On automatic pilot...

‘I was on automatic pilot; ideas for gadgets kept coming, fed by a force of energy flowing through me and around me. I wasn’t really conscious of pausing to eat or sleep, I was caught up in a flurry of activity. I must have been experiencing the same sort or rapture of creation I imagine composers or poets get carried away by when they lose themselves in their work. I forgot about everything else to concentrate on what I was doing. I’d work eighteen-hour stretches and fall asleep in my clothes. Then I’d wake up in the middle of the night, brew a pot of tea, and start work again. I was tired, but work had become pure enjoyment.’ — Trevor Baylis

10 success tips for young entrepreneurs...

An interesting read for those young moguls on the come up...  (Source)

 
1. Do what you love.

All successful teen businesses have one factor in common: Their owners love what they do - so choose a small business idea that aligns with your interests, no matter what they are.

2. Know what you want.

Are you willing to leave school if your business takes off? Or do you envision your business as a side project? Being able to answer questions like these will help you organize your time and priorities.

3. Be radical...

In your late teens and early 20s, your thinking is fresh, original and full of energy. Don't be afraid to try something no one's ever done, create an off-the-wall product or shake up an existing market by changing factors (such as a service or delivery model) that established companies take for granted.

4. ... but follow the rules.
Being a young entrepreneur doesn't exempt you from registering your business, keeping records and paying taxes. Following these simple rules now will save you from legal and administrative headaches later.

5. Manage your time.

Running a business while going to school is stressful and difficult. Understand what is required of you in your separate roles as a student and a business owner, and employ planning and organizational tools - for example, a well-maintained appointment book, Microsoft Outlook or an online time/project management system - to make the most of your time.

6. Use school resources.

Being a student isn't a handicap in business; on the contrary, it can be an advantage. Your campus offers free computers and Internet connectivity, a host of potential employees and/or volunteers and the expertise of professors who would be happy to share their knowledge and experience with you. You're literally surrounded by people and resources, so make the most of your situation.

7. Find a mentor.

Buddy up with a local entrepreneur or business leader with a record of achievement to be your small business mentor. Your mentor will help you understand the risks and challenges of business, provide a sounding board for your ideas and help you find investors for your company.

8. Exploit online resources.

Your computer can connect you to hundreds of online resources for young entrepreneurs. Immerse yourself in these resources; they'll help to inspire, direct and motivate you.

9. Be good to yourself.

Regardless of how organized and enthusiastic you are, some days will overwhelm you. Don't be afraid to step back from work and do whatever relaxes you. Whether it's the endorphin rush of exercise, the lively company of good friends or a quiet day of meditation on the beach, take advantage of opportunities to invigorate yourself and balance your responsibilities with relaxation.

10. Check your mentality.

One of the problems that can afflict young entrepreneurs is a mental block against, as Nike might say, just doing it. We've all been raised on stories of Internet billionaires, wealthy young actors and other tales of spectacular overnight success. Knowing how well other people have done in business and how quickly they've scaled the mountain is demotivating. It can make some young entrepreneurs lose confidence and feel as if they don't want to get started on a business unless it's going to be the next YouTube.

This is a self-defeating mentality. Combat it by reminding yourself that you're not competing against anyone but yourself. Do whatever it is that you can do today, whether that means tutoring, designing T-shirts or building online communities. The important thing is to get your feet wet - not to take over the business world.

The bottom line is that your student days are ripe with entrepreneurship opportunities. You may never again have the energy, resources or motivation to start your business, so get to work.

Bruce Lee on doubters and doers...

“The doubters said,
"Man can not fly,"
The doers said,
"Maybe, but we'll try,"
And finally soared
In the morning glow
While non-believers
Watched from below.”
― Bruce Lee

Life is a battle...

Whether it is in business, love, or even life. There is no failure except in no longer trying.  As great works are accomplished, not by strength, but by perseverance.  History tells us that almost all great leaders have been pushed to some point of insanity.  This insanity accompanies the ideology that death, and the anxiety we call fear, is no longer an option.  It is at this brink that man realizes the simple fact that it is all or nothing.   In military strategy, while cornered and under heavy attack, there is only one option…..TO FIGHT!

"You might as well stand and fight because if you run,  you will only die tired" - Vern Jocque - Sei Shin Kan.

In a book written in 1960, by Eleanor Roosevelt, titled “You Learn By Living” , she states the following on courage;

The encouraging thing is that every time you meet a situation, though you may think at the time it is an impossibility and you go through the tortures of the damned, once you have met it and lived through it you find that forever after you are freer than you ever were before. If you can live through that you can live through anything. You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, `I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' The anger lies in refusing to face the fear, in not daring to come to grips with it. If you fail anywhere along the line, it will take away your confidence. You must make yourself succeed every time. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

In conclusion, through the days I have the pleasure to speak to several friends, family members, clients, and colleagues whom all face the constant dogma we call stress.  As this anxiety compounds into all of our daily agendas, we must learn to harness its energy and reflect it towards a more productive state.  Furthermore, “In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins-not trough strength but by perseverance.”-Jackson Brown   

      

To be nobody but yourself...

"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting."  ~e.e. cummings

Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap MOVIE Trailer (2012)

"Hip Hop Didn't Invent Anything, Hip Hop Reinvented Everything!"

SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP is a feature length performance documentary film about the runaway juggernaut that is Rap music. At the wheel of this unstoppable beast is the film’s director and interviewer Ice-T. Ice-T takes us on a deeply personal journey to uncover how this music of the street has grown to dominate the world. Along the way Ice-T meets some of the remarkable superstars of Rap, from Eminem to Dr Dre, to Snoop Dogg and Kanye West. He exposes the roots and history of Rap and then, through meeting most of it’s most famous protagonists studies the living mechanism of the music to reveal The Art Of Rap. This film features unique performances from it’s entire cast and does not use any archive material.