You Never Stop Learning

   Someone tells me, "You're a lifelong student."  My retort to that is :  "Shouldn't we all be?"  If you ever stop learning, I think that it signifies one of two things : (a) either you think you've learned it all, and are therefore superior to anyone else's intelligence or wisdom; or (b) you have lost the interest, will, or desire to learn.  I'm not sure which of these is the worst;  both are probably equally horrible traits and fate.

  I have set about to learn and educate myself on as much information as possible concerning a very broad subject : the Internet.  In specific, I'm seeking to gain wisdom and expertise at understanding how to effectively use the Internet to promote and market one's self and business enterprises.  It's a vast undertaking.  There are so many areas to grasp and understand : website development, domains and URL names, Search Engines, social media, effective writing, promotional tools, etc.  The list goes on and on and on.

    I've discovered some books and online sites that have been helpful to me, and I intend on sharing these at some point in the near future.  However, I will tell you about something that has been extremely valuable, and that is a new tool that is being offered through my local public library.  That is the wonderful educational site called GALE COURSES (formerly Learn-4-Life).  It is available through my library at no charge.  That's right- FREE! Over 300 courses in many, many different fields or interests are available.  I have finished one course, and am taking three more presently, all revolving around the Internet.  I am also recommending this to other friends and associates.

  I have taken the following : 

• MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS ON THE INTERNET
• USING SOCIAL MEDIA IN BUSINESS
• ACHIEVING TOP SEARCH ENGINE POSITIONS 

• INTRODUCTION TO INTERNET WRITING MARKETS
• WRITE & SELL YOUR E-BOOK
• WRITING & SELLING SELF-HELP BOOKS

• BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO GETTING PUBLISHED
• THE CRAFT OF MAGAZINE WRITING
• HOW TO MAKE MONEY FROM YOUR WRITING 

  
   I previously studied "Blogging and Podcasting".   All of these courses are expanding my knowledge base.  With each new concept or piece of information that I grasp, a whole new world of understanding opens up, and slowly but surely, I am going to be able to piece together a unified, sensible approach to building and growing an Internet business model.

  As you can tell, I'm somewhat excited about this.  The free courses that I'm taking are not the only means for my learning.  I've also been reading some books, watching some videos, listening or viewing some online webinars, etc.   All of it is helping me develop a solid foundation for moving ahead with various online projects.

  You should check out GALE COURSES online.  See if there is an organization in your area, perhaps a business or college, which is offering their courses.   They are invaluable and would be well worth the investment to pay for these courses;  however, if you are fortunate, you will find a group that is a sponsor and is offering them at no cost to the community.

Click on the Links ABOVE or BELOW to check out More Info :

Gale Courses

My Story -- (and I'm Sticking to It)

My Own Story
    My own story is a history of twists and turns, detours and roundabouts.  I wish that somehow I could've had the wisdom or discernment about careers or business that I am starting to develop now, back then in my teens and 20's.   It seems that my dreams and goals didn't really start blooming until I was nearly 40.  I'm grateful for all I learned previously, and certainly not regretful of my past, however ho-hum it might've seemed in retrospect.  I became like many people : lacking any kind of motivation or concept of a better life, I settled into a lifestyle of mediocrity, accepting whatever was dealt to me as my destiny's lot, and not questioning my pay scale or my lackadaisical attitude about my jobs or work.

Following in the Footsteps  
   Let me tell you about my father's background, and perhaps this will help you understand  my background and development.  My father worked in the retail sales environment for 45 years.  He was the youngest store manager in his company's entire chain at 21 years old.  He typically won all of the chain's sales contests, beating store managers that were 25 or more years older than himself.  Before he was 30, he left the department chain to go to work for a small town men's specialty store as Assistant Manager.  Within two years, he was Manager of the store, and remained in that position, for two different periods, from the late 50's until 1971, and from 1972 until the mid 90's, when he retired.  In the intermittent year (1971-72), we moved about 200 miles to my aunt and uncle's hometown, where my dad had heard of a job opening at the same chain that he left back in his early days.  He accepted and worked a position of Assistant Manager, until it was apparent to him that his main job was to help train the manager's nephew, and it was proposed to him to take a Store Manager's job in Oklahoma.  For some reason, moving that far away did not appeal to him or to my mother.  So we moved back, and he took the same job that he had before. 

   I need not go any farther for you to see that my dad was very knowledgable and capable at retail management.  In fact, a college professor gave my father a copy of his Business book, autographed with the words, "To Bob, who could write his own book about business management."  I always wished that my dad would've done just that.  He knew and read people very well, and loved interacting with them.  He had the "gift of gab" and loved selling and being able to please his customers.

Early Years
  It was in this environment that at about 21, I started out in the work world by working for my dad.  I worked off and on for several years.  My dad helped me get a job with the same chain that he started with, and worked there for a couple of years.  While working these jobs, a friend of mine got me interested in computers, and I began taking a few courses at the local community college, which eventually led into an associate's and then a bachelor's degree.  I felt newly energized, putting all of my time and energy into learning and developing a new career path in technology.  While in school, I managed to secure several jobs in the field, working as a computer operator at one organization, and then as a computer help desk operator.  As I was finishing school and after graduation, I worked as an assistant to a Network Administrator, and as a Computer Tech at my college.

  In about 2000, after the last company I had worked for closed down the local office, I found it more difficult to find a job in this field, and began a job search which had degenerated into finding "anything to do".  After being so driven to find a new career, it was a terrible awakening to realize that I might have to leave what I had felt so excited about, to go back to the routine of working a menial, ordinary type of job.  After a few months of searching, I wound up at a local hotel, and worked at two different ones over the next five years.  In the meantime, I was still interested in computers and the possibility of returning to that market, but the right opportunity did not immediately present itself, and over time, I settled in again to accepting the status quo.

A Brand New Direction
  I ended up working at a printing shop for two years, and then back into retail department store sales for another two years.   I had picked up a habit though, while working at the hotel jobs.  I was a customer service / front desk clerk, and while waiting for guests to arrive or for a phone call, I began letting my mind "wander" and imagining things that I would like to do with my life, and areas that I would like to explore as a career.  I popped a disk into a computer, and began typing up these different ideas.  Over a period of a few months, I had amassed what was probably the equivalent of 50-75 pages of ideas.  These weren't just one-liners;  they were fully developed business plans, with bulleted lists and short and long-range goals.  And it wasn't just a handful of ideas.  There were probably dozens of them.   You can see that this was a time of letting my spirit out of its cage and letting it attempt to fly into unknown territories.

Goals and Dreams
  Just about five years ago, a friend had given me the idea of starting my own business. The idea came from us throwing around word puns, and laughing between ourselves.  Then one day, he said, "That would be good on a tee shirt."  And then, "I bet that would sell, if you put it on a shirt."  The original idea was to print up tee shirts, and put them on consignment in different shops around town, and eventually other areas.  But along the same time, it became aware to me that a lot of companies were springing up online, ones that somehow were able to offer free services to just anyone that was interested in

Browse My NovelTees Tee Shirt Store

starting their own independent online store.  I went to one of them, and started a free website.  This was the origins of what is now known as "NovelTees".  I started by spending my one or two days off a week, using the interactive screen to combine clip art graphics and text on tee shirts, caps, and bumper stickers.  I probably put up a dozen shirts my first day.  And now, there are between 1,500 to 2,000 items for sale.  It has not become a full-time career or income yet, but it is a start in a new direction, with a great potential for growth and success.  I eventually want to expand into several online stores, and also take the business offline, when I develop the capital to do so, and print my own shirts, reducing the overhead, and being able to sell them at community festivals and flea markets.

   Another idea of mine which has become a reality is my guitar teaching.  I began playing the guitar when I was a teenager, never with the idea of teaching anyone else.  In fact, at the time, I wasn't sure that I would ever really learn to play.  But in the 90's, while I was working those other jobs, I started teaching in a guitar shop, and did so for two years, developing about 20-25 students, working two days a week.   I also taught a guitar course

Go Check Out My GuiTarHeel Website

at the local community college.  Then, for some reason, that idea fell to the wayside for the next twenty years, but about two years ago, after being on unemployment for over a year, I decided to "test the waters" again, and found a local senior adult center that was interested in having guitar classes.  I've been doing them for the past year, teaching three classes now, averaging about 25-30 students per eight-week session.  See my Guitar Site for more information on this venture.

  It was in this context that I took the local library's offering of a "Blogging for Beginners" class in June 2013.  This class allowed my past technological background and my newly fertilized visions for various online business ventures to fuse together into an amalgamated, unified path.  I had developed a personal website while taking a class in HTML and web design back in the 90's.  It was mostly for my class,

Visit "The Bob Page"

and for my friends.  They loved it, and told me so.  But eventually it, like most of my other projects and dreams, fell by the wayside, while pursuing other dead end roads.  After taking this blogging class, I immediately set out to re-invent this website.  It was called "The Bob Page", and was basically.. about ME -- "Bob".  However, I'm in the process of learning how to delicately combine personal and business into one consolidated web community, which hopefully will someday soon develop into both an enjoyable hobby plus a career and income.

  More later.. as "My Story" develops more.. & more.. & more.. Stay in Touch.. 

Maximum Age / Minimum Wage

    I've got a Tee Shirt on my "NovelTees" store that portrays "Minimum Age / Minimum Wage".   It's meant to be a pun or jab at teens trying to find work whenever they reach the minimum age for a work permit.   Usually the only thing available is a minimum wage entry level job.  

    On the other hand, I've seen some teenagers venturing out to even start their own businesses while in high school, or even before.  The days of kids setting up lemonade stands are almost gone now.  Kids are web savvy, creating complex Internet sites and learning how to play and even create

Order This Shirt @ My NovelTees Store

computer video games.  Some other young people are venturing into other areas, like crafts or food or writing.  I've heard of girls baking and selling cookies.  

   One of my college friends had a daughter who she helped set up a website and sold cookies online.  Although I'm sure that a lot of them had their parents' guidance and help, I am amazed and impressed that so many that are so young can manage to imagine and conceive such enterprises, and then follow through on it to actually put it into motion and achieve a measure of success.

   One of the focuses of this "Make This Job & Love It" site is to try to help people get out of the old mentality of "I CAN'T do this" or accepting their current job or career status as "Oh well, somebody's got to do it".  If you are in this mental state, then you are ACCEPTING the status quo, and ENDURING your work, rather than EXCEPTING the status quo, and ENJOYING your work.   I had lunch with a couple of friends yesterday.  One of them said about their past job, "Well, it was a necessary evil... it had its pro's and con's."  He enjoyed his co-workers;  in fact, some of them are still casual friends several years after he left the job.  He found that the job itself was not that difficult.  He was a photographer, who went in, did his job, and then usually went home.  But he found that the company did not treat him fairly, cut the benefits to a bare minimum, and at the end, left him with no alternative but to quit.

  My own story has similarities to my friend's, although the circumstances are different. It was about four years ago that I returned back to my hometown from about a two-year stay in Nashville, and was somewhat excited to be able to find a job within about a week.  It so happened that one of the managers, the one conducting the job interviews, was a former co-worker or boss at one of my former jobs.  I was hired, and settled into the retail environment once more.  Having just spent almost two years in a retail sales job in Nashville, it was natural for me to be comfortable in that setting.  But what I began to see and find over the course of the next 2-3 months was that this particular job was a return to "Point Zero" for me, a reoccurring revolving door or detour off of life's highway.  I had been making almost $10 an hour at the former job.  Even though our commission had been cut out about halfway through my stay there, I was pretty satisfied.  To some of you, working for $10 an hour is an appalling thought.  To me, it was Retail Heaven.  When I got back home, and got the new job, I was again making Minimum Wage, which was something in the neighborhood of $7.25 an hour.  I was being paid a stipend of 50 cents for store credit applications that were collected and approved.  (Wow!)  My former job in Nashville had given us $2.00 for each credit application.  When I asked the manager about the differential, he just flatly stated, "It's your job. Take it or leave it."  At 5:30 a.m. sales meetings, the store managers would look at me and make remarks like, "We're counting on you for five credit app's today. Come on.. you can do it!"   The appeal of this pitch was totally lost on me.  I began to see through this whole game of the corporate ladder, and the low rung to which I was seemingly permanently affixed.

  After about two months, the store laid me off.  It had been a seasonal temp job anyway.  Two or three of us got extended into regular employees.  I was one of the "unlucky" ones that got axed.  But looking back, I could not thank them enough for their generosity in letting me go.  It opened the door to almost two years of unemployment, through which I began to look for other alternatives to the Minimum Wage dead end.

  More later.. For an in-depth look at my history and background, read "My Story--(and I'm Sticking to It!").

Destiny Quote

Strength in Numbers: The Splendor of Mentors

   As I look around at the various leaders of our generation, I notice something.  Even most of the leaders are followers.. that is, copy-cats.  They will borrow something that works, and take it to the next level.  Unfortunately, those that lead and those that follow leaders rarely do it from an unselfish motive to foster new creativity and individuality, but rather to help build their own dynasty and legacy.

   Almost everyone is familiar with The Lone Ranger.  If you weren’t a watcher of the original or re-run old B&W TV episodes, you probably saw or heard of the new movie of the same name that premiered this past year.  The idea was that this crusader wore a mask to conceal his identity, and only his Indian friend knew who he really was.  But, you see, even The Lone Ranger wasn’t alone.  He had Tonto, a very faithful comrade and sidekick.

   Everyone at some point wants to follow their dreams.  They have a vision and goals and wish to follow after them.  Sometimes these are dreams that others also aspire to reach.  Sometimes it is a unique dream or vision.  Whichever path you are following, it is almost certain that you will not reach your aspirations unless at some point, you find some help along the way.  Even travelers who take off on an independent journey have signs along the way to direct their path, signs that someone has earlier placed there to help them find their way.

   I just got an email recently from a friend at the library whose course I took a couple of months ago.  It was called “Blogging for Beginners.”  I would not be writing this article for you to read if it had not been for her initiative to develop a class where I could learn the basics.  I already had an idea for redeveloping a website that I had created about fifteen years ago, but it was this class that gave me the motivation and final impetus to get it done.  This new email was a follow-up to that class;  she was letting me know about a new program that the library is using that offers free online classes, and so I am actually signing up to take a few, including “Blogging and Podcasting for Beginners.”  I have been wanting to develop online video lessons for my guitar students, and the idea of audio/video podcasting sounds like the ticket that I’ve been needing.  Plus just today I discovered “Windows Movie Maker”, a basic video editing program.

  

   The point that I am making is one that you’ve heard over and over : that “no man is an island.”  Most people typically equate the term ‘networking’ to Amway or some other business, but if we take an honest look, all of us “network” with other people.  You cannot really function or make it through an entire day without getting the help of a few people along the way.  And a lot of them are complete strangers.  Let’s say, you take a trip.  Perhaps you have directions or a map.  But somehow, you still get lost along the way.   What do you do?   Quit, and turn around to go home?  No way.  You stop and ask directions… from a complete stranger.  And more than likely, they are willing to stop and help you.  On a much bigger and broader level, this continually happens in our lives over and over again.

   About two years ago, a dear friend prayed with me, and several months later, he told me that besides the spoken prayer that he had uttered, he had also asked a silent prayer that God would send me the people into my life that would be an encouragement and help to me.  And it was amazing… that I was able to share with him many instances where new people had emerged in my life to help me in certain areas.   Coincedence?  You might say so.  But I believe that ordinary, random events in our lives can also be appointments with destiny.  How so?   I think it is just a truth of life, but very few of these circumstances tend to be viewed in this panoramic way at the time they happen.  It is only after a season of time has passed that we usually gain the perspective to see the purpose in things that otherwise had seemed ordinary and mundane.

   I am thankful for my friends.  They mean so much to me.  But I’m also thankful for the acquaintances in my life.  And also for the strangers that I encounter on a daily basis.   They may come and they may go.  But each and every one of them appears and disappears for a reason.   You may say : you are philosophizing, or overstating the obvious.   You may be one that takes everything that happens at face value.   And you may even be somewhat right.  But I think one’s perspective is not always just a perspective, but a perception of purpose and meaning.

     One short word here about networking in groups.  It’s not only individuals that come into our lives, but sometimes we come across groups of people who can help us.   In recent days, I’ve seen the importance of making contact with groups of similar interests
and visions.  Today, the Internet can be a source or tool in finding these groups, as well as word-of-mouth and daily interaction.  It also affords us the ability to network with people all over the world, as well as those in our local areas.   I have encountered groups that exist to help entrepreneurs, guitar players, as well as hobby and health groups that exist to promote sports and recreation, or just social interaction.   My church has also been a rich source of meeting new people and interacting with them.

   Remember.  We’re not an island.  We are not alone.  Who is out there?   E.T.?  I don’t know, but I can tell you that there’s a God who loves us, watches over us, protects us, and also sends people into our path to prepare and equip us for what lies ahead.  As you go forward with your life and business, take a second look at your perspective with the people you come across.  Value them and appreciate them for what they have to share with you.  They might just be the “angel” that God is sending to help you.    If you have something to give in return, then give it.   Your life will be that much more rewarding for it.  But more than anything else, you will have a new, richer view of the world and people around you, and a better perspective of how it all fits together in the big picture we call “life”.

___________________________________________________

   “Two are better than one, ... if either of them falls down, one can help the other up.  But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up ... Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not easily broken ... If God be for us, who can be against us ?" [ Ecclesiastes 4: 9,10,12;  Romans 8:31 ]

Working for Peanuts

   I'm sure you've heard the old expression "working for peanuts."   It is often heard when someone is complaining about their rate of pay, or demanding their fair wage, as in "I ain't working for peanuts."

  As far as I can tell, the expression has its roots in the animal kingdom, either coming from the feeding of elephants in a zoo, or from an organ grinder who sent his monkey out into a crowd to collect donations of money, and also received peanuts from the gallery for his efforts.  Either way, it is not thought of as a decent kind of retribution for a human's working.

   In the same vein, I have a friend who once told me, when speaking of his job, that he worked for celery (a "salary").   These cute word puns leave us with the thought that each person has a desire and an idea of working for what he or she is worth, and is not really fulfilled, happy, or satisfied with anything less.   A person's time and talents should definitely be rewarded by their employer, or by their customer /client. 

   The Beatles song "Drive My Car" drives the point home in a sarcastic lyric, "Working for peanuts is all very fine- but I can show you a better time," suggesting that being their chauffeur would be a better proposition than whatever meager-paying job that the listener may already have.

   Fact of the matter is, most people today aren't rather picky whenever it comes to jobs or occupations.  We have many in the midst of unemployment, just wishing for any job to come along.   Others have spent years in study, preparing for a certain type of job or career, only to find that their services are not readily needed, and having to settle for something that they never intended to do or be.  And still others, secure in their job, putting in 30 or 40 years of their life, seemingly content, but often really unhappy but unwilling to take a risk or challenge to do anything else of any consequence.

   What's the point of it all ?   Most people plan their budget around their pay, instead of the other way around.   Can anyone REALLY hope to ever make what they REALLY feel or know that they are worth ?   The better question might be, "Should anyone REALLY settle for anything LESS than what they REALLY think that they are worth?"   

   I'm not proposing that we all quit a job or career (if we have one), and proceed to live penniless until we are able to latch onto that dream of a job or career.   I'd just like to plant a seed in our minds that it's not pointless or meaningless to pursue a dream until it eventually happens.  You may say about a minimum-wage or other unfulfilling job, "Well, somebody has to do it."  That may be so.   And if you are happy in that position, then there is nothing wrong with it at all.  But most of those types of jobs are either filled by part-time workers who are waiting or pursuing other careers, or by those who cannot or will not ever have anything better for themselves.

   I think that Henry David Thoreau said it best when he wrote, 

  If you are unemployed, and have to take a modest-paying job to help meet your expenses, then by all means, take it, and work at it as hard as you can ; and if you are already working such a job, do not necessarily quit without having any other means of supporting yourself.  But, at the same time, why must you settle for less, if your mind and heart are dreaming and yearning for more ?   It's not so much of a selfish quest, but ultimately a spiritual one of seeking to fulfill the destiny that has already been planted in your heart.

 And if you are one of the fortunate ones out there who have their own business or enterprise, consider your worth.  You possess talents, skills and knowledge that you are willing to share with the rest of us in your world.  Do not short-change and over-extend yourself by "working for peanuts."  Assess your market value, and do not be afraid to set a price for your services that is commensurate with your abilities and that will allow you to be fulfilled rather than frustrated with your efforts.

  Don't "work for peanuts."  Leave that for the monkeys and elephants in the world. Instead, go out and fulfill your heart's and life's dreams.   Go for it !  

Be Awesome