THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR, POST #5

Today I am thankful for my bike. It's an ideal vehicle for transportation and exercise. It brings me a sense of freedom and it takes me back to my childhood, when things were much simpler. Oh, I almost forgot to mention, it's so much fun! :)  Thank you!



Now go take on the day.

Peace, out.

Check out Duane's Youtube channel.

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR, POST #3

Today I'm thankful for my pets. I've always loved animals. I have two of the sweetest cats who add so much joy to my life. I'm thankful that I am physically and financially able to care for them and provide for them. My life would not be the same without Lacy and Mia. Thank you.


Now go take on the day.

Peace, out.

Check out Duane's Youtube channel.

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR, POST #2

Today I'm thankful for my home. It's not big or fancy or expensive but it's warm, dry, and safe. I know I am blessed. Thank you.


Now go take on the day.

Peace, out.


Check out Duane's Youtube channel.

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR, POST #1

This is a new series called THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR. It's a series of thankfulness inspired by the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. But honestly, we should be thankful all year long. As I've said before in this blog, gratitude is a funny thing. If you are thankful for what you have, more good things will come into your life. So here we go. Post Number One in the series, THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR.

Today I'm thankful for this blog, and you, my dear readers, and the technology that brings us together. Thank you.

Now go take on the day.

Peace, out.


Check out Duane's Youtube channel.

TWO DECISION MAKING TOOLS

(borrowed from Google images)

I would like to share with you, two of the tools I use for making quick decisions. I call them THAT LITTLE VOICE and RISK VS REWARD.

In a nutshell, THAT LITTLE VOICE is the voice in the back of your head that says, "Whoa, wait a minute! This is a bad idea!" or something similar. That's the voice of reason, intuition, common sense, and a lifetime of experience. It's best to listen to THAT LITTLE VOICE at least 90% of the time.

RISK VS REWARD goes something like this: You need to make a decision quickly so you weigh the risks (what could go wrong) against the reward (what do you have to gain).

Here are two real life examples that happened to me:

EXAMPLE #1
A few days before Christmas, two little girls came to my door carrying an ice chest. They asked if I would like to buy some tamales. I had a decision to make. THAT LITTLE VOICE said, "Whoa, wait a minute! You know nothing about these girls or the conditions under which the tamales were made. You could get food poisoning very easily if the food was not prepared and stored properly."

So I did a quick RISK VS REWARD analysis. 
RISK-
I could get very sick.
REWARD-
I love tamales.

The REWARD was not worth the potential RISK. So I had to go along with THAT LITTLE VOICE. I politely said, "No thank you." It was the smart move. I will never know if the tamales were good or bad, but I tend to trust my intuition.

EXAMPLE #2
I bought a new digital camera before going on vacation in Florida a few years ago. While I was there, I spent a lot of time with a woman I met online. We went to the beach and took turns taking pictures of each other with my new camera. A young man approached us and offered to take a picture of both of us together. I had a decision to make. THAT LITTLE VOICE said, "Whoa, wait a minute! You don't know this guy! You just bought that camera! I've heard stories of this exact con, where the "nice young man" runs away with the tourist's camera."

So I did a quick RISK VS REWARD analysis. 
RISK-
I could lose my camera.
REWARD-
It would be nice to have some pictures of both of us together.

Again, the REWARD was not worth the RISK. I listened to THAT LITTLE VOICE and politely turned him down. I will never know if he was a thief, but I think I made the right decision.

Your comments are always welcome.

Now go take on the day!

Peace, out.



Check out Duane's Youtube Channel

MY CHRISTMAS WISH FOR YOU

Merry Christmas to all my wonderful readers. 

I enjoy writing, sharing, teaching, and motivating. I hope you have found some useful nuggets on these pages this year. I will be back after Christmas. I have many more great posts in mind for you.

My Christmas wish for you-
May you and your loved ones stay happy and healthy. 
May you live joyfully and purposely. 
May you find brilliant solutions to all life's challenges.
May you enjoy and appreciate the abundance around you.
May you boldly move forward with the wisdom of a lifetime.
May you know you are loved and appreciated.
P E A C E  TO  Y O U  A L W A Y S

Duane

KEEP MAKING MISTAKES

Oh, you made a mistake? Good! What did you learn?

When I started this blog in 2010, I wanted to help people. I believed I had significant life experience that others could learn from. 

Have you ever read something and it seemed so simple but so profound? Maybe it was exactly what you needed to hear at that particular point in your life. Well, that's what I wanted to give to you, my dear readers. 

Have I accomplished my goal? Absolutely! I have shared many concepts with you in the past five years. And in sharing, I reminded myself what a fabulous journey my life has been. Not perfect, but fun, interesting, exciting, happy, sad, angry, and on and on. What a rush!

Bottom line: Most of my life lessons came from mistakes I made. A few came from mistakes other people made, but I was able to learn from them. 
Keep making mistakes and ALWAYS look for the lesson.

Now go take on the day!

Peace, out.



Check out Duane's Youtube Channel.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HUMAN RACE?

(borrowed from Bing Images)

I recently watched a movie that took place in the 1980’s. It was fascinating to watch because there were no cell phones, no tablets, no computers! People weren't distracted, staring at a screen.

I found myself thinking, these are people without any electronic distractions in their lives. This is how life used to be. I barely remember when nobody had a cell phone. When people were around other people, they actually talked to each other!  And when somebody was all alone, sitting at a bus stop, or whatever, they were thinking! What a novel idea! 

I know some of you are thinking, big deal! But to me, it was an Ah-Ha moment! Its not my place to say if life is better or worse now, but it's definitely something to think about.

Now go take on the day!

Peace, out.

GOOGLE FIRED ME

I did the Google Rating gig I talked about in my last post for 9 months. Each month my work was evaluated for accuracy. Some of my reviews were good, some were bad. In the end, they let me go. I don’t blame them, I’m sure there are people who are much better at that sort of thing than I am. 

I feel kinda sad and I feel like their guidelines are a little too strict, but it’s their business and they have the right to run it their way. I am grateful for the experience.

No worries, I will find something more suited to my skills and personality. I’m already looking forward to my next adventure.

Have a blessed day!

Peace, out.



Check out Duane’s Youtube Channel

GOOGLE SEARCH ENGINE EVALUATOR JOB

I didn’t want to get your hopes up by sharing this until I was absolutely certain it’s legit and a real money maker. Now I’m sure. This book was written from experience, not just theory. The author of this book actually makes money as a Google Rater. And so do I.

I’m not going to go into all the details of this business, partly because of the non-disclosure agreement I signed, and partly because everything you need to know is in this $2.99 ebook from Amazon Kindle. 

You may enjoy this kind of work--
If you are out of work
If you hate your job
If you are tired of driving to work in traffic
If you are tired of wearing a uniform or a tie
If you are tired of micro-managing control freak bosses
If you are ready to be your own boss
If you love the Internet
If you are good with computers
If you are good at time management
If you are self-directed and self-motivated
If you want to earn more than minimum wage

What you need--
A good computer
A fast Internet connection
High quality anti-virus software
A quiet place at home where you can work for a few hours a day
A high tolerance for boredom
Some college--Could be business or tech school, any degree, or even “in progress”

I can’t tell you how much I make but I can tell you it’s enough to pay all my monthly expenses. I can also tell you it’s more than I was making at my last full-time job. It’s also a lot easier. Plus, working from home is a dream-come-true for me! 

Here is what you can expect--
1.25.2014 I bought the book
1.25.2014 I read the book
1.25.2014 I filled out the online application
1.28.2014 I took and passed the online exam
2.03.2014 I started working
3.21.2014 I received my first paycheck
4.16.2014 I received my second paycheck

If you’re interested, buy the book. It’s cheaper than a cappuccino and it can change your life forever. 

Here’s the link: Make Money from Home as a Google Rater

In case you’re wondering, I get nothing from recommending this book. I’m merely sharing something I found that I think could benefit you, my readers.

Now go take on the day!

Peace, out.


Check out Duane’s Youtube channel

=============================================

Follow-up note on Google Rater job--Don't quit your day job yet! 

You will start out at 1-2 hours per day. Each month your work will be evaluated for accuracy (yes, there are strict guidelines you must follow). If your evaluations are good, you will be given more hours. If your evaluations are sub-par, they will tell you what you did wrong and how to do the job better. At that point, you may be placed on probation till your next review. If this happens, re-read the guidelines and make sure you understand them. You may ask questions via email. The people you work for are very nice and very helpful. They want you to succeed because everybody makes money as a result of the work you do.

If you decide to do this, drop me a note and let me know how it's going.

Peace, out.

BEING A HANDYMAN WAS FUN FOR AWHILE

I know, I know, in my last couple posts I said I enjoyed my job. So what happened? 

Here's the thing: I very much enjoyed the hands-on work. I enjoyed the carpentry, plumbing, electrical, and painting. It was a lot of fun. The problem was, it was a very stressful job. It didn't have to be, but it was. After 7 months, I decided the paycheck was no longer worth the stress. 

So what's the next step? 

In my November 18 blog post, I mentioned 3 Alternate Sources of Income (ASI). 
Here they are (plus a new one):

ASI #1-- SCRAP METAL RECYCLING. You would be surprised how easily you can make money by collecting and selling scrap metal that you can get for free! I use a Dodge minivan and I earn $50-$100 per load.. If you are interested in starting a scrap metal recycling business, all you need is a truck or van and some free information. You can learn everything you need to know right here on your computer, via Google and Youtube.  

ASI #2-- YOUTUBE VIDEOS and THIS BLOG. I'm not setting the world on fire with my commission checks but they are becoming more frequent, which is a very good sign. It's taken 6 years to get to this point, but I'm doing something I enjoy, I'm my own boss, and I'm getting paid. Gotta love the Internet!

ASI #3-- BUILDING CUSTOM ELECTRIC BIKES. This is the idea I haven't put into action yet but I'm close. Worldwide, electric bikes are growing in popularity. The electric motors and lithium batteries are becoming cheaper and more reliable. I think this will be a nice little business. Nobody in my area is doing this. I will start off slowly--build a bike, sell it, repeat. We'll see where it goes from there.
                        
                                  (E-Moto 24 Volt Electric Commuter Bike)

ASI #4-- VIDEO KNIFE REVIEWS FOR MANUFACTURERS. I'm currently negotiating with a large knife manufacturer to make review videos for them for cash. They enjoyed the first one I did and they paid me promptly. Hopefully we will have a deal some time next week.

If you have any money making ideas, I'd love to hear about them. 

Now go take on the day!

Peace, out.

Check out Duane’s YouTube Channel　

$ WHAT'S NEXT? $

   

(free clipart from Google Images)

Now that I've accomplished my goal of finding a job I enjoy, its time to set some new goals.

I love my job but I'm not going to lie to you, being a handyman does not pay very well. I really miss my paychecks from the laboratory work I used to do. That was the best paying job I've ever had. One of my current goals is to match or exceed that income. I have a long way to go, but I have a few ideas. 

Most of my ideas do not involve changing jobs. I'm trying to think outside the box, and come up with alternate sources of income. I have three ideas that seem very promising. Two of them are already showing small profits. The third hasn't been put into action yet. 

More to come later. Sorry for the teaser. :)

If you have any money making ideas, I'd love to hear about them. 

Now go take on the day!

Peace, out.


Check out Duane’s YouTube Channel　

UPDATE

I’ve been jobless for more than 10 months. Thanks to the US Unemployment Insurance program, which I have paid into since I was 15 (36 years!), I have been receiving weekly paychecks this whole time. It’s a good thing, because jobs are hard to find. Never-the-less, I have faith I will find a good job before the money runs out. That’s my goal and as you know, setting and reaching goals is kind of “my thing”.

So what have I been up to since my last blog post?

I feel a little guilty because I haven’t written in six months. There are two reasons for my absence. First, I strive to keep my posts interesting, intriguing, positive, and thought-provoking. If I don’t have something to say that meets all those requirements I will usually say nothing. Second, I have been spending a lot of time outside and less time on my computer.

I read somewhere, years ago, that you should spend at least an hour every day outside. Something about nutrients you get from the sun and spiritual health that comes from the earth. I dunno about all that, but it does feel good to spend time outside, especially when the weather is nice.

Bicycling is still my favorite hobby. So far this year, I bought a used mountain bike on Craigslist, cleaned it, tuned it, adjusted it, and made several upgrades with new parts. Fun and easy stuff if you have any mechanical interest and a good assortment of metric tools. 

I rode this bike for about 3 months, then I donated it to a friend who wanted to buy her son a bike for his birthday but was having trouble finding a good used bike. It felt wonderful to help others and to know the bike I had cared for would be loved and ridden and enjoyed. Time to acquire another bike from Craigslist. I found a Schwinn I really liked at a good price and brought it home. I will probably keep this one forever. It just feels perfect for me.

At the beginning of this year, I couldn’t imagine riding my bike 10+ miles in one day. I mapped out some routes of 1 mile, 2 miles, and 4 miles. I really thought riding 4 miles one direction then back home would be the farthest I would travel on a bicycle. Wrong. As summer came and the weather warmed up, I found myself staying out longer and going farther and father on my bike.

To date, I have ridden more than 20 miles in a single trip and I now feel that 10 miles is a SHORT RIDE. Isn’t that interesting? Is there a lesson here? You tell me.

Now go take on the day!

Peace, out.

　
Check out Duane’s YouTube Channel　

RE-DISCOVERING A FAVORITE HOBBY

JOBLESS, 122 DAYS

I’ve had a lot of time to think and do what I want to do without the pressure of working at a job for 4 solid months. I have to tell you, I am loving the freedom I have now!

In the past, I have fantasized about how wonderful it would be to retire from my job and spend my time doing what I want to do. This first taste of what retirement will be like is as wonderful as I had imagined. I still get up early, 6am at the latest. But it is because I want to, because I love mornings. The world is quiet and the coffee tastes best first thing in the morning.

How about a hobby?
I got my first bike when I was 10 years old. The drawing above is from memory of that bike, drawn in 2008. My bike was my transportation, my freedom, and my independence. I rode it all over town. I rode every chance I got. I loved my bike more than all my other toys combined. Once I started working, I bought a car and sadly, my bike was forgotten and eventually given away. Now that I have no job and lots of free time, guess what? I bought a new bike! :)

I have re-discovered my love of bicycling. I am not a pro-bicycler. I don’t wear the Spandex bike clothing and I don’t push myself to the point of exhaustion. I wear comfortable clothes and I ride at my own pace. I usually take a snack and a bottle of water with me. I stop and take frequent breaks in beautiful city parks. It is the most fun I’ve had in years!

Bottom line:
At this point in my life, my time is my own and I’m enjoying every minute.

Now go take on the day.

Peace, out.


Check out Duane’s YouTube Channel

EXERCISE, WHAT A RUSH!

Factoid:
Exercise is good for the body and mind. There are hundreds of studies that show physical activity reduces stress, depression, and makes you feel more energized and confident throughout the day. Exercise helps stimulate the production of serotonin in the brain. The effect of this mood elevating chemical makes you feel good for hours afterward.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I’ve been unemployed for 33 days. The job search is going about as expected. No interviews yet. Of course my recent experience in a research laboratory is not a high demand field. In fact, the field is shrinking. If you can score such a job, it’s great. Otherwise, you feel the curse of being far too specialized.

So what else have I been doing to keep myself busy? One thing I am committed to is keeping active. I have implemented an exercise routine that is easy, fun, and free. I know myself, and if it weren’t easy, fun, and free there is no way I would stick to it. So here it is:

Every day I will do one or more of the following--
INSIDE--
Stretching, at least 3 minutes
Push-ups, at least 10
Work out with nunchucks, at least 3 minutes
OUTSIDE--
Walk at least 1 mile
Bicycle at least 2 miles

So far in the last 33 days, I’ve only skipped 3 days. Not 100% but better than I have ever done with any exercise routine, ever! That’s a win in my book! I know it’s not much of a workout to do only one thing on the list. But I usually do more than the “required minimum”. Besides, even the minimum is much better than doing none at all.

This is the starting point of my do-it-yourself home fitness program. I would love to hear about your exercise/fitness success stories. What do you do for exercise and what do you do to stay motivated?

Your comments are always welcome!

No go take on the day!

Peace, out.


Check out Duane’s YouTube Channel

FISH OUT OF WATER

Yesterday was my last day working at the laboratory. Today is my first day of unemployment. As the title suggests, I feel a bit like a fish out or water. I’m not saying the lab job was my ideal job, not by a long shot. But it was part of me and I was part of it for nearly 8 years.

“Now what?”

It’s not hard to find the silver lining in this current chapter of my life, but I do feel the need to remind myself that there are positives to being jobless. At the top of that list is: “Free Time”. So what will I do with all my new-found free time? Part of it will be spent searching for a new job, but certainly not the 10 hours a day I previously spent working and commuting to my job.

I will invest more time posting YouTube videos and writing in this blog. I hope you, my viewers and readers will continue to find them both interesting and entertaining. As I have said many times, it wouldn’t be any fun without you.

Other plans include more minimizing of my stuff, and more exercise. This is my favorite time of year and I intend to take full advantage of the enthusiasm I feel right now. 2012 BRING IT ON!!

Your comments are always welcome and appreciated.

Now go take on the day!

Peace, out.
　

Check out Duane’s YouTube Channel

PLACES I DON’T GO

One day I was driving to work and I realized there are a lot of businesses that would not exist if everybody was like me. Here are a few of the businesses that I drive by but I almost never go into.

Bars, taverns, pubs, dance clubs—When I was younger and trying to go along with the crowd, I did. Not now.

Safeway, Albertsons, Yokes, Fred Meyer—These are over-priced grocery stores. I don’t care how nice the store is, I will not shop where prices are sky high.

Giant shopping malls—I may go inside to look around, people watch, or eat, but I won’t buy $200 jeans, $75 shirts, or any of the other over-priced stuff these places are famous for.

Any big bank that charges fees to bank there--I bank at my local Credit Union where everything is FREE and they pay me interest on my checking and savings accounts.

Casinos—I used to like to go to casinos and I went often. Now I rarely gamble. When I do gamble, I win a little or lose a little (less than $20). No stress, no regrets, and no worries.

1-Star hotels/motels—Back in the day I would stay at a $30 motel, but no longer. I don’t mind paying a premium for first class accommodations, but I always ask for a discount.

Just an observation I wanted to share with you.

Your comments are always welcome and appreciated.

Now go take on the day!

Peace, out.

　
Check out
Duane’s YouTube Channel

Results from “Where’s Duane?” Survey

Here is what I learned from your replies to my last post, when I asked if you would rather have more frequent posts.

I was a bit surprised by some of you. I think that’s a good thing because I learned some things. The main theme to your responses was that I should write about what’s important to me. After all, that is what you enjoy, and the reason you surf on over to Duane’s World. Thank you all for that.

The second thing I learned from you is that quality is important. You don’t want to waste your time reading pointless nonsense from an uninteresting author, and neither would I.

I will do my best to give you my best. Thank you all for your support. I truly appreciate every one of you.

Now go take on the day!

Peace, out.
　
Check out Duane’s YouTube Channel

Where's Duane?

I know, I know, I haven’t been keeping my promise to post at least once a week on this blog. But here’s the thing-- I want to write factual, thought provoking posts that are both an “Ah-ha!” and a call to action that will help you, my dear reader, make positive changes in your life. So, when I have no such topic on the tips of my typing fingers, I post nothing. I feel that is preferable to posting random rambling tidbits of my everyday thoughts and “Hey guess what happened to me today” or “Did you ever notice…” type of posts.

And how does that make me feel? I feel guilty, as if I’m withholding some precious jewels of wisdom from you, even though I haven’t a clue about what to write.

So, may I ask for your help? I know my readers enjoyed my first 22 posts. Visitor count to this page reads more than 3100, so I must be doing something right. My question to you is this: Would you like to see more frequent posts, even if they are slightly less awesome than you are used to seeing here?

You can leave a comment or send me a private email here: duanemyers2000@yahoo.com. Depending on how many comments and emails I get, I may not reply to every one, but I will read them all. Results to follow…

Thanks for being you! Have an awesome day!

Peace, out.

Check out  Duane’s YouTube Channel