What’s on First, Who’s Second and They Can’t Come in Third
Realigning priorities is always tough to do especially when you have as many passions as I do. Occasionally I find some of my own personal and financial endeavors taking a precedent over the most important aspect of my being. When I catch this happening it become a mental paralysis for me then nothing functions well. My balance gets completely out of kilter and things start crumbling in the “Path of Paul”.
I have obligations to family, friends, business partners and work in that order. However some of those overlap and it makes some decisions even tougher to make. Unfortunately my job as an Internet Sales Manager takes up the majority of my time and it is the least important aspect in the grand scheme of things.
Time to take a break and reflect on my next step to get back on path of holding up my end of the deal in many respects.
What happens to the time?
Many times I find myself ignoring those that mean the most to me and really do not realize what it does to them until the tears fall from their eyes. In the past in my ambitions to make the best possible life for my family I have gotten so caught up in work that then they only see Dad on the rare occasion when I have taken a day off. With a schedule of leaving before they woke and returning after they are tucked snuggly in bed.
Now that I am a fulltime internet marketer even now I find myself ignoring those that mean the most to me. While not intentional it does happen more frequently than anticipated. When buckling down on a project interruptions really throw me for a loop and if I get side tracked sometimes it is impossible to get back on track.
Now I have just discovered I have a nagging health issue that I thought was ok to resurface and now have to figure out a way to achieve that balance we all strive for. While at the same time not ignoring those I love the most.
Every time I am faced with these gremlins I listen to “Cats in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin and it puts things back into perspective.
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I don’t know how they do it
Working from home full time can be just as trying at times as working for someone else. That does not mean it is not enjoyable. It means that sometimes home has distractions that you cannot hide from! 
What is cool though is I don’t have to hear about the special things my children do I can see them first hand, but kids can be distractions to working for yourself at home.
The cool thing is my business from home is growing faster than I can handle personally. In the last 30 days I have taken on a partner for one project and am now needing to hire some help. I just don’t see how people can work for others though with all of the opportunity available to them online and offline. The problem is most people are in a trap of living paycheck to paycheck and don’t know how to escape from it. Here shortly I will have a definitive guide for helping others get out of the trap and it is deffinaily not MLM. You can see what I think about MLM at http://NetMarketing101.info
Ciao
Long nites and short days
Well I finally broke down and did it. Yesterday after work I went to the Jacksonville dog track to play poker. All and all it was a fun time. I have not taken a break in quite sometime and it was good therapy. It allowed me to immerse my mind in something that was totally unrelated to work or online marketing, plus it was a good break from the wife and kids.
The bad thing it was almost 3 am before I got in! So I slept to 1 pm! Oh well long nites make for short days.
I am currently teaming up with another internet marketer to build a member blogging site. It is going to be labor intensive and rewarding. It is going to be geared to helping others to market products and get the word out about things that matter to them. A blogging platform on crack.
This coupled with several other online projects is going to keep my plate full. Let’s face it a full plate is better than an empty plate or no plate at all. I do have trouble explaining concepts to people who do not “get it” so I have teamed up with someone who has the patience required of a teacher. So with our new project I will working on the back end and promotion and he will work on the instructional aspects of our new program.
Getting Refocused on Personal Online Properties
Well since starting my new job my personal online properties have dropped in value. Not in terms of the value of content I have on the world wide web but in the fact updates have not been as ofter as they should be. This in turn has cause some decline in traffic and online income. The value of my time has been diminished due to my new job.
I am refocusing my efforts to my personal online properties that I own instead of building online domination for others benefit. I am not quitting my job but am redirecting my efforts on the new blog network to for my personal gain rather than someone else’s.
Ok now that I have that rant out of the way I will update you on the rest of the family. The kids are doing great. Preston does not even realize that he had surgery and I am still very much in Love with My wife.
Other than my personal dissatisfaction with my online properties life is good and all is well!
All is well in Coastal Georgia
Well Preston’s appointment with the Cleft Team went well. They have changed the format some. In the past they had a conference with us the same day. Now they follow up afterwards via mail and telephone. He is having a small problem with his ears. So we are following up with his pediatrician next week prior to receiving the update.
His pediatrician, Dr. Townsend Cooper, Jr., is awesome. He has truly gone the extra mile for Preston and us. Sometimes in my diligence of making sure Preston is well taken care of I don’t take the time to say thank you like I should to those that help us with him. Dr. Cooper is also the pediatrician for Tyler, Alex and my granddaughter Savanna, I know he cares about the children’s welfare and for that I am very thankful.
Here is a story about how serious Dr. Cooper is in helping us with Preston:
A few days before Christmas 2005, Christmas was on a Sunday, we found out that the anesthesiologist would not take Dr. Coopers recommendations for surgery due to the fact that Preston had a heart murmur at birth. It was not present when he had his physical from Dr. Cooper prior to surgery, but the anesthesiologist wanted Preston to be cleared by a cardiologist in addition to Dr. Cooper. Preston’s surgery was scheduled for December 30th, with Christmas being on a Sunday the following Monday was a “Holiday”. So we basically had four days to get Preston cleared for surgery or miss it. He was already months past when he should of had his first surgery, another story, so I was in panic mode. The problem with finding a cardiologist to clear Preston on such short notice was that none local to us wanted to see an infant, also most specialist don’t want to give a recommendation without seeing the patient and then there is the scheduling issues a few days before Christmas. Dr. Cooper was able to find a pediatric cardiologist to see Preston on short notice and get him cleared. If it were not for his efforts Preston’s care would be further behind.
Dr. Cooper you are truly one in a million.
Oh, I am supposed to do this every day!?!?!
Wow, sometimes I forget things and I have ignored this blog for the last few days. I have really been busy with work and gearing up for Preston’s appointment tomorrow, err today. Just thinking about it has got me where I cannot sleep. I need to work on some of my personal online properties and can fill this sleepless time with that. It is easier to think when the house is asleep.
This appointment is a big one. He was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate and the guy is getting ready to start his next round of surgeries. We meet every six months with the Cleft Team in Jacksonville, FL to plan his treatment. The concept is great he will see plastic surgeons, dentist, oral surgeons, speech therapist, psychologist (I think that is more for mom and dad at this point) and pediatricians. What is good is we get to see all disciplines in one appointment and layout treatment plans. This is so much more convienient instead of running around to these different consults one at a time. They also collect data for the University of Florida so if we can contribute something to others for the advice we receive so be it.
Being a South Georgia boy helping the University of Florida goes against everything ingrained since birth. All of my family are University of Georgia Alumni, my father, brother and grandfather, and we have the border battle every year in Jacksonville, Florida aka “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.” However, I can let bygones be bygones we just need to win this one, I traded opening day at the Masters this year to be on the 50 yard line three seats up!
Here is some of the good work done by Preston’s plastic surgeon, Dr. Dean Glassman. So I do have to give the Gators a break.
Hats are off Dr Glassman
I am the luckiest man in the world.
This morning on our trek to school my son Alex informed me I was the luckiest man in the world. I was also informed that he was the luckiest kid in the world. This coming from a five year old kind of floored me. I asked him to explain so I could understand why he made these statements.
He said “Daddy you are lucky because because you can take the luckiest kid in the world to school every day and I am the luckiest kid because I know my daddy loves me and takes me to school and makes sure I have money for ice cream every day.” I just smiled and kept the tears to myself.
Our daily drive to school gives us a time to bond after the madhouse of getting two groggy boys ready for school in the morning. Sometimes I overlook what is important and get caught up in the daily task of school, work, household duties and managing my online real estate and Alex this morning reminded me what is really important.
The love of a child is pure it is given freely. Of course their reliance on us does come into play, but as parents sometimes we take things for granted and don’t look at the world through their eyes and realize that they wont be our little boys and girls forever, those special moments of being bestowed the luckiest man in the world by a five year old are fleeting. Take those moments and relish them and build those bonds with your children that will last a lifetime.
“Making the decision to have a child - it’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart walking around outside your body.” - Elizabeth Stone
Glad it is over
Today has been one of the longest days ever. Our heat index was well over 120 degrees and I was out on the asphalt most of the day. There is nothing wrong with being out in the parking lot in my job. That is where the money is made. Face to face with customers, but it sure does take a lot out of you. No matter what you do to stay cool it does not work. So I am drained and this update will be short.
The kids are doing great. School is rocking right along and they are getting into the groove. I was really worried about that. Alex seems to be adjusting well.
My bride reminded me tonight that we are to make another trek to the cleft palate team for our youngest son Preston on the 16th. Preston was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate. I will discuss this in a future post. This will be a big one. As they will be scheduling him for his next round of surgeries. Ok, I need to get some rest it has been a long day.
“Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” - Benjamin Franklin
I need more hours in a day
Between family and work I have little time to work on my other online passions. I have been a full time affiliate marketer up until two weeks ago. Now my affiliate income is suffering because I am running out of time to maintain everything and develop new niches.
Ok enough ranting. Other than watching income streams level off life is good. The kids had a fairly uneventful second day of school. Alex even came home with a 
on his daily report. Alex is adamant on riding the bus to school instead of us taking him. Tyler on the other had does not want to make that commitment as the bus arrives around 7:00 and school does not start until 8:00. he enjoys the extra shut eye.
Work was rather uneventful too. I did not get a lot accomplished but that is ok too. I will make up for it tomorrow.
I am gonna keep this one brief so I can work on other online task.
“Good Day” - Paul Harvey
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