Author Michael D. Ditton makes a stop here today as part of his Dreams, Goals, and Adventure Blog Tour through MC Book Tours.
Dreams, Goals and Adventure is a series of personal stories, the ups and downs of someone who inspires to reach all of the dreams set forth and how sometime a life event creates a situation requiring a major adjustment. It is stories others will be able to relate to with the life adventures each and every one of them have experienced, both good and challenging
◊ DREAMS, GOALS AND ADVENTURE by Michael D. Ditton
◊ Paperback: 148 pages
◊ Genre: Self-Help, Motivational
◊ Publisher: BalboaPress (October 19, 2015)
◊ Language: English
◊ ISBN-10: 1504335880
◊ ISBN-13: 978-1504335881
From broke to retired in ten years . . .
Returning home from Desert Storm, I found myself mentally and financially bankrupt. Newly divorced, I had no job, no help, and no hope. My reasons to live were gone. At the lowest point in my life, I fell back on simple truths from my childhood: hard work gets results, and it's okay to dream. And dream I did, setting goals that launched me from poverty to a life I could not have imagined. And you can do it, too.
Dreams, Goals, and Adventure will inspire you to dream big, work toward your goals, and live your life as an adventure every day.
* Don't be afraid to dream.
* Don't accept “no” as an answer.
* Remove “can't” from your vocabulary.
* Small goals are stepping stones to much larger goals.
* Learn how to spring forward from failure.
* Know you will have to adjust.
* Live life as an adventure.
"Your experiences are so extra-ordinary and you're fascinating
to listen to. Your speaking style is humble and respectful of both your role as a speaker and of your audience, as one would expect after hearing of what you were trained to do. If others would open their lives to adventure as you have they would love their life even more." ~Jim Cathcart, author of the bestsellers: The Acorn Principle and Relationship Selling. CEO of Cathcart.com
to listen to. Your speaking style is humble and respectful of both your role as a speaker and of your audience, as one would expect after hearing of what you were trained to do. If others would open their lives to adventure as you have they would love their life even more." ~Jim Cathcart, author of the bestsellers: The Acorn Principle and Relationship Selling. CEO of Cathcart.com
Chapter
Two
Don’t
Take No For An Answer
Shortly
after landing in Florida and settling into my new school, making new friends
and reestablishing some old routines, I began to itch for another red wagon.
This time, it translated into my first actual job.
On my
bike ride to school I’d pedal past a hamburger stand in the middle of a strip
mall’s parking lot. The first time I saw it my mind was awash with
possibilities. Not only would I be earning my own money again, I might get a
good deal on their tasty burgers and home-cut fries. Every time I smelled the
patties on the grill I knew I had to work there.
Tossing
and turning one night, filled with excitement, I finally decided to stop and
introduce myself. It was a small place, run by two brothers and the wife of one
of the brothers. When I asked for a part-time job they politely declined my
request. I don’t recall if they actually said “no” or if I just interpreted it that
way, but I believe being only thirteen years old and riding past them to and
from school each day may have influenced their decision. But what they didn’t
know was that even at that young age, once I’d set my mind to something, I
didn’t take no for an answer.
Rain or
shine I stopped by every single day and asked for a job, only to get the same
answer every time: no. Perhaps a month later, maybe two, I stopped by as I
always did and once again asked for a job. This time, to my surprise, they
didn’t say no. They looked at me and then at each other, smiles all
around. Then one turned to me and said, “You’re not going to stop until we give
you a job, are you?”
Michael Ditton is an entrepreneur, personal development coach, and student of life. In addition to helping others realize their dreams, he can be found sailing or traveling in search of new adventures.
“When met by unexpected challenges, embrace them wholeheartedly as opportunities for adventure and education.”
I developed Goal-Setting Basics to help others interested in learning how to set goals. In my twenties, I had to gather these valuable bits of information a piece at a time. This site offers you an array of information, tools, and resources to help you in identifying, setting, and accomplishing your goals, whatever they might be. In these tools are free worksheets and examples to help you succeed. You will find Goal-Setting Basics is your single source for all of your goal-setting needs.
“Financial Independence means having control over your time without worrying about the ability to pay your bills” … So many think they have to be as wealthy as Bill Gates to live a rich life, that is so far from the truth … Let me show you how.
I was a dreamer from an early age. To this day I believe anyone can do whatever they choose to put their mind to.
I didn’t go from eight years old to semi-retired in the length of one sentence. Nor was it easy. But I did follow a simple, time-honored process.
I was in my twenties before I fully understood the true importance of goal setting. After that, I was able to be more focused, see where I wanted to be, how I was going to get there, notice when I needed to make adjustments, and had the satisfaction of reaching goals. I enjoyed the benefits of reaching a goal and putting a big, fat check mark on my list.
Here’s how those goals paid off:
At 8, sold vegetables door to door from my little red wagon
Age 13, supervisor, World’s Fare Hamburgers
Age 15, assistant manager trainee, Pizza Hut
Age 16, assistant manager, Round Table Pizza
Age 18, began a 20-year commitment with the U.S. Army and Army Reserve, retiring in 2005 as a staff sergeant and Desert Storm veteran. Over my service career I became a leader and was recognized and awarded for my achievements and outstanding service.
Age 20, found my true calling as a sales professional
Age 31, began a successful career in real estate and real estate investments
Age 36, semi-retired
Age 37, owned and operated several companies
Age 41, semi-retired, sold everything and sailed south on his 45’ sailboat
Although I found success at a very early age, I became painfully aware of how quickly it can all be taken away. In 1991, after I returned from Desert Storm, I found myself bankrupt, mentally, physically and financially and divorced.
It was the lowest point in my life. Four years later, I had clawed my way back to even, and started to build from there. Two years after that, following my roadmap of goals, I reached my first level of financial independence. The rest is history.
For more on Michael, you can connect with him at the following sites:
For those following his tour, Michael is offering a special price on the Kindle eBook format of DREAMS, GOALS, AND ADVENTURE at a reduced cost of just 99 cents! Readers can also get a FREE copy of Michael’s GOAL SETTING BASICS in the eBook format. For one or both of these special offers just CLICK HERE!
Thanks for visiting during Michael’s tour stop. Are you following your dreams?
Ally, thanks for sharing this and for being a part of Michael's tour.
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MC Book Tours
Yes, Thank you Ally. I really appreciate you featuring Dreams, Goals and Adventure today... Mahalo
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