Business got cranked back up this week after a two week vacation with family over the Christmas Holiday. We hit what seemed like the entire East Coast with stops in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina in our 14 day road trip. One of the best Christmas vacations in recent memory. After our hectic schedule working double time 6 weeks prior – it was a welcome and much need opportunity to just unplug – get away and enjoy ourselves.

While getting back into work mode this week, I was out visiting customers yesterday. I asked if Santa was good to them. One response really struck a chord with me.

“Better than I deserve.”

Aside from being one of the most unique answers I think I’ve ever heard – I loved this response because of its optimism. We hear so much “doom and gloom” and how everyone is struggling with “the poor economy” from the media, it was really refreshing to hear about someone who had a grand Christmas.

I can certainly relate in several ways and I asked if I could use the phrase – I’d even give them credit. The response was once again classic comedy and something Ron Head always kids about as well.

“Just give me credit the first three times. After that – feel free to use it as your own.”

In 2011, it felt like Santa was around all year long. We got the house painted, two new cars, brand new stainless steal appliances in the kitchen and personal trainers to help take our personal fitness to a whole new level. Christmas day wasn’t too shabby either. I’ll be doing a review in a week or so about one of the nicest presents I’ve ever gotten for Christmas. It wasn’t from Santa, but from my wife, who has once again managed to fulfill another dream of mine.

Thing is – we were able to do all this in 2011 because we have several vehicles that are firing on all cylinders right now. And no, I’m not talking about the two new Chryslers sitting out in our garage. I’m talking about business vehicles that gave us the opportunity to purchase both new rides.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the years is that we create our own reality. In other words, it’s our own thoughts and actions that produce the results that actually show up in our lives at the present time. If you don’t like what’s happening right now, something you’re doing needs to change in order for it to change. The best way to do that is by making a small improvements or adjustments on a daily basis. Brian Tracy tells us that just a small 1% improvement each day can create dramatic effects over time. I can tell you from my own experience, that’s more true than most realize.

If things are cooking and life is really good like it is for us right now – what are the most important thoughts and activities of value that you’re doing to ensure that you keep the good times rolling? As a business owner you need to remember what Jim Rohn taught us – you don’t get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour. The more value you bring to the table, the more income you’ll realize at the end of the day.

And there’s no cap or ceiling. Nobody actually dictates what you’re actually worth “per hour” other than you.

I still see close friends and neighbors who’ve been laid off or downsized that continue to look for another “job”. Why? Because they’ve been brainwashed into thinking that a “job” equates to “security”. Two of those neighbors here in the neighborhood lost their homes in 2011 because they were waiting for that steady – secure “job”. Every time I drive past both homes, I think to myself what could have happened if I opened up my mouth and told them what I was really thinking when they told me they where looking for that “steady income” and “security”.

More than likely it would have ticked them off because they’ve been brain washed into thinking another way. It also would have been seen as cruel and mean – but sometimes the truth can be cruel. I know, I’ve been there. I spent three years bouncing from one “secure job” to another. I got downsized by one company. I got locked by another by another company who got caught cooking the books and reported false earnings to the SEC. I got closed down by yet another company who decided to go they way of big box retailers. And the final straw was the one who filed for bankruptcy. All in the period of about 3 years.

That’s not security. That’s insanity.

I deserved better.

It wasn’t until YTB came along back in 2005 that I actually found something that provided the tools, the information, the leadership and the support system to not only change my thinking, but change my habits and work ethic to be self sufficient. It gave me a sexy product to market that I was passionate about and provided true leaders and mentors who could actually walk the walk – not just talk the talk. I simply took a little from “this” Founder, a little from “that” Director and made my own way to real security. So much security that by the time all the false claims and attacks that where thrown at YTB in 2007 and 2008 – I was more than capable and diversified enough to weather any outcome.

Of course, I was also intelligent enough, with enough business savvy at the time to distinguish between what was real – and what was mere perception.

Today, the false claims and the frivolous lawsuits seem like a distant memory when I look at my YTB business and booking engine today. All the fear mongering and wild speculation that went along with it by a few dysfunctional, self serving loud mouths who thought they had it all figured out.  My how time has a way of dishing out some true reality.

Truth is – I deserved better a far better outcome, and that’s exactly what I got.

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

PPS - Subscribe to the Just Picture It Now RSS feed, (including e-mail) for all the latest posts and updates found right here!

Book Your Travel & Vacations With

I love the Christmas Season. While I love the Season, it’s also the most hectic time of year for our family – especially this year.

The business venture we took over back in August has compounded our busy schedule but has also paid off in spades. We just finished up on a six week mission to reach out to and service every single location we have in time for Christmas. While we worked double time the last six weeks, the kids had several events going on with school and extracurricular activities that added to our busy schedule.

At times – we didn’t know which end was up.

The hectic schedule finally wound to a close on Friday, and by the time you read this, we’ll be off on a two week vacation with family. Long breaks like this is one of the many perks of the business, and it’s why we committed to working so hard that last six weeks.

While we’ll be vacationing the next two weeks, both Ronda and I are way behind on our goal setting that we do each and every year. It’s a habit that we’ve always done, but really didn’t take seriously until we got involved with YTB. It was one of the many tools we bought into in order to achieve success.

Overall both of us agree that 2011 far exceeded our wildest expectations and dreams. So much so – the future’s so bright…

We gotta wear shades.

(Oh COME ON! You had to of known it was coming.)

With the current year coming to a rapid close, we’ll be setting aside time the next two weeks to take a look at 2012 and beyond to dream and strategize about what we’d like to accomplish and what our world should look like.

Both Ronda and I are dreamers. On top of dreaming big – we also believe that somehow – some way the resources and avenues will find its way to us to make it happen. The most difficult part of the whole process is having the patience and persistence to follow through and take the appropriate action to make it all happen.

We’ve heard it time and time again, and I’m sure you have too at one time or another:

“Never – Ever – Give Up.”

I have to admit – there were times that a comment like that felt like lip service. I mean, I heard it, but the words didn’t have the impact that was intended, because I was still in the thralls of reaching for my goals but not quite achieving them.

If you’re feeling like that at this time of year, I want to ask you – actually I really need to beg you – “Never give up.”

Now – I don’t want to come across as hype or some pie in the sky dreamer. I can assure you, that I’ve been there – done that – and even have a T-shirt that says so. I know how the mind can play it’s tricks and that voice can be so loud that it can cancel things out.

But I want you to do this before the new year – because it’s probably one of the most important steps you can do to create a world that’s so bright – you’ll be wearing those shades.

I have a close friend who really helped me with this and most of you may remember Andy Cauthen. If you didn’t know Andy – you should have. Andy was President & COO of YTB Marketing, Inc. and a very dear and close friend. One of Andy’s legacies, was a popular series or course that he produced a number of years ago and caught fire on the subject of “Goal Setting“. It’s one of the finest and most thorough pieces we’ve ever read on the subject.

Andy not only goes into how to set goals, but the type of goals you should be thinking about. It’s a time to dream – and dream big.

Why is this step of goal setting so important? Try this exercise the next time you work on a jigsaw puzzle. Turn all the pieces over, and attempt to complete it upside down. Fact is – the pictures on the other side make a huge difference in completing the puzzle. And that’s what goal setting does – completes a picture. Think about it. You don’t take a trek across the country without a road map do you? You don’t build a house without a set of blueprints, right?

Far too many people actually plan to fail because the fail to plan.

If you want your future to be bright and full of promise – both Ronda and I want to invite you to take some time before the new year to set some goals and work out a plan. Neither one of us can truly express how much it’s meant to both of us. Not only in our professional lives – but our personal life including our family and our marriage.

If you’ve never done something like this – it’s time to start. But only if you really want to enjoy your life and be all you can be.

You only get one shot at this journey we call life – so why not take some time to plan it out so you can really – truly enjoy it?

Who knows you might be wearing the same shades and singing the same tune we are this time next year!

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

PPS - Subscribe to the Just Picture It Now RSS feed, (including e-mail) for all the latest posts and updates found right here!

Book Your Travel & Vacations With

As kids, we always want toys under the Christmas tree. As we age and get older, our interest in toys appears to change. For yours truly – they get a bit more technical and more expensive.

Hey – I still love my toys. ;-P

I would imagine however that a sizable percentage of us however would be very happy with cold hard cash under the tree as we get older. If I had to guess, it’s because cash gives us the ability to buy exactly what we want.

I have no idea what other companies are doing this year for Christmas in regards to Christmas bonuses. I would imagine that some will continue to ride the “bad economic times” coat tails. Bad economy or not, I remember two years when instead of a bonus – either myself or Ronda got laid off right around Christmas time.

And some wonder why we don’t consider a “job” very stable and looked at something like Network Marketing to earn income.

See – at least in Network Marketing or Direct Sales YOU control of how much you make. You’re paid in direct proportion to the results you produce. Which for those who have been brain washed into thinking you only need to exchange time for money is a real problem. For those that actually get this concept and take control of their time to treat MLM like a legitimate business (despite the low cost of entry) it can produce very lucrative results.

For anyone who’s not afraid of sales and knows how to manage their time and activities properly, there’s nothin’ better or more rewarding.

That being said – I’d challenge anyone to provide me with a bonus offer like the one I received late last week that kicks off today. Here’s a company that puts YOU in the drivers seat and enables you to create your own bonus this year.

It’s not like a traditional bonus. It’s one that you have to earn. But it’s also one that puts you in the drivers seat – enabling you to create your own outcome.

Here’s how it reads:

Earn a 25% BONUS this Christmas!

Introducing YTB Unwrapped this week – December 5-11, 2011.

With the big holiday gift giving season upon us, YTB wants to help make it a bit more manageable. For one week only beginning Monday, December 5, you’ll have the ability to earn a 25% bonus when you sell over $500 worth of products (excludes Travel Program Sales). And, that’s on top of your normal commission payout!

Here’s how it works:
Sell at least $500 worth of products (such as Suklaa, GreenTech, Z Mobile, or Ganovia) in any combination to non-Rep customers and we’ll pay you 25% of your retail amount sold.

For example, anyone who sells $500 will receive a bonus of $125 plus commission!

YTB Unwrapped begins Monday, December 5 — 5:00 p.m. Central with a special webcast on www.ZamZuuTV.biz

YTB Unwrapped will rebroadcast all week long at the top of every hour through December 11. Each product line will have its own 10-minute spot with 2 minutes in between. (We’ll also post these on our YouTube page to share individually with a prospective customer!)

Start scheduling appointments or host a party to showcase one or all of the YTB Family of products this week!

A couple points of clarification on what qualifies:
Shipping and taxes are not included in the retail price for this promotion. Sales are calculated to full paying clients outside of the YTB company. Sales at Rep pricing are not eligible for this bonus.

Let’s make this Christmas even more joyful with a 25% bonus!

~~~

I gotta tell you – this is why I love YTB and what it stands for. It’s product driven and empowers those who get Direct Sales and results based income. If you have the capacity to grasp the tools provided and the fact that you’re in control – it’s an incredible and very generous offer. 

It should make Christmas very merry this year anyone who goes out an earns it.

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

PPS - Subscribe to the Just Picture It Now RSS feed, (including e-mail) for all the latest posts and updates found right here!

Book Your Travel & Vacations With

A couple years ago, I stared swimming laps for exercise. I’ve attempted to exercise off and on over the years, but swimming has been the only form I’ve been able to really enjoy and stick with over time. Our entire family really enjoys the water and swimming’s low impact – full body workout has been perfect in giving me the endurance and stamina I need for work and family life.

In all, I’ve been swimming a mile and a quarter five days a week for the last two years. During the winter I have enjoyed the indoor pools that Gwinnett County offers at a very reasonable rate between Labor Day and Memorial Day. About the only issue I’ve had with this indoor option are the supper high levels of chlorine and the limited hours I’ve been able to get my workout in.

This season, with the new business and increased demands on my schedule, I needed to find another option. I just wasn’t making it to the pool for days at a time, and I felt horrible. I’m not just talking about feeling guilty about missing my exercise, I’m talking about just feeling physically drained and worn out at the end of the day. A body in motion tends to stay in motion, and while I was extremely busy and moving all day long, by the end of the day, I was simply worn out without much left in my tank for family and personal time.

For one reason or another, I’ve always felt gym memberships were overpriced and a waist of both time and money. It’s one of those limiting beliefs I’ve had that was embedded somewhere along the line, and I’m not exactly sure how or why it was planted there.

My beliefs about money has changed drastically over the last seven years now that I know I’m not limited to what somebody else tells me what my time is worth. Today, I create my own net worth and I’m paid in direct proportion to the amount of time and effort I put in.

Because money has long been eliminated as an obstacle, I came to the conclusion that I need to change my limiting belief about wasting my time at a gym. A good start was the fact that our local LA Fitness has an indoor pool designed specifically for swimming my laps to get back into the shape and recapturing the endurance I was looking for. A dry sauna also added value to the membership, as I’ve always enjoyed the benefits of opening up my pores, sweating out toxins and increasing my metabolism.

Much like everything else I get involved in, I not only wanted to do this gym thing right, I wanted to take full advantage of my membership. You can’t help but notice all the other equipment as you walk in that are designed to help you get into shape. Problem is; it’s been decades since I’ve used any of this equipment, and much of it has changed since the last time I’ve even seen equipment like this.

I noticed a segment of the members there that appeared to be wondering from machine to machine with very little in the way of results. We all attain this attitude at the age of 2 or 3 that “I can do it myself” – and some just never grow out of that mentality. We think we should know it all by the time we’re adults.

It’s an ego thing.

When I first got involved with YTB and wanted to learn about travel. I sought out the expert knowledge of Carnival, Marc Mancini, CLIA, and Travel Agent University. When I wanted to change my financial outlook, I gathered the expertise of millionaires like Coach Tomer, T. Harv Ecker, Robert Kiyosaki, and Donald Trump. I did the same with this blog. Experts like Yaro Starak, Darren Rowse, and Brian Clark taught me the ropes and enabled me to attain a permanent place on the internet that gets its fair share of traffic.

Of course, we can’t forget MLM, and Network Marketing. Coach and Scott Tomer, Tim Sales, Mike Dillard, Doug Firebaugh, and Len Clements provided great information and resources on building an MLM business the right way.

The point here is that in every instance I acquired the expertise and knowledge of an expert in their respective field. If I’m going to do something, I wanted to make the most of it – I didn’t want to be just average. Nor did I see the need to be so arrogant to think that I could figure it all out on my own. Not when there’s a wealth of information and people who sincerely want to help.

So it shouldn’t be a big surprise that both Ronda and I have retained the services of a personal trainer at LA Fitness to help educate us on the proper way to use the vast assortment of equipment and exercises in an effort to take our personal fitness to the next level. We simply applied the same thought process and willingness to ask for help from true experts like we always have.

There’s a term in personal fitness and training that I’m sure you’ve heard of.

“No pain – no gain.”

I can tell you that right now, that I have muscles I didn’t even know I had. Every inch on my body is feeling a high level of pain right now. While I give certain muscle groups an opportunity to recover and heal, another group kicks in during the circuit training that brings a whole new meaning to the word pain.

It really doesn’t matter if it’s personal training for fitness – or if the pain comes in the form of personal finance, business ownership, or improving your mindset and thinking. It often involves pain or at least discomfort to some extent because it includes change. A change in attitude – a change in habit, or a change from just thinking about it and actually doing it. It’s uncomfortable and rather awkward when you first get started.

If it weren’t, you’d already be doing it by now.

As adults, we often settle for the status quo or just average. Somewhere – deep inside, always wanting to advance and grow to better ourselves. Some never really take the time or energy to achieve that next level. We all talk a real good game, but fewer and fewer it seems actually walk the walk. Limiting beliefs and excuses always seem to get in the way.

It’s just too hard.

That’s why I thought it was wise to find someone outside of friends and family to hold me accountable – to help with this next level. Like I’ve learned in years past, I found an expert in this field who can show me how to do this the right way for the best desired results.

Results.

What a word.

If the result I wanted was pain – I certainly acquired it.

Don’t misconstrue or take this out of context – but I’m loving it. I’m looking past the discomfort and awkwardness right now and focused on the end result. Results  I haven’t seen in years when it comes to being physically fit and in shape. As I’ve learned so many times before in the area of finance, business, marketing, and personal development, this discomfort and awkwardness is a small price to pay on this journey we call life in an attempt to achieve our desired outcome.

Now if you’ll excuse me – I need more ibuprofen.

Until next time.

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

PPS - Subscribe to the Just Picture It Now RSS feed, (including e-mail) for all the latest posts and updates found right here!

Book Your Travel & Vacations With

It’s hard to imagine how different life would be without the intuition, vision and passion of a Steve Jobs.

I came home late last night to read about his passing on an instrument he helped define and mold into our everyday lives. You don’t have to own a MAC, an iPod, iPhone or an iPad to realize the impact Steve Jobs has made. A simple computer user will do just fine. It’s something most of us take for granted these days. Something my kids have never known life without. Something that I personally enjoy working on and occasionally get lost in.

There were enough “computer geeks” around back in the 70′s with vision like a Steve Jobs to make the personal computer revolution happen, but technology and computers just wouldn’t look the same without this man. Fast forward to today with products like the iPad, iPhone and iPod and you see his vision still impacting our lives decades later. What’s so amazing about the products and technology he helped create is that they all worked flawlessly.

His first authorized biography is scheduled to be published by Simon & Schuster next month. It’s a book I’m certainly going to read because I love stories like his. I love passion and insight like his. A guy who went against the grain, against the social norms, and against what most told him couldn’t be done – but ended up doing it anyway because unlike everyone else, he believed he could.

You don’t have to own or even use any of his products to appreciate his vision or his passion. All you have to really be is a dreamer.

Any time I get some jerk who thinks they know better than I do, telling me what I should invest my money or my time in, it’s a man like Steve Jobs that provides all the proof I need to keep going. Nor do I get caught up in my mistakes or failures when attempting to achieve a desired result.

Here’s a profound quote from Steve I found on CNN while reading last night.

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future,” he told Stanford University graduates during a commencement speech in 2005. “You have to trust in something: your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

Time and time again, I see people digging up the past trying to fit their perception into the present, and frankly – it just doesn’t work. You can only live in the present, and you can only act on something NOW. Now is all there is. You can’t pick up that phone yesterday. You can’t make that sale tomorrow. You can only do it now. Don’t worry about how it will all work out. It will work out exactly the way it should.

As a student of business and personal development, I’ve understood this quote for many years. It may not have been in these exact words, but the idea is the same.

Before I go, here’s another one from the same article that I just loved.

“If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.”

Truer words have never been spoken. You may never reach the level of success or the impact that a Steve Jobs has had in this world – but you’ll never be happier and more fulfilled if you never settle for what others may tell you to do.

I may not be a MAC Head like some others. But I can still appreciate their passion and love for this man and how he’s impacted an entire industry. Not only can I appreciate his passion, but I understand why his vision was the keystone to his rise and success.

It’s what provided the tools we have today, and why Steve Jobs has changed the world.

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

PPS - Subscribe to the Just Picture It Now RSS feed, (including e-mail) for all the latest posts and updates found right here!

Book Your Travel & Vacations With

I’ve discovered that being offline has its advantages.

Who knew?

It’s not that I miss being online, but the online world is so much different than the real world. There’s something about people hiding behind a keyboard that turns them into these egoistical maniacs and know it all’s. They can check in and check out on a moment’s notice covering a vast amount of cyber space without having to back up or support anything they say or do. There’s little to no responsibility or consequences to contend with in this vast expansion of bits and bytes.

Life – or the real world – has a completely different set of rules and consequences attached to it. There’s a level of accountability that you just can’t hide from offline. Online, it’s nothin’ to “talk the talk” – but if you don’t know how to “walk the walk” offline I would imagine you’ll find yourself in very compromising and uncomfortable positions in what I can only categorize as bizarre and irrational perceptions.

Offline, you also have the opportunity to kick the tires so to speak. A chance to look someone directly in the eye and ask the pointed questions. Instead of just the written word as a response, you can collect and record someone’s vocal tone, body language, and whether or not they can look you in the eye when they respond to questions you ask.

One of the things I’ve never been able to grasp are these folks who get all riled up over people they’ve never met, or even talked to. They form these opinions and illusions based on a perception that’s disconnected and incomplete. It’s a major reason why I’ve never given credibility to people who have some dysfunctional disdain about me. They simply can’t form a complete picture or accurate opinion about who I am and what I stand for without actually meeting me face to face.

Those that have actually met me have a completely different attitude and perception from what I’ve read here in cyberspace. Remarkably, it would completely contradict the crap I’ve read about who I am and what I do from the cowards who have never personally come in contact with yours truly.

Likewise, the cowards who spend hours yammering on the Internet attempting to shame and slander the YTB Founders, Coach, Scott, and Kim have never had an opportunity to come face to face with their nemesis either. About the closest anyone has gotten, was going to an opportunity meeting incognito. While they happened to be in the same room, there was never any real dialog because one was standing in front of the room in plain sight, while the other was hiding in the back of the room among a large crowd of faces. The result was about as effective as watching a presentation via streaming video.

Several years ago, another clown was in Florida to check out Funshine. Instead of spending time with the people there, he took pictures of cars in the parking lot. Then while the owners of the cars were in training classes, he sneaked in to take pictures of the empty hallways. If I remember correctly, the pictures of empty hallways were to prove that nobody was there. (Apparently, the owners of the cars left without their preferred form of transportation.)

But alas, it did give the cowards an opportunity to say “I was there” in an attempt to add credibility and confirm their already twisted views and perceptions.

I had an opportunity myself to check out another well known “industry scammer” on the Internet about a year and a half ago. Part of the reason I went to this meeting was to see if the speculation and perceptions online matched what I saw with my own eyes. As it turned out, I had an opportunity to shake hands and introduce myself to this so called “scammer” and actually brought up the fact that they were so well known in the cyber world.

This one very pointed question opened up a rather lengthy dialog over several conversations. The contrast over what I had read and what I had gathered on my own was astounding. I had also gathered information on the cowards who were so head strong at pointing the finger at this guy. What I found out made me realize the cowards themselves had three more fingers pointing at them. In other words, these so called critics who were trying to save everybody from being scammed actually had more problems and blemished of their own that I could only conclude that the ranting and raving they were doing was nothing more than a deflection technique to make themselves feel better about their own miserable existence.

Look – I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again.

Don’t believe a word I say – unless you can verify on your own to be true.

You don’t have to agree with me – but you do have to do a little more than read and post on message boards and blogs to form a legitimate and accurate perception of what’s going on. These clowns who only lift a finger to do a Google search on the internet to find opinions and perceptions that match their own illusions are a complete joke.

Instead, find somebody who has some real world experience and is capable (or at least willing) to show up in person for a face to face.

Online is a great place for introductions and connections. It’s capable of doing a lot and expanding your influence. However, if you’re not willing to unplug and venture out into the real world – you’re simply not going to get very far. You’ll quickly find yourself without any real knowledge, experience, or credibility.

While online can be great and it has its advantages – don’t mistake the online world as the real world or life experience. In order to grasp what’s really going on the only place to do that is offline.

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

PPS - Subscribe to the Just Picture It Now RSS feed, (including e-mail) for all the latest posts and updates found right here!

Book Your Travel & Vacations With

Five years ago – I made a very important decision.

I declared my Independence.

I had no idea what laid ahead of me. I found that it wasn’t always a walk in the park. I’d also make my share of mistakes along the way.

But you know what? I wouldn’t trade a second of it because I’ve learned more about myself and business in the last five years than during my entire adult (working) life combined. I have a much better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. I know what fires me up, and what bores me to tears. I’ve also expanded and grown farther than I’ve ever thought was possible before. My self-worth and self-confidence in what I’m truly capable of doing has awakened from its long overdue hibernation.

I dream like a little kid again.

It’s been a wild ride that’s far from being over. There’s still far more I want to be – do – and have.

When I made this declaration public, the support which opened up was incredible. Teachers, mentors, and friendships came out of nowhere to offer insight and leadership. People who actually cared – actually offered something worthwhile – actually wanted me to succeed.

That’s not to say that critics didn’t show up along the way. Those who tried to intimidate of shame me into submission – back to the old way of thinking. Fortunately, I’ve found that most critics are also cowards. The vast majority never revealed enough about themselves or provided any value to be any real significance. Always telling me what was wrong – never how to correct it or solve it.

Being independent requires being solutions oriented – not problem oriented.

This past weekend, Scott Tomer released a video on what Independence Day means to him and why we should all declare our own independence. I didn’t actually catch the video until after the July 4th holiday, but it struck a cord with me – and I agree with him one hundred percent.

I remembered the freedom that declaring my own independence meant to me five years ago. How liberating and strong it felt. How it gave me new life and renewed confidence in myself.

There’s one little caveat here that may help you put this declaration of independence into the proper perspective. Neither, Scott nor myself will tell you that making this declaration means that you walk into your bosses office tomorrow and quit. It took me a year and a half to feel comfortable and place myself in a position of telling my former employer I was out of there. What I did do however was work extra hard (much like a second full time job) to replace the income I was making during my “day job” doing what I really wanted to do.

See, your declaration is merely the beginning.

Think of it this way. Our Founding Father’s signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 – but the declaration was only the beginning of the Revolutionary War. True independence from Great Brittan wasn’t achieved until 1783. Nor did the Colonies go at this alone. They had help from the French, Spain and the Dutch Republic.

Your own declaration will also take some time and some help from others to come to fruition. You may not know how or where it will come from – but you’ll never know until you make a declaration of your intentions – your own independence.

Then the answers and the help from others will come.

Sure, you’ll experience some defeats. You’ll also question yourself at times. You may even feel like giving up. True independence takes sacrifice and determination. A new way of thinking – doing – and being. But if you really, truly want it – it’s there for you.

Deep inside, you know you really want it. What’s stopping you? The truth is – nothing other than your own “stinkin’ thinkin”. What you don’t see now will be revealed to you. What you don’t have now will be given to you. But you have to first make the decision – a declaration to yourself and others that this is the direction you want to go.

I still make this declaration almost daily, even five years later. Some day’s it’s easier and more meaningful than others. Because I know and trust that it works if you do. I’ve seen and experienced too much after all this time.

So what do you say? When are you going to get up – stand up – and never give up? It all starts with one simple step.

Declare YOUR Independence.

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

PPS - Subscribe to the Just Picture It Now RSS feed, (including e-mail) for all the latest posts and updates found right here!

Book Your Travel & Vacations With