WordCamp Dallas 2009
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I had the privilege of attending the WordCamp in Dallas over the weekend and I have to say that I was really impressed with the people and the event. I will admit that some of what was discussed was way over my head (after all I am right-brained) but there were moments were things really clicked. Cali Lewis was the best speaker to me in that she really showed a passion and love for what she is doing and in sharing her advice with others. Unfortunately I missed the last speaker — Matt Mullenweg, but I did get the tweets of others to get a glimpse of the man behind WordPress. It’s really cool in that 350 people gathered to share their common bond which is their love of blogging and WP.
The iThemes / WebDesign.com also had a great time together and had some great laughs!!! 
I do have some pictures but I think a few will have to go into the vault. We hired on a new team member over the weekend….Bryce Raley. Bryce will be a WebDesign.com Consultant and has been using iThemes themes for a while. He is a great guy and we are so stoked he is a part of the team. We also have a new web designer, Melissa Cundiff, who started today. So a big hearty welcome to Bryce and Melissa!
I hope I’ll get the chance to post some of my notes but for now I can say that I look forward to hanging out with the cool people of WordCamp again in the future, and hopefully a WordCamp Oklahoma City!
Don’t Be Selfish and Run that Red Light!
By · CommentsA few weeks ago a teenager was killed a mile from our house because some selfish woman decided to run a red light – in fact, several seconds after the light had changed. The impact was so hard the car was flipped and this young man never had a chance. This is the same intersection (Reno and Morgan Road in OKC) that I used to travel to go to my old shop and I can’t tell you how many times I was almost hit because some selfish jackass decided to run the light. In fact, I count to five after my light turns green every time I am at that intersection and people still fly through!!!
I cringe at the fact that some people are so stupid and self absorbed that they would run a red light or stop sign just because they believe they are above the law. It makes me absolutely sick that a young man — a parent’s child — was given a death sentence because someone felt they needed to be “there” faster. Is it really worth taking a person’s life in order to get somewhere quicker? Absolutely not!
Please consider how your decision to run a light or stop sign could negatively alter a life more than your own. In fact, just don’t do it.
Protecting Your Passions – Part 5
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During the last four posts on passion I have discussed Discovering Your Passions, Prioriting Your Passions, Planning for Your Passions, and now I would like to wrap up this series on Protecting Your Passions.
Life has a way of distracting us from chasing the dreams and desires that really matter the most to us. There are also people and circumstances that will seek to destroy these passions and keep us from ever achieving them. If we are to be successful then we have to go on the offensive and protect ourselves from losing out. It’s relatively easy to start on a journey but it’s way more difficult to complete one. Just look at the failed attempts to diet or get healthy in our lives. If being healthy really is something we truly desire, then we must make eating right and exercise a priority – no excuses! The same goes with our passions.
Here are a few suggestions I recommend for keeping on track:
- Schedule time into your schedule and stick with it. It simply is not enough to say “I will get to it this week” because time will pass quickly with all the things we have deal with in our daily lives. Schedule a block of time in your calendar to work on your ideas, no matter what that looks like — 30 minutes a day, an hour a week, or 5 hours per month – just set it in stone and follow through.
- Write the overall dream down and post it where you can see it. Use some sort of reminder to keep your passions alive. Items such as sticky notes or pictures placed strategically where you will see them daily serve as an excellent tool to keep you focused.
- Stay away from negative people. Unfortunately there are people who don’t want you to succeed or that will suck the life out of you. Thank them for their two cents and then avoid them at all if possible.
- Get an accountability partner. Build a relationship with someone who supports you 100% and then ask them to help you stay on track. Let them ask hard questions or give you a little shove when needed. These people are awesome and will be worth their weight in gold.
These four ideas have worked wonders for me and have been a tremendous tool in helping me follow my passions. You may discover other ways that work for you and that’s great! Do whatever it takes. Remember that you really do have everything you need to follow your passions. All you have to do is Discover, Prioritize, Plan, and Protect and you will be on your way to fulfilling your dreams. I hope you give it your all and wish you the best for success!
