Purpose takes your simple wishes to the finish line.

Everyone has wishes but few go beyond a fleeting wish to a planned-out strategy and execution of that strategy. You don’t have to motivate someone with a burning desire for some goal and a plan to get it.

How many Olympic Athletes do you think have to be constantly reminded to do their exercise routines? Zero. What about professional gamers? Do you think before they have made the big time, their mother was yelling at them to go back down to the basement and play longer!

If you have a burning desire for some accomplishment, you won’t need to be reminded either. That is having a purpose!

I have seen many “motivational” books that tell you to write down your goals and read them aloud every day. I have news for you: If you have to read aloud your goals every night to make it sink into your head what you are doing and why you are doing it, you have already lost the game. Great athletes/sales persons/gamers/farmers/coders/teachers don’t need to remind themselves, they feel it deep within and can not wait for the morning to do what they love.

If you lose yourself in a obsessional desire, great things will happen. Work won’t feel like work, there is no need for motivation, you wont be able to stop talking, thinking, eating, breathing, sleeping your desire or dream. But it all begins with a purpose.

A mere wish + purpose + burning desire + obsession = Success

The underrated, unexamined purpose; so many have neglected to ask themselves about their own purpose. How can anyone be successful at something if they don’t first know exactly what they want?

No one can!

Without a definite purpose or goal, the burning desire to accomplish that goal, with a definite plan executed daily as if it is just a habit, you will meander through life like a leaf in the wind. Look around you at your friends and family, you can identify rather quickly the “successful one” and the “leaf” that randomly get floats around in the wind. Are they obsessed with a goal? Does everyone think they are so lucky? Luck has nothing to do with their success and never will.

How do I find my purpose?

Unfortunately, I can’t tell you how to find your purpose. You may just stumble upon it through mere chance. But I can tell you that you will know when it hits you. You will feel it. Since its about feeling, you can’t logically plot out what your most probable dream/wish/purpose is, you have to feel it. What I can tell you is to avoid these common catch phrases below.

Phrases that are wrong:

Knowledge is power

Its often said that knowledge is power. I would posit that knowledge is not power, but knowledge of what you want, coupled with effort and a definite purpose is power. It is common for hiring managers that interview candidates for an open career position to ask the dreaded question: “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” There is a reason this is an effective question. They can gauge a person’s motive. If you had a purpose and were asked this today, you could answer it with such passion that it just rolls off your tongue without a thought. Now that’s knowledge!

Find your passion

Ughh, don’t make me throw up!

I hear successful people always spout “find your passion”, but that’s a cop-out way to explain how they made it. It is much harder to explain that you need to take a wish (we all have wishes) and then spend years chasing that wish with a burning desire all day, every day without exhaustion. But remember, the starting point of any success is definitive knowledge of what you want. Knowledge of what you want will define your purpose.

Don’t let this opportunity pass you by.

Someone with purpose and a burning desire of a goal will always recognize opportunity. This person does not need to be enticed to act. If you are chasing that dream and can visualize exactly what you want, you will recognize opportunity and will grab it with a decisive fervor that others will think you are crazy. Your mind is always on your goal and your subconscious will scream at you in the face of opportunity. Without you having to ask others opinions.

Opportunity waits for no person, but is often delivered to those with purpose. Your mind will be tuned into things around you that pertain to your dream. Have you ever seen a new car that you really like and wish you had? That style car is always around but you never really notice it until its on your mind. My son and I drive to school and he always yells “Rover”, he has a thing for Range Rovers. I always thought they were luxury cars few and far between, but I can tell you there are more “Rovers” we see everyday than I ever imagined were around us. Oh and blue trucks, he loves blue trucks, damn there are a lot of those on the road as well! I never noticed.

If at first you don’t succeed, redefine success.

I love this one! So never mind.

Conclusion

If you look at anybody that has impressed you with their success you will find a few common things they all have in common.

1. Major Goal

2. Plan to achieve the goal

3. Endless effort in implementing that plan

They basically eat, breathe, sleep and work their dream.

Photo by Thomas Lipke on Unsplash

There are many ways to secure your digital assets, but what you are really doing is securing the Private/Secret Keys from hackers. Private/Secret Keys are required to authorize or “sign” a transaction.

Solutions exists from Hardware wallets to paper wallets and Wallet apps, but how do you secure and backup those?

Hardware Wallets:

A hardware wallet is a external device (like a flash drive) that connects to your computer. There are many to choose from.

(I used this book cover as a backdrop to take the pictures, no hidden meanings here ... well maybe a little)

Keep Key / Leger Nano/ Trezor /Secalot
and more....

These hardware wallets allow you to send receive digital assets with a web based interface. These are secured in the fact that your secret keys are stored on the hardware device external to your computer and can only be authorized by the external hardware. It is authorized by you typically by selecting a button on the external device to confirm a transaction.

When you get a hardware wallet and set it up, you are asked to write down and store a 12 to 24 seed phrase. This is your backup in case you lose or damage your hardware wallet. So you write it down on the card provided and store it away.

Paper wallets are nice, but its well ... on paper. Ever wash your jeans with paper folded up in a pocket you forgot about?

Here is a short how to video on a paper wallet:

https://www.cinnamon.video/mirrae/watch?v=168776677730550942&l=L21pcnJhZQ%3D%3D

How can you securely store your seed phrase or the private/secret keys safely?

Put the paper in a safe right .... not so fast!!!

Your written down seed phrase and keys are not impervious to water, fire or children. Hey – there are solutions to that as well:

Cryptotag

Blockplate

Hodlinox

Billfodl

Coldti

Seedhodl

Cryptosteel

Wow those are expensive!

You can DIY for under $1.00

Do yourself a favor, save some money and try something simple. (Added bonus is it feels like a coin and can easily be stored in a safe like coins)

1. You can easily go buy a Fender washer from Home Depot that is made out of stainless steel, the same material all the above listed mega brilliant steel solutions. ($1.18/2 = $0.59 per washer)

2. Borrow or buy a number and letter stamp set.

3. Find a hard surface and hammer and start stamping away.

With a paper wallet (free to create) and a Fender Washer for under $1.00 you have just secured your keys to digital assets.

And now with those savings you can follow the wisdom of the few discussed here: https://coil.com/p/mirrae/Shaq-on-Money/RAQrUp2ND

Photo by Gabriel Wasylko on Unsplash

I recently was asked to join a friend for coffee. I had not seen this person for quite a while but was excited to catch up. Turned out that she wanted to catch up so she could get my opinion on a new ambitious project, basically pick my brain for ideas and suggestions because of my experience in startups.

**Should you consult with others and get their opinions before you start on a new ambitious plan?
**

Opinions are like the stars in the night sky. There is an estimated 100 billion stars in our galaxy the Milky Way and there are more than 100 billion galaxies in the known universe. Everyone has an opinion about almost everything, most likely out numbering the stars. If a person pauses their actions because they want the opinion of others before starting on a new idea, they usually end up doing nothing.

Obviously legal and health advice from a professional would be an exception to this and essential in most cases. But I’m talking about the opinions of others that have no stake in your success. How many times have you mentioned or hinted about a plan and you receive many opinions how you should do it, or why you can’t do it and will fail? Avoid these opinions like the plague. Everyone has them and will give you free advice without even being asked.

If you really have a pressing issue that you need advice on, go find a professional in that field you respect and trust; and pay them for the time and effort. Free opinions are mostly worth the amount you paid for them.

When the Wright brothers set out to build a flying machine, I’m sure many people gave them advice like this: “you can’t do that”, “that is stupid, what would you do if you could fly”, “but you guys are just bicycle mechanics!”, “you will go broke trying to make that work”, “you guys are crazy”. First flight was in 1903.

I could list many notable inventions and plans throughout history and the same opinions no doubt was heard over and over again.

(How about the fortune cookie? OK I was going to make a joke about the fortune cookie invention but I asked a friend and they didn't like it)

(I hope you saw what I did there)

My most favorite if I could go back in time to hear the free advice given to Columbus when he devised a plan to find a new route to India for trade. I can imagine this: “you will get lost in the uncharted waters my good man and never return”. Well, he did return and he returned with the New World discovery.

If you seek the advice/opinions of others you will hear supportive and non-supportive advice on how to do it or even if you should proceed with your plan. Go out in the world and create what you want, when you want and don’t listen to the naysayers. But first you must make a plan and act on that plan. If something is not working out it means you need to revise your plan a little. And if you need advice, pay an expert for their consultation on a specific topic.

When I have questions, I generally shake the magic 8 ball for answers, surprisingly works better than friends advice.

Above was the advice I gave my friend. Its been 4 months and I have not heard a word. Of course, the flip side of that coin is that I have not reached out to socialize either. Well why would I? After that coffee and chat I felt used and dirty. Next time, I am going to charge people to have coffee with me.

********************************************************

Coffee mug – Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

Stars – Photo by Benjamin Davies on Unsplash

8-Ball – Photo by Jonas Thijs on Unsplash

Paper wallets still appear to be the easy option under your own control and security.

I made a short video on how to create your own personal paper wallet for XRP.

[Photo by Iker Urteaga on Unsplash]

https://www.cinnamon.video/mirrae/watch?v=168776677730550942&l=Lw%3D%3D

Looking at ease of use with Cinnamon video, so far very impressed!

I uploaded an intro and will be working on some video content.

Hope you like it :)

https://www.cinnamon.video/mirrae/watch?v=163079462081004754&l=L21pcnJhZQ%3D%3D

[Thanks to Isaac Smith for the photo]

A short story inspired by Shaquille O'Neal & Lester Knispel.

The End

https://www.youtube.com/embed/39YIqAzzNEI