Life is a journey filled with lessons, hardships, heartaches, joys, celebrations and special moments that will ultimately lead us to our destination, our purpose in life. The road will not always be smooth; in fact, throughout our travels, we will encounter many challenges.
Some of these challenges will test our courage, strengths, weaknesses, and faith. Along the way, we may stumble upon obstacles that will come between the paths that we are destined to take. In order to follow the right path, we must overcome these obstacles. Sometimes these obstacles are really blessings in disguise, only we don't realize that at the time.
Along our journey we will be confronted with many situations, some will be filled with joy, and some will be filled with heartache. How we react to what we are faced with determines what kind of outcome the rest of our journey through life will be like.
When things don't always go our way, we have two choices in dealing with the situations. We can focus on the fact that things didn't go how we had hoped they would and let life pass us by, or two, we can make the best out of the situation and know that these are only temporary setbacks and find the lessons that are to be learned.
Time stops for no one, and if we allow ourselves to focus on the negative we might miss out on some really amazing things that life has to offer. We can't go back to the past, we can only take the lessons that we have learned and the experiences that we have gained from it and move on. It is because of the heartaches, as well as the hardships, that in the end help to make us a stronger person.
The people that we meet on our journey, are people that we are destined to meet. Everybody comes into our lives for some reason or another and we don't always know their purpose until it is too late. They all play some kind of role. Some may stay for a lifetime; others may only stay for a short while.
It is often the people who stay for only a short time that end up making a lasting impression not only in our lives, but in our hearts as well. Although we may not realize it at the time, they will make a difference and change our lives in a way we never could imagine. To think that one person can have such a profound affect on your life forever is truly a blessing. It is because of these encounters that we learn some of life's best lessons and sometimes we even learn a little bit about ourselves.
People will come and go into our lives quickly, but sometimes we are lucky to meet that one special person that will stay in our hearts forever no matter what. Even though we may not always end up being with that person and they may not always stay in our life for as long as we like, the lessons that we have learned from them and the experiences that we have gained from meeting that person, will stay with us forever.
It's these things that will give us strength to continue on with our journey. We know that we can always look back on those times of our past and know that because of that one individual, we are who we are and we can remember the wonderful moments that we have shared with that person.
Memories are priceless treasures that we can cherish forever in our hearts. They also enables us to continue on with our journey for whatever life has in store for us. Sometimes all it takes is one special person to help us look inside ourselves and find a whole different person that we never knew existed. Our eyes are suddenly opened to a world we never knew existed- a world where time is so precious and moments never seem to last long enough.
Throughout this adventure, people will give you advice and insights on how to live your life but when it all comes down to it, you must always do what you feel is right. Always follow your heart, and most importantly never have any regrets. Don't hold anything back. Say what you want to say, and do what you want to do, because sometimes we don't get a second chance to say or do what we should have the first time around.
It is often said that what doesn't kill you will make you stronger. It all depends on how one defines the word "strong" It can have different meanings to different people. In this sense, "stronger" means looking back at the person you were and comparing it to the person you have become today. It also means looking deep into your soul and realizing that the person you are today couldn't exist if it weren't for the things that have happened in the past or for the people that you have met. Everything that happens in our life happens for a reason and sometimes that means we must face heartaches in order to experience joy.
by Charles E. Milder
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
The Amazing Saga of Elon Musk by Charles E. Milder
The Amazing Saga of Elon Musk
By Charles E. Milder
This is the amazing story of Elon Musk, who was born in Pretoria, South Africa, 41 years ago. His life story can teach us more about persistent visionary innovation than any textbook. Musk and brother Kimbal left South Africa when Elon was 15; neither wanted to do compulsory army service for the apartheid regime. Since his mother was originally Canadian (born in Saskatchewan, like me), Musk chose Canada, and studied at Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontario, (my undergrad college), before transferring to Univ. of Pennsylvania. (Elon’s dream was always to reach America, where wild dreams can be made to come true). He studied physics at Penn, then got a scholarship to study at Stanford. He dropped out to launch a Yellow Pages director company, Zip2, sold to Compaq for over $300 m. (Elon’s profit from the deal was $21 m.) Elon saw, just a few years after the World Wide Web was born, how it could replace print city directories.
Elon had big dreams, to tackle “important problems that would most affect the future of humanity”, as he said later — ” the Internet, clean energy, and space”
Internet: He founded a company that was to become PayPal, with the insight that “money is just an entry in a database”. (How many of us are stuck in the rut of money being coins, paper or checks?).
He founded Space X, (Space Exploration), to build commercial rockets. Space X’s Falcon 9 rocket, after initial failures, now has a NASA contract to supply the Space Station, replacing the Space Shuttle. Musk has a dream to create colonies on Mars and the Moon. “I would like to die on Mars”, he has said, “just…not on impact”.
He founded Solar City, which provides photovoltaic cells to generate power, for the roofs of homes and businesses, and is one of the largest power companies in America.
He founded Tesla, the first new car company in decades, to create cool speedy all-electric cars. The Tesla Model S (named after Henry Ford’s Model T) is a family sedan, aimed at a mass market. To make it, Tesla has bought the NUMMI car plant, near San Francisco.
On several occasions, e.g. with Tesla, Musk has put up his own money, down to his last dollar, to keep his companies alive. His $40 m. cash injection kept Tesla alive, after the global recession hit in late 2008, leaving Tesla without money.
What can we learn from this amazing man? First, study physics. The fact that Musk knows physics, as well as computer science and programming, is a big advantage. It enabled him to help guide Space Exploration toward creating a successful rocket, when nations with huge budgets have failed, all this in only 6 years, and to guide Tesla.
Second, go to America. Despite all America’s woes, Silicon Valley (where Musk is based) is still the world’s center for innovation. For example, when Musk decided to develop electric batteries for cars, he found all the expertise he needed not in Detroit, MI, but in Silicon Valley.
Third, one innovative creative daring person can help revitalize an entire industry. GM went bankrupt. Bob Lutz helped revive it, by emulating Musk and competing with Tesla to build the Chevy Volt. He credits Musk with inspiring him and GM. Volt, and some other innovations, have brought GM back from the dead.
De Tocqueville wrote 200 years ago: “Boldness of enterprise is the foremost cause of America’s rapid progress”. Perhaps that is still true.
By Charles E. Milder
This is the amazing story of Elon Musk, who was born in Pretoria, South Africa, 41 years ago. His life story can teach us more about persistent visionary innovation than any textbook. Musk and brother Kimbal left South Africa when Elon was 15; neither wanted to do compulsory army service for the apartheid regime. Since his mother was originally Canadian (born in Saskatchewan, like me), Musk chose Canada, and studied at Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontario, (my undergrad college), before transferring to Univ. of Pennsylvania. (Elon’s dream was always to reach America, where wild dreams can be made to come true). He studied physics at Penn, then got a scholarship to study at Stanford. He dropped out to launch a Yellow Pages director company, Zip2, sold to Compaq for over $300 m. (Elon’s profit from the deal was $21 m.) Elon saw, just a few years after the World Wide Web was born, how it could replace print city directories.
Elon had big dreams, to tackle “important problems that would most affect the future of humanity”, as he said later — ” the Internet, clean energy, and space”
Internet: He founded a company that was to become PayPal, with the insight that “money is just an entry in a database”. (How many of us are stuck in the rut of money being coins, paper or checks?).
He founded Space X, (Space Exploration), to build commercial rockets. Space X’s Falcon 9 rocket, after initial failures, now has a NASA contract to supply the Space Station, replacing the Space Shuttle. Musk has a dream to create colonies on Mars and the Moon. “I would like to die on Mars”, he has said, “just…not on impact”.
He founded Solar City, which provides photovoltaic cells to generate power, for the roofs of homes and businesses, and is one of the largest power companies in America.
He founded Tesla, the first new car company in decades, to create cool speedy all-electric cars. The Tesla Model S (named after Henry Ford’s Model T) is a family sedan, aimed at a mass market. To make it, Tesla has bought the NUMMI car plant, near San Francisco.
On several occasions, e.g. with Tesla, Musk has put up his own money, down to his last dollar, to keep his companies alive. His $40 m. cash injection kept Tesla alive, after the global recession hit in late 2008, leaving Tesla without money.
What can we learn from this amazing man? First, study physics. The fact that Musk knows physics, as well as computer science and programming, is a big advantage. It enabled him to help guide Space Exploration toward creating a successful rocket, when nations with huge budgets have failed, all this in only 6 years, and to guide Tesla.
Second, go to America. Despite all America’s woes, Silicon Valley (where Musk is based) is still the world’s center for innovation. For example, when Musk decided to develop electric batteries for cars, he found all the expertise he needed not in Detroit, MI, but in Silicon Valley.
Third, one innovative creative daring person can help revitalize an entire industry. GM went bankrupt. Bob Lutz helped revive it, by emulating Musk and competing with Tesla to build the Chevy Volt. He credits Musk with inspiring him and GM. Volt, and some other innovations, have brought GM back from the dead.
De Tocqueville wrote 200 years ago: “Boldness of enterprise is the foremost cause of America’s rapid progress”. Perhaps that is still true.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Tesla Motors will grow it’s retail presence by Charles E. Milder
By the beginning of December, Tesla Motors will grow it’s retail presence from the current 14 stores in the United States to a total of 24 locations in North America. That’s an impressive amount of expansion in a very short period of time, and all of it is targeted at high-end retail shoppers.
The first new store opens today, at the Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, New York. Following this, store openings are planned at upscale retail locations in Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Paramus, New Jersey; Morristown, New Jersey; San Diego, California; Miami Beach, Florida; McLean, Virginia and Topanga, California.
In November, the brand expands into the Canadian market with the opening of a retail store in Toronto, Ontario. When all of the new stores are completed, Tesla will have a total of 34 showrooms worldwide, and further expansion is planned for 2013.
Each store will have a Tesla Model S premium sedan on the floor, and most will have vehicles available for consumers to test drive. In the words of Tesla’s vice president of worldwide sales, George Blankenship, the goal of the retail stores will be “engaging and informing more people about Tesla and the Model S and the technology behind it.”
In other words, expect stores to deliver no-pressure information to customers, whether they’re seriously shopping for an electric sedan or simply curious about Tesla, the Model S or even electric cars in general. As Blankenship puts it, “We know we’ve done our job when customers leave smiling.”
Noble ideals aside, each location was carefully chosen for its economic demographics. Many of the consumers strolling through The Mall at Short Hills in Morristown, New Jersey, for example, wouldn’t bat an eyelash at spending $60,000 or more on a new car, especially if it one-upped the neighbors.
We think Tesla’s on the right track here, and we’d like nothing better than to see the domestic brand become the first all-electric major global automaker. It's already planning on increasing Model S production, and something tells us that's a sound business decision.
By Charles E. Milder
The first new store opens today, at the Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, New York. Following this, store openings are planned at upscale retail locations in Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Paramus, New Jersey; Morristown, New Jersey; San Diego, California; Miami Beach, Florida; McLean, Virginia and Topanga, California.
In November, the brand expands into the Canadian market with the opening of a retail store in Toronto, Ontario. When all of the new stores are completed, Tesla will have a total of 34 showrooms worldwide, and further expansion is planned for 2013.
Each store will have a Tesla Model S premium sedan on the floor, and most will have vehicles available for consumers to test drive. In the words of Tesla’s vice president of worldwide sales, George Blankenship, the goal of the retail stores will be “engaging and informing more people about Tesla and the Model S and the technology behind it.”
In other words, expect stores to deliver no-pressure information to customers, whether they’re seriously shopping for an electric sedan or simply curious about Tesla, the Model S or even electric cars in general. As Blankenship puts it, “We know we’ve done our job when customers leave smiling.”
Noble ideals aside, each location was carefully chosen for its economic demographics. Many of the consumers strolling through The Mall at Short Hills in Morristown, New Jersey, for example, wouldn’t bat an eyelash at spending $60,000 or more on a new car, especially if it one-upped the neighbors.
We think Tesla’s on the right track here, and we’d like nothing better than to see the domestic brand become the first all-electric major global automaker. It's already planning on increasing Model S production, and something tells us that's a sound business decision.
By Charles E. Milder
Reverse mortgages can be used for any purpose, including a condo purchase by Charles E. Milder
Reverse mortgages can be used for any purpose, including a condo purchase by Charles E. Milder
Reverse mortgages can be used for any purpose, including a condo purchase. The reverse mortgage could provide the funds needed for an all-cash purchase or the proceeds of the reverse mortgage could serve as the down payment to obtain traditional financing. After purchase, the condo could then become a vacation property for a retiree or a source of income.
Home ownership rates are down as a result of the housing crisis and rental rates are rising in almost every market.
Many condo sellers will be trying to find a buyer at almost any price, offering bargains to investors. Many tenants will be looking for housing. The combination offers potential rewards to those looking at innovative strategies to boost their retirement income and the reverse mortgage could offer an innovative financing solution to make the investment possible.
Reverse mortgages can be used for any purpose, including a condo purchase. The reverse mortgage could provide the funds needed for an all-cash purchase or the proceeds of the reverse mortgage could serve as the down payment to obtain traditional financing. After purchase, the condo could then become a vacation property for a retiree or a source of income.
Home ownership rates are down as a result of the housing crisis and rental rates are rising in almost every market.
Many condo sellers will be trying to find a buyer at almost any price, offering bargains to investors. Many tenants will be looking for housing. The combination offers potential rewards to those looking at innovative strategies to boost their retirement income and the reverse mortgage could offer an innovative financing solution to make the investment possible.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Dont Follow Your Passion, Follow Your Effort by Charles E. Milder
I hear it all the time from people. “I’m passionate about it.” “I’m not going to quit, It’s my passion”. Or I hear it as advice to students and others “Follow your passion”.
What a bunch of BS. ”Follow Your Passion” is easily the worst advice you could ever give or get.
Why ? Because everyone is passionate about something. Usually more than 1 thing. We are born with it. There are always going to be things we love to do. That we dream about doing. That we really really want to do with our lives. Those passions aren’t worth a nickel.
Think about all the things you have been passionate about in your life. Think about all those passions that you considered making a career out of or building a company around. How many were/are there ? Why did you bounce from one to another ? Why were you not able to make a career or business out of any of those passions ? Or if you have been able to have some success, what was the key to the success.? Was it the passion or the effort you put in to your job or company ?
If you really want to know where you destiny lies, look at where you apply your time.
Time is the most valuable asset you don’t own. You may or may not realize it yet, but how you use or don’t use your time is going to be the best indication of where your future is going to take you .
Let me make this as clear as possible
1. When you work hard at something you become good at it.
2. When you become good at doing something, you will enjoy it more.
3. When you enjoy doing something, there is a very good chance you will become passionate or more passionate about it
4. When you are good at something, passionate and work even harder to excel and be the best at it, good things happen.
Don’t follow your passions, follow your effort. It will lead you to your passions and to success, however you define it.
Charles E. Milder
What a bunch of BS. ”Follow Your Passion” is easily the worst advice you could ever give or get.
Why ? Because everyone is passionate about something. Usually more than 1 thing. We are born with it. There are always going to be things we love to do. That we dream about doing. That we really really want to do with our lives. Those passions aren’t worth a nickel.
Think about all the things you have been passionate about in your life. Think about all those passions that you considered making a career out of or building a company around. How many were/are there ? Why did you bounce from one to another ? Why were you not able to make a career or business out of any of those passions ? Or if you have been able to have some success, what was the key to the success.? Was it the passion or the effort you put in to your job or company ?
If you really want to know where you destiny lies, look at where you apply your time.
Time is the most valuable asset you don’t own. You may or may not realize it yet, but how you use or don’t use your time is going to be the best indication of where your future is going to take you .
Let me make this as clear as possible
1. When you work hard at something you become good at it.
2. When you become good at doing something, you will enjoy it more.
3. When you enjoy doing something, there is a very good chance you will become passionate or more passionate about it
4. When you are good at something, passionate and work even harder to excel and be the best at it, good things happen.
Don’t follow your passions, follow your effort. It will lead you to your passions and to success, however you define it.
Charles E. Milder
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