Either I have ADD or a very short fuse because I have no patience waiting to load websites or applications off my computer. I always wanted to have a dashboard on my screen that would take me in a fraction of a second to all these resources. That day has come.

The following is a very sweet and short tutorial where you can setup your internet browser home page to your liking; where you can have all these applications just 1 click away instead of 3 or 4.

Here’s how my homepage looks like:

You can do this 2 ways:

• Quick & Dirty using Word (download template here)
• Using a program like Dreamweaver (if you are comfortable with coding web pages)

This article will describe the first method. Here are some preliminary steps, necessary before you actually construct the home page:

Preliminary Step 1: Make an inventory with all the logos of all the websites and applications you use the most. Make sure you crop them to a maximum of 200 x 200 pixels. That’s what mine are.
Preliminary Step 2: Create a folder on your computer and call it “Homepage”. This is where you will store the home webpage. Create another folder under this directory and call it “images”. Save all the image files of your favorite websites and applications under the “images” directory.

Now let’s delve into the meat of the matter:
Step 1: Open Word and Click ‘New”. Setup your margins to 1 all around (you might get a message saying that Word needs to have a very small margin even if you selected 0. That’s OK – just accept whatever Word wants). Setup the “Page Orientation” to “Landscape”.
Step 2: Insert a table with 5 columns and 4 rows. The top row will house the categories. I established “Business”, “Social Media”, “Email”, Resources” and “News”. Of course, yours might be different.
Step 3: Click inside Column1, Row 2 and insert your first image related to business. Let’s say it’s your login page of your blog or maybe your company’s website.
Step 4: Highlight the image and click “Insert / Hyperlink”. Fill in the information as seen below:

Step 5: Continue with all the other images. If you have an application or a specific file you want to create a link to just navigate through “Start / Computer” and find the file. Copy the path and then switch to your Word document and past it in the “Address” field for the “Hyperlink”.
Step 6: Once you finished save the file as a “Web Page” under the “Homepage” directory you created in the Preliminary Step 2 like so:

Call it “My Home Page” or whatever you want and presto! You got yourself a customized dashboard. All you have left is to actually tell your browser where to find that page. Read on to find out how to do it:
Step 7: Go back to the “Computer” and find the path to the file you just created. Copy the path, switch to your web browser.
Step 8: Click on “Settings” and then “Internet Options”. Under the “General” tab the first field is “Home”. Past the path in that field and click “Apply” to save your new settings.

That’s it! If you don’t feel like going through the whole Word setup thing, just download the template here and feel free to modify it any way you want. Let me know how it goes and if I can help in any way; I am curious to see how your dashboards look like cause I’m loving mine.

Does negativity and destructive criticism pay off? Do you get more attention (after attempting to conquer stardom through decent cyber mannerism) if your articles are a collection of ironies and “so you think” tasteful jokes? Perez Hilton and folks running blogs based on criticism only seem to prove that this strategy works. 

The idea of writing about negativity in the cyber world came after watching a documentary called “Heckler” on HBO. The show was put together by comedian Jamie Kennedy as a response to the merciless treatment he encountered from the blogging community after the release of his movie “Son of the Mask”.  The documentary was an interesting piece of television, exposing the devastating effects the critics and their comments have upon actors in general and Jamie Kennedy in particular.

The idea of defending Jamie Kennedy is far from me and this article is not intended to polish his or anyone else’s image. I am merely pointing out that even if you disagree with someone’s performance, I believe you lower your writing standards to morally attack and individual based on the simple fact that his/her performance in some kind of theatrical act was poor or lacked enthusiasm at the box office. 

Are we so morally handicapped that we chose such a vitriolic attitude towards our fellow men just so we can have our 15 minutes of fame? Do we feel obligated (some might call it “the right to an opinion”) to obliterate someone’s character by wishing death upon them? Seriously? Just because a movie was not really up to viewer’s standards? I wonder what would this world be if very actor would be Oscar material.

It takes a fool to destroy 10 things but 10 smart ones to create one thing. – Romanian Proverb

At least Jamie Kennedy tries to create something – comedy, movies and ultimately a successful career and I wish him all the luck. What do these so called “critics” have to show for themselves?  Scahdenfreude.

So what does this have to do with blogging? Well, I happen to believe that bloggers employ a mighty sword – the written word; very often those who have nothing to create chose to abuse it and cause unnecessary pain. If you don’t like something, shouldn’t be enough to simply state that? I thought freedom is about being entitled to your opinion but it’s also about being decent and respectful.

It is widely believed that creating controversy and behaving like jack-asses, the spot light turns towards us, elevating our egos on the plateau of expertise and mystery generators. Pepper that with a dust of intellectual irony and a pinch of comic wisdom and you got yourself a savory concoction of self-indulgent pie a la mode.

My advice – be the better man (or woman) and leave these acid comments buried deep in that dark part of your reptilian brain. Don’t succumb to this destructive behavior by joining forces with non-creators. Instead do something constructive and each day be at peace with your conscience that you have made a positive impact upon this green earth.

Describe and take position when you don’t like a person’s performance, a service or a product but don’t just attack the person. It is immoral and considered poor form. Your blog might be popular but at the end of the day, people will still think you are a jerk. Can you live with yourself knowing that you are the source of pain inflected upon another human being? I guess lots of people can.

I can’t. 

Her are some rules I picked up from www.therealitycheck.org. This was posted by Patricia Nordman in the article called “Accepting our Fellow Men and Women”:

1. I WILL MIND MY OWN BUSINESS. This is the cardinal rule of tolerance. What we don’t know perhaps can’t hurt us, but what we do know can hurt others when we pass it on for the sake of some excitement. If someone confides in us it is our duty to treat his confidences as a sacred trust. 

2. I WILL REMEMBER THAT I AM NOT INFALLIBLE. I cannot possibly be aware of all the motives and circumstances that cause a person to act as he does. Were I forced to wear the shoes of someone whom I am tempted to criticize or condemn, I might find the pinch even more unbearable than he does.

3. I WILL VALUE INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES. It would be a dreary world if we were all alike. There are people who want to go where the action is, and people who prefer to contemplate what the action is about. We need both kinds. We need people of differing tastes and abilities.

4. I WILL DO MY OWN THINKING AND FORM MY OWN OPINIONS. Too often our first impressions of people are colored by what we have heard about them, in all probability from prejudiced persons. We can’t always avoid hearing gossip, but we can refuse to be influenced by it.

In the spirit of “Turkey Day” I am taking this opportunity and give thanks to:

• My entire family who puts up with me on a daily basis, especially since I have embarked on this roller-coaster called “blogging”
• All my friends who’ve been extremely supportive
• All the other struggling bloggers out there who put in a lot of effort into their articles (their constant posting is my inspiration)
• Special thanks to my kids – Gabriela and Nic who this year will spend this Thanksgiving without me. Thanks for hanging in there guys! Can’t wait to see you on Christmas

Today, I believe this article is very inspirational. It’s on Michael Dunlop’s blog – Income Diary. The article is called “Where 14 Top Internet Businesses Got Started” and it presents the start-up locations for Facebook, Google, Digg and many others. Quite interesting to see the modest environment where these great ideas were created.

Today I decided to show everyone where 14 of my favorite top internet businesses were started. Just goes to show you that you don’t have to start with an office etc. A good number started from dorm rooms and their bedrooms with just a laptop.

Some of the images are a little dodgy — but remember 11 years ago we did not have the highly sophisticated digital cameras we have today….
Read the entire article here

When I came to America, I found out one of the most amazing things ever – you can actually make money by tapping into people’s hunger to understand how the mind operates and what action can be taken so lives are fundamentally changed. This wave of actions towards understanding the power of the mind was championed at the time by one of the biggest names out there – Tony Robbins.

I never really believed all the hoopla but some episodes in my life made me a believer. Despite huge quantities of ink poured over the subject, the power of the mind is still a hot subject in the continuous quest of mankind of understanding and applying – mind over matter.

To me the fundamentals that you have to adopt in order to have a fulfilled life are:

1. DEFINE THE DREAM

Picture what you want (your dreams no matter how crazy they are). Make yourself a list, wallpaper on your computer with the dreams that make you happy.

2. BE YOUR OWN CHURCH

Strongly believe and constantly reassure yourself that you can achieve your dreams, so much so that nobody or nothing can stop you from believing in yourself and your ability to get there. Barriers to a strong self belief include:

• Lack of support: This is often due to lack of belief of the people around you and you cannot afford to let bring you down in anyway. Surround yourself with positive people who can positively influence your life.
• Lack of results: In time even the strongest wither and quit. That can be done by almost anyone. It takes strength and character to overcome this obstacle. See it as a challenge; just because it hadn’t happen yet doesn’t mean it will never happen. Keep working on your dream and adapt it according to your situation; eventually you will get where you need to be. (see the entire article here on 7 Reasones Why We Fail)

3. DO YOU HAVE A MAP?

Create a map on how will you accomplish your dreams; a very detailed map. Follow it every day to get closer to the completion of achieving your dreams.

4. LEARN, LEARN & LEARN AGAIN

Study, read and learn something every day. Develop a strong passion for learning, and be extremely positive about everyday challenges. Pick up a hobby, watch a meaningful show on TV, do some research on the internet, etc.

5. LOVE YOUR LIFE

Eat well balanced meals and exercise on a daily basis. Preferably find a sport or something that you enjoy and makes you want to keep doing it regularly. Even better if one of your dreams involves exercise to get there.

Affirmations

Self belief is the hardest thing for most people. It leads people to procrastinate, to lose focus and abandon their dreams; skepticism and lack of belief will very fast conduct to giving up at the very first obstacle.

I start reading about affirmations and soon I came to find out that if you repeat the same statement out loud every single day for 5 minutes a day for 90 days, you will reprogram your subconscious mind to take on that new belief.

Don’t believe me? Just try it – you’ve got nothing to lose.

Here are my affirmations:

“I create the life of my dreams”
“I am always achieving my goals”
“I receive unexpected financial bonuses every day”

Feel free to use mine or create your own. Just make sure you make them at the present tense. If you start with “I will do this and that…” it might just happen but only in the future and never take place in the present.

Good luck and I hope to hear from you to see how things are going in your process of reprogramming your subconscious mind.

Why we fail in Business

What makes this 3% special? Do they have special powers? Maybe more brains than you and I put together? Maybe they are just lucky…

Here’s my list of reasons why people fail in business:

1. You picked the wrong thing to do

As a human being you have a certain set of skills and talents. These can be emphasized, cultured and honed to the point where it can make you an expert in that field that require these certain skills and talents. If for instance you are very passionate about travelling around the world that doesn’t mean necessarily that you can become a travel agent.

You might lack those certain skills (even inter-personal ones) that give you the advantage over other travel agents; unless you want to become a mediocre travel agent and that’s another story all together. I am talking here about being the best you can be not some hobby you just want to transform into a business and you think you might be able to pull it off.

Conclusion: Make an inventory of the talents you have, the skills you can acquire and forcefully direct them towards a business that require having these elements in order to be successful.

Example:
Albert Einstein played a mean violin but he knew early on that he will never be the best at it so he focused on something else and we all know how that turned out for him.

Michael Jordan has a short career in baseball between 1993 and 1994 but the majority of the public know him for “…the greatest basketball player of all time”. Michael understood that basketball is the field where he is and will be the best of the best.

2. You Focus On Now and Immediate Instead of the Long Term

ADD is something a lot of us have. Few even acknowledge it, but we all want the rewards for our work to be immediate and plentiful. Who wouldn’t? But remember that great things take time and almost never happen over night otherwise we would probably have had cars and electricity, computer and iPods, cheese in a can and walks on the Moon within the first months of the 20th century.

Didn’t happen. You know why? Because (thank God!) we had inventors who had visions of tomorrow and saw many years in the future. Because we have entrepreneurs who catch glimpses of the future and do not balk at the troubles of today; because you have to forget about now and focus on the tomorrow.

“What’s in it for me?” – You hear this a lot. Well – a lot is in for you. The question is: “Will you have the necessary patience to see it?” Whatever it is that you are doing – picture yourself with the end result at hand. Imagine yourself in that position of being victorious with the prize you wanted. Nothing happens immediate. God created the world in 7 days. Are you seeing at least that much into the future of your business?

3. You Are Not Serious About Your Business

So you found something you are qualified to do, you start your business and you see a bright future for yourself…but you don’t quite believe in it. You start treating your business as an “I’ll try this for a while and see what happens.”

If you already start thinking like that – forget it. Quit now and save money and time. Mostly – save your sanity.
If you decided this is your thing then make it – YOUR THING. Live and breathe what you do. Give it 100% without thinking this is a hobby; without thinking “whatever happens”.

Think of it as jumping in the water without a raft. All you have is your swimming skills. What would you do then? Give it a shot? I don’t think so – you would fight to stay afloat, fight for your life and do whatever you can to head for solid ground.

Do the same for your business. Become your business and I promise you: The solid land you are seeking – is the Promise Land you never thought existed.

4. You Lose Interest

Some time has passed and you still feel very strongly about your business but not much has happened. “Clients are hard to come by, the mortgage is due and the kids got the flu. The mother-in-law just moved in. Maybe this business thing is just not for me.”

Did you know that Microsoft failed 2 when launching Windows, 4 times to complete Word and 3 times Excel?

Imagine a world without these software packages we learned to love (some more than others). Imagine the team in charge with the completion of these projects at their 3rd try with Microsoft Word. Do you think they said “Well – third time’s a charm!”? You probably have the answer to this question installed on the PC you are currently reading this stuff on.

For some reason – things start happening exactly after you lost interest. Would you like to go down in history as the one who tried and quit just before it all happened? Would you like to have that regret your whole life that if you would have just hanged in there several more days you could have had it all?

That’s a heavy feeling. I certainly don’t want that on my conscience. Why would you?

5. You Run out of Time

That’s a legitimate concern. Sure. And in some instances there is nothing you can do about it. You cannot decide or control time but maybe you can control the time you put into your business. Maybe your schedule is so hectic you forgot to do the important things for your business.

Do you have a daily schedule and stick with it throughout the day?

If not – here’s a little trick:

• Before you wrap up for the day, make a list of the things you need to take care the next business day.
• When you start your new day, revise the list and change it with all the other things you have pushed to the back of your mind but yesterday forgot about them.
• Prioritize the list.
• Write down the approximate time you are willing to spend on each item to have them completed.
• If you have “time at the dentist with the little one” – mark that. That’s nothing more important than your family. Not even your business so it can wait.
• Cross the things you complete.

Keep a record of all the things you have accomplished on a daily basis and every weekend, during the morning coffee while everyone else is still asleep – revisit and read what you have done. You will be surprised how many things will jump at you. You will get ideas on how to follow up with some of your clients, ways to improve something within your business, etc.

6. You run out of money

This is really a tough one. Sometimes you might have to borrow, or even cut back on your expenses. Sometimes you plainly cannot do anything else short of robbing a bank or praying for a winning lottery ticket.

If that’s the case – the only advice I can give is this:

• Make a budget
• Follow it to the letter
• Cut whatever you can
• Make realistic estimates of business expenses (you should have done that before you went into that business anyway)
• Take on a partner, maybe a family member that can contribute financially and even professionally to the business

7. You Lack Perseverance

This kinda goes hand in hand with number 6 – Lost interest but not quite. It’s one thing to get bored or even annoyed with your business and another to love it but lose the will to continue it.

I believe this is the most important point in this whole article. I know I failed 100% of the time in all my businesses because I didn’t keep going. The first bad thing that would happen with my business I would immediately retire into 1000 reasons why this is not working and most importantly – it was never my fault. It always was someone or something else (i.e. marketing people lied to me, the bank tricked me with the loan, there are no clients left, I have the flue – what do you want me to do? I need a new suit – I cannot show up like this in front of clients, etc. etc.)

You can have all the other traits but without perseverance – you got nothing.

Let’s do a little exercise:Say you were given a rock and an infinite supply of water. You are required to break the rock by using the water one drop at a time. Your life depends on breaking that rock just by employing a stream of dripping water. How many people do you think will do it?

If you answered “less than 1%” you are right. And now you understand why 1% owns most wealth in this world and why the rest will struggle and keep on struggling to the end of their lives, when their children will continue on the same path their parents have taken.

Folks – the system wants you to fail. Will you make your own destiny or let others make it for you?