SK=Shining Knight

 

I am heartbroken. As some of you know by now, comedian and actor Bernice Mac has passed away due to health complications.

The strange thing is that I didn't know a lot about him nor was I a hardcore fan of his work. His passing was just as sad as Heath Ledger's, another guy who I didn't know a lot about at that time. I guess what makes the untimely departure of these talented gentlemen is that they left us at a young age. Ledger left us in his late 20s and Mac (who by some standards was far from young) left us at age 50.

But now that I think about it, their deaths have impacted me to such level because I am reminded that the Grim Reaper could arrive at any time. It doesn't give a damn if you are young, old, rich, poor, famous, common, tall, short, white, black, green, or red.

When your time comes, it will come. It will do so with or without your approval. There's no exceptions, ifs, or buts.

Personally, the only empowering thing that comes to mind at this moment is the reminder that life is precious but fragile and short. So whatever we aspire to do, then let's do it and quit waiting for that "perfect" moment. Chances are that such ideal moment will never come. So let's pursue whatever we really aspire from life. Leave everything in the court. Give it your all because your time could come at any moment.

Life is too short to live or die in regret.

Carpe Diem (Seize the moment).

*Right below there's a tribute video that I found in YouTube. It's dedicated to the late Bernie Mac. I hope that you enjoy it.*

Such question has been asked by some of my buddies from this cyber joint we call MySpace. Therefore, I am more than honored to share with you on how to accomplish such hard feat (yeah right) because a benevolent soul (Joko) took the time to guide me.

The answer to such question is demostrated by my friend Joko on the following video:

Great news! No more paying for spreadsheets, word processing, and presentations.

What do I mean by such statement?

Well, I was web browsing on Time.com and I bumped into a report where it talked about the 10 most essential websites. And the one that stuck out the most (in my opinion) was Google Docs.

Now, I have to admit that I am not much of a techie and I can be quite hard headed when it comes to updating myself in technology. Consider the fact that I haven't bothered to learn how use a digital camera or how to upload videos.

Anyway, I found the Google Docs concept quite grounbreaking because you can use spreadsheets, word processing, and presentations for free. And anyone who knows me well enough can tell you that I am all game when it comes to saving money. So therefore I have something to say to Microsoft who has extorted money out of me for all these years:

F' You!

That felt great.

Well,  you are more than welcome to watch  the video below for more details in how you will benefit from using Google Docs.

Enjoy.

I: Inteviewer

SK: Shining Knight

I: Alright, so what scheme are you involved in now?

SK: Whoa! Whoa! Easy my brudda. It's not a scheme.

What happened was that I was web-browsing and I bumped into a cool concept that is effective in anticipating (possibly predicting) future events and/or results. Heck, by what I do know, it's more effective than relying on those pundits we watch on television shows.

The nice thing is that if you know what you are talking about then there's a chance on making a few bucks on the side.

I: No offense but I am still a little skeptical on what you are telling me. Are you sure that this isn't some pyramid or stock market scheme?

SK: Have I ever lied to you?

I: Good point.

SK: Good. So check it out when you get the chance and tell me what you think.

I- Interviewer

SK- Shining Knight

I: So how do you intend to solve the oil crisis?

SK:  You know, I've been thinking about this for a while and the answer is simple.

Ready? Clone oil.

Let's all pool 10 million dollars as a country and give it to the person(s) and/or institution(s) that will come up with the refined oil cloning formula.

There you go, it's as simple as that. If we can clone sheep then why can't  we do the same thing with refined oil. And while we are at it, we can clone other rare commodities that we need such as corn, rice, and so forth.

I: I am impressed. Let's hope that we can spread your solution to the right people.

R: Let's hope we do because I sure in hell ain't paying no six bucks a gallon of gas a year from now.

You read that correctly. There is a speech out there that almost brings me to tears every time I watch it. It does so because it hits close to home.

You'll know what I mean when you see it with your very own eyes.

I present this clip to you from the bottom of my heart.

Enjoy.

I= Interviewer

SK= Shining Knight

I= SK, discuss the title.

SK= I've always enjoyed history. At least I think that I have a knack for it. In fact, history was probably where I scored the highest grades when I was in school.

I= But what wisdom are you refering to? What kind of wisdom can a person obtained from names and dates.

SK= It's much more than Joe Blow lost the presidency during year XYZ. It's about learning the lessons from what has occured. You'll be amazed how much insight I've obtained by observing the past.

But to me, historical insight doesn't always have to be found hundreds of years ago. It can be found from what happened as early as something that occured yesterday.

Here's the way I see it: If something already occured (either 1000 years ago or this morning) then it's considered history. In another words:

Past = History

I= Okay. So explain this as an example. How would you use the life of I don't know......Napoleon Bonaparte to gain relevant insight for the average person.

Do you know what I am refering to? You know what I mean.

SK= I am pretty sure I do. 

You also have to take into consideration that in order to gain insight and understanding there's more than just reading and observing. Let me share with you what I do while I am reading or observing anyone.

Questions.

Jot down some questions that will assist you in gaining insight. Questions such as:

"What could've been done diferently?"

"What can we learn from this?"

"If faced with a similiar scenario, what would be the best way to respond?"

"What is the lesson in all of this?"

"How can I apply this in business/health/relationships/ect.?"

I think you get the idea.

By the way, keeping a historical journal comes in pretty handy. It doesn't have to be a formal journal, like the ones that cost 20 bucks. Any affordable 3 ring binder notebook will do it.

I= Interesting.

SK= Yeah, you'll be amazed how much you'll learn and most importantly how much time you'll save.

Why invent the wheel when it has already been invented.

I= You got that quote from somewhere didn't you?

SK= Yeap, probably from some history book. Just kidding.

I= Ha-ha-ha. You're funny. Just kidding.

SK= As we were saying. So yes, from personal experience I have benefited from learning from the past. 

As I said earlier on, we don't have to limit ourselves to official history or famous people. We can learn from those that sorround us. Heck, we can learn from what I consider the most important history of all: Our own life.

I am amazed to see countless of people (past and present) to not learn from their own mistakes. However,  in the end it's an individual choice. 

Well, I have to call it quits. I hope that what I just shared with you will assist you in accomplishing whatever you aspire.

I= SK, the honor is mine. Your time was well spent and I look forward in hearing from you.

SK= Shining Knight

I= Interviewer

I= So what is your definition of success?

SK= It's mainly having a lifestyle in which  you do what brings you fulfillment and excitement (goosebumps).

I= So it's not having a big house or a fancy new car?

SK= Well, before I proceed let me explain that what I am saying is based on my interpretation of reality. I don't want be one of those people that speaks for everyone else.

To answer your question, it's more than having financial abundance. The reason I say that is because I know plenty of people that are financially abundant but aren't fulfilled with themselves.

I= Why would that be?

SK= I am not saying that everyone but most of them. I say that because they become one-dimensional. They allow their careers or ventures to take up all of their time. So you can say that they live unbalanced lives. They may have a nice bank account but they become prisoners to the system of wealth building. Time goes on and before you know it they spent the best years of their lives at the office.

What a screwed up way to live! The sad part is that these folks get so caught up that other aspects of their lives suffer. Such as their relationships and health.

I= Have you ever been faced with a situtation like this?

SK= I've had plenty of opportunities to take that road but I know better by observing those that have taken such path. That's the beauty of history. You can avoid a lot of headaches by learning from the lives of others.

I= Pretty smart.

SK= Stop it! Don't toot my horn. I am far from perfect. Plus, I still have plenty to learn.

I= Okay, so let me get this straight. Success to you is more of a lifestyle than a certain amount of cash in your bank account?

SK= Correct. You see I have also noticed that you can start living the life you want to live much sooner than you think.

I= Alright, so explain. How would you create such standard of living or as you might say...lifestyle?

SK= Simple. Free up as much time as possible by starting my own business under a hands-free operational model.

Let me explain. Instead of taking the traditional path that most entepreneurs take of creating a business that requires you to be there for everything. You just dedicate enough time to get the venture going and then outsource as many of the processes to other firms and individuals. That way, you don't become prisoner to your own creation. It's not an overnight process but it's very real and doable.

The most important thing is that through your hands-free venture you not only bring the capital but  you also free up a lot of time to do what brings you fulfillment/excitement. Notice that I didn't use the word "happiness".

I= You didn't. Why is that?

SK= Because the word happiness is very overused and quite vague. At least to me it's very vague. The words excitement and fulfillment are more realistic and aren't as fairy tale based as the word "happiness".

But getting back to the process in how to create a lifestyle of success. Yes, I know that what I just explained may come across as oversimplifed. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to cover all of the details but I at least shared the basic formula on how to pull it off.

I= You are starting to scare me. You are sounding like some of the con artists that we see on those informercials at 3 am. This isn't some sort of scam or pyramid scheme, now is it?

SK= Not at all. In fact, there are plenty of businesses that do what I just described. There's a very illustrative book that does a better job in explaining what I just talked about. It's called The 4 Hour Workweek.

At first I was quite skeptical but once I finished reading it, I was amazed by the vast information that is shared. For many years, I always wanted to find a way in how to not become a prisoner to my ambition. So when I read the book I felt like if I was in the Wizard of Oz. You know, from black and white to color.

I highly recommend the book because it's very specific and practical, unlike the majority of the books out there that offer nothing but cotton candy content.

I= Cotton candy content?

SK= Yeah,  you know, vague information with full of hype (or crap) and no substance.

I= (Laughs) That was pretty clever. I really liked the metaphor you just illustrarted.

SK= Thanks.

I= Okay, so I noticed that you posted a video right below. I would assume that it's related to what we just discussed.

SK= Exactly.

Therefore, I would like to add that this book will assist you with plenty of practical information and leads on how to create the lifestyle that you always wanted. I can say that because I am in process of freeing up more time to do more of what I enjoy doing and not wait until I retire at age 65 like at lot of folks that I know.

I= Before concluding SK. How long does the video lasts?

SK= Six minutes. I can assure you that the minutes will be well spent.

Enjoy.