Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Two Sentences from Daymond John

Hi friends,

I just came across these two sentences in fine print on the cover of March/April 2018's copy of Inc. magazine... Permit me to quote verbatim:

"I didn't know anybody. I didn't have a famous last name, didn't have any access to capital, and didn't go to college. None of those held me back." Daymond John's own words.

Some statements just take my breath away.. this is one of them. Be encouraged my friends and colleagues across this beautiful globe. God has something that you can do. Start small, think big.\\
Peace,
Carla.




Tuesday, February 5, 2019

What Price Will You Pay to Keep Learning?

The Cost to keep learning....can be the "easy" low cost way.....or the "high effort" or potentially
"high cost" method. Each way has it's benefits.

Easy methods are easier to maintain because they are convenient and  may not hurt your wallet. You may watch a few M.I.T videos on your home computer. You may borrow a few library books from your local public library.


But then again, you may find that that is not enough. You need more. You are hungry for more information and knowledge and opinions formed by experts and highly paid pros.
So, you decide to take another step. You start going to your local college or university library and hunting down the hard covers in the subject matter that you are obsessed with. You open your
slim wallet and fork over more money for a data plan that will allow you to watch/consume more classes online in between your home and work schedule. You finally find a way to purchase that high priced book you've been drooling over for so many months, by allowing a friend to buy for you a second hand copy online.

I am blessed in that I live in a small city in which it is free for residents
( as long as they can prove their residency) to use our local college library for free. So....books written on college level are free for me to borrow and I can also hide myself in the wonderful college library cubicles when I really want to hunker down and feed my mind and soul in silence and seclusion.


Well, let me get to the point. Perhaps you have come to a plateau in your learning curve. You still want to learn more, but you don't want to go through the hassle of applying for some night classes at college or university level. Just the thought of having to ask for transcripts from all the educational institutions that you have attended sends you into a panic attack.

So, you reach for something else. You remember a person you used to network with when you went to attend free seminars 10 years ago. Maybe you send him/her an email just summing up what is prohibiting you from moving forward. He/she emails you back with one gem or a referral....a name of a timely author that you can hunt down and consume all his/her writings. One step forward! Booyah!

You see, I don't want you to feel like you are alone. Your desire to move forward in your learning journey is a universal need. If our minds are not growing....we may feel hopeless, when we feel that we are not moving forward.

Tony Robbins defines success or happiness in one word: PROGRESS. He goes on to explain that we begin to experience joy whenever we take a concrete small step forward towards a prized goal. I would tend to concur with that opinion.

So, pardon my rambling...but I want to encourage you....that if you have kept rolling forward in your learning journey, then don't stop now. And maybe just maybe, if you feel so inclined, it may be the season to kick it up a notch. Spend a wee bit more on that learning journey. The books and classes and networking can stretch you mentally,emotionally and financially....but the cool part is that you don't know where it may lead you. There is a purpose for your hunger. There is a reason that  you still believe that you have more to give to others and to life. Trust that this journey will lead to something better. Don't give up now.

Peace,
C.


Saturday, February 2, 2019

Birkshire's Reach

As I drive around my little northern Ontario town...I see samples of Birshire Hathaway's reach....on so many blocks....it's awe inspiring to note.

On the one side of the street is a Benjamin Moore Paint Shop...on the other side is a Tim Hortons...
and a Dairy Queen.

Inside the nearby McDonalds restaurant as well as many other pit stops through my town, there are Coca Cola pop  fountains, either self serve or served by the seller....or Coke products sold in bottles or cans in grocery stores and convenience stores. Coca Cola has always had a big following in this neck of the woods.

Scattered across this wee city are HR Block tax prep offices, which have roused from their seasonal slumber with pencils sharpened and calculators loaded up with fresh Duracell batteries charged.

Then we go across town and there's a Burger King....poutine anyone?
 If you stroll across the parking lot, you might shop for the kids for a brand new Spalding basketball at our local Canadian Tire Store. You may roll on up the street and shop for Fruit of the Loom sport socks at our local Walmart. On the way back to your car you may run into a friend who invites you to her Pampered Chef home shopping party.

I am sure that when I delve into the minority holdings that Birkshire Hathaway possesses, it may become even more all consuming. I find it compelling how Birkshire's holdings cover so many different categories of consumer staples....and yes, in this town, poutine is definitely a staple!

Impressive and strategic and awe inspiring all at once.

Enjoy your investing journey. If you enjoy stock market-ish nonfiction research.....learning about someone like Warren Buffett is a good place to start. It is quite intriguing to study the formation and growth of his investing mastery.

Peace,
Carla.

P.S. if you like recommended reading lists....you may wanna start with
"Tap Dancing to Work" by Carol J. Loomis