End of Year... No Regrets

Happy New Year!!!  HERE we are at the final day -- the final 12 hours, at this point, of 2011. And many of us ask ourselves -- what have we done with the past year... what do I regret?

While I can't answer that question for you, I'd like to suggest a point of view, and that is... regret nothing. Chances are, you did the best you could with what you had; even if you KNEW something else was a better plan there was something deep inside you that caused you to do something else, and from that experience you likely learned something and that lesson -- those lessons -- will serve you well in the coming year.

Thank you for continuing to read and cherish my thoughts, and for sending your friends and other people you care about.  I'm looking forward to many successes and joys in 2012 and I hope you'll be a part of them in one way or another.  So before I sign off with my typical end of year poem, I'd like to suggest two things:

1.  Until midnight tonight, I'm offering my new "Intensely Positive" ball point pen for 30% off .  It's a beauty.  Check it out here: http://intenselypositive.com/intensely-positive-pen/

2.  My friend Nachhi Randhawa published a Top Ten Year End Review Questions post that I wish I'd written (no that's not a regret) and I recommend the read to help prepare for 2012.

Thanks again for staying with me! and please, have a wonderful, joyful, prosperous New Year and remember... when you master your mindset, you master your life.  Enjoy the poem.

No Regrets

We close this year with no regrets,
We say good bye to gripes and frets
We ran our race just like before
And now "next year" is at our door.

At first we feared, we're out of time
Then realized the paradigm
Just shifted in our favor now
Recharged our glass, renewed our vow

We learned from previous mistakes
We re-assessed the steps we'll make
Re-focussed on our journey's end
Re-plotted strategies to win

We know that there IS NO disgrace
BECAUSE we still are in this race
We haven't quit -- we'll see the end
We paused and got our second wind

And now refreshed, recharged and fine
We're full-speed to the finish line
Into our future we now delve
We're sure to win in twenty-twelve.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, my friends.
Kelvin

Step by Step

In the "dreams come true" department -- or at least the goals set and accomplished -- we have the first anniversary (we're calling it birthday) of my daily dose of positive -- Vitamin K Daily! launched on October 18th, 2010 !

A couple of years ago one of my photographer friends made a comment about my positivity on Facebook and asked "what would you charge for a daily dose of positive?" I smiled (virtually) and told her I'd let her know, at that time not really "planning" to make that happen beyond the little positive updates I made on Twitter and Facebook but the idea kept gnawing at me -- it wasn't the first time I'd gotten the question.  I fought all kinds of self-doubt thoughts: "why would people care what I had to say?" "I can't charge, there's so much out here for free;" "Wow, I couldn't think of something to say every day and what if I missed a day?"  Just because we're positive, doesn't mean we escape the self-doubt self-talk. Positive people aren't immune to negative self-talk, we're just not immobilized by it.  We acknowledge it, put it into perspective and move on because negative self talk is the smoke and mirror game of fear.

In this case I already had a couple of hundred people subscribed to my other e-writings, so I knew that people liked what I had to say.  This was just a bigger test; bigger for me, really, moreso than my readers, because THIS choice would obligate me to producing a positive piece every single day (Monday through Friday; I gave myself Saturday and Sunday off), 52 weeks a year!  With my other writings, publication had been more a whim than a schedule.  Consistency had not been one of my writing/blogging strong suits and committing to that kind of consistency, quite frankly, frightened me.

There's much more to the story, and maybe I'll vignette some the other "obstacles" later, but I'm pleased to say that I *did* lauuch Daily Dose, it was subsequently dubbed "Vitamin K" by one of my readers and great friends, and I'm pleased to say that in the past year I have not missed a single day of publication.  The technology tried very hard a couple of times to give me a reason to fail, but I didn't take the out. Once, my computer crashed so I typed the daily message on my iPhone and uploaded it that way. so it would launch on time."

So step by step -- in this case, day by day -- goals get accomplished. Break it down into smaller pieces and handle them one at a time. Know what the big picture looks like, but concentrate on placing the puzzle pieces one at a time and the picture will gradually materialize.

Now for the next year!  Incidentally, Daily Dose is only $24.95 a year.  That's only 9.5 cents a day for a better attitude. The accolades I've been getting... daily... tell me it's worth it.  What is YOUR attitude worth?

Have a beautiful day!
Kelvin
http://www.vitaminkdaily.com

I Think the iPad is Changing My Life

iPAD

It's bizarre.  When the iPad first came out, I was one of THE most adamant "that's ridiculous" skeptics out there. That whole tablet thing just smacked of commercial b.s. for hard core gadgeteers... techno-freaks. And the money... for "that?"  Oh my gosh, how ridiculous !

That was then -- before so many of my photographer colleagues had them and told me the incredible things they were doing with them; the energy saving, productivity boosting things they were accomplishing. That was before I went to a two-day photo workshop by my friend Tasha Prescott and watched her run the whole thing from her iPad, interfacing with her mac and that big screen TV, running slide shows from the iPad wirelessly and seamlessly.  That was before I saw how perfect those apps were for niche tasks... and all the things the iPad could do with the apps -- thousands and thousands -- developed for it. THAT was before I held one in my hands... where upon I promptly lost the "that's ridiculous" battle and started drooling uncontrollably.  Luckily, another photographer friend told me about price reduced, refurbished units (generation 1) I could get from the Apple Store at the time (just after the iPad 2 came out).

No one has ever accused me of being an early adopter, but once I'm sold, I'm a heck of an evangelist, and I am absolutely sold on the iPad. Now wondering... how did I ever get along in life without it. I SHOULD have known, since the iPhone -- when I got my 3G just after the iPhone 4 came out -- was the first cell phone I'd owned in 10 years where I didn't want to take it back to the store (or throw it against a hard surface) within 24 hours of getting it fully charged.  The iPhone just worked "as advertised." At this point Apple could sell me just about anything because they make good on their promise. Period.

But enough hyperbole (that's for my friend Mitch).  The iPad for me is a great mix of technology, ingenuity and selective focus, not to mention it's just plain beautiful. It's about as comfortable to take around as a pad of paper.I'll sit up and browse the news sitting on my couch, watching tv and get informed.  That's big for me, since I don't watch the news. But I can pick a specific app that does exactly what I want it to do -- and that's all it does -- and it makes it easy. It makes so many things pleasant. And you might say, "but Kelvin, you could do that with a laptop..."  No you can't. Comparatively, the laptop is big and bulky, inconvenient and SLOW.  When I want news, "touch" and it's there --NOW.  A dedicated, specialized app for nearly any purpose. Browse the web, see something, print to my wireless printer from the iPad.  Snap!  Done. On the PC, it took 15 minutes to install that printer software, and program it, and set it up to wireless operation.  iPad app, downloaded in about 30 seconds for that manufacturer.  Tap the app, it FOUND the printer in about 10 seconds, and when I hit print, it printed. No muss; no fuss.

AND NOW... with the upcoming iOS 5, Apple is making the iPad completely self sufficient via the cloud and I won't even need to hook it up to iTunes to sync it? That's just too slick for words, and I don't even NEED the other 200+ enhancements.


So the iPad is changing my life. It's making cumbersome things easy, tedious things fun and it replaces my computer for about 80% of the things I use a computer for, and let's me do them with the ease and comfort of flipping through a magazine. And I'm reading this on the iPad that I said I'd never do -- like news (ugh) but only in small doses (see 6 Steps to Being Positive) It just makes it easy.

But that's me. Unless I need to do some heavy duty writing (like this blog post) when I want a full sized keyboard, or I'm editting images from a photo shoot and need the disk storage space for the images and the power to run a program suite like Photoshop and related programs, the iPad lets me do my other stuff -- quick stuff -- quickly, and simply, and conveniently.  And that's all I have to say about that (sorry, Forrest.)

Have an awesome day.

Kelvin

My Most Prized Possession

People often tell me how I affect their lives in a positive way, but I rarely write about people who have affected my life in a positive way, at least not beyond the "general" sense.  But this has been a sweet week for me, in part because one of my dear friends and "little sisters" realized a great accomplishment this week, and her response to me for believing in her and encouraging her humbled me, and even made me a little teary (ever so briefly, says manly man.) But that will be another blog post.

In my office hangs a plaque, given to me some years ago by a tremendous friend -- Karen. I use only her first name because, well... she's shy, perhaps.  If she decides to identify herself further by commenting on this blog then you'll know.  But when I received the plaque from her, it was very humbling to me and truth be told... another one of those teary moments for me.  Why? Because this plaque, in it's few but tremendously powerful words, illustrated with a beautiful rendition of an eagle in flight -- epitomized what I try to do for people.  I love to help people and help them feel better about life and themselves.  I believe that's why I'm on the planet, and most of the things I do characterize that in some way.

This plaque, given to me all those years ago, has the same effect on me each and every time I read it. And I do not take for granted that anyone will feel this way about me every day, so each day I strive to continue to live up to these words, which I now present for your e-listening pleasure. May you strive to live up to them in YOUR life.  It reads:

EXCELLENCE: Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise; risking more than others think is safe; Dreaming more than others think is practical and expecting more than others think is possible.

To my friend Karen, thank you. These words continue to have the same effect on me as the day you gave them to me, and they always bring me back to a place of humility and gratitude.  Your gift -- this gift you gave me -- is in fact, my most prized possession.

Have a beautiful day, and life.

Kelvin

It All Starts With You...

You wake up every morning "as the world turns" and wake up to see how you feel. Many gurus will tell you that you need their book, poem, METHOD to feel better, but really all you need, in most cases, is an awareness of who you are.  

We spend a lot of time letting other people define who we are, and many of us really don't look inward to see for ourselves.  At some point in life, we all have to take responsibility for who we are and what we become. We can spend a lot of time as victims and blaming people and situations from our past for who we are today, but often that blame is an excuse.  It's like having someone give you a ride and drop you off on a certain corner and you STAY on that corner and blame them for leaving you there. There may be a lot of reasons why you stay on that corner, but unless whoever it was chained you to the light post, you have the power to move, to turn around, to walk up the street or across the street, ask for directions and move in some other direction that takes you where you want to go.

Of course... if you don't know where  you want to go, you probably won't move. You've got to know where you want to go, who and or what you want to be.  You won't necessarily know right away how you'll get there, but how is not nearly the main thing. "Where" is the main thing.

A few years ago, Microsoft had an awesome slogan: "Where do you want to go today?" And that's the question we each have to answer for our lives.  Don't be afraid to answer it, because without that answer there is no direction and you'll stay on that corner, and you're better than that.

Where do you want to go today, my friend?  It all starts with you!

Have a beautiful day!

Point to Ponder

Most people have dozens of reasons to fail; when all they need is ONE good reason... to succeed.

Vitamin "K" - EVERY Week Day

It’s been an exciting journey, but my Daily Dose of Positive finally has a permanent home. A small change, Daily Dose of Positive was affectionately dubbedVitamin K by one of my twitter friends and that label caught on and has become it’s trademark.

Vitamin Kwas free from it's inception on October 18th, 2010 while we worked out the kinks, but with the launch of the web page, we added the teenie annual subscription fee of only $24.94 per year.  That’s Monday through Friday, 52 weeks a year, 260 daily personalized messages for a mere 9.5 cents per day, not to mention a few periodic surprises.  Is your attitude worth that? Of course it is.

Lots of cool stuff coming and lots more people to thank, but BIGGEST THANKS to my awesome Vitamin K subscribers around the globe, whose feedback and affection keeps me writing, and makes me feel like a rock star.

If you’re not one of us yet… feel free to join us for the delectable morsels that many tell me is the first thing they look for when they wake up in the morning .  AND you can visit our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/vitaminkdaily.

9.5 cents a day?  $2.00 a month.  Just click this link below.  You're you’re worth it!

http://www.vitaminkdaily.com .

Have an awesome day!

Kelvin

I know Christmas is over, but...

Many years ago when he was very young, my baby boy, Michael, was wrapping a Christmas gift for someone. At his (then) tender age, he considered it an expression of himself to "artistically" wad the wrapping paper around the gift, put a little tape and a ribbon on it, and call it a day.

Because I knew who's gift he was wrapping, I suggested to him that he might take a little more care in wrapping it, because if he were receiving a gift from that person, it would be lovingly and meticulously wrapped, and presented to him as a near work of art, and tried to impress upon him that sometimes the care and affection we put into something isn't to necessarily reflect our own desires, but rather to somehow recognize and show our appreciation for the love or care the other person would have put in it for us.

Pictured here is beautiful decoration for my tree, given to me by a loving friend who doesn't celebrate Christmas (at least, not usually) but because of our friendship, sent it to honor our friendship and my celebration.

It means a lot to me, on so many levels, and is one of the purist offerings of affection and appreciation I've ever received. 

To my friend, thank you for your affection and friendship.  I know you didn't expect any such recognition, but I wanted you to know how deeply appreciative I am of your gift, and that I will treasure you -- and it -- for all time.  May your upcoming year be as beautiful and kind and loving...as you are.

And that acknowledges -- in book --  yet another  Christmas Miracle.
 

Good day, my friends,
Kelvin

A Poem for 2011

Greetings, my friends!
This went to my Vitamin K subscribers this morning.  I got such great feedback from it, that I decided to share it with the world!  Enjoy it, send it to your friends, put it on your walls and wallpaper and the inside of your notebooks and planners, but whatever you do... take action ;)

Happy New Year!

 

The New Year's here!

The cards are stacked

2-0-1-1 is clearly packed

With opportunities galore

To win, to rise, and even SOAR!

 

What is the goal, fixed in your gaze

It cannot be obscured by haze.

Must know, for sure, without a doubt

Then walk by faith, within...without

 

Toward the dream that is your goal

That fires the embers in your soul

It might take WORK--but that's okay

That makes the victory sweeter - yay!

 

Just plan your work, then work your plan

The map will change as you cross the land

But later when the journey's done

You'll think that trip was so much fun. 

 

Go ahead and ROCK 2011 -- I'll be cheering for you all the way.

------------------

 

Note:  Final chance for free subscription to "Vitamin K"

http://forms.aweber.com/form/81/232897381.htm 

Offer Ends: Friday, 1/7/2011