Wednesday, February 13, 2013

My Top 5 Blog Posts




My Top 5 Blog Posts







        *The Strategic Plan
*= tied.
I was thrilled to see my tribute to my friend, Billy Atkins rise to the top of my viewer response. This posting has the most comments I’ve ever received on one post. Awesome!
The tie of the two blogs at position of #5 is interesting as well.
Thank you for following The Rust Belt Chronicles. Your support is something meaningful that matters to me!
Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver
Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!

www.successthroughmusic.com
Disclaimer- Books and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and third party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

I've Got Some New Momentum!





 
Neal Morse, along with Mike PortnoyRandy George and band coincidently sum up my feelings in the new DVD release- Live MomentumOrder a copy or two today!

February is a month of beginnings, endings, changes and new momentum.

I am going to appear on Caroline Gavin’s podcast show on Blog Talk Radio, Purposeful Pathway on February 27. I am looking forward to chatting with Caroline and honored to be her guest. The show airs at 1:00 pm and if you miss it “live” you can catch it here.
If everything goes as planned, my blog will be moving to its new home on the web. It will be less restrictive on content and it will be interesting to see the results. I will let you know prior to the switch so I don’t lose you!
The possibility still exists to create an expanded type of format being web-based, providing I can line-up a few contributors and sponsors. Why not? The basis for the idea is doable, so it might or might not work.
I retired last Friday from the organization that eliminated my position after nearly 32 years as an employee. That feels great and it makes moving forward with a plan more intriguing. I am so excited to be out of that quagmire of fear and upheaval! It truly is a blessing.
I’ve started my second book and several people have offered suggestions for the title. Unfortunately, I already have a working title in mind and I am unable to announce it at this point. If the book doesn’t require lots of interviews and at a slow pace of 2,000 words-per-day; it’s possible to have the book written in a month. Stay tuned!
Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver
Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!

www.successthroughmusic.com
Disclaimer- Books and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and third party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Do You want to Feel Great?




For quite some time, I’ve experienced pain in different joints and my back. When I used to sleep in on the weekends I always had to get out of bed due to hip and back stiffness and pain. The pain followed me throughout the day. The only remedy was to take a couple Aleve tablets.

Lately, I've had pain in my neck area from hours of looking down on my laptop. Initially, the pain lessoned, however; the muscles stayed sore for days. Bending down or squatting to clean the dog waste in the yard is always painful, during and afterwards. All these little nuances of life had become a nuisance.
I never thought about arthritis. My assumption was its old age.
Then, I heard some good news!
My 79 year-old Mother told me about a couple of products that my brother asked her to try for pain and joint stiffness. My Mother had trouble standing up after sitting in a chair or lying on a bed. After trying the products, her pain and joint stiffness was gone. Her comment was: “It makes me feel 30 years younger.”
Wow! Maybe I should decide to try this stuff.
So, I got the information from her and began to search on Amazon.com for the products and reviews. A majority of the reviews were written with amazing results. People of all ages with pain and discomfort documented noticeable improvement after taking these two substances.
The two products are: Zyflamend Whole Body and Wholemega by New Chapter.
 Zyflamend By New Chapter - 120 Softgels- Zyflamend appears to reduce inflammation in the bones and joints. Zyflamend consists of 10 different herbal ingredients that aid in the stabilization of bone and joint inflammation, heart and (get this) studies have proven it may slow down the aging process.
New Chapter Wholemega Fish Oil, 1000mg, 120 Softgels- Wholemega is made with Alaskan Salmon and nourishes the brain, heart, eyes and kidney tissue. The fish oil is also reported to assist the immune system, cardiovascular and reduce cholesterol levels.
My research led me to find out the amount of the good fish oil is determined by the amount of EPA and DHA added together per serving. The Wholemega brand 1000 mg. softgel has 360 mg. of the good fish oils and the rest is filler.
 I found another brand with a lemon flavor (in case you burp, no fish oil taste) and the amount of EPA and DHA added in one serving is 640 mg. in each softgel capsule.
Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega, 1,000 mg Fish Oil, 180 Soft Gels The other brand is: Nordic Naturals, Ultimate Omega, 1,000 mg. Fish Oil, Softgels. Granted, it’s more expensive, but the amount of EHA and DHA is increased 78% over the Wholemega product by New Chapter.
My Results
Within a day of taking both Zyflamend and Ultimate Omega, I noticed less stiffness in the bed. After 3 days (taking only one pill of each per day), I journeyed outside to pick-up the dog waste; I felt great. In fact, I didn’t feel one ache or pain during this half-hour chore or afterwards. All day and evening, I felt loose and ready to go take on the world!
I am literally in awe at how good I feel mentally and physically! Like my Mom; I feel 30 years younger.
While I was outside today I began to notice how much better my breathing had become. Then I realized I had forgotten to take my Spiriva and inhaler medicine. I was so happy because somehow this combination of herbs and fish oil in just 3 days has been a miracle for my health and well-being. When you breathe better, you feel good and I haven’t felt this good in decades!
Try these products. I can’t believe how great I feel. My Mom says she would pay $100.00 a bottle for these products. That’s how good they make you feel.
I agree, just don’t tell the companies.

I recommend buying these products online through Amazon.com because it's much cheaper than purchasing these products through a local health food store.
If you plan on having surgery, you should stop taking these formulas at least 3 days prior to the surgery since they do thin your blood. Otherwise, there are no side-effects or complications with these 2 products. Check with your physician anyway.

Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver
Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!

www.successthroughmusic.com
Disclaimer- Books and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and third party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.

 


Sunday, February 10, 2013

Waiting for Billy



A year ago, my best friend, Billy Atkins was called home. Rarely does a day go by without thinking of him and it’s still hard to believe he’s gone from our world. I loved him like a brother and I miss him deeply. I know he rests in a better place and one day; we will meet again


Billy was a husband, father, businessman and musician. He was well liked and would give the shirt off his back to help a friend. In our younger days, he would chauffeur me around the countryside until I was sober enough to drive. We would listen to music and talk. I miss those talks.
Both our hearts were in the same place talking about right verses wrong, honesty and our beliefs. We had a lot in common.
I learned at his funeral service that Billy and his wife, Michelle, donated the funding needed to excavate  a well for his cousin’s wonderful orphanage program overseas- Sending Hope International. The program rescues children from the sex slave trade and provides hope. The water used to quench those thirsty children will always be a gift from Billy and Michelle Atkins.Their generosity touches lives daily and is truly something meaningful!


When Billy and I were single, I recall him always being the last to be ready. Whenever a group of us were going somewhere, we always waited for him. We did so because, we knew it wouldn’t be the same without him.

But the day Billy was called home, I believe he was ready.
About a week before his passing he sent me a message and told me how proud he was of me. In 40 years of friendship, he never uttered those words. It was almost like a parting message; as if he knew his time was short.
Billy’s life was a song of epic and majestic proportions. The melody was his good cheer and the chorus was his big heart. The progression of his life  was a gift and his chords to us. His finale brought us to tears.
Now- he is waiting on us.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Michelle Atkins, Dawn Kamen and their families, relatives and friends!
Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver
Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!

www.successthroughmusic.com
Disclaimer- Books and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and third party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Running Down A Dream!






Most people wander aimlessly through their life. Many don’t realize options exist outside of the daily grind. We become so focused on the immediate schedule, chores and tasks or simply feel we don’t have the time to allocate towards our dreams. The only remedy is to create the time and start now!
Look at your schedule and decide what to give up for one hour of working on your dream.
Logout of Facebook, give-up your favorite online games, turn-off Twitter, television, email and chat for an hour in order to do something that will make a difference in your life. Perhaps, stay-up one extra-hour or get out of bed one-hour earlier to work towards your goal. You’ll be surprised at the amount of time available.
Start seeing yourself as a business- your business.
What have you always wanted to do?
·        Search the Internet for connections with people of similar interests and ideas.

·        Seek advice and ask questions.

·        Realize the journey is a process and anything worth doing takes time.

·        Find a niche. Look for a need to fill or a unique slant to something where you can fill a void.

·        Break down your idea into a realistic path.
What will it take to launch your idea?
·        Develop a step-by-step process.

·        Research each step and gain the necessary knowledge.

·        Seek advice, check forums, send emails to experts and ask questions.

·        Focus strictly on one-step at a time; otherwise you will become overwhelmed and likely give-up. This isn’t a race. Overnight sensations are rare and few survive the long haul anyway.
By breaking down the process the plan becomes manageable. You will become one of the experts once you finish each process in addition to developing your own product or business.
Don’t be afraid of making mistakes.
Mistakes are a learning experience, not a failure. They give us our chance to improve and gain valuable insight. How could we perfect something if we didn’t have errors? Mistakes are little bumps along the journey to correct our maneuvers.
Stop doing nothing and start becoming productive. Once you realize there is life ‘outside the box’, you’ll become excited at your progress and will find additional hours to spend on pursuing the dream. You will discover how creative, talented and passionate it is to chase down your dream.
At some point you will wonder why you didn’t act sooner. But it’s ok and it doesn’t matter because your moment arrived now. Start running down your dream today. I guarantee you’ll love it!
Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver
Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!

www.successthroughmusic.com
Disclaimer- Books and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and third party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.
 

Friday, February 8, 2013

The Opportunity of a Lifetime!




We often make decisions based on fear. When faced with a choice between comfort and uneasiness, we tend to side with comfort. Making that decision isn’t necessarily correct or safe; it just appears to be less troublesome to our emotions. A child learns this at a young age and is able to manipulate a parent into seeing the desired outcome.

The problem of being part of the status quo is it locks us into a parameter of common predictions and outcomes. Creativity becomes limited and many of the comforts we enjoy today would not exist. Typing a blog on this laptop is one of the perks of someone being different. Virtually all we touch today was created by someone who dared to have the courage to test the unthinkable.
It’s time we stopped trying to be like everyone else. Maybe not fitting-in is an advantage. Some of the quietest kids in school were the smartest and I always noticed they excelled fluidly at everything. Perhaps being odd or exuberant is a gift. Some of the best keyboardists I’ve known were odd and intelligent people.
How many medical, scientific breakthroughs or technological changes have we lost due to someone trying to be a square peg in a round hole?
The status quo says those people are weird. Stay away from them. Did you ever think perhaps they’ve been staying away from you a lot longer?
We shun those we fail to understand or simply are unable to label. We view those folks as freaks, possibly unstable or dangerous.
People who see things different are interesting to talk too. They are usually gracious when someone takes an interest in their lonely world. We’re all human beings, no matter what our style, flavor or color. Everyone wants to be loved and accepted.
Isn’t taking the time to connect perhaps the opportunity of a lifetime?
Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver
Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!

www.successthroughmusic.com
Disclaimer- Books and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and third party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

10 Reasons Why I Hired Myself





·        I make the rules and break the rules.
·        I get the credit and if it doesn’t work- I still learn.
·        I work my own hours, day or night.
·        I don’t work for a middle-man or the status quo.
·        I connect with people, not work with sheep.
·        I have no use for a gatekeeper, slave driver or corporate greed.
·        I work on my own terms, nothing else matters.
·        I dislike meetings, chants and posturing.
·        I have the freedom to do what I want to do.
·        I want to make a difference and do something meaningful.
 
Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver
Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!

www.successthroughmusic.com
Disclaimer- Books and links on this website contain affiliate marketing sources between Jim Carver and third party companies. I only recommend products, brands and businesses that I strongly support. Photos used on this site are used courtesy of the original authors and in no way endorse The Rust Belt Chronicles or my work. Thank you.