Posts
In a few hours, I'm going to be leaving for Spain. I'm going with my family to visit my uncle there who I haven't seen in about 7 years. It should be a fun time!
Although I'm really looking forward to this trip, I'm gonna be missing a few things here while I'm gone. Since it's the beginning of fall, and school is about to start, I will probably be missing a few windows of opportunities to get myself, as well as my stuff out there. But, it's gonna be a long school year, so I'm confident some more windows will open. I am also starting a new tradition called "Thank You Card Tuesday", which is an idea I got from a friend of mine (I will discuss this in a future post). As far as the sports side is concerned, I will be missing the kickoff to the college football season. I am especially disappointed that I'll be missing my school's big opener when my Maryland Terrapins play Cal. But, I should be back in time for the NFL football season, as I will be getting back on Tuesday September 8th.
But, while I'm gone, definitely take some time to check out, and even possibly get my work. Check out my websites at ULTIMATECRASHCOURSE.COM and OBEDOZA.COM. My books and CDs are also available in Amazon. Since school is starting, need I say they make a great gift for students!!!
Don't think I'll be on Facebook that much, but I may have access to occasional e-mail, so if you feel you have to, feel free to write to me a john@johnobedoza.com. I doubt I'll have be blogging while I'm there, but I'll be sure to blog about my adventures when I get back.
Lastly, I want to wish my brother Anthony a happy birthday. He's 29 today. (We're only 10 months and 9 days apart, you know).
Until then... ¡Adios!
D4P...PD!!!
John
8/31/09
8/26/09
RIP Ted Kennedy
When I woke up this morning, the first thing I heard was that Ted Kennedy passed away.
I don't have to write a big long blog to honor Ted Kennedy, since his legacy doesn't need explaining, and everything he's done for this world can explain itself. But, he was truly one of those people who truly changed the world for the better. He worked as a US Senator for almost 57 years. I truly doubt many people can stay at any job for 6 decades, much more a job that has to do with helping to legislate a top world power.
Even without the the last name, this man was a legacy upon his own. RIP Ted Kennedy.
I don't have to write a big long blog to honor Ted Kennedy, since his legacy doesn't need explaining, and everything he's done for this world can explain itself. But, he was truly one of those people who truly changed the world for the better. He worked as a US Senator for almost 57 years. I truly doubt many people can stay at any job for 6 decades, much more a job that has to do with helping to legislate a top world power.
Even without the the last name, this man was a legacy upon his own. RIP Ted Kennedy.
8/25/09
A Friend of Mine is a Champ
On August 8th, my good friend Adrian won his first ever mixed martial arts match via a 12 second KO, and a day later, I blogged about it. Two short weeks later, on August 22, he won again, in the first round, but only it's a title match. This time in 2 minutes, with a TKO on strikes. It's not a 12 second knockout, but now he's a light heavyweight champion in the VFL (Valley Fight League) MMA Promotion! How cool is that??
Didn't I say this guy was going places? Two months in the game, and two short fights, and the guy is already a champion! WOW! That's amazing if you ask me. If all goes right, he's the next big MMA star here in the DC area... and from there, who knows?
Definitely proud of the guy. (And even prouder of the fact that he's a friend of mine, and I can say that I've been there since the beginning.) That in itself is a big story of inspiration. He's looking for sponsors people, so if you know anyone who would like to support the next big thing... don't miss out on a good opportunity!
D4P...PD!!!
John
Didn't I say this guy was going places? Two months in the game, and two short fights, and the guy is already a champion! WOW! That's amazing if you ask me. If all goes right, he's the next big MMA star here in the DC area... and from there, who knows?
Definitely proud of the guy. (And even prouder of the fact that he's a friend of mine, and I can say that I've been there since the beginning.) That in itself is a big story of inspiration. He's looking for sponsors people, so if you know anyone who would like to support the next big thing... don't miss out on a good opportunity!
D4P...PD!!!
John
8/23/09
Your Starting Point
I just want to take some time to recommend a good book...
That book is called "Your Starting Point For Student Success", written by a good friend of mine, Arel Moodie. I first met him at a conference in Los Angeles last December, and he's one really impressive guy. He and his buddy started an off-campus housing locator business in college, he's been featured in a few publications and best selling books as a young entrepreneur, and he's one of the top college speakers in the county. In fact, he's known as "America's Top Young Speaker".
Now he's written his own book. And believe me, it's worth your time! His book "Your Starting Point..." is a book written for high school and college students. He discusses his "Five Pillars of Success" that you need to be successful in school and in life. In fact, I recommend this book to not only students in high school and college, but students of life (which is everyone).
Feel free to read the review I left for his book in Amazon. You can really see how much I really believe in it.
But to make things short, a lot of the stuff Arel discusses in this book are actual no-BS content that you can apply. From reading, learning, and being immersed as a student of self-improvement, I consider myself an expert on that field. And, even I came out extremely fulfilled after reading the book. Plus, he managed to infuse his own fun personality in this book, which made it really fun and very easy to read. I'm as dyslexic as it gets, and I finished this book in a little over a couple of hours.
But, don't take my word for it. I'll let Arel himself tell you about his book...
School is starting soon, so go ahead and get his book by searching for it at Amazon.com or at his website at yourstartingpointonline.com. While you're at it, as a complimentary supplement, don't forget to get "It All Starts With You" and "You Are Awesome" as well (feel free to also click the books to the left).
D4P...PD!!!
John
Me with Arel in at the APCA Student Leadership Conference in NYC in July 2009 (not sure why my mouth was open)
That book is called "Your Starting Point For Student Success", written by a good friend of mine, Arel Moodie. I first met him at a conference in Los Angeles last December, and he's one really impressive guy. He and his buddy started an off-campus housing locator business in college, he's been featured in a few publications and best selling books as a young entrepreneur, and he's one of the top college speakers in the county. In fact, he's known as "America's Top Young Speaker".
Now he's written his own book. And believe me, it's worth your time! His book "Your Starting Point..." is a book written for high school and college students. He discusses his "Five Pillars of Success" that you need to be successful in school and in life. In fact, I recommend this book to not only students in high school and college, but students of life (which is everyone).
Feel free to read the review I left for his book in Amazon. You can really see how much I really believe in it.
But to make things short, a lot of the stuff Arel discusses in this book are actual no-BS content that you can apply. From reading, learning, and being immersed as a student of self-improvement, I consider myself an expert on that field. And, even I came out extremely fulfilled after reading the book. Plus, he managed to infuse his own fun personality in this book, which made it really fun and very easy to read. I'm as dyslexic as it gets, and I finished this book in a little over a couple of hours.
But, don't take my word for it. I'll let Arel himself tell you about his book...
School is starting soon, so go ahead and get his book by searching for it at Amazon.com or at his website at yourstartingpointonline.com. While you're at it, as a complimentary supplement, don't forget to get "It All Starts With You" and "You Are Awesome" as well (feel free to also click the books to the left).
D4P...PD!!!
John
Me with Arel in at the APCA Student Leadership Conference in NYC in July 2009 (not sure why my mouth was open)
8/22/09
Ladies... BE CAREFUL!!!
I believe it was this past Wednesday evening when I was flipping through the channels on the TV. I stopped on CNN's Headline News channel, and the Nancy Grace Show was on. The show was headlined with the murder of professional model Jasmine Fiore. I don't know much about her as a model, nor as a person so I can't elaborate too much on that (but just from simply seeing a few of the pictures, just want to let you know that she probably wasn't my "type", lookswise). Feel free to Google her to see her sites and to pick up some general information.
But to make a long story short, her body was found last Saturday, naked, mutilated, and folded in a suitcase, and thrown into a dumpster in California. It was found that she was strangled to death. To top it off, the prime suspect of this case is a successful real estate agent, who is currently a reality show contestant in VH1.
When I saw this story, it definitely caught my attention. The reason why, is that people who know me know I have sort of a soft spot for women, specifically, beautiful model-types. In fact, there are a select few whom I've met (and haven't met) that I consider friends. (I actually hung out with a Playboy Centerfold, and I asked another model I always highly admired to endorse me.) I was thinking that if something like this happened to any of the beautiful ladies I knew, it would really make my heart sink.
I will reserve my full personal opinions about this case, since I don't personally know all the facts. But, I just want to say to all the ladies out there (models and non-models alike)... BE CAREFUL! Be careful with your actions, be careful with who you keep company, and be careful with how you carry yourself. Most of the time, people generally have the perception that the more beautiful and "established" you are, the more "desired" you are. Though it can lead to great things, it also can also lead to not so great things (as was the case here).
So to all the ladies out there, love yourself enough to be you and stay sweet, but at the same token do the same to always be wary with your surroundings with a watchful eye. You can seriously never be too careful out there.
My thoughts and prayers go out to anyone who's been affected by this tragedy. RIP JF.
D4P...PD
John
But to make a long story short, her body was found last Saturday, naked, mutilated, and folded in a suitcase, and thrown into a dumpster in California. It was found that she was strangled to death. To top it off, the prime suspect of this case is a successful real estate agent, who is currently a reality show contestant in VH1.
When I saw this story, it definitely caught my attention. The reason why, is that people who know me know I have sort of a soft spot for women, specifically, beautiful model-types. In fact, there are a select few whom I've met (and haven't met) that I consider friends. (I actually hung out with a Playboy Centerfold, and I asked another model I always highly admired to endorse me.) I was thinking that if something like this happened to any of the beautiful ladies I knew, it would really make my heart sink.
I will reserve my full personal opinions about this case, since I don't personally know all the facts. But, I just want to say to all the ladies out there (models and non-models alike)... BE CAREFUL! Be careful with your actions, be careful with who you keep company, and be careful with how you carry yourself. Most of the time, people generally have the perception that the more beautiful and "established" you are, the more "desired" you are. Though it can lead to great things, it also can also lead to not so great things (as was the case here).
So to all the ladies out there, love yourself enough to be you and stay sweet, but at the same token do the same to always be wary with your surroundings with a watchful eye. You can seriously never be too careful out there.
My thoughts and prayers go out to anyone who's been affected by this tragedy. RIP JF.
D4P...PD
John
Full Speed Ahead!!!
By now, everyone probably knows who Usain Bolt is. He is the Jamaican sprinter who everyone took notice of in last year's Olympics. That guy is setting world records left and right. Not only that, he is totally destroying his closest competitors. Have you seen his latest 200 time? 19.19! That is SICK!! Here's a video I found of that race in YouTube...
The question whether or not he is on steroids will always come into question. Many people are worshiping him now, but if he ever gets tested positive, watch how soon people will turn on him and say that "it's not surprising". Regardless, whether he is juicing or not, what he has done is still impressive, and out of this world. When Ben Johnson was juicing, he didn't have the 100 time that Bolt had (9.79 compared to 9.58).
But another intriguing story in the world of track has to do with the South African Caster Semenya. She is a lady runner and is also destroying everybody in her field. The controversy with her is, is she really a woman? Here's a picture...
A lot of people probably have their opinions on her, and I personally will reserve mine. But, I will say that it must be pretty embarrassing for her to be hearing that people are publicly questioning your gender. Hell, I'd be embarrassed if that seriously ever happened to me. However, all that shouldn't take away that she's a great athlete though, and she deserves everything that she has gotten.
(As with many other posts in this blog, I'm sure you can get a few subtle motivational messages from reading this post. I'll let you figure them out for yourself.)
D4P... PD!!!
John
The question whether or not he is on steroids will always come into question. Many people are worshiping him now, but if he ever gets tested positive, watch how soon people will turn on him and say that "it's not surprising". Regardless, whether he is juicing or not, what he has done is still impressive, and out of this world. When Ben Johnson was juicing, he didn't have the 100 time that Bolt had (9.79 compared to 9.58).
But another intriguing story in the world of track has to do with the South African Caster Semenya. She is a lady runner and is also destroying everybody in her field. The controversy with her is, is she really a woman? Here's a picture...
A lot of people probably have their opinions on her, and I personally will reserve mine. But, I will say that it must be pretty embarrassing for her to be hearing that people are publicly questioning your gender. Hell, I'd be embarrassed if that seriously ever happened to me. However, all that shouldn't take away that she's a great athlete though, and she deserves everything that she has gotten.
(As with many other posts in this blog, I'm sure you can get a few subtle motivational messages from reading this post. I'll let you figure them out for yourself.)
D4P... PD!!!
John
8/20/09
What's the Deal???
Four updates in the first 24 hours of the blog, then only 8 in the next couple of weeks? So... "what da dilly yo?!"
Anyway, like I said in the first entry, there is no set pattern or consistency as to when I'll blog. Just been up to a couple things over the past couple of weeks, so I wasn't quite up to it. But, rest assured, I do have a few topics that I wanna hit during the next couple weeks or so. I have a couple books I read that I want to give props to, got some sports to talk about (Bolt is the man), a couple of news topics that I want to hit (RIP Jasmine Fiore), not to mention, football season is in the horizon. Plus, I will be going to Spain in the end of the month (so I'm sure there are a few things I want to talk about). But on top of all that, I still promised my buddies in Facebook that I'll publish my "bucket list" (a la Ted Leonsis). So yeah, there's definitely a few things to look forward to in this blog.
All I can say is stay tuned. As far as this blog is concerned, demand nothing, but expect anything.
D4P...PD!!!
John
Anyway, like I said in the first entry, there is no set pattern or consistency as to when I'll blog. Just been up to a couple things over the past couple of weeks, so I wasn't quite up to it. But, rest assured, I do have a few topics that I wanna hit during the next couple weeks or so. I have a couple books I read that I want to give props to, got some sports to talk about (Bolt is the man), a couple of news topics that I want to hit (RIP Jasmine Fiore), not to mention, football season is in the horizon. Plus, I will be going to Spain in the end of the month (so I'm sure there are a few things I want to talk about). But on top of all that, I still promised my buddies in Facebook that I'll publish my "bucket list" (a la Ted Leonsis). So yeah, there's definitely a few things to look forward to in this blog.
All I can say is stay tuned. As far as this blog is concerned, demand nothing, but expect anything.
D4P...PD!!!
John
8/17/09
Various Quotes on Criticism
Just want to share a few various quotes about giving criticism (as well as taking them). I'm not quite sure where I heard these quotes, or if I made them up myself (if they're not mine, they are paraphrased in some other way). However, these quotes just happened to pop straight out of my head because I had a big argument with someone I cared about over the weekend, and afterwards I did some serious thinking and praying before I went to bed last night. The ones that I know aren't mine, I placed the source in parentheses ( )...
"Examine before you assume."
"Assuming only makes you begin to look how that word starts."
"When you crack a whip, you better be ready for some backlash. If you're not willing to accept any backlash, you have no business having a whip in your hands. Criticism is like a whip."
"Before you criticize anything, imagine yourself in the object, situation, person you are speaking against."
"When you point your finger at something, there's always three pointing right back at you." (Various)
"When people say things out of line about you that you know is absolutely untrue, if you truly know and love yourself, nothing will bother you."
"To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." (Newton)
"When others talk to you, examine how close they are to you or if they have your best interests in mind. That way, you can determine if they are criticizing you 'out of love'."
(On the flipside...) "A person may have the best intentions for you, but that doesn't mean this same person knows what's best for you."
"Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed on an equal or greater benefit." (Napoleon Hill)
Most of these have to do with the situation I was in. These quotes can be about me or about the person I was arguing with (I'll let you find that out for yourself). Regardless, if you ever get into an argument and are dishing and taking your share of criticisms, these are good quotes to remember.
D4P...PD!!!
John
"Examine before you assume."
"Assuming only makes you begin to look how that word starts."
"When you crack a whip, you better be ready for some backlash. If you're not willing to accept any backlash, you have no business having a whip in your hands. Criticism is like a whip."
"Before you criticize anything, imagine yourself in the object, situation, person you are speaking against."
"When you point your finger at something, there's always three pointing right back at you." (Various)
"When people say things out of line about you that you know is absolutely untrue, if you truly know and love yourself, nothing will bother you."
"To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." (Newton)
"When others talk to you, examine how close they are to you or if they have your best interests in mind. That way, you can determine if they are criticizing you 'out of love'."
(On the flipside...) "A person may have the best intentions for you, but that doesn't mean this same person knows what's best for you."
"Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed on an equal or greater benefit." (Napoleon Hill)
Most of these have to do with the situation I was in. These quotes can be about me or about the person I was arguing with (I'll let you find that out for yourself). Regardless, if you ever get into an argument and are dishing and taking your share of criticisms, these are good quotes to remember.
D4P...PD!!!
John
8/14/09
Quick thoughts on NFL Preseaon and Michael Vick
The NFL Preseason kicked off for most of the league tonight. People tend to get overly excited about it, but personally, I think people make too much of it sometimes. It's not really a good measure to see how good your favorite team is going to be, since all the teams are doing is using this time to evaluate their roster. It's hard to get excited, if your team's key players aren't playing, and most of the players who are getting good time will probably not make the team. But, people do get excited for it though, only because people it's really their first taste of a real football game in more than 6 months (which is pretty long of a withdrawal).
My favorite team (the Redskins) played yesterday, and I couldn't say too many opinions due to the reasons I previously mentioned (nor do I want to, since they got punished by the Ravens 23-0). But, like I also said, pre-season is a great way to anticipate and get excited for the upcoming season through excessive marketing and promotion, and it's nothing but a big hype machine until the official start of the season at September 10th officially comes along.
But, the big news today has to do with Michael Vick signing with the Philadelphia Eagles. On paper, the Eagles were already aNFL team that already looks good on paper (barring that they can stay healthy), and them signing Vick would actually be good for them (and as a Skins fan, that would be a little scary).
I didn't like what he's done (smoking pot, killing dogs, etc), but I do believe that he deserves another chance, and I'm glad he got it. It's usually pretty cliche that "people have to be cursed before they can be blessed", and that's potentially the case with Vick here. He had a lot, lost much more, and has a chance to redeem himself. It is unfortunate (for my team) that he would be playing for the Eagles and at the same division. But, there's no doubt that it would be a great and inspiring story if he succeeds though (which is something I would always root for).
Just hoping for the best. Time will only tell...
D4P...PD!!!
John
My favorite team (the Redskins) played yesterday, and I couldn't say too many opinions due to the reasons I previously mentioned (nor do I want to, since they got punished by the Ravens 23-0). But, like I also said, pre-season is a great way to anticipate and get excited for the upcoming season through excessive marketing and promotion, and it's nothing but a big hype machine until the official start of the season at September 10th officially comes along.
But, the big news today has to do with Michael Vick signing with the Philadelphia Eagles. On paper, the Eagles were already aNFL team that already looks good on paper (barring that they can stay healthy), and them signing Vick would actually be good for them (and as a Skins fan, that would be a little scary).
I didn't like what he's done (smoking pot, killing dogs, etc), but I do believe that he deserves another chance, and I'm glad he got it. It's usually pretty cliche that "people have to be cursed before they can be blessed", and that's potentially the case with Vick here. He had a lot, lost much more, and has a chance to redeem himself. It is unfortunate (for my team) that he would be playing for the Eagles and at the same division. But, there's no doubt that it would be a great and inspiring story if he succeeds though (which is something I would always root for).
Just hoping for the best. Time will only tell...
D4P...PD!!!
John
8/12/09
Michael Jackson was a fan of who???
Not many people know this, but Michael Jackson was actually a fan of iconic personal development author Napoleon Hill.
For those who don't know who Napoleon Hill is, he is arguably the one of the greatest forefathers in the field of personal development. The book that he is best known for, "Think and Grow Rich" (first published around the Great Depression), was easily the inspiration to millions of self-help works that followed generations after. In fact, it is well documented that this book, is the main inspiration of "The Secret", which is probably the highest selling, most popuar work on personal development in this generation.
Recently, I read another book of Napoleon Hill titled "Succeed and Grow Rich Through Persuasion" (1991 update). The introduction was written by the late W. Clement Stone, who was great friends with Hill. Stone also mentioned he was friends with Michael Jackson. And in that book's introduction, Stone discussed his friendship and common interests that he shared with Mike during their phone call conversations. One of Michael's biggest heroes was Thomas Edison, whom Hill actually knew pretty well and wrote about a lot. That, in turn, actually got Michael reading (and admiring while applying) Hill's work.
According to the book, not many of his fans actually knew that Michael had a huge interest in the subject of motivation and human achievement (but specifically, Napoleon Hill), due to what his "public persona" has portrayed. But, thinking back on his tremendous success, and the kind of innovative artist that he was who reached hundreds of millions of people with what he did, it probably shouldn't be a surprise.
Anyway, I just thought I'd share this, because it will probably give you something to think about. Not to mention, I actually found this extremely interesting. (I may do a review of this book in the next couple of days if I'm up to it).
D4P...PD!!!
John
(BTW, I actually give a free e-book copy of Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich" to those who actually pick up a copy of either, or all, of my books in some form or another, on my website. It's only appropriate since each of those books were a couple of the millions works that were inspired by this book. CHECK IT!)
For those who don't know who Napoleon Hill is, he is arguably the one of the greatest forefathers in the field of personal development. The book that he is best known for, "Think and Grow Rich" (first published around the Great Depression), was easily the inspiration to millions of self-help works that followed generations after. In fact, it is well documented that this book, is the main inspiration of "The Secret", which is probably the highest selling, most popuar work on personal development in this generation.
Recently, I read another book of Napoleon Hill titled "Succeed and Grow Rich Through Persuasion" (1991 update). The introduction was written by the late W. Clement Stone, who was great friends with Hill. Stone also mentioned he was friends with Michael Jackson. And in that book's introduction, Stone discussed his friendship and common interests that he shared with Mike during their phone call conversations. One of Michael's biggest heroes was Thomas Edison, whom Hill actually knew pretty well and wrote about a lot. That, in turn, actually got Michael reading (and admiring while applying) Hill's work.
According to the book, not many of his fans actually knew that Michael had a huge interest in the subject of motivation and human achievement (but specifically, Napoleon Hill), due to what his "public persona" has portrayed. But, thinking back on his tremendous success, and the kind of innovative artist that he was who reached hundreds of millions of people with what he did, it probably shouldn't be a surprise.
Anyway, I just thought I'd share this, because it will probably give you something to think about. Not to mention, I actually found this extremely interesting. (I may do a review of this book in the next couple of days if I'm up to it).
D4P...PD!!!
John
(BTW, I actually give a free e-book copy of Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich" to those who actually pick up a copy of either, or all, of my books in some form or another, on my website. It's only appropriate since each of those books were a couple of the millions works that were inspired by this book. CHECK IT!)
8/10/09
Something Great to Start the Week...
To get the week off to a right start, I want to share something. The following was actually read in my church this morning, and it actually caught my attention. It's called "True Poverty" which is from a monologue called "First Person Singular". (Written by Judith I. Keefe)
I was full of hope;
The day shone bright and true-
I saw someone approaching,
And I smiled to share my joy!
I smiled to her;
I smiled at her;
I wanted to smile with her-
But she looked at me
And looked away,
And no part of a smile
Fair touched her face at all...
What wrenching, awful poverty
To be so poor
As to have
Not even a smile
To give away.
Closing thoughts... don't be that "poor" person and be part of this "True Poverty". When you go about your week, have that smile to give away and share, and you'll be adding value to those around you!!! (as well as yourself). :-)
D4P...PD!!!
John
I was full of hope;
The day shone bright and true-
I saw someone approaching,
And I smiled to share my joy!
I smiled to her;
I smiled at her;
I wanted to smile with her-
But she looked at me
And looked away,
And no part of a smile
Fair touched her face at all...
What wrenching, awful poverty
To be so poor
As to have
Not even a smile
To give away.
Closing thoughts... don't be that "poor" person and be part of this "True Poverty". When you go about your week, have that smile to give away and share, and you'll be adding value to those around you!!! (as well as yourself). :-)
D4P...PD!!!
John
8/9/09
The Hottest Team in Baseball is...
(Dare I say...) The Washington Nationals???
A team, which earlier in the year, was the laughing stock of baseball when they found out new ways to "drop balls" (literally and figuratively) and lose games. Not to mention, also humiliate themselves off the field, with embarrassing signings (of players past their prime, as well as those who will never be), and by not knowing how to spell their own team name as well as that of the 26th president (while further making a joke out of a proud and tough president by not letting him ever win the President's Race).
Who would've thought they would've managed to pull of 8 wins in a row? I'm not sure how long this will last (and it may probably end pretty soon), but I might as well enjoy it while it's here!
Just goes to show... anything is possible, and if you think that even the lowest situations aren't capable of a little greatness... just look at how the Nats have been playing during the past week. (Another example of "Out-of-the-Box Empowerment", ha!). ;-)
D4P...PD!!!
-John
(Just to clear things up, this blog may make me look like a "bandwagon" fan. To the contrary, I have always supported the Nats ever since they came to DC. As if the numerous "DC" caps aren't a dead giveaway, I've also attended a bunch of games. I will admit though, it has been embarrassingly tough being a Nats fan this year, and it's been tough to talk about them.)
A team, which earlier in the year, was the laughing stock of baseball when they found out new ways to "drop balls" (literally and figuratively) and lose games. Not to mention, also humiliate themselves off the field, with embarrassing signings (of players past their prime, as well as those who will never be), and by not knowing how to spell their own team name as well as that of the 26th president (while further making a joke out of a proud and tough president by not letting him ever win the President's Race).
Who would've thought they would've managed to pull of 8 wins in a row? I'm not sure how long this will last (and it may probably end pretty soon), but I might as well enjoy it while it's here!
Just goes to show... anything is possible, and if you think that even the lowest situations aren't capable of a little greatness... just look at how the Nats have been playing during the past week. (Another example of "Out-of-the-Box Empowerment", ha!). ;-)
D4P...PD!!!
-John
(Just to clear things up, this blog may make me look like a "bandwagon" fan. To the contrary, I have always supported the Nats ever since they came to DC. As if the numerous "DC" caps aren't a dead giveaway, I've also attended a bunch of games. I will admit though, it has been embarrassingly tough being a Nats fan this year, and it's been tough to talk about them.)
Yo Adrian!
I didn't get to see UFC 101 yesterday (as Anderson Silva got a 1st round KO against Forrest Griffin, and BJ Penn defeated Kenny Florian), but for good reason. I got to see a good friend of mine, Adrian Belcarris, win his first Mixed Martial Arts fight. In impressive manner, nonetheless...
Adrian won his match in the first round, in an impressive 12 second knockout with a vicious right hand. This guy was a Maryland wrestling state champion in Oxon Hill High in 2000 (the 2nd in our school's history), but some of us know that as much triumph he's had with his natural abilities (athletic and otherwise), he's also experienced his share of setbacks in his life (which I'm not at liberty to go on record in discussing). But, lets just say that this could be the start of something awesome and very inspiring for Adrian, and I'm very excited for him.
I was definitely proud of my friend yesterday. The value of seeing Adrian win the way he did last night was worth much more than whatever money and time I spent watching him fight instead of watching UFC 101. But, speaking of the UFC, I can definitely look back at this whenever he makes it Vegas and fighting in the Octagon in the next couple of years.
D4P...PD!!!
-John
(Update 8/12: Here's a video of Adrian's fight. You know you did a great job if you were able to fit your ring intro, your fight, and your post match interview, in under 5 1/2 minutes in one take).
Adrian won his match in the first round, in an impressive 12 second knockout with a vicious right hand. This guy was a Maryland wrestling state champion in Oxon Hill High in 2000 (the 2nd in our school's history), but some of us know that as much triumph he's had with his natural abilities (athletic and otherwise), he's also experienced his share of setbacks in his life (which I'm not at liberty to go on record in discussing). But, lets just say that this could be the start of something awesome and very inspiring for Adrian, and I'm very excited for him.
I was definitely proud of my friend yesterday. The value of seeing Adrian win the way he did last night was worth much more than whatever money and time I spent watching him fight instead of watching UFC 101. But, speaking of the UFC, I can definitely look back at this whenever he makes it Vegas and fighting in the Octagon in the next couple of years.
D4P...PD!!!
-John
(Update 8/12: Here's a video of Adrian's fight. You know you did a great job if you were able to fit your ring intro, your fight, and your post match interview, in under 5 1/2 minutes in one take).
8/8/09
John's "Take" (...On a Couple Bloggers He Follows/Followed)
I don't read too many blogs religiously (for the reasons that I mentioned in the first entry). For me to really follow someone's blog, I have to be thoroughly interested in them, captivated by them, and more importantly, have a lot of qualities that I either have, or am striving to have.
One blog that I really loved when it was around was that of Gilbert Arenas (the point guard for the Washington Wizards). From what I remembered of his blog, a lot of his entries were LONG, since he posted once every few days or weeks. But, he was such a captivating and quirky personality, that you can actually see it in his blog, and I usually ended up spending a lot of time reading most of what he wrote down. Some of it was stuff was controversial, and some of his stuff was slightly insightful and gave a nice perspective on how it was like to be one of the top point-guards in the NBA. That's what made his blog great. In fact, if I remembered correctly, Michael Wilbon once said in an episode of "Pardon the Interruption" that Gilbert's blog is the only blog he read. Too bad it's not around anymore though.
Another blog that I enjoy that really comes to mind (that I'll discuss more in detail) is that of Ted Leonsis. He was a former executive of AOL, and is now the owner of the Washington Capitals NHL franchise. If you haven't had a chance to check out his blog "Ted's Take", I encourage you to do so.
In my opinion, despite his success, he really comes out as one of the most genuine owners, and people out there, and in my opinion, he is a gold standard of what people should strive to be. When he was younger, he got into a near fatal accident, and since then, he has compiled a 101-things to do "bucket list", and has done many great things, like start businesses, make millions of dollars, buy the Washington Capitals (and turn them around), while also doing his part to better the world through philantrophy. He has already completed more than 70 items out of 101 in his impressive list, which is pretty impressive. Not only that, he is probably one of the few owners in sports who would take the time to actually interact with his fans, whether it's going to the streets to shake his hand, or allowing fans to send him e-mail. (I actually had a "back-and-forth" with him on Facebook in a few occasions).
In his blog, he covers a lot of stuff, from his day-to-day "involvement" with the Caps, as well as some news and opinions on his many other projects and (like his work in "filmantrophy" in SnagFilms). And, when he gives his opinions, you can tell he really watches how he carries himself, while at the same time, stays absolutely genuine while doing it. When the Caps played the Penguins in the NHL playoffs this past year, I'm sure he may have had opinions on how the series was handled, but he showed class by giving the Penguins nothing but the utmost respect and credit after they won the close series, and later the Stanley Cup. And after reading his blog, you can really sense that winning the Cup is something that he really wants and that he feels that his team is extremely close to getting it done. A lot of owners in sports can actually learn from Ted's humility and class (*cough*Dan Snyder*cough*Mark Cuban*cough*).
As a speaker, and as someone who once worked for a huge media conglomerate at one point, I have been blessed to meet and interact with a good amount of "successful" people (rich, famous, or both). Although I haven't met Ted in the flesh as of yet (which is something that I plan to eventually do at some point), he easily tops that list. Plus, despite how successful and busy he probably is, he still finds a way to connect with everyone, and even finds a way to blog (at times, several times a day).
I said to myself at one point, that if I ever got back into blogging, I'll try to follow the same example of "Ted's Take". I want to connect with my readers as much as I can, go on record with my opinions, while staying humble, genuine, and grounded and not appearing too "important" (that last part, I feel is a quality that I feel a lot of "successful" people lack). Hell, even the title "Obe's Dose" is somewhat of an homage to Ted, since it's two words short, and it's sort of a clever, alliterative title with my name on it.
I never believe in "idolizing" people, but if you can see the great and heroic qualities in them, and simply just strive to have those qualities, in my opinion, you should be in a good spot. In this entry, I'm not idolizing Ted, but just simply recognizing some of the qualities that makes his a great person. Like I said, in my opinion, he is probably the gold standard of the personality that people should strive to be. And if I can do just some of the things he does (blogging like he does would a small example), I can probably go real far.
D4P...PD!!!
John
One blog that I really loved when it was around was that of Gilbert Arenas (the point guard for the Washington Wizards). From what I remembered of his blog, a lot of his entries were LONG, since he posted once every few days or weeks. But, he was such a captivating and quirky personality, that you can actually see it in his blog, and I usually ended up spending a lot of time reading most of what he wrote down. Some of it was stuff was controversial, and some of his stuff was slightly insightful and gave a nice perspective on how it was like to be one of the top point-guards in the NBA. That's what made his blog great. In fact, if I remembered correctly, Michael Wilbon once said in an episode of "Pardon the Interruption" that Gilbert's blog is the only blog he read. Too bad it's not around anymore though.
Another blog that I enjoy that really comes to mind (that I'll discuss more in detail) is that of Ted Leonsis. He was a former executive of AOL, and is now the owner of the Washington Capitals NHL franchise. If you haven't had a chance to check out his blog "Ted's Take", I encourage you to do so.
In my opinion, despite his success, he really comes out as one of the most genuine owners, and people out there, and in my opinion, he is a gold standard of what people should strive to be. When he was younger, he got into a near fatal accident, and since then, he has compiled a 101-things to do "bucket list", and has done many great things, like start businesses, make millions of dollars, buy the Washington Capitals (and turn them around), while also doing his part to better the world through philantrophy. He has already completed more than 70 items out of 101 in his impressive list, which is pretty impressive. Not only that, he is probably one of the few owners in sports who would take the time to actually interact with his fans, whether it's going to the streets to shake his hand, or allowing fans to send him e-mail. (I actually had a "back-and-forth" with him on Facebook in a few occasions).
In his blog, he covers a lot of stuff, from his day-to-day "involvement" with the Caps, as well as some news and opinions on his many other projects and (like his work in "filmantrophy" in SnagFilms). And, when he gives his opinions, you can tell he really watches how he carries himself, while at the same time, stays absolutely genuine while doing it. When the Caps played the Penguins in the NHL playoffs this past year, I'm sure he may have had opinions on how the series was handled, but he showed class by giving the Penguins nothing but the utmost respect and credit after they won the close series, and later the Stanley Cup. And after reading his blog, you can really sense that winning the Cup is something that he really wants and that he feels that his team is extremely close to getting it done. A lot of owners in sports can actually learn from Ted's humility and class (*cough*Dan Snyder*cough*Mark Cuban*cough*).
As a speaker, and as someone who once worked for a huge media conglomerate at one point, I have been blessed to meet and interact with a good amount of "successful" people (rich, famous, or both). Although I haven't met Ted in the flesh as of yet (which is something that I plan to eventually do at some point), he easily tops that list. Plus, despite how successful and busy he probably is, he still finds a way to connect with everyone, and even finds a way to blog (at times, several times a day).
I said to myself at one point, that if I ever got back into blogging, I'll try to follow the same example of "Ted's Take". I want to connect with my readers as much as I can, go on record with my opinions, while staying humble, genuine, and grounded and not appearing too "important" (that last part, I feel is a quality that I feel a lot of "successful" people lack). Hell, even the title "Obe's Dose" is somewhat of an homage to Ted, since it's two words short, and it's sort of a clever, alliterative title with my name on it.
I never believe in "idolizing" people, but if you can see the great and heroic qualities in them, and simply just strive to have those qualities, in my opinion, you should be in a good spot. In this entry, I'm not idolizing Ted, but just simply recognizing some of the qualities that makes his a great person. Like I said, in my opinion, he is probably the gold standard of the personality that people should strive to be. And if I can do just some of the things he does (blogging like he does would a small example), I can probably go real far.
D4P...PD!!!
John
8/7/09
A Princess Has Her Day
Within the last half-hour or so, my ultra cute niece Cady has officially turned 2. Here is a picture of her...
(she looks like she popped straight out of an anime cartoon)
If you are ever down on yourself, or you are questioning why you are doing what you do, all you have to do, is just look at a face like this. For those of you with children of your own, I'm sure you can relate. (But, it doesn't have to be your kid, as is the case here).
But yeah, it only seems like yesterday when she was being born. Here is a video I made for my old podcast while I was in the hospital the day she was being born. (As awesome as this little girl is, her brother Joey is one hell of a kid as well).
D4P...PD!!!
John
(she looks like she popped straight out of an anime cartoon)
If you are ever down on yourself, or you are questioning why you are doing what you do, all you have to do, is just look at a face like this. For those of you with children of your own, I'm sure you can relate. (But, it doesn't have to be your kid, as is the case here).
But yeah, it only seems like yesterday when she was being born. Here is a video I made for my old podcast while I was in the hospital the day she was being born. (As awesome as this little girl is, her brother Joey is one hell of a kid as well).
D4P...PD!!!
John
8/6/09
300,000
As of this moment (11:58 PM, 8/6/09), I have officially reached 300,000 pushups for 2009. Right now, I am on pace to do 502,294 for the year (goal of 500K), and I average 1,376 pushups/day.
How's that for "out of the box empowerment"? If someone paid me $1 for every pushup I've done this year, I would be pretty well off. :-)
D4P...PD
-John
(3 blog posts in 24 hours, with a lot of content in the first 2. I told you this next post wouldn't be so long. But, definitely not a bad start to my blogging comeback, I'll say.)
How's that for "out of the box empowerment"? If someone paid me $1 for every pushup I've done this year, I would be pretty well off. :-)
D4P...PD
-John
(3 blog posts in 24 hours, with a lot of content in the first 2. I told you this next post wouldn't be so long. But, definitely not a bad start to my blogging comeback, I'll say.)
"Out of the Box Empowerment"
One of the things that probably stick out in this blog would probably be the new logo. I'm going to spend a little bit of time talking about it now.
As you might know, "ObeCorp" is the name of my company. Believe it or not, the actual inspiration behind the name "ObeCorp" was initially from watching the old Yu-Gi-Oh! cartoon. One of the rivals of the protagonist, who is also the "anti-hero" of that series, Seto Kaiba, is a teenager who is a CEO of a multi-billion dollar company. I thought the name of his company (KaibaCorp) sounded kinda cool, and if I ever founded a company one day, I'll probably name it something similar. So, when the time came, I just incorporated my nickname that a lot of people seemed to call me "Obe" in that manner. Thus, ObeCorp Enterprises was born.
But, it wasn't until this past February, that I actually got an idea. After coming from a speakers' conference/bootcamp in Vegas, and after being around and interacting with a lot of successful speakers and business people, my creative juices started flowing. I thought that "OBE" can actually be an acronym of something. I figured that those 3 letters can stand for "Out-of-the-Box Empowerment". That's what my company was about anyway, because a lot of the empowering motivational stuff that I was already doing, and that I had already published (whether it be my books, CD, videos, etc), was different, and was doing stuff that nobody else in the world of self-help was doing. From then on, I've always held that idea of "out-of-the-box empowerment" in my head until I can figure out what I can do with it, and the best way I can run with it.
It was actually a couple of weeks ago in the APCA conference in New York City when I thought of the brilliant logo that you see in this blog. The president and director of APCA, Eric Lambert, suggested that a lot of us create a logo or a "meme" that clearly identifies our company, brand, and message just by simply looking at the logo. A perfect example of a "meme" would be the crucifix as it relates to Christianity (as it is not only a symbol, but for those who believe in the religion, you know that it's also the basis of the whole belief system behind the religion).
I already had a logo, but it seemed very generic, and it didn't really say what I was about...
This was supposed to be an "infinity-like" logo that had an "O" "C" and a (backwards) "E", which stands for "ObeCorp Enterprises. With the "infinity-like" shape, it was supposed to symbolize that you can do anything you set your mind to. Still, I felt it was still lacked a lot of identity and meaning. Besides, the more I looked at it, it didn't look like an "O, C, and E" (especially the E), and it didn't really look like an infinity sign (more like a venn-diagram). Therefore, a re-design was in order.
That's when I came up with the following logo...
Most of it is pretty self-explanatory. The main concept is a strong tan (Filipino) arm breaking out of a box, and then flexing it's muscles to symbolize "out-of-the-box empowerment". As far as the outline of the Capitol dome is concerned, with that building being a well-recognized powerful symbol of where decisions and choices are made, and with me being known as the "DC" (Destiny Choosing) motivator (as well as having roots in the Washington, DC metro area), I felt it was always an appropriate symbol to represent "ObeCorp". I also managed to creatively unite in the letters "O" "B" (both on the Capitol outline) and "E" (on the balled-up fist) strategically in the logo to raise "brand awareness" of my company, and will further separate me from anyone else. I also had the original color scheme of red and black kept in my logo, to stay loyal to my personality (as red is a color to symbolize passion and energy, and black is a color to symbolize mysterious, undiscovered, and "groundbreaking").
I hired a designer from Pakistan (via elance.com) to design the logo, and was extremely impressed with the result. I feel this is the perfect logo to use to represent everything I'm doing.
As of today, you will only find this logo in this blog. The old ObeCorp Enterprises logo is still in most of my other sites, but you should start seeing it in all of the other websites affiliated with me in the next couple of weeks or so.
But yeah, that's the story behind my new logo, and pretty much the gist of what the new acronym concept of OBECorp (Out-of-the-Box Empowerment Inc.) is all about. To further expand though, a big part of "out-of-the-box empowerment" is also empowering yourself through creativity. And I felt the creation and concept of this logo also perfectly illustrates this concept (pun intended). :-)
So don't be afraid to stand out, bust out of your box, and be empowered! That is what "OBECorp" is about. ;-)
D4P...PD!!!
John
(I know I said in the first post, that I wouldn't do a lot of long posts... but to the contrary, my first two entries in this blog are as long as it gets, LOL. I promise that my next entry won't be nearly as long.)
As you might know, "ObeCorp" is the name of my company. Believe it or not, the actual inspiration behind the name "ObeCorp" was initially from watching the old Yu-Gi-Oh! cartoon. One of the rivals of the protagonist, who is also the "anti-hero" of that series, Seto Kaiba, is a teenager who is a CEO of a multi-billion dollar company. I thought the name of his company (KaibaCorp) sounded kinda cool, and if I ever founded a company one day, I'll probably name it something similar. So, when the time came, I just incorporated my nickname that a lot of people seemed to call me "Obe" in that manner. Thus, ObeCorp Enterprises was born.
But, it wasn't until this past February, that I actually got an idea. After coming from a speakers' conference/bootcamp in Vegas, and after being around and interacting with a lot of successful speakers and business people, my creative juices started flowing. I thought that "OBE" can actually be an acronym of something. I figured that those 3 letters can stand for "Out-of-the-Box Empowerment". That's what my company was about anyway, because a lot of the empowering motivational stuff that I was already doing, and that I had already published (whether it be my books, CD, videos, etc), was different, and was doing stuff that nobody else in the world of self-help was doing. From then on, I've always held that idea of "out-of-the-box empowerment" in my head until I can figure out what I can do with it, and the best way I can run with it.
It was actually a couple of weeks ago in the APCA conference in New York City when I thought of the brilliant logo that you see in this blog. The president and director of APCA, Eric Lambert, suggested that a lot of us create a logo or a "meme" that clearly identifies our company, brand, and message just by simply looking at the logo. A perfect example of a "meme" would be the crucifix as it relates to Christianity (as it is not only a symbol, but for those who believe in the religion, you know that it's also the basis of the whole belief system behind the religion).
I already had a logo, but it seemed very generic, and it didn't really say what I was about...
This was supposed to be an "infinity-like" logo that had an "O" "C" and a (backwards) "E", which stands for "ObeCorp Enterprises. With the "infinity-like" shape, it was supposed to symbolize that you can do anything you set your mind to. Still, I felt it was still lacked a lot of identity and meaning. Besides, the more I looked at it, it didn't look like an "O, C, and E" (especially the E), and it didn't really look like an infinity sign (more like a venn-diagram). Therefore, a re-design was in order.
That's when I came up with the following logo...
Most of it is pretty self-explanatory. The main concept is a strong tan (Filipino) arm breaking out of a box, and then flexing it's muscles to symbolize "out-of-the-box empowerment". As far as the outline of the Capitol dome is concerned, with that building being a well-recognized powerful symbol of where decisions and choices are made, and with me being known as the "DC" (Destiny Choosing) motivator (as well as having roots in the Washington, DC metro area), I felt it was always an appropriate symbol to represent "ObeCorp". I also managed to creatively unite in the letters "O" "B" (both on the Capitol outline) and "E" (on the balled-up fist) strategically in the logo to raise "brand awareness" of my company, and will further separate me from anyone else. I also had the original color scheme of red and black kept in my logo, to stay loyal to my personality (as red is a color to symbolize passion and energy, and black is a color to symbolize mysterious, undiscovered, and "groundbreaking").
I hired a designer from Pakistan (via elance.com) to design the logo, and was extremely impressed with the result. I feel this is the perfect logo to use to represent everything I'm doing.
As of today, you will only find this logo in this blog. The old ObeCorp Enterprises logo is still in most of my other sites, but you should start seeing it in all of the other websites affiliated with me in the next couple of weeks or so.
But yeah, that's the story behind my new logo, and pretty much the gist of what the new acronym concept of OBECorp (Out-of-the-Box Empowerment Inc.) is all about. To further expand though, a big part of "out-of-the-box empowerment" is also empowering yourself through creativity. And I felt the creation and concept of this logo also perfectly illustrates this concept (pun intended). :-)
So don't be afraid to stand out, bust out of your box, and be empowered! That is what "OBECorp" is about. ;-)
D4P...PD!!!
John
(I know I said in the first post, that I wouldn't do a lot of long posts... but to the contrary, my first two entries in this blog are as long as it gets, LOL. I promise that my next entry won't be nearly as long.)
The First "Dose"
Hey everyone!!!! Welcome to the inaugural post of my new blog "Obe's Dose". First of all, I just want to thank you for spending a little bit of time on reading my blog. Personally, I always think it's awesome that people are genuinely interested in what I have going on and/or learning from me. But, I'm probably going to use this first update to let you all know what I have planned for this blog, and some of the things you can expect in the future when you read this blog.
First, I'd like to say that I probably haven't blogged seriously in about 3 1/2 years (more or less). I've blogged a little bit in my personal myspace account, but it wasn't serious, and I was doing it more primarily to promote my old podcast episodes (that I'm not doing anymore) and various stuff randomly going on. The last thing that I did that was closest to a "real blog" was "The Commentary Page" that I've done in my old personal website that I ran as a hobby back when I was in college. I started that back in 2001, so that was way back before RSS feeds and one click posting. I've constructed that blog strictly with HTML (yes, I admit a bit of a nerd when it comes to that stuff), so it was quite time consuming.
But, going back on that old commentary page, much of this new blog is probably NOT gonna be like that. Reading back on my old posts, I seemed like a really naive young person who was negative and bitched about life a lot. Not to mention, I was still trying to "find my way". Don't get me wrong, I am still trying to learn stuff, but I would proudly say, that I have grown a lot since then. What a difference a few years makes! And also, "Obe's Dose" isn't just going to focus on my personal life and issues (like my troubles on getting dates). Yes, it's still going to focus a bit on my life, but also, many topics of interests. A couple things that the commentary page had that I want to continue on this blog, I offered some interesting insight and was entertaining at times (even when I wasn't trying to be).
But, when I say "interests" I don't just mean offering my opinions in the fields I work in, which is motivation, making life choices, attitude, leadership, or anything in the "self-help" field. If there's one thing I learned in the past few years being a student of this field, the more you directly tell people they "need motivation" and try to shove it in their face, the more they will be turned off by it, even though you (or even they) know deep down, that they really need it. And also, when I read a lot of people's blogs, many make the mistake of only focusing on the topic/field they work in. Because of that, I end up getting bored to death and wasting my time when I read them because they don't seem "interesting" enough. So, in this blog, I not only want to talk about motivation/self-help and all the good and happy stuff I work at, but I also plan on covering various things going on in the world that I feel is of great interest, whether it be current events, mainstream culture, or even sports (football season is just a few weeks away you know).
Here are just a few topics I have in mind...
Will I be "selling" stuff in this blog? Admittedly... YES, but not like the hundreds of the "marketers" you see in the Internet. If there's another thing I learned, if you're "networking" on the Internet (whether through Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, blogs, etc) nothing makes you look more like a bigger asshole than if you are constantly trying to pitch something with a sales letter like web page with multiple PPS postscripts. But, I will occasionally plug my stuff like my books, CDs, and speaking (because yes, I do have to eat too), and I will also plug other people's stuff, whether it be books I've read, movies I've seen, quotes I've heard, etc. As long as I think it's worth the mention, I'll mention it. But regardless of what I "pitch", I'm not gonna shove it down your throat, but would kindly say that it's worth your time.
As far as how often I plan on doing a blog... I can't really say how often I will post. It could be as often as several posts a day, but as slow as one post every few weeks. But, the goal is to at least one post a week. There are ideas coming into my head every single day, and I do want to use this blog to at least get some of those ideas out.
But no matter what, my main goal in doing this blog is to not only to get you guys to know me a little bit better through what I write, but to actually get in my head and actually SEE what I'm thinking while you're reading. I like to proudly say that I literally try to put my heart and soul in everything I do (whether it be in my speaking, books, internet videos, etc), and I want this blog to be no exception. For each post I do, I want to give something back to you for investing a little bit of your time to read the blog. I want you to get to know me, and at the same time feel entertained, enlightened, and maybe even educated. :)
Other than all of that (and the occasional spelling and dyslexic grammatical errors), this is what you can roughly expect from reading "Obe's Dose". Don't worry, I don't plan on having most of my posts be this long. However, I hope that what you've read in this inaugural entry has been good for you, and you'll check out this blog more often. (Bookmark this page or subscribe to the RSS feed now, hehe).
Thanks again for reading! YOU ARE AWESOME!!!
D4P...PD!!!*
John
(*This stands for "Destined for Purpose... Purposefully Destined!!!", the ObeCorp motto, which is also my motto in life that I strongly believe in. I will close many of my posts in this manner.)
First, I'd like to say that I probably haven't blogged seriously in about 3 1/2 years (more or less). I've blogged a little bit in my personal myspace account, but it wasn't serious, and I was doing it more primarily to promote my old podcast episodes (that I'm not doing anymore) and various stuff randomly going on. The last thing that I did that was closest to a "real blog" was "The Commentary Page" that I've done in my old personal website that I ran as a hobby back when I was in college. I started that back in 2001, so that was way back before RSS feeds and one click posting. I've constructed that blog strictly with HTML (yes, I admit a bit of a nerd when it comes to that stuff), so it was quite time consuming.
But, going back on that old commentary page, much of this new blog is probably NOT gonna be like that. Reading back on my old posts, I seemed like a really naive young person who was negative and bitched about life a lot. Not to mention, I was still trying to "find my way". Don't get me wrong, I am still trying to learn stuff, but I would proudly say, that I have grown a lot since then. What a difference a few years makes! And also, "Obe's Dose" isn't just going to focus on my personal life and issues (like my troubles on getting dates). Yes, it's still going to focus a bit on my life, but also, many topics of interests. A couple things that the commentary page had that I want to continue on this blog, I offered some interesting insight and was entertaining at times (even when I wasn't trying to be).
But, when I say "interests" I don't just mean offering my opinions in the fields I work in, which is motivation, making life choices, attitude, leadership, or anything in the "self-help" field. If there's one thing I learned in the past few years being a student of this field, the more you directly tell people they "need motivation" and try to shove it in their face, the more they will be turned off by it, even though you (or even they) know deep down, that they really need it. And also, when I read a lot of people's blogs, many make the mistake of only focusing on the topic/field they work in. Because of that, I end up getting bored to death and wasting my time when I read them because they don't seem "interesting" enough. So, in this blog, I not only want to talk about motivation/self-help and all the good and happy stuff I work at, but I also plan on covering various things going on in the world that I feel is of great interest, whether it be current events, mainstream culture, or even sports (football season is just a few weeks away you know).
Here are just a few topics I have in mind...
- An explanation of my new logo (The debut of this blog also marks the debut of the new "arm busting a box" logo. A full explanation of the concept behind the logo is in order.)
- the "new" concept behind ObeCorp
- Reviews of a few books I'm currently reading
- The upcoming football season, probably most focusing on my local (and favorite) team, the Washington Redskins)
Will I be "selling" stuff in this blog? Admittedly... YES, but not like the hundreds of the "marketers" you see in the Internet. If there's another thing I learned, if you're "networking" on the Internet (whether through Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, blogs, etc) nothing makes you look more like a bigger asshole than if you are constantly trying to pitch something with a sales letter like web page with multiple PPS postscripts. But, I will occasionally plug my stuff like my books, CDs, and speaking (because yes, I do have to eat too), and I will also plug other people's stuff, whether it be books I've read, movies I've seen, quotes I've heard, etc. As long as I think it's worth the mention, I'll mention it. But regardless of what I "pitch", I'm not gonna shove it down your throat, but would kindly say that it's worth your time.
As far as how often I plan on doing a blog... I can't really say how often I will post. It could be as often as several posts a day, but as slow as one post every few weeks. But, the goal is to at least one post a week. There are ideas coming into my head every single day, and I do want to use this blog to at least get some of those ideas out.
But no matter what, my main goal in doing this blog is to not only to get you guys to know me a little bit better through what I write, but to actually get in my head and actually SEE what I'm thinking while you're reading. I like to proudly say that I literally try to put my heart and soul in everything I do (whether it be in my speaking, books, internet videos, etc), and I want this blog to be no exception. For each post I do, I want to give something back to you for investing a little bit of your time to read the blog. I want you to get to know me, and at the same time feel entertained, enlightened, and maybe even educated. :)
Other than all of that (and the occasional spelling and dyslexic grammatical errors), this is what you can roughly expect from reading "Obe's Dose". Don't worry, I don't plan on having most of my posts be this long. However, I hope that what you've read in this inaugural entry has been good for you, and you'll check out this blog more often. (Bookmark this page or subscribe to the RSS feed now, hehe).
Thanks again for reading! YOU ARE AWESOME!!!
D4P...PD!!!*
John
(*This stands for "Destined for Purpose... Purposefully Destined!!!", the ObeCorp motto, which is also my motto in life that I strongly believe in. I will close many of my posts in this manner.)
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