Monday, October 24, 2011

Three Treasures You Can Pay Forward...

Hello friendly blog followers. Must apologize for no post on Friday. Woke up, turned laptop on to only see "operating system cannot be found".

Yeah, you can imagine how my day started. Terribly yes. Postive thing is that thanks to Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, around 3:30pm the day had an incredible shift towards positivity, which started the weekend out on the right foot...

So, today is Monday and I've decided to post from my Blackberry. So, many apologies for any typos etc...

Today's post is Three Treasures You Can Pay Forward.

This is exactly why I created this blog. So that children, grandchildren and great grandchildren can learn from the many positive things I've read, one post per day, for as long as they choose to read.

Three Treasures...

If you're serious about becoming a wealthy, powerful, sophisticated, healthy, influential, cultured and unique individual, keep a journal. Don't trust your memory. When you listen to something valuable, write it down. When you come across something important, write it down.
I used to take notes on pieces of paper and torn-off corners and backs of old envelopes. I wrote ideas on restaurant placemats. On long sheets, narrow sheets and little sheets and pieces of paper thrown in a drawer. Then I found out that the best way to organize those ideas is to keep a journal. I've been keeping these journals since the age of twenty-five. The discipline makes up a valuable part of my learning, and the journals are a valuable part of my library. 
I am a buyer of blank books. Kids find it interesting that I would buy a blank book. They say, "Twenty-six dollars for a blank book! Why would you pay that?" The reason I pay twenty-six dollars is to challenge myself to find something worth twenty-six dollars to put in there. All my journals are private, but if you ever got a hold of one of them, you wouldn't have to look very far to discover it is worth more than twenty-six dollars.
I must admit, if you got a glimpse of my journals, you'd have to say that I am a serious student. I'm not just committed to my craft; I'm committed to life, committed to learning new concepts and skills. I want to see what I can do with seed, soil, sunshine and rain to turn them into the building blocks of a productive life.
Keeping a journal is so important. I call it one of the three treasures to leave behind for the next generation. In fact, future generations will find these three treasures far more valuable than your furniture.
The first treasure is your pictures. Take a lot of pictures. Don't be lazy in capturing the event. How long does it take to capture the event? A fraction of a second. How long does it take to miss the event? A fraction of a second. So don't miss the pictures. When you're gone, they'll keep the memories alive.
The second treasure is your library. This is the library that taught you, that instructed you, that helped you defend your ideals. It helped you develop a philosophy. It helped you become wealthy, powerful, healthy, sophisticated, and unique. It may have helped you conquer some disease. It may have helped you conquer poverty. It may have caused you to walk away from the ghetto. Your library—the books that instructed you, fed your mind and fed your soul—is one of the greatest gifts you can leave behind.
The third treasure is your journals: the ideas that you picked up, the information that you meticulously gathered. But of the three, journal writing is one of the greatest indications that you're a serious student. Taking pictures, that is pretty easy. Buying a book at a bookstore, that's pretty easy. It is a little more challenging to be a student of your own life, your own future, your own destiny. Take the time to keep notes and to keep a journal. You'll be so glad you did. What a treasure to leave behind when you go. What a treasure to enjoy today!


Here's hoping the b2 Blackberry post works...

-b2

4 comments:

  1. Great blog post today, I was listening to Jim just this morning!

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  2. Well written and good advice, thanks Mr. Bill Banham
    - Ba Ellis

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  3. Very well written Bill! And most of us stop becoming students in our own lives and really when we stop doing that we stop growing, and when we stop growing we end up just getting----the same old, and the same old, and......and then some of us wonder why??? Hmmm!!
    - Janine Elise Gundert

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  4. One good read a day....to success...through...Bill Banham....is a step in the right direction.....

    It all begins from the first step...then another...
    Keep your eye on the goal... NEVER loose sight...
    AIM HIGH... as one step leads to the next....
    Thanks to your posts... Mr. Bill Banham!! Keep them coming...

    - Melanie Marhue

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