successful and even had to turn clients away at certain points in time.

The other example was of the woman who put together the marketing packets in book form for her son. He was just out of school and did not have a large array of experiences in the workplace to draw from, but his mother put together a booklet that allowed him to highlight various points in his life that could show experiences that would cross over into the workplace. He ended up getting a position where he started as a junior executive instead of at the bottom of the corporate ladder.

This chapter is all about cultivating your desire, seeking an opportunity, and applying your imagination to come up with an idea that sets you apart from all other businessmen. The ability to solve a problem in a unique and innovative way is paramount to setting you apart as an individual.  

1 and 2  Hill, Napoleon:  Think and Grow Rich, 1937

Click here for more information  ——->  http://bit.ly/workwithDon

Twitter:  @thebookkahuna Website:  http://thebookkahuna.com/

Empower Blog:  http://thebookkahuna.net/

YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJMnrFtQkrX72q8-nhqeAWQ

Think and Grow Rich Book Review: Chapter 4- Autosuggestion

In chapter 4 we learn all the nuances of Autosuggestion.

What are the things that hold us back from attaining what we want in life?

In some respects we are held back by a system that makes us into employees as soon as we are old enough to go to school. Autosuggestion can be a tool that helps us to break the cycle of continuous training for a cubicle world. In 1937 Napoleon Hill was not looking at a culture of cubicles, but was staring down the barrel of a factory populace who trudged off to work every day at the car plant, or the steel mill, or the defense plant, or the Tennessee Valley Authority. They needed Autosuggestion as badly then as we need it now.

What is Autosuggestion?

Our mental capabilities are composed of the conscious day-to-day world which is fed by all of our senses. The underlying drive for who we are and what we can become is contained more in the subconscious then in the conscious narrative. To get to a point where we are bringing success and riches into our lives, we have to focus on building dreams and goals and voicing them repetitively every single day. You have to get to the point where you are repetitively speaking with emotion about your goals and your dreams. Over time, the consistent repetition of voicing your dreams will begin to make them move from only a thought into the concrete world of reality.

Voice your Desires

The example that I gave in my YouTube video was if you know you want to make $30,000 a month by March 2015, then you must repetitively speak to the universe and give voice to the stream constantly. If you can continue to give voice to the stream of consciousness on a consistent daily basis, then this dream will move from dream state to a reality state.

Chapter 4 was the shortest chapter of the book so far, but if length were a measure of importance, then this chapter would not even rank on the list of most influential chapters of this book. But length is not a measure of importance in Think and Grow Rich, and this is probably one of the most important chapters Hill wrote. The central theme of this book, to think and grow rich, cannot occur unless the individual has already established a mindset that attracts and visualizes long-term success. Without a background of fervent desire and an indomitable spirit that fosters a given result, the other tenets contained in the book will not be able to produce results. The dreams and desires that are obsessively believed are the foundation of success in an entrepreneurial venture.

To give a Short summary:

Autosuggestion is the act of continually and repetitively voicing your inner-most dreams and desires. Once these are continually voiced and thought about, the garden of your subconscious will begin to germinate these ideas. Once they have taken root in the fertile ground of the subconscious through constant invoking, the reality will begin to merge with the mind-set to forge a phalanx of success.

Let your DREAMS live and voice them loudly DAILY!

Click here for more information  ——->  http://bit.ly/workwithDon

Twitter:  @thebookkahuna Website:  http://thebookkahuna.com/

Empower Blog:  http://thebookkahuna.net/

YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJMnrFtQkrX72q8-nhqeAWQ

Think and Grow Rich: Book Review Chapter 3

There is nothing more fervent than the devotion of someone who believes. The belief pattern

is something that is forged and cultivated with extreme care. In my review of the classic

book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, I have been delving into all nuances of this

title to give a 360 degree view of what the author was trying to accomplish with this

groundbreaking book. Keep in mind that this book was written in 1937 and the reader

must be prepared for cultural changes that exist between that time period and the present.

Chapter 3: FAITH

Chapter 3 revolves around an idea. That idea is to have Faith. Now Hill

propounded that faith was part of a Trinity that also included love and sex.

“Love and faith are psychic; related to the spiritual side of man. Sex is purely

biological, and related only to the physical. The mixing, or blending, of these

three emotions has the effect of opening a direct line of communication between

the finite, thinking mind of man, and Infinite Intelligence. “¹

What is the highest order of faith? One of the precepts that Hill recognizes is the

strong portion of faith within Christianity. Without faith, there is no religion of this

particular type. He sees the intricate mesh of faith in a Supreme Being and also faith

in an idea that can be the basis for a long-term financial windfall. One of the most

successful historical figures that Hill uses as an example was Mahatma Gandhi.

Gandhi had nothing but an idea that swayed the popular opinion of 200 million of his

countrymen. This idea did not depend on whether he had a home, suit of clothes, or

a $10 bill in his pocket. It was faith and his force of Will and ideas that shaped

the destiny of the Indian people.

US Steel

Another example of an idea having omnipotent power had to do with Charles Schwab

and the formation of United States Steel in the early 1900s. Schwab had developed an

idea based on the interactions of various competing steel mills to unite them all under a

Trust of one unified corporate structure. To make this opportunity work correctly, there

needed to be a massive influx of capital investment and unification of all the other steel

mills with Jay Pierpont Morgan as the titular head of this corporate behemoth. Schwab was able

to take this idea, have faith in this idea, and present this idea for final input and buy-in. His

ultimate faith in his idea and himself would be the basis for one of the largest corporate

mergers in American history. He was also able to secure for Andrew Carnegie, his boss and

benefactor, the retirement sum of $400 million. Now even in 1900, $400 million was a huge

sum. How do we get to this arena of faith? What is it that drives our psyche to believe in where

we want to go and what we want to do? The answer revolves around Autosuggestion.

Autosuggestion is the continuous repeating of ideas and wants that may be out of reach in the

present, but highly attainable in a prescribed amount of time. Autosuggestion can change someone’s

life if they implement this tenet and continue to do so for as long as it takes to change their thought patterns.

Don’t Do The Crime…

A criminologist was consulted who gave testimony that someone who is law-abiding will see an illegal

act as abhorrent when initially confronted with it. If continuously put in a situation where this act is committed

and witnessed by the same test subject, little by little the just man will turn. Continuously confronted with

illegal actions will eventually turn a righteous man into a criminal. By the same token, continuously reinforcing

an idea of faith with positive information through autosuggestion will turn that idea into a reality.

Highly negative thoughts can only produce a negative effect. Highly positive thoughts can be the foundation

of a future that is well-financed and shaped by whatever vision the seer views and expounds.

1.  Think and Grow Rich:  Napoleon Hill

 

Always have ideas and dreams and use autosuggestion to build and maintain your faith. The results will be a successful conclusion to whatever you desire.

Click here for more information  ——->  http://bit.ly/workwithDon

Twitter:  @thebookkahuna Website:  http://thebookkahuna.com/

Empower Blog:  http://thebookkahuna.net/

YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJMnrFtQkrX72q8-nhqeAWQ

Think and Grow Rich Book Review: Chapter 2

A Focused Mind-Set?

What is it in the psyche that makes someone persevere and overcome obstacles?

What talents do you need to have to be successful and get to a point where you are accepting riches into your life?

 

In the second chapter of Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill gives us a snapshot of just what is necessary to get to your final destination. The first story that he

relayed had to do with the Chicago fire in the late 1800s. After the fire all of the merchants had two different paths that they could follow. They could either stay

and rebuild and make a new Chicago, or they could leave the city completely and go somewhere else to begin business anew. All of the merchants and shopkeepers

decided to leave except for one. Marshall Fields decided to stay in Chicago and rebuild. He even told his fellow business owners that he was prepared to rebuild on

the ashes where his store had once stood. This is exactly what he did, and he fulfilled his promise of making the biggest store in the area once he had completed his rebuild.

Burning Desire

Hill also comments about other people who overcame obstacles because they had what he termed a “burning desire” to succeed. Among those that he named were

Helen Keller, Booker T. Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, and Henry Ford. Taking them one at a time: Keller overcame incredible obstacles in terms of lacking sight

and hearing, while Booker T. Washington overcame racism and intolerance in the post-Civil War South. Abraham Lincoln was completely obsessed and fixated on freeing

the slaves, while Thomas Edison used 10,000 tries to get to a successful electric light. Henry Ford used those around him to build an automobile giant based on the simplicity of interchangeable

parts and an affordable model. What do all of these people have in common? They had a dream and they did not let anything dissuade them from attaining a successful resolution. They used their

obsessions to focus their talents to a laser-light point and complete the journey that they themselves knew was their destiny.

Blair Hill: A Profile in Burning Desire

Another story that Hill told was that of his son Blair. Now Blair Hill was born without ears and also without the auditory structures to enable him to hear. Napoleon Hill and his wife never actually let

Blair know or feel that he was different from anyone else. Even at an early age when he could not hear, Napoleon Hill never treated them any differently and spoke to him with the knowledge that one day his

son would be able to hear. Blair Hill successfully completed his school work and went on to college where he eventually was given a hearing aid that did allow him to hear clearly for the first time. He then

approached the company that made the hearing aid and they were so impressed with the young Blair Hill that he was brought on board the company to be an intermediary with those in the community who

were deaf.

Dream Big and Make Those Dreams Your Reality

Dreams are what we need to keep us whole, and the dreams that we have are the basis for thinking and growing rich. If people who have overcome such great obstacles can succeed in life and in business, then

using your dreams as a touchstone  for successful future is the only way to systematically build wealth. You must have a dream and focus on that dream with laser-like precision.

Our dreams are what keep us alive, and without them life is a barren desert.

Click here for more information  ——->  http://bit.ly/workwithDon

Twitter:  @thebookkahuna Website:  http://thebookkahuna.com/

Empower Blog:  http://thebookkahuna.net/

YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJMnrFtQkrX72q8-nhqeAWQ

Think and Grow Rich: Chapter 1

The Classic

A few months ago I said I was going to start

doing a book review of the 1937 classic written by Napoleon Hill:

Think and Grow Rich. The time is now for me to start this review!

I’ve also decided to do this by reviewing individual chapters in the book.

Everyone in their lifetime will run into obstacles that may seem insurmountable.

How we attack those obstacles and get to a successful conclusion is the nexus

of chapter 1 in this groundbreaking title.

The most amazing aspect of this book is that it is still relevant 75 years

after it was first published. There are books that were published yesterday

that are no longer relevant. To stand the test of time and continue to be sold

and absorbed by new generations eager to learn the secrets is a testament

to the amount of work that Napoleon Hill put into this influential tome.

Sometimes Obsession can be a Useful Tool!

The first story in chapter 1 finds us hearing the tale of Mr. Barnes who is completely

obsessed with partnering with Thomas Edison. The story reveals a very stark distinction

drawn early in the chapter between Barnes working for Thomas Edison or

partnering with Thomas Edison. The delineation was made that he would

be a partner and not just an employee.

Working with Edison

When the Edison Dictation Machine needed to be sold, Barnes was the

man who got the call and he ended up selling this machine and heading

up this section of the company for many years. Then there was the story of

Mr. Darby. Darby had done geologic and geographic research while he was

looking for Gold. All of this information pointed to one specific spot, and he

invested heavily in the machinery aspects that could bring the Gold from the

vein out of the ground. At first the Gold was flowing but finally an impasse

was reached because all of the digging equipment had not found any more

Gold. Unfortunately for Mr. Darby he did not enlist the services of a geologist

who could have told him exactly where the vein of Gold ran in relation to the

fault line.

Darby gave up, sold all of his equipment, and the new owner “the junkman”

did some research and found that the vein was only 3 feet in a different

direction from the initial digging site.

An Insurance Whiz is Made!

Darby took the lesson that he learned from his mining experience and

put his failure to good use. He became an insurance salesman who would not

take no for an answer. This persistence eventually led him to be a multi-million

dollar earner. Darby took his greatest defeat and turned it into his greatest triumph.

Then there was the story of the little “colored” girl. Now I have to put in a proviso here

as this is not at all politically correct in terminology in society today, but in 1937

this was a perfectly common descriptor.

Stand and Shriek:  You Will Win!

The colored child had been sent by her mother to get $.50 from Mr. Darby’s uncle.

When she first encounters him the uncle rebukes her and tells her basically to get lost.

She does not leave, and the uncle reprimands her vocally again. She still does not leave,

and at this point the uncle moves toward her in a manner that could be construed as

aggressive. The girl stands her ground and screams at the top of her lungs that her

mother needs the $.50!

At this the uncle takes a $.50 cent piece from his pocket and hands it to her.

She has won the confrontation!

What is the secret in Chapter 1? 

What do all these stories teach us: Persistence and Dogged-Determination are

able to turn defeat and failure into triumph and ultimate success!

Never give up when you are 3-feet from the Gold!

Click here for more information  ——->  http://bit.ly/workwithDon

Twitter:  @thebookkahuna Website:  http://thebookkahuna.com/

Empower Blog:  http://thebookkahuna.net/

YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJMnrFtQkrX72q8-nhqeAWQ

The Magic of the Disney Kingdom

  Having just returned from Orlando and the Empower Conference event, my mind travelled back to a time in the distant past.  All the way back to 1975…

Tonight I started thinking about what I should write. I knew that I needed to write a blog post and sometimes that feeling is overwhelming and forces you to sit down and think about things that coalesce as a story. As I was talking to my video I remembered many of the nuances of my first trip to Disney World in 1975. I was 14 at the time and thought that I had died and gone to heaven. I had wanted to go to Disney World for so long that I was incredibly envious of classmates and even my cousins who regaled me with stories of the various rides and attractions within the confines of that mouse inspired play land.

In 1975, my siblings and I were all getting older. We spent numerous summers on the shores of Schroon Lake in upstate New York. We had learned to swim from the instructors at Schroon Lake but it was time to try a vacation that was completely different. Something that we had never done before as a family was in the works and my father was the driving force behind the new adventure. I can remember my father and mother talking about something in hushed voices that didn’t appear to be going well throughout 1973 and 1974. I knew that my father’s game plan was to have one gigantic vacation of a lifetime before college and life began to pull at the family fabric. I was not sure about all the intricate details, but he was having a hard time making all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. As I remember the story, and I got the story directly from my father himself, there was no disputing the level of frustration he felt because of the incredible backlog of people trying to reserve and confirm reservations at Disney World for the summer of 1975.

My father needed to call in the big guns. As an employee of NBC my father had a leg-up on other people who were trying to make reservations at Disney World. Being the film editor who actually worked on the television program ”The Wonderful World of Disney” he had an even larger leg-up on those trying to get reservations. My father went directly to his boss who placed a call to Disney and that began the series of events that led to our trip. Disney was incredibly responsive, and my father was given the time at the Contemporary Hotel that he was looking for. In mid-August 1975, we all piled into the family car which was a 1973 Chevy Impala four-door that we had inherited from my late grandfather. We made stops along the way and saw all of the signs for Pedro as we headed south on Interstate 95. We stopped in Rocky Mount North Carolina where we stayed next to a tobacco field. I actually pulled a few leaves off just to have them as a reminder. Seeing a tobacco field was amazing because we don’t have those kinds of crops on Long Island. We stopped and stayed overnight in Georgia as well, but at this point in time the town we stayed in escapes me.

Finally we arrived at our destination, Orlando, Florida and the Magic Kingdom. As we drove in we were amazed by the topiary creations of our favorite Disney characters. My dad being the gardener that he was automatically started to think about trimming some of our bushes into the shape of Pinocchio, Bambi, and Dumbo. He never actually did this, but I’m sure in the back of his mind he had it as a plan sometime in the future. We got to our hotel room and it was an amazing sight. We were staying in the contemporary Hotel on the 10^th floor. From this vantage point, we could look over the rail and see the monorail coming in through the hotel wall. For a kid of 14, this was an amazing visual to watch. I cannot stress the importance of the Disney World experience. It’s akin to being allowed to run wild in Santa’s workshop without adult supervision.

Now along with helping to get our reservations set up, we were told to visit the Customer Service area at the Contemporary Hotel as soon as we got into the Disney World surroundings. It was at this time that my father was given books and books and books of tickets. These were tickets to the rides within the Magic Kingdom Park. The Disney Corporation had given us enough tickets for all of us to ride rides to our hearts content for the four days that we were there. My father took all the tickets and the Disney adventure began. We went on all the rides. We saw all the sites. One of the things that my father actually was very interested in seeing because of his background in film was the Hall of Presidents. We went through everything, we rode on everything. My father actually had his shirt pocket explode on the Space Mountain ride. He was a smoker, and had a pack of Benson and Hedges 100s and his Zippo lighter in his top pocket. When the ride took a tight turn, everything in his pocket along with his glasses flew off into the car. Needless to say, my father was completely blind without his glasses so most of the ride was a blur. We as a family had so much fun on this trip and thoroughly enjoyed our Disney World experience.

The one point that always irritated my father had to do with the tickets to the park. Disney had given us so many different tickets but they failed to give us a ticket to get into the park for four days. My father paid the entrance fee for a family of five for all four days that we were at the park. He could not understand why they would comp him tickets for the rides but not give the entrance tickets into the park. This was an irritation but did not diminish the fun that my father had with his family as we went through the Disney adventure. Disney was only the first part of our vacation.

The second part of the vacation we drove from Orlando down to Marathon Key to stay at a condo that was owned by family friends. While we were on the long drive down to The Keys I started to look through the tickets that Disney had given us. We had a large amount of tickets left over and we were told that they were good in perpetuity. As I looked through the tickets I found other tickets mixed in. I started to read what was written on the tickets and realized that they were the golden tickets to get into the park for the entire time that we were there. Unfortunately my father had not looked at all the tickets before we started our adventures in the parks. We never spoke about this again, and it was only recently that I relayed the story to my mother who never heard about this.

The moral of the story: Fun and adventure are not predicated on comp tickets!

Click here for more information  ——->  http://bit.ly/workwithDon

Twitter:  @thebookkahuna Website:  http://thebookkahuna.com/

Empower Blog:  http://thebookkahuna.net/

YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJMnrFtQkrX72q8-nhqeAWQ