Wake Up Cloud » Passion

The Passion Calls: Free Teleseminar Series to Help You Build an Advice-Based Online Business Around Your Passions

Henri — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:17:06 +0000

The first of three teleseminars has been held, but read on to get the recording to the first one and get on board to the next call.

This teleseminar series can be accessed via the phone, webcast, or Skype, so anyone can attend, from anywhere, with ease.

The Passion Calls is designed to help you get started on the right path by learning from the mistakes I’ve made.

As always, there are no invisible strings, hooks, or obligations attached when you attend.

This teleseminar series is 100% free.

And for those who can’t attend, recordings shall be generously handed out.

You can expect lots of valuable content on what I’ve learned during the years I’ve been doing this. I’ve made mistakes, spent thousands, wasted a lot of time, and I’m sharing it with you in hopes that you can avoid it better than I did

It’s not an easy path, but it definitely is possible, as you will see.

Third Call Details

The first two calls are over. When you sign-up below, you’ll get a recording of both instantly, and you’ll also be notified of the third call, which will be the best yet.

Why? Because it’ll be about how to get paid to do what you love, and how to avoid the most common pitfalls that keep people stuck.

Specific details for the third call do not exist yet, but below are some vague ones to keep you satisfied

Date: Sometime in Mid-Feb, 2012
Time: 12 Noon EST (9AM PST, 5PM UK)
Length: 60 Minutes (with 20 Minutes Q&A)
Teleseminar Details: Sign-up below to learn more

5 Outcomes You Can Expect from This Series

More clarity on what to do when it comes to discovering your passion and building a business around it. No more being overwhelmed, confused, and stumbling around not getting the results you want.
A dramatic increase in your confidence when it comes to taking action, dealing with fears, and just plain moving forward, because it’s through action that you will learn and grow.
Make faster progress not only in discovering what you want to do, but how to get paid to do what you love. Most people (myself included) make huge mistakes here that end up setting them back years and thousands of dollars.
Make consistent progress, because we both know how hard it can be to keep going after that initial burst of enthusiasm. You will freak out, but you can keep moving and checking off milestones when you learn how.
Have fun while building your business, because most people take this way too seriously. We’re here to explore, experiment, and learn from each other’s mistakes. You’ll come out of the calls feeling inspired and uplifted, ready to take action.

What to Do Next

First of all, if you’re interested in these calls, I’m sure you know someone else who is, too. I’d appreciate it if you shared this on Twitter, Facebook, or in whatever way you think will spread the word.

The reason I have a list is because I want to have a way to contact you fast, because as you may know, I’m having a baby this month, so I may need to change the times around.

There are also limited amount of spots on the actual calls, so this is a way for you to reserve your spot.

Sign-up to the list below, where you will be updated of the details and get a reminder when the calls begin.

When you’ve signed up, you’ll get a confirmation email to your inbox. Open it, confirm, and you’re in.

When You Feel Like Giving Up

Henri — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:41:59 +0000

Note: If you’re interested in getting your first blog off the ground, check out the Beginner’s Guide to Blogging while there are early-bird copies left. You can also get a sample here.

I’m not good enough.

I don’t know what to do.

Everything feels overwhelming, and I’m ready to give up.

That’s what I’ve been feeling these last few days, and I know you can relate, because every human being on this planet goes through these periods of agony.

It doesn’t matter how successful you are. Success doesn’t give you immunity from humanity.

During periods like these, I want to catapult myself into bed and hide under my sheets. And it doesn’t help that the sheets smell nice and are fluffy.

One of the problems today is that people aren’t honest enough. They have no problem telling you how much money they’ve made, but when it comes to feeling like a failure, they keep their lips tight and their fingers in their pockets.

It makes it all seem like you shouldn’t feel the way you do. But the truth is that whatever you’re going through is normal.

I’ve come a long way since I started actively going after what I wanted at the age of 16, but I still have days where I wish things were easier—a lot easier.

Why Does This Happen?

I wish I knew why these periods of agony occur, but I don’t.

All I know is that they do. They almost seem like periods of cleansing, because when they are over, I feel clearer and more inspired.

It’s only when I try to fight what’s here that days can expand into weeks, but I rarely do that anymore, so I’m often through the woods in a few days.

We don’t need to know why. We just need to know how to deal with it effectively, so it doesn’t ruin our lives.

Many fellow passion seekers have thrown in the towel because they’ve misinterpreted their thoughts and feelings.

Your Thoughts, or Just Thoughts?

When I’m in the midst of the despair, I’ve learned to notice how chaotic my thoughts are.

The more I identify with my thoughts, the more I suffer.

What I’ve experienced more and more is that we are not our thoughts.

Sure, thoughts and feelings happen, but we do not have to get caught up in them.

You can check this out for yourself. Notice the thoughts that are here right now, and also notice that you are the presence which is aware of the thoughts, you are not the thoughts themselves.

Thoughts could not exist without you.

Thoughts have no power unless you focus on them. I’m not saying that you should ignore your thoughts, just that you can be more aware of what you pay attention to, and that you don’t have to get sucked up in the drama.

Just having an intellectual understanding of this won’t help you, because those are just more thoughts. What will help is when you experience it for yourself. The easiest way to do that is to be intensely present and intimate with the present moment.

Yes, even when you feel horrible, especially when you feel horrible.

This topic has been fascinating me to no end lately, so I could go on, but I’ll leave it clean and simple for now.

The Solution to the Despair

In the past, I’ve dealt with these kind of days by trying to push through them. I’ve tried forcing my way to success, whether I liked it or not.

I never even considered that I could take a break.

When I feel like giving up, I’m not productive, and I don’t make good decisions. Whatever I do just breeds more of the same.

What you do during these breaks is up to you, as long as it’s something you enjoy. I watched movies, meditated, read, and listened to some Sedona Method audio programs.

I’ve been exploring the Sedona Method a lot lately, and so far I really like it. I love diving into the world of personal development and discovering what works.

In essence, my solution is simple: I take a break, and let myself experience whatever is going on inside.

I surrender to my thoughts and feelings. Instead of trying to resist and fight them, I welcome them, and let them be as they are.

I’ve noticed that the way I feel becomes a problem when I want to change it, because that’s where the fight begins.

The way most people deal with negative feelings is by running away to food, sex, TV, drugs, alcohol, video games, or whatever your favorite thing happens to be.

I am no different, but I’m getting better at staying here and now (as if I could ever leave the now).

Life happens the way it happens. I went through a rough few days, but I’m feeling inspired and ready to take action now.

I know that these kind of days happen from time to time, so I don’t try to avoid them. Instead, I embrace them with open arms and do my best to be with them.

The ride is much smoother that way, and often what I’ve labeled as negative emotions bring lessons and gifts with them.

All I have to do is be open to them.

Not always easy, but always worth it.

Steal My Book – Beginner’s Guide to Blogging

Henri — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:59:16 +0000

During the past month I’ve been working on my next book, Beginner’s Guide to Blogging.

It’s designed to show you how to start your first blog, as you may already have figured out.

It’s straight to the point, and it only covers what you need to know to start your blog and get off to a great start.

The reason I decided to take this [simple] path was to eliminate the confusion and overwhelm that people usually run into when starting out.

Further down in this article, you can grab a sample of the book, so you can check it out before you buy.

If you want to buy a copy right away, you can click here to learn more.

Why I Created Beginner’s Guide to Blogging

I asked my readers what they were having trouble with, and the main thing was blogging.

They want to get started, but they don’t know how. Sure, there’s a lot of information out there, but it’s often conflicting and it leaves you confused and frustrated.

I know it did for me when I was starting out.

As I surveyed my readers more, I discovered the individual obstacles, and those obstacles formed the chapters for the Beginner’s Guide to Blogging.

Why You Should Buy Beginner’s Guide to Blogging

If you’ve been wanting to start a blog, but haven’t known how, when, where, or why, then you might want to take a look at this book.

Obviously, there are many reasons why you should get this book, and I’m not going to try and convince you, because that is up to you.

If you feel even the slightest bit interested in what this book has to offer, I recommend you keep reading.

Tell Me the Details

The book is available for $7.95 for 100 early-bird copies, after that it goes up to $9.95.

Something new I’ve done with this book is that I’ve added a 28-minute interview with Benny Lewis from Fluent in 3 Months.

In summary, you get a 104 page book with no fluff and no filler, and you get to hear me chat with Benny about how he makes a living through his blog.

Where’s the Sample?

If you want to take a quick peek at what’s inside the book before you buy, below is a sample with a few chapters from the book.

If you’re reading this in a feedreader and can’t see the sample, click through to the post.

Enjoy!

To download the sample, right-click this link and choose save-as.

How to Buy the Book

The book is available right now, and for the first 100 copies, you can get it at 20% off, so grab your copy right away if you’re planning on buying it anyway.

That’s all for now. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch or simply leave a comment below.

Are You Unknowingly Trying to Force Success (And Burning Out in the Process)?

Henri — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 12:19:25 +0000

Have you been trying really hard to succeed in finding and following your passion—in making your dreams a reality?

How’s that working for you?

Are you tired, frustrated, and ready to give up?

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be a struggle. The bad news is that you might do it anyway, because you believe it is the only way.

Progress will happen at whatever speed it happens. When you try to push, you struggle, you suffer, and it slows everything down.

When you allow things to take their time, you get into the flow, and you enjoy the present moment.

There is no rush.

There is no hurry.

So you might as well enjoy what’s here and now.

Why We Try to Force Success

Everyone around us puts a high value on achievement and success.

We learn from an early age that we have to do, and the more we do, the better things get, or at least so we’re told, but have you taken a look around lately?

It’s all about doing.

And it isn’t making anyone happy.

It isn’t through force that you will succeed and enjoy life, but in allowing life to unfold in the way it does, while staying present.

This doesn’t mean that you become passive a observer, it just means that you stop resisting, forcing, and struggling.

You stop suffering.

It’s the equivalent of surfing on a wave and trying to stop it from hitting the shore.

One makes sense, while the other is utter lunacy.

A Short Story

Now, don’t get me wrong. I struggle, but not as much as I used to.

When I began, I wanted so badly to succeed online. As I kept going, I discovered that relaxing and following my heart was what truly brought me joy.

When you get into the flow, things happen without effort. You’ll fall into fear just like before, but that’s okay. It’s a part of the game.

When you stop forcing, life’s good.

This means allowing life to unfold and being curious as to what comes next.

How to Stop the Madness

The best way to stop the struggle is to develop trust in yourself.

And you do that one step at a time.

This could mean trusting your intuition, instincts, or unconscious. It doesn’t matter what label you put on it, because to me they all lead to the same place.

Most things never go as planned, because they just happen. People try to resist this fact, because they want certainty, but that’s just because they haven’t yet realized that certainty is not what they want.

The sooner you can let go of certainty and just allow life to unfold, the more you will enjoy life.

It is not something in the future that will bring you happiness, but this very moment. Take a deep breath, and notice the power that is already inside you.

It is always there, and will always be there, because it is you.

You are that which is aware of the struggle, the fears, and the thoughts in your mind.

You can do anything.

You can be(come) anyone.

But it all starts here and now.

Steal My Book – 21 Ways to Get Paid to Do What You Love

Henri — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 10:53:31 +0000

In the last few months I’ve started working on the first ebook in a series of ebooks on how to move from A to Z when it comes to earning income doing what you love.

This book is called 21 Ways to Get Paid to Do What You Love, and it is available right now.

Further down in this article, you can download a juicy sample of the book and take a look inside.

Why I Created 21 Ways to Get Paid to Do What You Love

There are a lot of books, ebooks, and information out there on how to get started making money with your passion.

When I was thinking about writing this book, I did some research, and I kept bumping into products and books that weren’t helping anyone but the creator.

They promise you the world, but they don’t tell you the truth.

Or like Isabella said in the comments below: “They promise you the world, and give you an atlas.”

Also, I frequently receive emails and questions about how you can get started. All of that got my creative juices flowing, and the end result is this book.

Why Buy 21 Ways to Get Paid to Do What You Love?

Like most people starting this journey, you’ve probably felt confused, overwhelmed, and uncertain about where to go.

If you’re sick of spinning your wheels, this is a great place to start, because even if you only pick up a few ideas, those ideas can grow and catapult you into action.

And considering the price of this book, it’s a no-brainer if you’re serious about really making your dreams come true.

What Are the Details?

The book is available for $5.99 for the first 200 copies, after that it goes up to $9.95.

It is 113 pages, and when you download it, you get instant access to it, so you can start reading right away.

I will be writing more about the series I am producing. Also, I will be looking for a test group who will get special privileges, but more on that later.

Download Your Sample Here

With all that said, I’m sure you’re eager to take a look inside and discover how 21 Ways to Get Paid to Do What You Love can help improve your life and get you moving in the right direction.

To download the sample, right-click this link and choose save-as.

How to Grab Your Copy

The book is available right now, and the first 200 copies are flying off the digital shelf, which is a nice image when you think about it.

If you want to grab your copy, simply click here and you will be taken to the page that will allow you to do that.

Have fun!

Do You Need Talent, Money, And Connections to Build Your Own Business?

Henri — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 13:17:12 +0000

Do you sometimes wish you could forget about your dreams of building your own business and living the life of your dreams?

Does it seem easier to forget it all rather than to dive into the unknown?

There are people all around us living location independent lives and doing work they love.

For a long time, I looked around and I wondered why the grass always looked greener on the other side. A common mistake people make until they realize that it’s not true.

This perspective kept me caged for years. I didn’t feel good about myself, because there was always someone better than me. But was there really, or did my thinking make it so?

I often feel, even to this day, that I don’t have enough connections, talent, or money. But I’ve become aware of the fact that it doesn’t really matter.

Now, why do I say that?

Let’s stop and think about it for a moment, shall we?

What happens when you think that you don’t have what you need to build an online business around your passions?

You feel helpless and hopeless.

And you still want to build a business, right?

… So basically your main options are to feel bad, or take action anyway and figure the rest out as you go along.

I opted for the latter road, and it worked. I don’t focus on influential connections, talent, or money, and I do just fine.

This doesn’t mean I don’t make influential connections, it just means I don’t try to force them.

If I stop and let my fears take over, I know that I’ll regret it, so I don’t.

But I didn’t always have this courage to move forward. I was once a beginner and I still feel like one from time to time.

It’s not about perfection, it’s about progress.

Why Do You Think You Need Talent, Money, And Connections?

When I grew up, the people around me kept putting down successful people.

I was told that the rich and successful were lucky, had talent, connections, or a lot of money. At a young age, it seemed like I could never become truly successful, because I didn’t have any of those things, or I thought I didn’t.

People told me that it was okay to settle for mediocrity, because not everyone could have what they wanted. I believed that for a long time.

You have to be careful with what you take in, because people will try to hypnotize you all day long without even knowing about it.

They have good intentions, but they are not aware of the damage they are doing. Their truth is often a distortion of reality and may not even apply to you.

For example, where did you pick up the fact that you need something you don’t have in order to do what you want?

Think about it for a second. How have you been perceiving this to be true?

Haven’t you seen people succeed without talent, money, and connections? I’m sure you have, yet something funny happens when you have a belief like this, you delete everything that doesn’t fit.

If you want to build a business and live a passionate life, you can. I’m here to tell you (and show you) that it is possible.

All you have to do is decide to take action and ignore the naysayers (that includes saying no to your own excuses).

If someone tells you that you can’t succeed, they’re lying, because they don’t have a crystal ball.

If they do, tell them Henri wants one, okay?

How to Build a Business Around Your Passions

I’ve never liked making connections just for the sake of having connections, nor do I think I ever will. Hanging out with like-minded people is another matter altogether.

I used to like hoarding money, and I’m still scared that the well will run dry, but I’m more relaxed. So what if it runs out? If it does, I’ll deal with it then.

In the meanwhile, I’m going to focus on making my lifestyle business better and enjoying life as much as possible.

I think everyone is (or can become) talented at what they feel pulled to do. It doesn’t have to be something you’re already good at.

For example, I’ve always loved writing, but I’ve never dedicated a lot of time to it until the past few years. When I built my first few websites half a decade ago, I wasn’t good, but I got better.

Hell, English isn’t even my native language, yet I enjoy writing in English more than Swedish, Finnish, or even Spanish.

Progress happens step-by-step. Sometimes you’ll ride a wave, and sometimes you’ll end up in the water.

It’s not about making progress and reaching milestones, although those are certainly nice, it’s about learning to do something you love and knowing that you will get there one step at a time.

Why does anyone want to do work they love? To me, it’s because I want to feel good, happy, excited, and love life.

Why else?

Take action and let the rest take care of itself, because the only person you can control is you, then it’s up to the rest of the world to do what they do.

Your Choice: Succumb to Your Fears or Take Action

At this point, you have plenty of choices.

You can either let your made up excuses stop you from doing what you love, which makes no sense to me, but I understand it.

Or you can say “I’ve had enough,” and take action right now.

I don’t care what you have to do, as long as you do something. It’s not going to be perfect, and it might not even be brilliant.

And it doesn’t matter, because when you take action, you will feel empowered.

As you sit there reading this, thinking about what I’ve said, you’ve probably started noticing that you can change your life and mold it to your liking.

Even if you aren’t completely certain about it, yet, you can begin to imagine what it would look like, and that means it is possible.

You’ve probably tried to figure this out, but not been successful. It’s not all that easy. However, you have the answer within you, and you know it.

Do You Know the Simple Truth?

The truth is that you don’t suck at this. It’s that you’ve been very good at putting yourself down and not taking action.

Human beings are learning machines. We work perfectly. We aren’t broken. However, many of us have learned to do things in a backwards way, which is why you feel the pull to change things.

What I do is I focus on what I enjoy.

I like writing blog posts, so I write blog posts. I don’t enjoy writing sales pages for others, so I don’t, even if I think I can make money at it. I know that I wouldn’t be happy doing that.

This is a process. And it takes more time than you think, but less than you fear.

Time isn’t the problem, it’s the fact that you want to feel comfortable and safe. And that is something you will have to deal with as you get started.

A part of you knows you will get there, and that parts wants to pull you forward.

But you’ve also had a part that has tried to keep you stuck. You know there is something better for you out there.

You feel it, don’t you?

Even if you don’t feel it right this moment, you’ll become aware of it soon, because it resides within each of us.

If you don’t have a successful business yet, that’s good, because it means you can learn. You’ve learned how to not take action, so you can learn how to take action.

You’ve learned how to feel bad, so you can learn how to feel good.

How fast you can build your business is not the goal, the goal is experiencing everything fully and learning as you go.

You don’t need talent, money, or connections, you just need to start.

Photo by Lali

Why Your Passion Isn’t Happening (And Why It Probably Never Will)

Henri — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:56:40 +0000

Do you want to turn your passions into an advice-based online business, but something stops you?

Are you waiting for the perfect opportunity, or just a boost of courage that will get you going?

If you’re waiting for anything at all, you will be waiting a long, long time.

When you go after what you love, you will be scared. The more meaningful the work is for you, the more afraid you will be.

You don’t want to mess up, but you’re already messing it up by not starting.

Several years before I started Wake Up Cloud, I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn’t have guts to go after it.

Nothing really changed during the years that passed, except that I got sick and tired of waiting, and I decided to take action despite all my fears, excuses, and worries.

And that is what you will have to do if you want to create a business that frees you from the chains of 9-to-5.

Are You Afraid to Share Your Real Story?

I’ve received several emails where readers ask me how they can stand out with their website or blog.

The answer is simple: share your story. And by sharing I mean sharing everything that is relevant to your audience.

I constantly share my story of how I’ve built online businesses, how I’m improving what’s already working, how I’m getting over fears, worries, and anxieties. These stories are relevant to you.

They help you move forward, but also relate to me as a human being.

I don’t write about what I ate for breakfast, because it isn’t helpful.

Sharing your failures, mistakes, and fears is scary, but it is what people want to hear. They want both sides of the coin. You aren’t perfect, and they know that.

Give them honesty. Share what’s really going on.

I’m not perfect, and I share that with you. I make mistakes, and I struggle. I don’t always know where I should go, but I do my best, I take action, and I get results.

You may find websites online that cover the same topic you want to write about, but it doesn’t matter, because you have your own story to share.

If you’ve read my free report, you know that just sharing your story isn’t enough if you want to build a real business, but it is a start.

As long as you are honest, people will gravitate to you.

If you try to hide, so will your visitors.

Are You Afraid of Taking Action?

Your isn’t happening because you aren’t taking action.

You have to move in some direction, any direction. You don’t necessarily have to know where you are going, you just have to start.

There have been plenty of times where I’ve been confused about what to do with my online businesses, but I’ve done something, and I’ve moved forward.

I look at what I can do right now. I don’t try to create impossible projects. I look at what I enjoy, what I can do, and what is available to me.

And yes, I’m still afraid.

I don’t have all the answers, but I am willing to experiment. Creating an online business is still a fairly new venture in the world. There is no set formulas for success. But there are solid guidelines you can follow.

Take one small step at a time. Avoid the trap of overwhelming yourself with huge projects. There is nothing remarkable about moving forward, yet there is.

The simplest action you can take is often the most powerful.

Are You Looking for a Shortcut?

Let’s face it, you and I, we both want a quick-fix. It feels easier and more comfortable.

There’s a reason why sales pages that promise quick profits are so successful. They target your inner desire to get something for nothing.

But the truth is that there is no magic bullet. The only guarantee you have is you. When you stop looking for the “perfect system,” you reclaim responsibility.

It’s not the tools that make you successful; it’s the person using them.

Stop blaming your progress on something outside of you. If you do that, you give your power away. The power is and has always been within you, and the sooner you realize that, the sooner you can take action with confidence.

You can blog, podcast, create videos, or even freelance. Whatever your passion is, go after it with a vengeance.

Haven’t you had enough of waiting?

Do you feel the impatience building up inside of you?

Your passion hides in plain sight, but you aren’t willing to face it, because you don’ think you have anything to contribute, but you do, and that is your biggest fear.

It is not the fear of failure, but the fear of success that most bothers us.

What if you succeed beyond your wildest imaginations? What then?

Stop putting up with your own excuses, and take action today.

One More Thing … You’re Easily Distracted

Have you been jumping from program to program?

I know I did when I started out. I jumped on one course, excited, and ready to go. When my motivation waned, I looked for something else, and the cycle continued until I realized what was going on.

Does this sound familiar?

I now use my awareness to assess whether or not I need the course, and if I have time for it.

When I have a goal, I know where I am going. I may be confused about how to get there, but I know when I see something that I don’t need.

More often than not, you don’t need to buy another course.

I know that’s funny coming from me, someone who sells courses and training, but I’m being honest. A good course can make all the difference in the world, but not if you’re buying it for the wrong reasons.

Decide what you want, go after it, and avoid distractions.

Focus.

The Bottom Line

Your passion isn’t happening because you’re standing in your own way.

It’s right there in front of you, but you refuse to grab it.

You can find and follow your passion if you want to. Everyone has different life circumstances, and we all have to deal with them in our own way.

There are no excuses, only actions.

Where are your actions taking you?

The power lies in your hands.

Use it.

Photo by Jes

How I Found My Passion (And How You Can Find Yours)

Henri — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 11:38:53 +0000

There was a point in time where I didn’t know that I wanted to do what I do now.

I was playing poker and making money.

It was how I made my living, and I was happy doing that for a long time.

Until one day I felt like something was missing. It was a dull, empty feeling. There was no longer any satisfaction in what I did.

I was making money, but that was about it.

So in 2006, I began looking for other options. At the time I was into golf. I started playing when I was 9, and I was pretty good at it.

“Why not make a website about golf and make money that way,” I thought.

I paid someone to do keyword research for me, create my website, and get everything up and running.

What I didn’t realize was that I actually had to put in work to succeed. I never did that, and I let the website expire.

There was no fuel in my tank to keep going. I wanted the silver bullet, the quick fix, and I believed it could be found.

After that, I looked for opportunities around the web. I was trying to force success and passion. It didn’t come. I ended up spending thousands on get rich quick programs and other products that I thought would give me instant success.

I bought products ranging from blogging to financial instruments. I never used most of them, because I was looking for a quick fix.

I had forgotten why I was trying to succeed online.

I began my journey trying to find something to satisfy my soul, but instead fell into the trap of prioritizing money.

I thought that if I made enough money, I would be safe, and I could do what I wanted.

Oh, how wrong I was.

But the Story Gets Better …

I built my first website when I was 14. I started trying to make money online in 2006-2007. I’ve spent over $10,000 on coaching, courses, and every other product between heaven and earth.

As I failed over and over again, I eventually stumbled upon the blueprint for my online success.

I say stumbled, but what I really mean is that I kept going until I found what worked.

During this time, my passion was in the back of my mind. I believed it was a pipe dream, so I threw it aside, and kept going.

I have always been fascinated by the human mind and personal development. And I had thoughts about writing something on those topics … some day.

As I kept gaining momentum and becoming more successful, I kept pushing those dreams to the side.

I needed more money to do what I loved, or so I thought.

I had learned that money didn’t bring happiness while playing poker, but I had to learn that lesson a second time.

Deep down I wanted to focus on personal growth. I didn’t know exactly what topics I wanted to cover, but there was something there.

It resonated with me.

I kept telling myself that if I made enough money, I could follow my passion. After a while I got disgusted with my own excuses.

Enough was enough.

I was going to do what I loved, with or without fear.

I didn’t know at this point that fear was to be expected when you’re following your passion. All I knew was that I wanted this more than anything else.

I was determined, but I wasn’t out of the woods yet.

Progress, But Not Really

Deep down I knew what my passion was, but I tried to distract myself with what was “safe and secure.” I was too afraid to even look in the right direction.

It wasn’t until early 2009 that I started sketching what I might want to write about. I bumped into the blogging community, and it drew me in, like a pleasant version of quicksand.

I liked it. It felt right.

At first I was going to call my website, The Holistic Highway, and it was going to be about health, personal development, and online business.

Then I stopped.

I gave up.

I didn’t believe I could contribute anything. I mean, there were so many great bloggers, and writers out there that clearly were far better than me, so why bother?

Overwhelm and Confusion

At this point I went into a cloud of overwhelm and confusion. Once again, I distracted myself by working on other online projects.

I focused on making money, because it felt safe and it made sense. I was building websites around topics I enjoyed, so I was happy for a while. I was, at least, moving in the right direction.

Then at the end of 2009, I started feeling a nudge from deep inside. It was like an internal GPS coming online.

“Turn right now. Proceed forward. Read this book. Take this step,” it communicated.

I didn’t hear it guiding me. It was more of a feeling. Some things felt right, while others didn’t. Sometimes I did the wrong things, and sometimes I didn’t.

Thoughts and excuses came up, but I kept doing what felt right.

It was a puzzle to be solved. I did my best, and I moved forward.

I was overwhelmed and confused, because I didn’t know how, where, or when to start. But there was always that little voice inside of me that knew where to go.

Finally, I just went for it (again).

I had no idea if there was an audience out there waiting for me, but I wasn’t going to let my own fears stop me.

I was going to find out for myself. For so long, I had been looking for guarantees.

I quickly realized that there were none. I was my personal guarantee.

I was the key to my own success, not an outside force.

It wasn’t until I became truly determined, and was willing to take risks that I saw the truth.

As I look back, I do see a method to my madness. There is a strategy we can follow to build an advice-based business around our passions.

But I didn’t know that at the time, so I had to spend years stumbling in the dark.

Stepping Into the Clearing

I started Wake Up Cloud (this blog) in December ’09, and a new chapter in my life began.

I joined a training course on blogging, but I had no idea of what I was doing. Nonetheless, the road ahead of me was becoming clearer, and my internal GPS was becoming stronger.

All the mistakes I had made since 2006 started to turn into positive lessons. Everything I learned during those dark times was helping me succeed.

I wasn’t fearless. I wasn’t talented. I simply took one step at a time, and took action despite my fears.

After a few months, I created my first product, and I made my first thousand selling the knowledge I had accumulated.

To me, it’s not about making millions, because you will never feel like you have enough. If you can’t be happy with $30,000/year, you won’t be happy with $200,000/year.

It’s a mindset.

It’s all about doing what you love, and having enough money to live life to the fullest.

It’s about lifestyle.

If You Want to Succeed, Work Hard

It may not happen in a second. It may take years, just like it took me, but in the end it is worth it.

I am still confused from time to time, and that’s okay. I’m constantly learning to trust my internal GPS more.

Life flows more easily the more I trust it.

And it all started from a big pile of failures, or at least they seemed like failures at the time.

I always knew what my passion was, and you might, too. It was in front of me all this time, but I refused to see it, because I was looking for something else.

I had my blinders on, and I thought I knew what I wanted, but I was wrong.

I had my excuses along the way. I was afraid, confused, and overwhelmed. It stopped me for years, but I always kept coming back.

And that’s what matters.

If at first you don’t succeed, keep going, because the only way you can fail is by giving up.

Image by Ibrahim

Why You Should Never Get A Job

Henri — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:38:42 +0000

It’s 7AM.

I drag my 16-year old self out of bed.

I get dressed, and make myself two slices of toast with a glass of orange juice, because I’ve never been big on breakfast.

I think about the day ahead of me while staring out the kitchen window of my parents’ house.

A day full of mowing lawns, picking up trash, and making gardens look green and clean.

It’s my first job, and no amount of money is worth what I’m going through. It’s not the job, but the feeling that I’m heading down the wrong path.

This is not for me.

With each day, the feeling of dread grows inside of me.

“It’s only two weeks. The job’s only two weeks, then you’re free,” I told myself.

But deep down I knew that I had to make a decision. This job was going to end. It was only two weeks during the summer, but what would happen after that?

Would I go on to study at the university and get another job?

A job that would look better on paper and have different assignments, but ultimately destroy me from the inside out, like a deadly virus.

This is not for me.

There was a little voice inside of me. It was desperately calling for my attention, like a child stuck in a deep, dark well.

The cries had fallen on deaf ears for so long, but something had changed. A switch had been flipped.

There has to be something better.

That was when it all started.

I didn’t know it at the time, but it was at that summer job that a flame inside of me was born and my life changed forever.

From Idea to Action

Time flew past, like it always does, and the next summer was upon me.

This time, I had scored another job: one that paid more. I was going to wash and clean boxes inside of an old warehouse, where boxes, tools, and metallic objects where stacked to the ceiling.

After each day, it was as if I aged 40 years. It didn’t just show in my hands, but also in my spirit. I felt old after each day.

One day, while washing box after box, I was chatting with my friend, who told me about a guy he knew who had made $500 playing online poker.

“That’s it,” I thought to myself.

“If he can do it, so can I.”

That was the opportunity I needed. That summer I began studying online poker. I bought books until thirty of them filled my brown, wooden shelf in my small room.

I read, studied, and was active in online forums.

It took me six months of hitting my head against a brick wall before I finally broke through.

At first, it was just a few cents. From there it grew to a few dollars; to a few hundred; to a few thousand, and at that moment I knew.

I knew that other possibilities existed out there.

People told me to get a good education and get a job, but it never felt right.

Now, I had the proof for what I had been feeling all this time.

Just like a child in a candy store, my eyes opened wide, and I stood in awe looking at life and all it had to offer.

The veil had been lifted.

The Challenges

Like any good story, I ran into my first big obstacle not a second later than I started feeling like I was on top of the world, and it felt like a spear had been thrust through my stomach.

It was the fear of what if.

As I began making a living playing online poker, I got scared. I started feeling like I should go to the university anyway.

“What if I fail? It would be smart to get a university degree just in case,” I thought.

Fear had gotten its long, dirty claws in my flesh. I was making life plans out of pure, unadulterated fear.

Not good.

I didn’t yet know that fear would become my constant companion on my quest to living my purpose.

All I knew was that I was scared out of my mind, like a kid is scared of monsters under the bed on a dark, ominous night.

I kept moving forward despite my fear. I gave myself no other choice. I wasn’t going to get a job, so forward was the only direction for me.

I knew I was going to be miserable if I did anything else. I’d rather be afraid than succumb to a life full of regret.

There has been many of these challenges since that time, but those are stories for another time.

The Oppression

As I kept living a very unconventional life, I noticed how oppressive society was.

Most people have no idea that the ideas and beliefs they have are merely figments of their imaginations–stuff they’ve learned.

My friends and family kept urging me to get a job.

“When will you get a job,” they asked me as I was making a living doing what I enjoyed and traveling the world.

Even with the evidence in front of them, they refused to see the obvious.

They could not.

For seeing what I was doing meant that they, too, could do what they wanted, but instead they decided to turn their heads and look the other way.

When you begin to travel your own path, you will come upon people that do this, and you will meet people that condemn you. Not because you are wrong, but because it scares them.

They will do anything from facing their own fears, because when you begin to live your purpose, they will be reminded of how they are not living theirs.

You Don’t Need A Job

Deep inside of you, you know that you don’t need a job.

You’re reading these very words for a reason. There’s something calling you, like it called me, to take that leap of faith into the unknown, and trust.

You keep getting pulled back by fear, and the what ifs. And that’s exactly what should happen, because the closer you get to your true purpose, the more afraid you will be.

You don’t want to screw it up.

But what you aren’t realizing is that the only way you can screw it up is by not starting at all.

You don’t need to heal, be fearless, or have the perfect business plan. You only need the courage to take the first step.

All the excuses you make are your fear trying to stop you, like a little, red devil sitting on your shoulder.

“I’m not good enough.”

“I’m not interesting enough.”

“Why would anyone listen to me?”

They all come out of fear, yet they show that you care deeply. You want to make this work.

The jobless path isn’t for everyone, and it might not be for you at this time, but if there’s even a small part of you that is trying to get through, you know what to do.

Will it be scary? Hell yes.

Will you doubt yourself? I hope so, because otherwise you aren’t pushing yourself enough.

Will it be worth it? More than anything else in the world.

Image by Desmond

21 Things You Can Do To Change Your Life Forever

Henri — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:11:25 +0000

Last night I had a dream.

It was Christmas Eve. And I was receiving presents.

At that time, all I could think of was “I don’t want these. It’s just more stuff I won’t use.”

Looking back a few years, I can see how much I’ve changed. I almost haven’t noticed the change, because it sneaks up on you, until it’s impossible to ignore.

It’s like when you were a kid. You got taller, but you didn’t notice until you stood up against the wall.

The same holds true for life changes.

You are constantly changing, but it’s hard to notice until it slaps you in the face with a leather glove.

It’s not even a question of if you’re changing. It’s a question of in which direction are you changing.

Most people want change because they want to get away from something. If you’re in this group, know that it doesn’t work.

You can’t run away from yourself. Face your inner demons. Deal with them, and heal yourself.

That is how you can change your life.

Below are the 21 things you can do to change your life. It’s a hefty and spicy read, so grab your beverage of choice and enjoy.

1. Take Small Steps

A baby learns to crawl before it can walk, and it learns to walk before it can run.

Most people expect rapid life changes. If they’re wasting their time at a soul-sucking job, they expect success and fame within six months.

I’m not saying it isn’t possible, because it is, but in most cases it’s not going to happen.

People who need life changes now don’t realize that it’s not going to make them happy anyway.

All they want is their dream of a future without any problems. When they get there, reality sets in, so they set another goal.

And on it goes.

Take small steps. Enjoy the process, and have fun.

Those small steps will eventually evolve into quantum leaps.

2. Take Quantum Leaps

Something I’ve learned in working with NLP is that changes can happen in an instant. Old pains, fears, and negative emotions can vanish and be replaced by something more useful.

And this may seem contradictory to what I said above, but in reality it isn’t. It’s not either/or, it’s both/and.

We don’t live in a black and white world.

Quantum leaps are tipping points (as Malcolm Gladwell, the author likes to call them).

As you keep taking one step at a time, you will eventually reach a tipping point where everything shifts.

The problem is that most people never get to those shifts. They take a few steps, complain, whine, and give up.

They stop drilling when they are about to hit gold.

3. Accept Where You Are

When I was 18, I started playing poker professionally. I wasn’t going to work at a regular job, because there was no way I would survive doing that. I just couldn’t stand it.

Poker helped me realize many things, and one of them was that if I wanted to be happy, I had to accept where I was.

I still to this day have a hard time doing this. My mind is constantly going somewhere else.

Each day it gets better, and I’m okay with that (sometimes).

Things come and go. People live and die. Your life feels good, and it feels bad. The more you accept this, the easier it is to change your life.

4. Be Patient

I’ve been building my online business for the past five years. I say building, but what I really mean is learning the ropes.

I stumbled a lot in the beginning. I made mistakes, I failed, and I gave up in frustration more times than I’d like to admit.

I began seeing results when I became absolutely determined to succeed.

It was a big lesson in patience. It doesn’t matter what’s going on. There will always be problems. But they don’t have to clutter up your whole life.

Be patient with your progress.

You can change your life. Sometimes it just happens in its own time.

5. Forgive

We all have memories—painful memories.

What you may not realize is that the person hurting you with those memories is you.

You are the director of your mind. While the event may have happened in the past, it’s you who keeps playing them over and over again.

Reliving the past will get you nowhere. That’s why it’s essential to forgive and forget all those people in your memories.

When you do this, your life will begin to change. It takes a lot of energy to keep those memories running.

6. Heal

Healing yourself goes hand in hand with point #5. When you know that you can let go of past memories, fears, and obstacles, you become confident.

I personally use tools like NLP, EFT, and hypnotherapy on a daily basis to let go of negativity. Sometimes it feels like it’ll never end, but I keep on going.

Most people aren’t ready for life changes. All they want to do is complain. They avoid any and all solutions, because they are comfortable where they are.

And that’s fine with me, but if you make that choice, you have no right to complain or make excuses.

You either choose to be where you are, or you choose to change your life. It’s always up to you.

7. Face Your Fears

When you face your fears, possibilities open up. I still have a slew of fears waiting to be faced, but I’ve come a long way since I started.

And that brings up another important point.

This is not about comparing yourself to someone else. This is about comparing yourself to you.

How much have you learned since last year? Have you moved forward? If the answer is yes, then you’re doing well.

8. Kill Your Excuses

Your excuses are mere illusions.

You may have excuses about why you can’t follow your passion and build an online business, but are they really true?

If you really wanted to, you could make those excuses disappear, and when you do, you know what’ll happen?

That’s right.

Your life will change, once again.

9. Take Responsibility

Since talking with more and more readers, clients, and people in general, I’ve started to notice a scary pattern.

That pattern is the lack of responsibility. I see people wanting to change their life, but they aren’t willing to take responsibility.

They wait for a white knight (or black, depending on your preference) to sweep in to save the day and make change effortless and comfortable.

I hate to burst your bubble, but it’s not going to happen. When you take responsibility for the life you’ve created, you can begin to move forward.

If you’re blaming someone else for your situation, you’re stuck.

10. Follow Your Heart

And what would an article of mine be without me telling you to follow your heart?

If you’ve been reading my articles, you know that I keep writing about following your heart, and there’s a reason it keeps popping up.

As I’ve been living my life, I’ve started listening to my heart more and more.

And when I say following and listening to your heart, I mean it in the broadest sense of the word. It can mean anything, such as following your gut, intuition, feelings, or going with the flow of life.

When you begin putting the pieces together, and taking responsibility, and healing yourself, you will naturally begin to follow your heart.

11. Follow Your Passion

If you drive up to a gas station, fill your car with the wrong kind of fuel, it won’t run very well, if at all.

That’s what most people are trying to do in life. They are listening to outside influences, and that’s when all the “shoulds” come in.

It’s the belief that you have to focus on money in order to build a successful online business. I did this in the beginning, so I know what it’s like.

You want to do your research and know that there’s potential, but if you don’t do something you’re passionate about, your car will run out of fuel sooner or later.

It is your passion that will fuel your journey for the rest of your life.

12. Meditate

Ever had the experience of your mind racing out of control? It almost feels like you’re going crazy, doesn’t it?

A great way to calm yourself (and your mind) down is to meditate. Even five minutes of meditation can do wonders.

Did you know that a feeling can only stay in your body for about 90 seconds (chemically)? If it stays longer, you are doing something to maintain it.

You have to throw wood in the fire to keep it going.

Meditation is a great way to break that spell. So is exercise. So is eating. So is sex.

But I think one of the healthiest ways is to meditate and notice what’s going on .

13. Express Yourself

I find writing extremely therapeutic. It’s something I love to do. It calms me. It’s inspiring, and it infuses my life with serenity.

I highly recommend you take up journaling or just writing down your thoughts after every day. If you’ve tried to solve problems in your head, you know it doesn’t work. Your mind is too scattered for that.

You can have a conversation on paper, freewrite, and solve problems easily. It has the ability to change your life completely.

A great book on freewriting is Accidental Genius by Mark Levy. I highly recommend it.

14. Comfort Zone Kill

If you want to change your life in the most positive sense, get comfortable with being out of your comfort zone.

When you’re learning something new, you will bump into the walls of your comfort zone.

Your spirit wants to be free. It’s when you put yourself into a little box that it feels the need to rebel. You will start feeling bored, and restless.

You don’t have to suddenly infuse your life with discomfort. All you have to do is dip your toes from time to time.

15. Flow

Let’s face it. You don’t know what you want.

Sound harsh? Let me explain.

Most people think they know what they want. They make five and ten year plans, acting as if nothing will change during that time.

I’m on board with making plans and setting goals. But I don’t like rigidly sticking to them. You will miss opportunities if you do this.

In fact, you will miss life.

It’s like driving with all the windows painted black except the front window. You see where you’re going, but you miss everything else.

Accept that life brings you possibilities. You don’t always know where your life will go. If you go with the flow, it will take you where you need to be.

16. Focus

In order to change your life, you have to change your focus.

If you don’t take control of your mind, it will run amok. You will focus on the negative. You will imagine the worst possible scenario.

So, how do you focus?

You take it step-by-step. Meditate five minutes a day. Take a walk and notice how your body feels. Relax and stop stressing.

And when you do that, the way will open up.

17. Read

I love reading.

We live and die by stories. My life has changed several times by simply reading a book. I really need to compile a list of my favorite books into a post. Oh well, another time!

The stories you read have a profound effect on how you view the world. You can be stuck on a problem, and the solution can pop into your mind while you’re reading something completely unrelated.

Your mind does not work sequentially. You can be reading something, then something goes click, and your life changes forever.

And as you’re reading these very words, it causes you to think, doesn’t it?

In order for you to make sense out of the funny letters you see here, you have to go inside, and make sense out of it from your own map of the world.

Change is inevitable. It’s all about in what direction you’re changing.

18. Befriend the Unknown

You never know what you need. Remember point #15, going with the flow?

When you’re open to the unknown, which really is possibility, you accept that life may bring you something negative to teach you a positive lesson.

I’ve had some pretty horrible days when I played poker. It can murder you psychologically, especially if you’re playing it for a living like I was.

At one point I was looking up at the sky and asking “Why?”

And I’m not at all religious. But it helped me realize what’s truly important in life. It isn’t money, or material wealth, although those things can be nice.

You just never know what life will bring, so you might as well become curious.

How will the seemingly negative turn to positive in your life? What are they teaching you?

19. Reclaim Your Personal Power

Stop looking for others for approval. Just like taking responsibility (#9), you have to reclaim your personal power.

You know what to do. You can feel it. You just haven’t been listening to that inner voice til’ now.

It’s easy to give the decision to someone else, but it’s your life. The sooner you realize that, the more fun you will have.

What do you want to do right now?

If you don’t know, then start somewhere, because action will bring clarity.

20. Accept Failure

You will make mistakes.

And you won’t even know if they are mistakes when you make them, because mistakes and failures are skipping stones to success.

You only fail if you give up, so if you never give up, you can never fail, only learn, and grow.

21. You Are Always More

And above all, remember that you are always more than you think you are.

You are more than your problems, more than your fears, and more than your body.

I learned this from an excellent NLP trainer called John Overdurf.

It’s only when you focus on your problems and believe them to be you that you get into trouble.

So, remember to relax, because life is way too important to take seriously

And if you want to take things to the next level, you may want to check out my course, Passionate Living: A Simple Guide to Doing What You Love.

It’s not necessary by any means, but sometimes it’s helpful to have a structure to work from, and people tell me it’s good, so it might be able to help you.

Photo Credit

The 7 Biggest Mistakes I’ve Made Building My Online Business

Henri — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 10:01:54 +0000

Failure is the key to success.

The more mistakes you make and learn from, the wiser you become.

The people that embrace mistakes are usually the ones that rise to success and reach their goals the fastest.

A nice side-effect of this is that you are more relaxed and enjoy the present moment, because you aren’t trying to prevent “failure.”

When you’re starting out, you will probably feel the opposite. You have no experience, and you don’t know what you’re doing, so you want to be perfect.

It’s completely backwards.

When you gain experience, you realize that perfection is the enemy of success.

I’ve made a lot of mistakes during my time online, and in this article I’m going to share some of my biggest mistakes.

The purpose of this article is to help you see things from a different perspective, because some of the lessons I’ve learned are very counter-intuitive.

1. Stressing Out

You will bump into a lot of obstacles. You will feel like things aren’t going your way.

And when you’re doing something new, you might feel uncomfortable, or even stressed-out. That’s just your signal that you’re learning and exploring a new path.

I used to stress out about not making more money, or not having absolute financial freedom, whatever that means.

It wasn’t long until I realized that even though I got what I wanted, there would always be another thing that I didn’t have, or more money I could make.

It’s an endless loop if you get caught in it. I still get stuck in it from time to time, but it no longer controls my life like it used to.

For many years, it prevented me from going after my passion, because I thought I needed to have money to do things.

However, I quickly realized that I could do what I loved and the money would come, if I was determined enough.

Life has its ups and downs, so it’s not about eliminating the downs, it’s about learning to live with them and embrace them for what they are—an essential part of life.

2. Impatience

Building an online business takes time; at least that’s been my experience, along with many of my friends and clients.

I remember when I started; I thought I’d have a business up and running in less than six months. I was completely fresh and didn’t know anything about building a website, SEO, getting traffic, or affiliate marketing.

One of the best things that happened to me was learning to be okay with the fact that it might take a few years for me to build an online business.

An important thing to remember is that I didn’t have all the tools available to me that you have today, and to be honest, I tried going at it solo in the beginning and learning everything by myself, which didn’t help.

If I follow my passion, it doesn’t really matter to me how long it takes, because I’m already doing something I enjoy.

And like I said above, even if I start earning one million a year, I would probably want to earn even more, so it’s always goes on and on, unless you stop it.

There’s nothing wrong with earning more money, it only becomes a problem when money becomes your sole focus.

3. Not Trusting

Throughout the years I’ve learned to trust the process. I trust that I’m going in the right direction. This doesn’t mean I always feel peace and happiness.

There are times when things are tough, and when I want them to be different, but overall, I trust more than I did a few years back.

And when you stop comparing yourself to others and look back at how far you’ve come, I think you’ll realize that you are heading in the right direction, even if it doesn’t always feel like you are.

The way I learned to trust was simply to start listening to my heart and my feelings. Just a few years ago, I thought doing this sounded a bit woo-woo, so I avoided it at all cost.

I searched for something, anything, that made more sense. After exhausting all other possibilities, I realized that the only true path forward was learning to listen to myself.

When you trust yourself, and follow your feelings, you will be traveling on your path, which is the fastest way to get to where you want to go.

You may bump into challenges, obstacles, and internal resistance. And that’s okay, because that’s what’s supposed to happen for you.

4. Over-Thinking

When you try to over-plan, you overwhelm yourself. I was the master of overwhelming, over-planning, and over-thinking myself into problems that did not exist in reality.

Luckily, I got over it, because I got so sick of myself making excuses and not making progress. I simply started taking action, because I really did not care if I made mistakes.

I just wanted to start taking steps toward what would give me fulfillment and peace.

And with that came the realization that the most effective way to building my online business was to take action on the information that I had, even if I wasn’t crystal clear on what to do.

I simply started with what I knew, and what I thought I could do. When I did that, I quickly learned what I could tweak, and if things didn’t work out, I simply asked someone, or bought some consulting from someone who knew what they were doing.

And I realized that I can’t think or plan myself into a perfect future. There will always be mistakes, and you will make them, too. The quicker you accept that, the quicker you can start moving forward.

5. Not Good Enough-itis

One of the most common fears people have is the fear of not being good enough. And I had the same fear when I started, and I still do to some extent.

I felt like I had nothing to contribute, especially in the whole personal development and business market. However, it was what I truly enjoyed doing, so I was going to go for it, whether I was afraid of it or not.

I wasn’t going to allow myself to grow old and look back in regret at what I did not do. I’d rather go after what I wanted, give it my all, and see how well I could make it work.

Everyone has their story to share, which means that you can help someone out there by sharing what you feel like sharing.

You may not launch into popularity right away, but as you keep going and doing something you truly enjoy, you will attract more and more people to you, because the passion will exude from your writing.

6. Fear

You don’t have to be fearless. It’s not about not experiencing fear, it’s about what you do when you experience it.

Courage is much more useful, which comes from exercising your will to do something that you are afraid of.

Courage is like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it becomes. I was afraid of more things than I can share here, because I don’t even remember most of them now.

You see, most of the fears you have are not important if you travel 20 years into the future look back to now. What is important is what you do with your time and how much you use your courage to go after what you truly want.

Everyone is afraid, even the most successful people in the world are anxious, overwhelmed, and fearful from time to time. The difference is that they’ve learned how to turn fear from an enemy to an ally.

Fear has snuck up and paralyzed me many times, but I also know that I won’t let it stop me, because it’s not what’s going to give me peace, satisfaction, and help me follow my purpose.

There’s a time for rest, and there’s a time for just embracing your fears. I did not start out with a lot of courage, and I sometimes feel like I still don’t have a lot of courage.

Your feelings and thoughts can be deceiving, because when you take action, your fears will melt away, and your anxieties will start to become excitement.

And did you know that anxiety and excitement are the same feeling, the only difference is how you judge it.

7. Putting Off Passion

Last, but not least, is not going after my passion in the beginning. I did it to some extent, but not really. I think I did, but what I really wanted was to make money, so I could be safe.

You also don’t have to stress about your passion, because you will discover what it is when you take action.

I’ve tried so many different “niche” markets, because I wanted to find the perfect one for me. I wanted to find one that was easy, fast, and highly profitable.

Again a common theme pops up, which is me realizing what I’m doing, and letting it go. It was never about finding the perfect market, as much as it was about taking action and finding something that resonated with me.

It’s not about what you think is profitable. It’s about what you truly enjoy.

And it’s never a question of if your online business will make money, it’s about how much it will make.

Also, most people don’t realize that even if your first online business “fails” it will teach you the lessons you need to be more successful next time.

Image by Peter

The Surprisingly Simple Secret to Taking Action, Right Now

Henri — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 09:57:06 +0000

What stops you from taking action?

Is it overwhelm, fear of failure, anxiety, and a host of of blocks, thoughts, and feelings?

How interested would you be in learning a way to effortlessly take action despite them?

When you implement what you are about to learn, you will dramatically reduce your “procrastination time.”

You won’t suddenly become a productivity machine, but you might, because you never know, right?

The simple secret to taking massive action is so simple that you may end up laughing when you discover what it is, but it truly works.

And you will discover exactly what I’m talking about when you use it in your own life.

Looking Into Your Future

When I stop myself from taking action, I look into the future. I try to plan and predict what’s going to happen, and not happen. What I need to do, and not do.

I’m sure you know where that thought process leads, don’t you?

There’s nothing but overwhelm, fear, and anxiety when I go down that path. Even though I know what I’m about to share with you in this article, I still fall into the trap of overwhelm and scaring myself.

And that’s okay. Not always fun, but okay.

What you may not realize, if you’re really good at overwhelming yourself, is that as you take action, you learn and grow.

This means that you cannot effectively plan ahead, because the wiser you become, the more different your future decisions become. You begin to look at things from a whole new perspective.

And this is why going with the flow, trusting your heart, and taking action is so powerful. When you move forward, the pieces of the puzzle fall into place when they need to, and with each piece, you see more and more of the bigger picture.

You don’t have to know everything to know enough.

Setting a goal is all well and good, but it should never stop you from taking action.

The goal is there so you have something to aim at, but you always want to be thinking about what you can do now.

How to Effortlessly Take Action

With all that said, let’s take a look at how you can start to take action right away, shall we?

The secret is asking yourself the following question: What is the next smallest step that I can take, right now?

You don’t have to plan everything, although sometimes it’s helpful, but when it’s not is when it isn’t moving you forward.

We’ve been taught that we need to eliminate uncertainty, but what you may not realize is that without uncertainty, possibility cannot exist.

So if you’ve been planning, and trying to avoid mistakes that you haven’t made yet, I encourage you to ask yourself what the next smallest step is that you can take toward the general direction of your goal.

I told you it was going to be surprisingly simple, and it is.

There is still one more step you can take if you want to take this to the next level.

Feel the End Result, Now

Have you ever made an important decisions while you were feeling bad?

How did it go?

We all have, and the result is often unpleasant, uncomfortable, and unwanted.

This is why I want you to imagine what it would feel like to have already accomplished your goal.

Then feel what it feels like in your body. And from this state of already having the feeling you want to have, ask yourself what the next smallest step is that you can take, right now.

This will get you effortlessly moving in the right direction without overwhelm, fear, or anxiety.

This doesn’t mean you’ll never feel negative, because you will, but it will get you moving, and once you’re moving, you become unstoppable.

You see, when you feel good and make decisions from a state of peace, happiness, joy, inspiration, or even fulfillment, it will lead to more of those feelings.

In short: Feel it, then take action.

Image by Giacomo

How to Build Your Online Empire (The Hybrid Blogging Process Revealed)

Henri — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:39:38 +0000

Note: Online Income Mastery is open. Claim your copy now.

Many of my friends, clients and acquaintances that I’ve talked to over the years have a big problem with overwhelm and uncertainty when it comes to starting an online business.

I was in the same boat when I started out. It’s normal to a degree, but it becomes a problem if you are paralyzed by it.

The course I am launching on Friday is called Online Income Mastery, and it uses the Hybrid Blogging process to eliminate much of the overwhelm and confusion.

It won’t make them disappear because overwhelm and confusion are natural reactions when you are learning something new, but it will help you take action.

However, it never hurts to have a system that is simple and easy to follow, does it?

When you realize that you can build your own online empire, the possibilities open up and you become curious about what the next step is and how much you will grow in the process.

Because that is what this path is all about. It’s about enjoying yourself while you’re building your online business and achieving the freedom you desire.

And with all that said, let’s have a quick look at how the Hybrid Blogging process works. I’ve left out a few parts below to simplify it and make it into an overview format.

1. Passion + Profitability

The absolute first thing you have to do is find something that drives you, which is your passion. Without passion, you won’t be inspired, and without inspiration people won’t be attracted to your writing, podcasts, videos, or products.

But you also have to find an intersection between passion and profitability, and this is exactly what I will show you how to do in the Online Income Mastery course.

It’s not just about going after your passion. It’s about being smart and finding a solution that you can provide to people.

Now, this may not be the easiest thing in the world, but as you take action and decide to succeed, you will get there. The pieces of the puzzle fall into place when you begin to take action.

2. Smart Research

You don’t have to be a perfectionist about finding the passion + profitability intersection, you just have to know that it is possible, which it almost always is.

The next step is doing smart research, which for me means doing keyword research and looking at how other websites in your market are monetizing their sites.

There’s been a lot of confusion around keyword research, but the truth of the matter is that it is extremely simple when you know what to focus on.

If you’ve ever read anything about SEO and keywords, you’ve probably got caught in the thunderstorm of information.

But in reality, you don’t have to know 80% of it. All you have to know is the 20% that gives you 80% of the results.

3. Technicalities

When you’ve got your passion and it looks profitable, you’re ready to start getting your website up.

I cover this in the course to make it as simple as possible for you, so if you used to get stuck in this phase of building an online business, you won’t any longer.

When you truly decide to be determined, it doesn’t matter what comes in your way, because you will blast through it and move toward what you truly want.

Some people get stuck on finding their passion, others get stuck on getting traffic, while others get stuck on the technical aspects of getting a website up.

We all have our obstacles and when you really want to succeed, you will. I keep saying this over and over, but the mental aspects of building an online empire are crucial.

And that is why I cover them in the first module of the course to really get you going.

4. Core Content

Once you’ve gotten your website up and running, it’s time to focus on your core content.

And I’m really excited about the core content part, because it gives you amazing leverage when it comes to the search engines.

This is highly useful for human readers as well, because they will have easy access to the most important articles on your Hybrid Blog.

It’s simple, elegant and produces big results.

I use a case study of one of my sites in the course so you can see exactly how I do it.

5. Site Structure

The way you structure your site is crucial and it ties in with your core content, because while you can just use the regular structure of blogs, you will get much more mileage by using a three tiered structure.

This just means that you link to your core content in the sidebar, and then have another tier under your core content which is all properly optimized for maximum results.

The beauty of this is that you can do whatever you want with your core content. They will often be the most visited pages on your site.

Because of this, they are an optimal place to have affiliate recommendations, email optin forms, or just links to your own products.

I do this in a very non-sleazy way that feels good and creates a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Using the core content concept with proper site structure is what has allowed me to total over 1,000,000 unique visitors last year to my websites.

6. Building Links

The next step is building links to your Hybrid Blog, because without links your website won’t be seen by people or by the search engines.

I give you two very simple ways to build links to your website in the Online Income Mastery course. I like to simplify and eliminate everything that doesn’t produce maximum results.

This helps me focus, and eliminates a lot of the overwhelm, because your to-do list shrinks while helping you be even more productive.

One of the best ways that you can build links is through guest blogging, which not only is an effective way to build links, but also get subscribers and traffic.

And that is exactly what I’ve used to build up Wake Up Cloud to where it is now, alongside with a few other tricks.

7. Monetize

I generally don’t recommend monetizing your Hybrid Blog until you’ve started getting a few hundred unique visitors per day, because it just gets in the way.

Monetizing isn’t the best word for this process, but let’s roll with it for now, okay?

The secret to monetizing is testing, and looking at what is working for others. It’s not about re-inventing the wheel as much as it is about being smart about the process.

It took me a few years to learn and a lot of making mistakes, but once it clicked, it clicked.

8. Building Your List

Last, but definitely not least is building your list, which is by no means a necessity but it is what has allowed the Wake Up Cloud to be as successful as it is.

Many people get confused when it comes to building a list, but in reality it’s a very simple process of converting new readers to loyal subscribers, and then helping your subscribers solve problems.

Are you noticing that this is all about making money helping others? That’s because it is when you will feel the best, at least that’s the case with me.

When you really feel fulfilled and like you’re contributing to the world, that’s when you know that you’re following your passion, and it feels amazing.

Reclaiming Your Personal Power

When you buy the Online Income Mastery course, you’ll get a step-by-step process that will guide you through the process of building your online business.

I know that most courses are all information, which is why I’ve incorporated action steps and exercises into the course.

These will help show you exactly what you need to do to take action and succeed.

And in the end, you always have to remember that your success is in your hands. It isn’t until you reclaim your personal power that you will start seeing massive results.

It wasn’t until I decided to be determined about creating my online business that I started seeing results, and the same is true for everyone else I have seen succeed.

When you are willing to take action and go for it, the steps will appear in front of you.

And as always, if you have questions, leave a comment below or get in touch.

Image by Tom

5 Ways to Jumpstart Your Passion Business When You Don’t Have a Clue

Henri — Tue, 31 May 2011 13:17:44 +0000

One of the places where people get stuck most of the time is in the beginning. It’s hard to be completely clear and comfortable about where you want to go.

But the truth of the matter is that you have to start in order to get somewhere. If you’re spinning your wheels trying to get things perfect before you launch, you probably won’t get very far.

And if you are in this situation now then you know exactly what I’m talking about, don’t you?

In this article, I’ll show you five simple steps you can take to jumpstart your passion business even if you don’t have a clue where you want to go or what your passion is.

The good news is that you don’t have to know where you want to go in order to start.

And the funny thing is that usually when you start, things will start falling into place piece by piece, but it doesn’t happen until you take the puzzle out of the box and begin.

1. Passion + Profitability

The first step you take is to find some topic that you’re interested in and that is profitable. What I mean by profitable is that it has to be a market where people are willing to pay for solutions.

For example, there are people looking for tips on how to take care of a guinea pig. Now that’s a niche if there ever was one.

And you also don’t have to worry about making your first passion business an outrageous success. What you should be focusing on is learning the process and taking action.

Don’t worry about making mistakes, because everyone makes them, and it’s how we learn. Focus on moving forward and seeing what happens. Become curious about all the possibilities that await you.

2. Determination

The next step is determination. You will run into a lot of obstacles and fears on your path to building your passion business, which is why you need to be determined to succeed.

It wasn’t until I became determined that I finally started looking at what I was doing wrong, and I opened myself up to feedback and constructive criticism.

This is how I learned, and this simple choice made all the difference in my early success. And it is what will make all the difference in your success.

You can succeed, and you can build your passion business, if you only decide to make it happen.

3. Focus

You and I both know that focus is an essential ingredient in getting paid to do what you love. The problem is that there are so many distractions out there that it can be tough to stay on the right track.

However, when you’re determined and you have something you’re passionate about, it will be much easier.

The best way to stay focused is to constantly ask yourself what the next step is that you can take now. Keep focusing on what you can do right away, and you will reach your goals.

4. Feedback

The fourth step is to get feedback on how you’re doing. When I began succeeding online, I got coaching and I got feedback on what I was doing.

This showed me very quickly what I was doing wrong and what I could improve. If you can get a coach or buy a good training course, then by all means do so.

Most people have excuses. They might say that they don’t have money, while at the same time watching cable television all day and eating out once a day.

That’s not an excuse, that’s a choice to not go after your passion.

5. Blueprint

In my experience, I’ve found that having a blueprint and a step-by-step process to follow when you build your passion business makes everything so much easier.

For me it meant that I didn’t have to figure everything out for myself, which allowed me to just focus on taking action and making things happen.

And before I wrap this article, I want to let you in on the fact that I have a premium course called Online Income Mastery that shows you exactly how to build your passion business from scratch.

It contains everything I’ve learned during the last 4-5 years of build my own online business. There’s no fluff. Only the best, and proven strategies that truly work. And the best part? You’ll have to check it out to find out .

Image by Ian Boggs

Bruce Lee’s Top 20 Tips for Living a Successful Life

Henri — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 07:06:32 +0000

When I grew up, Bruce Lee was one of my biggest role models, and he still is.

He accomplished more in ten years than most people do in a lifetime. So I decided to gather Bruce Lee’s most inspirational quotes in one place.

The quotes below are what I believe it takes to live a successful life and have success in life. These quotes will inspire, motivate, and encourage you to go after your dreams.

With all that said here are Bruce Lee’s top 20 tips for living a successful life.

1. Apply What You Learn

“Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.”

How many people do you know that read a lot of books and spend a lot of time buying courses, but never apply the knowledge they learn?

You may even notice these tendencies in your life. It’s hard to take action and apply what you learn, because we’re all afraid of failure, and taking action can be paralyzing from time to time.

However, success in life doesn’t happens until you use the knowledge that you have inside of you. Most of us have exactly what we need to get to our goals, but we make excuses not to even get started.

2. Learn, Discard, Create

“Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own.”

It’s all well and good to learn from others, but it’s not until you take action that you discover what works and doesn’t.

When you discover what doesn’t work, you simply discard it and keep going. When you keep moving forward, you will create your own path.

Living a successful life is all about experimenting and trying new things. The more things you try, the closer you will get to true success.

3. Simplicity

“Simplicity is the key to brilliance.”

If you can simplify your life, your goals, and your tasks, you will not only be happier, you will also get more done and be more successful.

It was not until I started focusing on one single task and one major goal in my life that I started seeing rapid results in the direction of my dreams.

If you’re trying to go after multiple things at once, you will end up accomplishing none of them. Pick one thing that’s the most important to you and go after that.

The funny thing about focusing on one goal is that it seems that you’re neglecting all the others aspects of your life, but when you focus on one goal, magically the other aspects of your life improve, sometimes dramatically.

4. Break Barriers

“Using no way as way, using no limitation as limitation.”

We all have negative beliefs that stop us from being as successful in life as we would like.

The only person holding you back is you. Once you become comfortable with overcoming your fears, you will start seeing dramatic success in your life.

One of the most common characteristics of successful people is that they are willing to try new things and face their fears. They are not fearless, they are merely willing to do what it takes.

5. Be Open-Minded

“Take no thought of who is right or wrong or who is better than. Be not for or against.”

There’s no right or wrong in the universe. It’s completely subjective.

Getting caught up in the drama of who is right or wrong or who is better than will only distract you from reaching your goals and creating a successful life.

Stay open to new possibilities, and the viewpoints of others. You can never know what you will learn when you explore things you at first thought were pure nonsense.

6. Contribute

“Real living is living for others.”

It wasn’t until I found my passion and started contributing to the world with my writing that I started feeling fulfilled.

We all have our unique gifts that we can use to make the world a better place. These are usually talents and skills you have that you are very good at, and that you like to do.

It doesn’t matter if you like to make jewelry or if you enjoy cooking, because everything is connected to everything else.

You are here to make a difference with the talents you have. There’s a reason why you are you.

7. Manage Your Time

“If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.”

We are surrounded by distractions, such as e-mail, Twitter, and Facebook. They are great at connecting us to each other, but they distract us from what is truly important.

Learn to manage your time, and get the most valuable tasks done before you start to play. Use time management courses to get your life in order.

You can often double, triple, or even quadruple your productivity by using just a few simple time management tips.

A good one that I use is to write down the three most important tasks for the next day before I go to bed.

8. Be Flexible

“Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.”

Life will throw curve balls at you, so you have to get used to being flexible. The more comfortable you can be with being uncomfortable, the faster you will grow as a human being and the more success you will have in life.

This is exactly what distinguishes successful people from unsuccessful ones. Successful people are more willing to be uncomfortable, because they know that that is the fastest path to their goals.

Whenever you bump into something that makes you feel bad, stay flexible, and find the positive in the situation. I’ve found that most of the problems in my life are blessings in disguise.

The only thing separating positivity from negativity is time.

9. Set Goals

“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.”

If you want to create your dream life you want you first have to know what you want. For the longest time I avoided setting goals, because I thought it was unnecessary.

It wasn’t until recently that I discovered that goal setting can not only make me more productive, it can also dramatically increase the clarity I have.

When you set goals, use the S.M.A.R.T criteria, which stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely goals.

10. Be Patient

“A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough.”

One of my weaknesses is my impatience. However, I’ve learned to channel my impatience into getting more done and being productive.

It’s also important to realize that most of the things that are truly valuable in life take time.

For example, I discovered that creating an online business usually takes anywhere from 3 to 5 years, if your goal is a full-time income.

Whatever you do, keep taking small steps each day toward your primary goal, and you will be surprised at how much you can accomplish in just a few years.

11. Kill the Box

“All fixed set patterns are incapable of adaptability or pliability. The truth is outside of all fixed patterns.”

It’s easy to get into a rut, which is simply a familiar pattern that feels comfortable. If you truly want to grow as a person and lead a successful life, you have to get out of the box.

In fact, throw the box out altogether, and start following your heart wherever it leads you. This can be as simple as following your highest excitement in the moment.

Most people are stuck in their minds and never listen to their heart’s deepest desire. Don’t let this be you.

12. Control Your Thoughts

“As you think, so shall you become.”

What you think about, you draw into your life. If you’re constantly being negative, you will draw more negativity into your life.

Instead of focusing on the negative, think about what you want to get out of life and focus on the positive.

This is another way of telling you that you have to set goals and focus on those goals as often as possible. The results you will get by doing this will be dramatic.

Most people sit around whining about their miserable life, and then they wonder why nothing good ever happens to them.

13. Take Action

“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.”

Don’t over analyze and over think. Take massive action even if things aren’t perfect before you start.

Most people that try to get things perfect never get started at all.

I used to be a perfectionist, but I realized that by taking action, I could get much more done and make much more progress.

I also realized that people don’t want perfect. They just want solutions to their problems.

14. Allow

“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.”

It’s easy to get stuck on what other people would think of you if you became successful. Most people are so afraid of this that they never rise above mediocrity.

It is not up to you to make people happy. You can only make yourself happy, and the way others react is just the way they will react.

Don’t let other people dictate how you live your life. Determine what you want, go after it, and don’t look back. You will be much happier for it.

15. Create Your Own Destiny

“To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.”

You can make all the excuses in the world, but nothing happens until you stop blaming your circumstances or people in your life, and take control of your life.

It is up to you to take responsibility for your life and create your own opportunities. You may not be able to do exactly what you want right now, but you have the opportunity to take steps toward it.

No one will create the dream life for you. You have to do it yourself.

16. Be You

“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.”

As I said earlier, you were born with unique talents, gifts, and skills. When you try to be someone you’re not, you will only attract people into your life that are not in harmony with you.

When you are you, and that includes the weird things about you, you will find that the most amazing and interesting people start popping up in your life.

Sometimes this may take years, and sometimes it can happen in just a few days. Let whatever happens be okay and go with the flow.

17. Have Integrity

“Knowledge will give you power, but character respect”

No success in life is worth it unless you have integrity.

It’s very hard to find people that are honest and have integrity as one of their highest values. It’s easy to throw in a lie here and there and try to manipulate people.

Only conscious people realize that this won’t make anyone happy in the long term. It might get you what you want in the short-term but it’s not a recipe for happiness.

Live with integrity, and people will respect you. And best of all, you will respect yourself which is a very desirable character trait.

18. Learn the Rules, Break the Rules

“Obey the principles without being bound by them.”

If you want success in life, learn what other successful people have done to get to where they are.

It’s important to learn the principles of success, but not be bound by them. Once you know what you need to do, follow your heart and your intuition.

If you want to learn how to create a profitable website for example, I recommend you sign up for a training course, and follow the instructions step-by-step.

Once you start seeing success, you can start breaking the rules and begin experimenting.

19. Do Things for You

“Showing off is the fool’s idea of glory.”

Life is not about impressing other people. If you try to show off, it will backfire.

And if you try to seek the approval of others, it will just make you miserable. The only person that needs to approve of you is you.

This goes hand in hand with many of the quotes above. You can only be you, and it is not until you reclaim your unique self that you can be truly great.

20. Believe in Yourself

“You just wait. I’m going to be the biggest Chinese Star in the world.”

Last, but definitely not least are the expectations you have of yourself. Your beliefs will determine the success you have in life.

There are ways to overcome limiting beliefs and negative expectations, but nothing happens until you accept that they exist within you.

And nothing happens until you take full responsibility for the life that you have created in this very moment.

Image by Frankie

Passion Blogging Guide: 11 Steps to Getting Paid to Do What You Love

Henri — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 10:00:31 +0000

Dear friends, readers, and fellow world changers,

Let me introduce you to the Passion Blogging Guide.

It tells my journey of how I went from zero to thousands of subscribers within less than 12 months.

More importantly, it offers 11,000 words of free advice on how to create a profitable blog, and start making money doing what you love.

Who It’s For

Aspiring world changers who want to get paid to do what they love, specifically through blogging.

It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out (i.e. don’t have a blog yet), or have been blogging and aren’t seeing the results you’d like.

It even contains a little something for more seasoned bloggers (specifically the part about Article Marketing Magic).

What You’ll Learn

Here’s a taste of the content contained within the these 61 professionally designed pages:

How to Develop the Proper Mindset for Outrageous Success
How to Find Your Passion, Fast!
How to Discover Your Niche (i.e. Your Topic of Choice)
Crushing the Technical Difficulties That Stand Before You and Your Dreams
The Fundamentals That Make Successful Blogs Successful
How to Find Your Voice
How to Write an Article in 20 Minutes or Less
How to Get Traffic, Visitors, and Fans to Your Stuff
Building a Tribe That Cares
How to Make Your First $1K Passion Blogging

There’s much more, but I figure since it’s free, you can check it out for yourself

Sound Good? Here’s How You Get It

All you have to do to get the guide is click the link below and download it. There’s no opt-in, no hooks, and no catches.

However, I want to ask you a favor, and that is to share this guide with your friends via Twitter, Facebook, email, or in whatever way you wish.

It’s all yours to share, for now.

I have plans on making this a paid guide, so make sure you download it now, while you still can.

Click here to download the Passion Blogging Guide.

Enjoy!

How to Destroy Perfectionism and Catapult Yourself Towards Your Dreams

Henri — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 14:16:57 +0000

Perfectionism is a huge problem. It stops you from taking action and traveling down your path.

It can inject your life with fear. It can paralyze you, and make you feel like you’re living in a soup of cement.

Imagine if you could be okay with taking action, starting a blog that looks okay, and launching a product that isn’t perfect, and making your first $1,000 online.

How would that make you feel? Pretty awesome, right?

Well, it’s not that difficult. Most people that come to me for advice already know almost everything they need to know in order to get started.

This stuff really isn’t that complicated, unless you make it. I’m talking from experience, because there are times when I make something simple way harder than it needs to be, so it’s not like I’m immune to this.

The Precise Art of Experimentation

You have to be willing to try different ideas and see what sticks. Before I started writing this post, I had tried to write another article, but it just wasn’t flowing.

I was scared about if I was writing something that my audience wanted. I was worried about if my newsletter subscribers would even open my e-mail.

I wanted to make everything perfect. I wanted to write perfectly, get the most persuasive headline in place, and make my post magical.

I was letting my perfectionism take over.

I know you have ideas. Big ideas. We all have them. Many of those ideas will fail, but some of them won’t, and that’s why I want you to start experimenting and throwing spaghetti at the wall.

Examples: My Own Products

I personally think that my products are far away from being perfect, but people are still buying them, and apparently loving the value they get.

As I’ve been selling more and more of my own stuff, I’ve noticed that as long as I provide value and solutions to people’s problems, everything else is secondary.

I could tweak my sales copy, improve the graphics, and countless other details, but I’m okay with them being as they are.

I’m making hundreds of dollars passively each month from Article Marketing Traffic Booster and Passionate Living, and if I can do that, then I can 10x that and make a living helping people live the kind of life that I’ve been fortunate enough to live since the age of 18.

How to Kill Perfectionism (At Least Once In A While)

The truth of the matter is that you don’t know what will work. You don’t know if your blog on knitting red sweaters will draw an audience, or if you’ll even want to write about it for more than three months.

Of course, you should do some preliminary research, but I think you get my point when I say that you can start now, and tweak later.

That’s what I’ve done, and that’s what I’m doing with Passionate Living.

Passionate Living started off at $9.95, but I talked to people that said I was crazy and should raise the price, so it’s now at $17, and I’m working on adding more to it.

You see, you don’t have to have it all together in order to start making a small living online. I know the words “making a living” are scary, so what if I said … “in order to make your first $100 online?”

What about making your first $100 in 6 months? That’s around $0.55 per day. And if you can make $100 in 6 months, why couldn’t you replicate that and make $100 in one month, in one week, and in one day as you refine your process?

I started off making nothing from this blog, and this week during 48 hours, I made $184 from my own products and consulting. That’s a personal best, and just goes to show you that you can get to where you want to be, if you work at it and keep learning.

Perfectionism doesn’t have to stop you. You can create a product and tell your audience that you want to get their feedback, so they get it for a discount. You then improve it, make it better, and raise the price.

Perfectionism is destroyed by realizing that you can improve something over time. It doesn’t have to be perfect right now.

The opportunities are endless, but you have to take that first step, even if you don’t know where you’re going, or what you’re supposed to do.

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How to Get Inspired to Write in 10 Minutes or Less

Henri — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:49:37 +0000

Worries, problems, fears and thoughts of strange things are constantly spinning around inside your head, and you just can’t seem to stop them.

Does this sound familiar? More often than not, when I can’t write, it is because I am blocking myself. I’ve got a schedule to abide by here, and sometimes I’m in a crunch. I need to write, but nothing comes out.

The best way to get my writing done is if I do it well before my post goes live. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen, and I need to have a few tricks up my sleeve of how I can dip my toes in my own secret pool of inspiration.

What you are about to read is one of those sleeve tricks that I use. It’s highly effective, it makes you feel at peace, and it even improves your health (no, I’m not talking about exercising).

The (Toe Dipping) Process

What you’re about to do is sit perfectly still and observe yourself. It is sometimes called meditation, but in this case, I like to call it idea generation.

This will help calm you down and give your ideas room to make themselves heard. What I want you to do is set an intention, or a goal if you wish.

For example, I used it today to write an article that I already knew the headline for. I knew the topic I wanted to cover. My intention was to clear my mind and get the content flowing.

I sat myself cross-legged on my couch. I took a few deep breaths to get started, and I started focusing on my breath going in and out.

You can also focus on your body. I personally like to vary between feeling my whole body and my breath. When I feel my whole body, I can literally feel the energy in my body come alive.

When you first start doing this, you will have a lot of thoughts coming in. Here are a few examples:

This is ridiculous, why am I doing this again?
Hey, what should I have for dinner?
Did I remember to feed the dog?
Oh no, I have to pay the bills on Friday.
My leg itches.
This isn’t helping me at all. Ideas, hello?

When it happens, just observe them without getting attached. This will become easier and easier with time.

In the beginning, you may feel resistance, because if you’ve never done this, you probably have a few lingering emotions and tensions hanging out in your body. As soon as you put your awareness on them, they disappear.

As I did this for less than 10 minutes, I felt clear, at peace and inspired to write. I opened my eyes, picked up my external keyboard (I don’t like to write on laptops), and I started writing, while feeling my body and being anchored in the now.

I don’t worry about editing at this point. My focus is on getting the inspiration down on paper.

The 5-Step Process Summarized

1. Quietude. Find a place where you know you won’t be disturbed. This doesn’t work for me at all if I know that anyone can come into the room at any time, so make sure you find a place where you can relax.

2. Intention. Set your intention or goal. It could be anything. Brainstorming a topic, clearing something you’ve been stuck on, or even feeling out what steps you should take next in your life. This process is about tapping into your core.

3. Breathe. Once your intention is set, sit down in any way you like, and close your eyes. On a chair, cross-legged or lotus, it doesn’t matter, as long as you are comfortable. Start with a few deep breaths, and then put all of your focus on your breath.

4. Observe. When thoughts and feelings start arising, just observe and accept them as they are. You will get caught up in them from time to time. When that happens, bring your focus back to your breath and keep going.

5. Write. Once you’ve done this for a few minutes, you will feel a sense of calm and clarity. Open your eyes, keep breathing, and start writing. If nothing happens, I usually close my eyes and go back to breathing. You will know when you’ve done this enough, because you will feel a sense of calm, peace and joy.

And that’s that. You no longer have an excuse not to write. Hate me, love me, It’s all good. If you have your own process, please do share it in the comments below!

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Debunking Myths: 13 Untruths About Being Successful Online Destroyed

Henri — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:12:09 +0000

What would you say if I said you could start following your passion today? Would your mind come up with an untruth to stop you from taking action, or would you be excited and ready to go?

It’s easy to come up with excuses, but in the end, you really have to think about what you want to do. I knew at the age of 17 that I didn’t want a regular 9-to-5 job.

I wanted the freedom to do whatever I wanted, and I was ready to work hard to get it. We all have that drive within us, but first, we have to peel off the layers of untruths.

1. One Passion to Rule Them All

You don’t have to choose one passion to follow and that’s it. You do, however, have to choose one passion to focus on for a while, otherwise you’ll just sit there overwhelmed, not knowing what to do.

It wasn’t until I started focusing on one thing at a time that I started making a living online. I have several income streams, but I worked on each one of them separately.

2. You Have to Quit Your Job

You don’t have to quit anything. That’s just another excuse not to get started. If you watch TV, read magazines or do anything else that could be looked upon as “wasted time”, then you can easily find time.

One or two hours of focused work per day on your passion will make a huge difference. Start with what you’ve got, and take things from there.

3. It’s Going to Be Easy

Even though you’re doing what you love, it’s not always going to be easy, but it’s almost always going to be fun, interesting and exciting.

You will have to work hard, take action and cut through your fears. No one has it all together. No one has it all figured out. We’re all afraid, confused, and overwhelmed from time to time.

4. You Have to Be a Genius

You don’t have to be what you think you have to be in order to be successful online. What you need is stick-to-itness, which comes easily when you realize that doing what you love is the only way to live.

I’ve failed countless times, but I kept going, because the alternative of doing something I didn’t like did not appeal to me at all.

5. You Have to Be Fearless

Nope, you don’t. I’m afraid from time to time, or to be completely honest, the feeling I experience most at this time is confusion, but once I breathe and accept the chaos, things become much easier.

When you take one step and one day at a time, everything becomes much more manageable and the fear shrinks. If you’re experiencing fear, know that it’s normal, acknowledge its presence and keep going.

6. You Have to Get Lucky

You do not have to “win the lottery”. It certainly may help, but if you persevere, learn and keep taking action, you will have the odds on your side.

Getting lucky is overrated. It’s the journey that excites us. We’re here for the challenge, not for the drinks .

7. You Have to Have Great Ideas

Almost all ideas are derivative, which means that it is hard or nearly impossible to come up with an original idea, so don’t get stressed out over it.

This blog is about living the life you want to live. There are probably thousands of blogs similar to mine out there, but I don’t care. This is what I want to do right now, and whatever happens, happens.

8. You Have to Have a Crystal Ball

You will never know what’s going to happen. Okay, some people might, but if you’re reading this, I’m guessing you don’t know how to predict the future, yet .

The truth is that there’s no guarantee that you will make money. There’s no guarantee of you getting what you think you want.

We don’t always know what we want, and we don’t know where this path may lead us. You may fail, only to end up somewhere else, which you later realize is where you wanted to be all along. That’s why I trust myself. It knows more than I do.

9. You Have to Be Connected

When I started blogging, I didn’t know anyone. I still don’t know a lot of people. I’m not a natural networker (yet), and besides, right now, I’m just enjoying life.

I started out commenting and guest posting, which is basically what got me where I am today. I’ve also made some interesting new friends along the way, which you will too, if you start!

10. You Have to Be An Expert

You don’t have to be all-knowing in whatever subject you’re passionate about. Being an expert is good, but not necessary, and it does not qualify as an excuse.

If you’re passionate, motivated and take action, you can write about the things you discover on your journey to mastery, and in no time, you will have become an expert in the eyes of your readers.

11. You Have to Know English

Recently, I’ve started getting e-mails about how I learned English so well. I might have to write a post about it soon, but if your English is bad, it doesn’t take long to improve it, if you’re motivated.

If going after your passion requires you to learn English then the decision is brain-dead simple, isn’t it? If you make a few mistakes here and there, you can learn as you go. As long as you provide good content, people won’t mind a few mistakes, and if they do, who cares?

12. You Have to Be a Great Writer

If you don’t like writing, you can make videos, podcasts, or you could even use a voice-to-text software.

If you’d like to get better at writing then you have to write, and read, a lot. I was pretty horrible when I started making websites online, but I’ve improved a lot, and I did it through writing, writing, writing.

13. You Have to Be Interesting

Who’s interesting? It’s all relative. You don’t have to live a rockstar lifestyle, travel the world and meet tons of people.

If you love knitting, you will attract the people that love knitting. You don’t have to be anyone who you are not. You only have to be yourself and do what you love.

Summing Up

All of the things that are stopping you are untrue. If you want to do what you love then now is the time to start.

You can always, ALWAYS, do something, even if it is for 20 minutes every day.

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The Art of Exploration

Henri — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:49:14 +0000

Exploration often gets a low spot on our priority list. Exploration for me means going with what you feel. It means going with the flow and seeing what happens.

This is what I did when I first got the idea of moving to Spain. Before I came to Spain, I hadn’t traveled for a while.

My last trip was to Iquitos, Peru in November 2008, where I did an ayahuasca journey in the jungle. It was a long flight and it left me exhausted. I just wanted to rest after that.

After about a year my batteries were recharged and I felt the urge to travel again, so I started exploring different possibilities. I looked at countries such as New Zealand, Australia, USA, and many European countries.

I ended up going with Spain, because it felt good both in my heart and in my mind.

I’ve been an explorer ever since I got out of school. I’ve never been bound down by a day-job, so I’ve always been free to go wherever I want, whenever I want.

Even if you have a job, there’s always room to explore. You don’t necessarily have to travel. Remember, there are no excuses, except the ones you create.

Changing Your Mind is Normal

I tend to change my mind frequently. That is annoying to many, because many people are used to maneuvering through their lives with logic.

When they make a decision, they don’t want to change it, because that would mean that they were wrong.

When you’re exploring, you will be trying a lot of new stuff. Some of it will stick, while some of it will not. They key is to keep experimenting and keep taking action.

As you grow more experienced with your journey and your feelings, you will start to get a feel for what you like and don’t like, which will help you avoid giving other people false expectations.

When you do enough exploring, you’ll have realization, a-ha moments and fascinating experiences. I’ve realized that sometimes you have to go around the world to realize that you already had what you wanted.

One Step at a Time

When you’re exploring, you will most likely only feel the step in front of you. For example, before I came to Spain, all I knew was that I wanted to move.

If I try to figure out more than one step, it becomes a logical process, which is good, but you have to be careful, because it can easily become a problem.

Now that I’ve been in Spain for almost 7 months, I’m beginning to feel what my next step is. I’m not going to reveal it just yet, because I want it to grow just a bit, but I think you’ll be surprised when I write about it before this year comes to an end.

5 Steps to Better Exploration

There are a few things you can do to enhance your journey. The following five steps are what help me focus on what’s important and what’s not.

I don’t always succeed of course. There will always be days when you’re not feeling like doing anything, but that’s to be expected.

1. Logic. I’ve been on a logic-bashing parade lately. I’m not saying to discard logic altogether, but beware of when it becomes a problem, such as thinking yourself out of what you really feel like doing.

2. Worry. I see worry as a part of logic. When you worry, you try to deduce and predict the future. Usually none of what you think will come true comes true, so it’s better to acknowledge your worry and keep moving forward.

3. Excuses. There are many layers of excuses available to you at any time. But remember this: if you want to do something, there’s always something you can do to move towards it, however small it may be.

4. Focus. When I’m focused on one thing, I tend to get more out of my adventures. If you go after a lot of interests at the same time, you won’t have the time to explore the subject deeply.

5. Excitement. Always focus on what makes you excited at this very moment. The future or the past doesn’t matter. Focus on what you feel like now. If you feel like lying down for a day then do that, but do it fully and allow yourself to rest.

Doing nothing seems like a waste of time, but when you allow yourself to do what you want, you will naturally progress to other things when you are done.

Bonus Tip

If you try to force yourself to do something, it will eventually back-fire on you.

Here’s a bonus tip for those that don’t know what to explore: go after your procrastinations. What do you tend to procrastinate with? That’s usually a good hint.

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