Hello all you chicken followers out there! Hope your day is going great! I just wanted to make a VIP announcement to the Soul Food Revolution: I have set a release date for my new book, ‘The Daddy I Never Had.’ It is scheduled to release on August 15 and will be sold as an e-book only. We will keep you updated as things progress and might throw a few surprise’s at you as we get ready for this new project!

Thanks again for your continued support and please keep spreading the word about the Soul Food Revolution!

Tags: book

My wife and I were cooking dinner for our family last night and doing our usual exchange of, “So, how was your day?” I began telling my wife about running into a friend of mine who has his hands in many little startup companies and is really embodying the entrepreneur’s spirit. She shook her head, smiled, and gave a bit of a chuckle, implying that my friend has bitten off more than he could chew.

photo credit: Licht in Sicht

And then it occurred to me: doing business and coming up with (and executing) new ideas is a lot like archery. Now I haven’t picked up a bow in many years, but hear me out. Let’s say you have a quiver of arrows on your back, and in your lifetime you only take one arrow and shoot it down range, fully expecting a bulls eye. Slim chance unless you’re an expert archer and marksman. What’s wrong with being the type of archer who is grabbing multiple arrows and taking lots of different shots, sometimes at different targets? Which archer is going to have a better shot at the bulls eye. That bulls eye could be the next big thing.

Whether you apply this to business or even spending time doing something new with your family, I think we should shoot many arrows. Many will be a hit, some will be a complete bust, but at least you had the courage to try.

Scott Knauer is a web and graphic designer based in Clovis, New Mexico. Scottdot.com is his personal blog & website.

Tags: business, courage, goals, success

Our last principle that we are highlighting this week seems the most simplistic on the surface, but requires the most personal strength of all: persistence.

Knowing that I have already made changes in my life that will last forever, today I insert the final piece of the puzzle. I posses the greatest power ever bestowed upon mankind, the power of choice. Today, I choose to persist without exception. I know the outcome I desire. I hold fast to my dreams. I stay the course. I do not quit. I will persist without exception. I will continue despite exhaustion. I compare myself to my potential. I am not average. I see exhaustion as a precursor to victory. By persisting without exception, my outcome-my success- is assured. I will persist without exception. I focus on results. To achieve the results I desire, it is not even necessary that I enjoy the process. It is only important that I continue the process with my eyes on the outcome. An athlete does not enjoy the pain of training; an athlete enjoys the results of having trained. A young falcon is pushed from the nest, afraid and tumbling from the cliff. The pain of learning to fly cannot be an enjoyable experience, but the anguish of learning to fly is quickly forgotten as the falcon soars to the heavens. I will persist without exception. I am a person of great faith. In Jeremiah, my Creator declares, ‘For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ From this day forward, I will claim a faith in the certainty of my future. I have faith in my future. I do not look to the left or right. I look forward. I can only persist. For me, faith will always be a sounder guide than reason because reason can only go so far-faith has no limits. I will expect miracles in my life because faith produces them every day. I will believe in the future that I do not see. That is faith. And the reward of this faith is to see the future I believed. I will continue despite exhaustion. I focus on results. I am a person of great faith. I will persist without exception.

Excerpt taken from The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews. Also, follow Andy on Twitter.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: accomplishments, books, change, courage

Next to last, but certainly not least is the principle of forgiveness: “I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit”

At this moment, my life has taken on new hope and assurance. I now understand that forgiveness has value only when it is given away. By the simple act of granting forgiveness, I release the demons of the past about which I can do nothing, and I create in myself a new heart, a new beginning. I will greet his day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive even those who do not ask for forgiveness. I will now and forevermore silently offer my forgiveness even to those who do not see that they need it. By the act of forgiving, I am not longer consumed by unproductive thoughts. I give up bitterness. I am content in my soul and effective again with my fellow man. I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive those who criticize me unjustly. I am not a slave. I have chosen my counsel. I know the difference between right and wrong. I know what is best for the future of my family, and neither misguided opinion nor unjust criticism will alter my course. I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive myself. For many years, my greatest enemy has been myself. I realize today that it is impossible to fight an enemy living in my head. By forgiving myself, I erase the doubts, fears, and frustration that have kept my past in the present. From this day forward, my history will cease to control my destiny. I have forgiven myself. My life has just begun. I will forgive even those who do not ask for forgiveness. I will forgive those who criticize me unjustly. I will forgive myself. I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit.

Excerpt taken from The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews. Also, follow Andy on Twitter.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: books, change, courage, relationships

The fifth of the seven principles to success this week is “I will choose to be happy.”

Beginning this very moment, I am a happy person, for I now truly understand the concept of happiness. Happiness is a choice. Happiness is the end result of certain thoughts and activities, which actually bring about a chemical reaction in my body. This reaction results in a euphoria that, while elusive to some, is totally under my control. Today I will choose to be happy. I will greet each day with laughter. Within moments of awakening, I will laugh for seven seconds. Even after such a small period of time, excitement has begun to flow through my bloodstream. I feel different. I am different! I am enthusiastic about the day. I am alert to its possibilities. I am happy! Laughter is an outward expression of enthusiasm, and I know that enthusiasm is the fuel that moves the world. I laugh throughout the day. I laugh while I am alone, and I laugh in conversation with others. People are drawn to me because I have laughter in my heart. The world belongs to the enthusiastic, for people will follow them anywhere! Today I will choose to be happy. I smile at every person I meet. My smile has become my calling card. My smile has the strength to forge bonds, break ice, and calm storms. I will use my smile constantly. Because of my smile, the people with whom I come in contact on a daily basis will choose to further my causes and follow my leadership. I will always smile first. That particular display of a good attitude will tell others what I expect in return. My smile is the key to my emotional makeup. A wise man once said, ‘ I do not sing because I am happy; I am happy because I sing!’ When I choose to smile, I become the master of my emotions. The power of who I am is displayed when I smile. Today I will choose to be happy. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit. Just as the fresh breeze cleans smoke from the air, so a grateful spirit removes the cloud of despair. It is impossible for the seed of depression to take root in a thankful heart. My God has bestowed upon me many gifts, and for these I will remember to be grateful. I am grateful for sight and sound and breath. I will greet each day with laughter. I will smile at every person I meet. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit. Today I will choose to be happy.

Excerpt taken from The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews. Also, follow Andy on Twitter.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: books, change, choices, happiness, kindness, positivity