A Look At An Old Book

Today I pulled out an old book. It is almost 50 years old. The binding is a bit tattered, the pages have yellowed and yes, we might think that it is an old book, but for me, there is a lot of interesting information in it. I suppose that more than anything, it is full of many memories. It is my baby book. And I guess it is only about 47 years old, however, when we measure the years of a person it does not seems like many years, but as we look at a book it seems ancient. I have a very vivid memory of when I was 3 years old. I was in the kid's parade of at the Cherry Festival celebrated in June of every year. I was on my little red plastic motorcycle. I can still picture it in my mind. I was put in line and was expected to continue with the procession. But for me it was a race! I pulled out and started to pass everyone as fast as my little legs would push me. Evidently, they thought it was cute because no one tried to stop me and just let me keep advancing as fast as I could. When I got to where the parade turned a corner and went to a little park I was stopped and changed directions or I would have possibly ridden on out of town. I got 2nd place and $2. Now isn't that cool? I was reading about it in this old book.

This was possible because my mom kept a good record of events that occurred many years ago. Now here is where I could turn all this into a great spill about keeping a journal and the importance of it. But I don't want to talk about that, let me just say, keep a journal and someday you'll be glad you did. What I want to write about is old books. Perhaps this is on my mind because of my wife's job. She works for a genealogical society that takes digital pictures of old books to preserve the information contained in them. All that information is put on CDs. There are some very old books that date back to the 1300s.

I also think of a book written about 400 years ago and many of the concepts in it also have value today. It was written by Miguel Cervantes. It is called Don Quixote. And he gives some great lessons about self-esteem. Good stuff.

You may ask, "Why is this important?" Well let me tell you something about There Is No Power In Chaos. Yes, it has taken me the better part of 21 years to write it. Ans I wrote it with the intention that 400 years from now it would be considered a very good book. It has been written to be around for many years. I did not write it to be a flash in the pan and forgotten tomorrow. I have tried to imagine myself 50 years from now, looking back and considering what my contribution would be to better our world. COnCEPT Q, contained in the book is my contribution. It is a way to better one's self. It is a way to improve. And I can see that it will be around for a loooong time. If you haven't read it, please do. I can guarantee that you'll be glad you did. This will also come to be an old book, but one that is not forgotten.

A Visit Back to the Case History

This blog was a challenge simply to make a promise and keep it. Yes there are many good thoughts in it but it takes time to read through it. I have one person though that sifts through finding nuggets of wisdom, but isn't that like life itself? Many good things are not simply out in the open, we have to search for them. There Is No Power In Chaos took me a process of about 21 years to write. It is full of many truths and a formula for happiness. I know that to be true. The main idea has allowed me to act in ways that I even surprise myself. There is a poem that I wrote long before I knew why I wrote it. The wisdom of the poem is inspired. It carries me forward. I cannot express at this point of my journey why it has been me the one chosen to be the keeper of the concept that is explained in the book, but I do feel that it is a sacred responsibility to take it to the world. The opposition to bring it out has been overwhelming. The problems at times have seemed more than I wanted to deal with. But I continue to trudge along. I wish that it would go forward much faster but it seems to have its own time schedule...and I am obliged to follow.

Read on...for as long as I dwell here on earth I must continue to write and continue to expound on a concept that discovers the true power of faith. If there is one thing that I can share with you my reader it is that faith is a power, and that power is associated with happiness, joy, abundance and all other good things of life. If those are things that you seek...then learn to dominate the power of faith. There Is No Power In Chaos will give you a very good understanding of how to do that. I myself continue to learn as I teach, live, and abide by the truths contained within. I continue to become Mr. Faith as I grow my own faith. It may be one of the best books you ever read, but that...you must decide for yourself.

It is Finished

My book, There Is No Power In Chaos is done! I am allowing a VERY limited number of people become Charter Members to the Website. If you're interested in knowing more, please send your name and e-mail to info@sabermountain.com. Don't DELAY the offer WILL NOT last. It is first come first serve and as of now there are 10 people being emailed per 1 membership.

Not Sure of the Day - Except I sent the Book to the Printers!!!

Yes, this day, October 16th, 2007 I SENT the book to China!! I have spent over 1300 hours of writing, editing, re-writing, finding a new editor, researching, drawing graphs and Q-charts, putting in the edits, copy editing, making a mock up, designing the cover, redesigning the cover, making changes, going over the table of contents with a marketing expert, changing them...do I need to say more? Rosa called it the Never Ending Story. I wanted to finish it many moons ago but could not let it go out partially finished. It is not perfect either. I would send it to the editor again for that, but...It will do! I am happy and was ready to celebrate today. How do I feel about it? I can see it being around for 400 years. It only took me about 20 to write it and all that to be around for many years!! Yes!

Here is a question if you are a reader of this blog... I know that this book is solid enough in its material to go up against The Secret, Law of Attraction book and prove that it is feel good material mixed with half-truths. I see it a detrimental book for public health. I will always contend that There Is No Power In Chaos! And the Secret perpetrates chaos! What would you think of a campaign like David vs Goliath 2? I am a small figure that is taking on a gigantic promotion that has been accepted fairly well in society. Until people realize that the ideas don't work! So here I am, David going up against Goliath. What would you suggest for promotional material in those lines? Would love to hear anyones comments!!

Day Ninety Four - Post Reduction

I made it to 90 days of posting skipping only a few days, part of it because of the wedding and not being near a computer. I also think that much of this ended up like a diary instead of a case history. Yet if we were to do an analysis on these last 90 days I think that it is simple to see what happens to most people. I had a sincere goal with a deadline. I worked hard to get it finished and because of work and other activities that happen in everyday life I got distracted. This is one fourth of a year. And the next 90 days will come and go in the same way. I desired it with all my heart. Sure there are many things that are working in my favor and that is great but the book didn't just plop itself down in my lap ready to be sold. There is a lot of work involved and someone has to do it. Whether I do it myself or I hire the work done someone has to do it. That is far different than what the Secret teaches. That is far different than what too many people want to have happen.

Will There Is No Power In Chaos make me some money? Absolutely. But only if I continue to make this continue on its journey. So what can you learn from my 90 day experiment? Well, first of all, if you don't have a dream or something that motivates you to do something everyday, even if it is a blog that tells the world what you are doing to get closer to your goal, then you'll live 4 90-day segments a year until you die, doing things for someone else. And even if you don't have a huge crowd that reads what you write, then you'll know that is one of the next steps you must master: marketing.

For those that have been consistent readers, Thank you! It helps me to see the number rise on the counter, even if it is just a little bit. Thank you to those who have added comments. Then I really do know someone is keeping tabs on my progress. It makes pounding the keys a bit easier. So for now I will keep you posted on the big steps of progress and let you know the new launch date. (A little secret) Someone told me that it ought to be around Thanksgiving if I want it for Christmas. We'll see, got to get it to the printer.

As a side note, my brother, Dan is putting a new print shop / bindery / order fulfillment in and they just got word that the building will be ready Nov.1st. That gives us a place to have the books shipped to in November and ready for distribution sometime in November also. We have all the little things coming into place a bit at a time, so I am not too worried about missing the October 8th launch, with a wedding in the middle, we just weren't ready.

But we will be, next time,... besides isn't the third time supposed to be a charm?

Day Ninety Three - 2nd Time, Failure - Do I Go For 3?

Well October 8th came and went, and just like Sunday did. I have been with chills and fever and my head pounding most of the day, and sweat like crazy all night long. Actually since one month ago on a Sunday night when I stayed up all night because of kidney stones and then doing the same the next night then getting on a plane and going to the wedding of my daughter I can count from about Sept 9th to now as a month that I have done nothing to get this promotion together. Without a computer and Internet most of the time I have been rendered useless for making this project progress along.

In reality, (and no offense intended to the girls)giving birth to this baby has been about as hard as real birth. (Pain included, a couple of bouts with the kidney stones.) And still headed to the Doctor in the morning.

Day Ninety One - Under the Weather

Just when things settle down from the wedding and are getting back to normal, I get a terrible cold. With headaches, body aches, and a fever I sure do not feel like doing much and it is hard to even write this. It takes a lot of energy just to sit here and fight the sickly feelings that I have. Auugghh.

Day Ninety - And Only 4 Days Counting

I cannot say that I have been the most valiant. I suppose I could have done more. I can give excuses such as I have suffered setbacks, kidney stones with serious attacks twice, I have married a daughter, lost my morning job, facing some serious decisions in my marriage, postponed the book launch twice, the first time to October 8th, and because the book is still not here, changed the 8th of October to ??? I don't know when but I suppose to sometime in December. Besides all that, I won't mention the huge 'boca del lobo' that is open wide ready to devour me from behind. I guess I just did mention it. Oh well. I still can think of more trials, and hubbub, and obstacles that continue to make it difficult to get this book out to the public. I CAN guarantee though that the book is GOOD!

"Some of the concepts in the book are so new that you'll have to read the chapters twice. But then, it starts to sink in and you really do find yourself reading one of the finest personal development books ever written." Kevin Hogan said that. He is one of the top persuasion experts in the US.

Now if you were to ask me if I attracted all of the opposition that I mentioned before, there are 2 possibilities. One- that my mindset is generating obstacles because I really don't want to be famous or have the money that may go along with it. I suppose that I really do enjoy suffering and causing those around me and those associated with me to suffer. I block my own progress because I don't want anyone to read the book. I love suffering and therefore attract hard situations to me. That is a possibility according to 'the Secret'...but somehow, even though I do manage to maintain a positive outlook and only see those obstacles as temporary trials to see if I really do want to achieve this goal, my mind creates many obstacles.

That is one possibility.

The other possibility would be similar to others that had an objective and would not relinquish it, NO MATTER WHAT! I can think of a few. Abraham Lincoln, he had more failures and obstacles to get what he wanted to accomplish, yet we consider him to be one of the best US presidents that we have had. We even remember that he was the ??th president. *(Answer below if you don't know.) Now, we think of him as a great president, but in his day it didn't seem quite the same. "The summer of 1864 was the most dismal period of Lincoln's career. People in the North were weary of the constant calls for more men, the growing casualty lists, the lack of progress. Friends and foes alike felt certain that Lincoln could not win the election. Some Republicans appealed to the president to step down in favor of a stronger candidate, and Lincoln himself believed that he might lose." (Lincoln, A Photobiography by Russell Freedman)

Thomas Edison had almost 10,000 failures in inventing the light bulb, and we don't even think about that when we change one. If he would have quit at number 100, or at 2456, or even at 5693 he would have never been remembered for it. What if he would have quit at 9947? There were still 53 experiments to go! The point is he did continue on and I doubt he was worried if all the obstacles he was attracting to himself because of his mindset. Another man learned to swim in deep water all of his life. His name was Joseph Smith. Yes, he was even a candidate for the US Presidency! in Lincoln's day and age.

There was one other man that descended below much more than we could ever comprehend and He should have known the Secret to avoiding pain and suffering...but wait! It seems that HE did!!! I recall he said that He suffered so that we wouldn't have to!!! Now that seems to me the real Secret! You know who this man was??? Read the New Testament in the Bible to find the answer.

So my observation is that if I want to stand, even in the shadow of these great men, why should I be so privileged as to not have to pass through trials and tribulation? I guess I didn't know 'the Secret' (even though I seem to recall that Edison knew something about it, humm....???) So as I struggled today under the lousy feeling of a sore throat and a cold, I look at my trials as trivial. I will overcome and be bettered by them not embittered. Hey! I know of a good book that will be available to the public next week! It is called No Power In Chaos! Look for it on www.NoPowerInChaos.com It really does give you a clue to why all the obstacles. Thanks for hanging in here with me those of you that do read this! And no worries I am ok. Just using a few examples as a teaching point. Take care and see you soon!

*16th president of the United States

Day Eighty Eight - Back to Work

Ok Monday I saw Brian's, (my new son-in-law) aunt and uncle off, Tuesday I saw his parents off and this morning I took Brian and Stefanie to the airport in Barcelona. Now it's just me and mama, and time to get busy. I have been so out of it and my ability to focus has been terribly diluted. I'd call it Hubbub! Not that I didn't enjoy the visit and wedding and the seemingly eternal parties (just kidding) It was just 2 receptions a week apart. My problem was that I tried to do the book launch along with it. That is where I have been unable to do both and be effective. Now I can focus and get back on track and make up lost ground as much as possible.

So if you are reading this...not many people do, the book launch is set for next week just the same, just that we now will do a pre-launch and save the Amazon launch for later when I know the books will be ready to ship. So watch for some progress as I kick into gear and make this work!! See you tomorrow!!!

Day Eighty Six - Still Struggling to Get Back to Normal

Call it a vacation, call it a wedding, call it what you want, but it sure can throw you off track and it is hard to get back on. I am watching days pass and cannot find the time (or energy) to get all done that I need to do before the end of my 90 days. I think it may be a little jet lag, even though I thought I had that beat. This week will be a very important one to get all aspects of the pre-launch ready. I also think I will do weekly posts instead of daily posts. This has been extremely difficult, especially when I am out of town. Short post today! See you ...?

Day Eighty Two - Still Doing the Wedding Thing

Yesterday was Taxi Day. Had to run my oldest daughter and a guest around to a couple of places then take the newly weds out to the hotel where the reception is (and their Nuptial suite for a couple of nights ;-) Then headed to the airport to pick up Brian's parents and take them for something to eat. We get home at almost 2 am. Can you see why I want to get back to normal? Leaves no time for anything else.

On the Book side, I have been doing some promotion and it continues to gain momentum. This book is going to be a hit! The title tells all: There IS No Power In Chaos!
And that's the truth! Look for a promotion on October 8th! It is a pre-launch and the preparation for the big Amazon launch to make this book a No. 1 BEST SELLER!!!

Thanks again to my readers! See you tomorrow!

Day Eighty One - I Am Back

What a journey! I cannot begin to tell you about the last two weeks. I have traveled more than I wanted to, finally passed some kidney stones just before I left on my journey, have been in London, Phoenix, Arizona, gave a seminar and had a family picture in Idaho, been to Las Vegas and married a daughter off in Salt Lake City, Utah, about got arrested at the airport for trying to sneak a bullet through security, survived a 40 hour return journey home and about ready to finish with a reception here in Spain. I have not been near a computer very much and had someone use my web address to send SPAM e-mails so got over 3000 undelivered messages that I had to sort through to find good e-mails in the middle of them.

Believe it or not I have survived it and if I could tell the details for every event you would believe it even less. Put it this way...I lived two months of living in two weeks and now I need a vacation from my "vacation". I am excited though to be back in my captain's chair in front of my trusty computer. I feel like I was lost without it. After Friday, the reception here in Spain, I will dedicate my efforts to my book launch and get everything back on track. For those that have been faithful readers...Thanks for your interest and support and I am glad to be back and able to pound a few keys again. See you tomorrow!

Day Sixty Six - The Ride Begins

Just starting my journey to the US. The next 2 weeks I will not be near a computer so bear with me.

Day Sixty Five - The Calm Before the Storm

I do not look forward to the days ahead this week. I do not post much today as I am not able to sit an think for long as I am passing a kidney stone. All for now.

Day Sixty Three - Quiet Weekend

Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q

A trilogy mistake

Oops, and now how do I delete this entry?

Day Sixty / Sixty One / Sixty Two - The Posting Blur

Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q
Another few days pass ... and I don't dare jump out of the car as fast as it is traveling. Days that run together and seem as one are days that are not very easy to live. Guaranteed! One evening I went to bed at midnight and got up at 2 AM for a conference call and then did a quick print job at 3:15 am, and get ready to take my wife and daughter to the airport at 4AM.

Please notice that I am running on 2 hours of sleep and even though I can run off of 4 or 5 hours of sleep, that is hardly enough to be called a good night's nap. One day has ran into the other. So with that in mind we head to the airport. We get there on time, 2 hours before take off, but what is about to occur should not happen to sleepless people. After standing in line we get to the counter and the check in girl informs us that Rosa CANNOT travel with the passport that she has. It is the old version and the US will not allow her in. Have you ever tried to argue with a person that will not let you get on their plane without the correct documents? Forget it! They are not letting you on! Decision: Send the daughter by herself and head to the local police station to get a new passport. Despite of that, we are in luck. The police station that can and will issue a new passport is on the airport premises. So go there, gotta go get one of those quick one minute photos... and after the third take we have a usable photo. (Another story for another day :-) Back to the police station and I leave Rosa there and I head back to see if we can change the ticket for a new one, she had already missed her flight. Now, there is no British Air ticket desk. It is done through Iberia Airlines, and their objective: sell a new ticket.

There is no way they will just make the change to the next fight by paying the 100Euro change fee. So we end up spending another 600 Euros for a new ticket, get Rosa on the plane and I now can go home. Late for work. At home i go to the travel agency and demand a refund. They are not going to give it either!! It was my fault for not knowing the passport wouldn't work. So on the phone to British Air. After a bout 30 minutes of explaining and finally getting the authorization, back to the travel agency and get them on line with British. Result: Refund! Now Rosa can be calm. Once I tell her. No I can go back to work. Remember I am still operating off 2 hours of sleep. Finally, I am able to take a nap in the afternoon and pretty much lose one day in fixing problems and rearranging the whole day, just for a simple passport. Moral to the story: No matter what you think, it is the gatekeeper that counts. If you can't get past him (or her) you are not going in!

I can think of 100 applications for this moral, but that is for another day...for now I have already ran several days together as it is.

Day Fifty Nine - New Post?

These posts are like fence posts traveling down the road at 100 mph. They are going by so fast that they are becoming a blur. One thing I do know I am going to do when this 90 day period is over that I have committed myself to...not post daily. It is hard for me to write something everyday. I make it short and sweet and to the point...and, nobody even reads it. Maybe one or two posts get read, but not everyone. Just as a test. This post is short, if you read this...please add a comment. Just say hey I read them. And we will see, so until then, this is just another post along the roadside.

Day Fifty Eight - Imminent Changes

Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q

Things happen whether we like change or not. And always at the last minute. So it seems. I had the cover done. I was ready to not make any more changes. It was finished. At least in my mind, and so I show it to another graphic designer and immediately I get what needs to be changed. I defend the book cover and the whys it was done the way it was, but...too late. The seeds of doubt had been planted. Good thing was that I have a marketing open call with my mentor to ask the final question, is she right?

On the call, there are a few things mentioned that should be changed, like the color used for the final quote. Red is out and the font needs to be changed. And my printer is on vacation and I am leaving for the States next week and I have other things to do and...

You know...I think I really will be glad when I have a book in hand. This is not as easy as you can imagine. And I haven't even hardly started the marketing.

Now why did I give you all this information? Partly it is to let you in on the process that is happening to develop a best seller. There are many changes that must be made. And even at that it is not a sure thing.

There are ideas that exist in today's world that are "New Age" like the Law of Attraction. It was made popular in the movie 'The Secret'. It says that what you think about you get and goes to show that this idea has existed throughout the ages, known to a few people. Here is the problem...if we really did get what we thought about with nothing more than just thinking about it, TOTAL CHAOS would exist. Things could happen to you that some one else thought about and so on. Now what is my point in bringing this up?

I have thought about a best seller for many years and it has never come into existence just by me thinking about it. I have well over 1200 hours invested into this edition of the book now. I think I have one piece done and little flaws show up that must be changed. And not without any effort either. Hours of effort go into each component. And that is just the beginning. The fact still exists that the book has to be marketed. And that is a whole new world. Change is imminent in everything we do. It all takes effort. But that is good as long as we learn from it. Hey I am learning, and at that,I leave you til tomorrow.

Day Fifty Seven- Down to the Finish

Have you ever heard the expression "Get the ball out of your court?" If I get this immense ball of writing, editing and laying out my book out of my court, I think I will fall down on my back like the tennis player from Spain, Rafael Nadal does when he wins a game. And that is just from relief. I felt very good when I finally finished the cover just before the printer closed for 2 weeks. I have been pushing to get the edits back to me so that I could get the corrections done and make sure the pages laid out the same. Well I got Chapter 20 back this late tonight! Another huge step. All I lack is the Appendix. And, of course, me to finish putting the corrections into the final copy. The ball is back in my court! Auggh!

Time is flying! I have so little time, between now and October 8th and a wedding in between. There is always something that complicates even the simplest of things. I will be happy when I have the book in the hands of the printer...well actually when it is back in my hands all finished. That means I have overcome all the obstacles! Except for the book launch. That is another might big ball to get out of my court. Who said that writing a book was easy?

And even when that is done, there is a lot of work to be done after that. Where is the exit? Ha, just kidding. Believe it or not I get excited about getting all this done. So in reality, down to the finish, it is only one part that gets done and I get to go on to the next part. See you tomorrow.

Day Fifty Six - A Time for Reflection

Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q

A prophet once said, "When you recognize your humility, that is when you have lost it." I had an interview with my branch president (bishop) today. It served as a reality check and an opportunity for me to evaluate myself. My wife was the one who originally was to be interviewed but he asked me to come and sit in as well. I do not like criticism and try to avoid it and I will not go off here criticizing one of my leaders. What I want to do is paint a picture so that you can understand the feelings that I can feel at a time like this. I have to fight them and let them serve as a challenge for me to do better. President T. is a man that is not as polished as perhaps he could be. He speaks, as my wife puts it at 0.1 km per hour. I just call it a com-lag. There is a communication lag between thought and spoken word. It is that waiting period that frustrates many people. I just say be patient the message will come.

He ask many questions in the interview. Rosa had been going through a time in life that has been hard for her. Perhaps her spirituality is not at its highest. In fact it probably reached some very low points in the last while. I can accept responsibility for part of that, no problem. No on the other hand, I have been very deep into finishing my book. I read a lot of scripture and other literature as well for the research. I must have inspiration and revelation to understand what must be written. Personally I would consider my spirituality on a higher level. I am adamant about church attendance, I teach a youth class, and sometimes an adult class. I am on the stake high council and I do my best to maintain a good level of spirituality. Or so I thought.

During the interview, President T. said that Rosa's and my spirituality level was on the same level. What the... are you talking about? I put my hand under my chin to keep it from hitting the floor. I thought how could he even compare the two levels and say they are the same? And my thoughts continued for a moment in this line of thinking. If I was a person easy to offend this would have been a good time. But then I realize something very important. It is not that Rosa and I are at the same level spiritually, but both of us are in a low ebb of our personal levels of spirituality. I have been higher. She has definitely been better off. We are both a point that our personal levels are on the low end for what we could be. And though I may be better off than she is at the moment, it only gives me a challenge to head upward and help her in the process.

There are sure a lot of things to do and control in life! I guess I had better check my own Q-charts and see where I am and were I am headed. That is why COnCEPT Q makes for a great Atlas, it gives road maps to achievement, including spiritual levels of accomplishment. Please comment if you see something that I don't. So with this I close until tomorrow.

Day Fifty Five - Adios Summertime

Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q
Today was the last day at the beach. The sun was shining but you could feel the hint of fall pressing on with a cooler temperature in the air. Rosa didn't work today. So we stayed longer than usual on the beach. Even though I am not much of a "tan freak" and stay in the shade of my big umbrella, I still get a little sunburn. Not so much though that my skin gets untouchably red, but you can still see that I have a little color.

With summer gone and September just at hand that means it is time for a battle. This month is going to be the ultimate in stress. The book off to the printer, a whirlwind trip to the US, meetings, family pictures at mom's house in Idaho and back to Utah for the wedding of my daughter and final preparations for a book launch, the question is how will I survive, and what will I successfully be able to do?

With travel at hand, I fear I will miss days of posting. With the books to be printed, and confirmations to be made, and then shipped to the US and available for Amazon.com, I see 30 days as impossible. I fear that another delay is what will happen. Now, don't come back at me with some "law of attraction" crazy comment and say that my thoughts of fear will cause the delay! My fear is based on reality. I am still receiving edits...I just got Chapter 17 back today, will have 18 tomorrow and most likely 19 also. Chapter 20 could be done Monday or Tuesday. A quick review of the Appendix and finally I can send it to press! That is the 5th of September. By express courier the printer gets it on the 10th. He quickly puts a book together for approval and shoots it back to me, I get it on the 17th (which I am in the States then so will see it on the 25th) approve it and give go ahead. It goes to press and 3 weeks later it is ready to send. That is the the 16th of October. The boat then gets the merchandise to the US 3 weeks later and we have a book ready to fulfill orders around the 1st or 2nd week of November.

Now please tell me "Don't worry, it'll happen!" And I agree! but not on October 8th. unless I delay it until October 8th, 2008. Guess what? I still am not too stressed because even though I pushed the date out until October 8th, I already knew that this scenario would be likely. So I have pushed for the date but not carved it in stone. Delays are normal. The time frame I have given above is assuming everybody does their job just perfect. There is bound to be a mess up along the line. That only delays thing a week or two more. But by now can you see that not only has summertime escaped me but I am to the end of fall? What a job! But I can guarantee it will all be worth it. And in the meantime there is plenty for me to do to make the launch successful.

So with fifty-five days of blogging done and possibly 75 days ahead of me before I have a completed book IN HAND, my 90 days will turn into 130 days, so if you are a reader of this blog, can you help me? I need this launch to be successful for many reasons. As soon as I send the book off and get it out of my hands, I will dedicate myself to the marketing aspects of this campaign. I will then start building a list of people that can help make it successful just by making a commitment to buy a copy on launch day. That is where I can use help creating a buzz. Think of people you know and who could use help with an excellent book on getting rid of chaos in their lives.

Always open for comments and suggestions...See you tomorrow.

Day Fifty Four - Time keeps Tickin'

Well, here goes one more month into the past and time continues on, waiting for no one. Each day we face a myriad of decisions that must be made, yet if left undone or put off until tomorrow, time will push right by leaving you in its wake still deciding what to do. If we get caught up in fear of making the wrong decision and let that fear paralyze us from moving forward, time still does not respect your immovability and will whoosh on by. Time, waits for no one!

Today, the cover of the book is finished. Color choices and changes, Title size and positioning, cover copy, testimonials, and all the small details that make it an attractive package, that is a job by itself, but its done, and on the day that the printer closes shop for two weeks to go on vacation. Now the edits are being finished, the layout coming to a close and all months after I wanted it done. That is proof that time waits for no one. Many, many hours have gone into the production and creation of There Is No Power In Chaos, and yet is is just a small piece of what the whole project consists of.

As I continue this blog I see that I have very few readers. There is too much to read in one sitting and many good bits of information are lost somewhere in the middle. I will maintain my daily posting until the launch, but will slow the entries down to the pace that people have time to read them. These are things that a person learns over time. Too bad we didn't know all this stuff from the beginning, but I guess that is why it is called experience, and it takes time to gain experience. My advise for today?... Don't just sit there. Do something! Don't let time pass you by without at least giving you some good experience! See you tomorrow.

Day Fifty Two / Three - Another Heavy Hitter Gives Thumbs Up

Denise Lones is not just another anybody, she is an expert in Marketing. I have been trying to catch up with her for some time and finally did and this is what she had to say:

"As an expert in Marketing and Business Transformation Programs I have had the opportunity to critique many concepts and ideas, most of them just do not work. Don's concepts are strong, they make sense and they change lives. This is a must read if you are ready to take your life to the next level. This book will become your personal life changing toolbox. Great job Don!!!!"

Denise Lones, CSP, MIRM

Besides that she agreed to an interview with me sometime this fall. This will go live on a teleseminar and will be part of an audio series called "Faith Beyond Religion." Now is this exciting or what? See you later.

Day Fifty One - Not so Crazy Sexy Cancer

Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q
A friend of mine sent me a link to a documentary that will be shown tomorrow on TV. (Wednesday, 8/29) night on TLC at 9:00pm EST called "Crazy Sexy Cancer". http://www.crazysexycancer.com/ I watched the trailer. It touched me, and I wanted to cry at times (just in seven minutes of the trailer) but made me realize something else that perhaps is just as serious. I will explain in a minute...

Cancer is something that we take very serious. It can mean life or death. And when you are dead...well that is the end of cancer, but it is the end of the time you spent here on this little planet we call earth. This IS serious stuff. It touches the very fiber of our being when some one diagnosed with cancer, with tears in her eyes, says, "I just want to live." In the short documentary trailer, they also speculate at why we get cancer. It really does look like it will be a good documentary to watch.

Cancer is something that is no laughing matter. I know that. My dad passed away from cancer almost 15 years ago. I took care of him for the last 11 days of his life. I know how hard it is. Ten years later my mom remarried and now Buddy is fighting to beat cancer and mom is scared. She doesn't want to continue through life alone, and this time ruined financially because there is no insurance to pay for the treatments, and the bills are piling up faster than one can imagine. After this faceoff with cancer, mom ends up in the poorhouse.

I had one of my business associates also lose his life to cancer, his family was taken care of, that is the good part. I lost the man that was trained to run the shop in my business. The business didn't fair so well after that.

I want to talk about something that is just as serious, even though it may not be perceived as such. This is a secret form of cancer because no one wants to talk about it. No one wants to admit they have it. There are no Doctors that diagnose it. There are no treatments, and when you are dead you might as well be, because there is not much of a life after it either.

Now I do not pretend to make fun of cancer. I do not want to make a comparison that looks like I give no importance to the physical cancer that will take your life. I only want to bring to awareness something that is common, yet it is ignored and it is just as serious...I want this 'something' to be looked at in a little different light. It is financial cancer. It is something that will kill you...financially, and then you have to continue through life financially dead.

There is not a bank that will talk to you and if you need money for any thing other than what you can earn, well, you might as well forget it. Now don't get me wrong, there is an operation for financial cancer that removes the disease, it is called bankruptcy. But that only removes the tumor, it does not cure the disease.

So what makes me any sort of expert to talk about this? Well, I have cancer, financial cancer. This cancer is embarrassing. No one wants to talk about it because you are perceived as incompetent and incapable. You are treated as a leper, "Go away, get away from me!" For those unscrupulous people that will take your money, they see you as an easy target to take from you what money you might have left as if you didn't deserve it because you were so stupid in the first place.

Ok, what is the point of this post? Let me tell you a little story. Yesterday, I talked to 2 financiers. They help people who cannot get money from a bank. In our interview, the subject came up that I am writing a book and it is about to be published. They ask what the title is which I responded "There Is No Power In Chaos." They laughed. It was only appropriate for someone that is smack dab in the middle of chaos to say something like that. And they are right! Who am I to be able to tell anyone how to get out of chaos? But that is my point all along. Who better can write a book about how to survive cancer that a cancer survivor? Does it matter the type of cancer? I think not. I think financial cancer is the worst. It can not only leave you without money and everything that you have worked hard for in life, but then you still have to keep living! I see a movie/documentary coming from all of this. Any comments? Please stay tuned there are some interesting things yet to come... See you tomorrow.

Day Fifty - Loss of Focus

Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q

I spend most of my days during the week fulfilling tasks that do NOT progress what I want to do. I suppose that is another reason I like the weekends, because I can devote almost as much time in days as I can during the 5 weekdays. I am getting the last few chapters edited though and am extremely grateful for that. I have self-edited but there is nothing like a fresh mind, (someone else's)to go through and find errors that become blurred to me from the hundreds of hours already put in. I also get to the point that I read it so much that I think that what is in the book is trivial and that I need to put better stuff in it. Can you imagine that? Of course to me it is trivial, it is the basics for someone to begin to understand and I have been at it for over 22 years.

I just need to finish this and get it out.

Day Forty Nine - How'd Sunday Get Here So Fast?

I think instead of Sunday I'll call it Suddenday. It seems like it was Sunday just yesterday, and then all or a sudden it's Sunday, again, not that I mind. I like Sunday, for me it really is a day of rest. I go to Church, which I enjoy, especially with my youth class. All boys, all of them have short attentions spans. But they learn quickly. Today one of them, Miguel, had a youth talk. He did a good job. So in class I had him place the characteristics of his topic on a Q-Chart. I was impressed. He did a good job. It may seem sometimes like that is all I talk about...the vicious circle. However, I think they are beginning to understand that almost anything that they bring up can be placed on a Q-chart.

We talked about fasting and its importance. But I worked into the lesson why smoking, alcohol and drugs were not beneficial for them either. It presents a challenge to me to teach correct principles but in a way that they are the ones who are actually saying it. That way it is impossible to rebel against an adult, but rather if they rebel it is against what they themselves have said.

I got another chapter of my book back from the editor and this time she had butchered one of the principle stories in Chapter 11. For awhile it bugged me, but I sent her back an e-mail explaining why the story was necessary. So often I feel like all I am doing is teaching others. My wife and I went into a very serious debate about self-esteem. I continue to have to teach...but how do I do it in a way that it stays with the person and it really sticks? That is the purpose of There Is No Power In Chaos. I have countless hours of pondering and learning how to teach a concept that sticks. Sunday's youth class is the laboratory, with all my little guinea pigs, just kidding! They aren't so little! And for the Pigs? They are boys and they DO eat a LOT!! Test subjects? Of course, They do give me an opportunity to see what sticks and what doesn't. COnCEPT Q sticks. They know the concept! And that has been proved, over and over.

Well perhaps you can see why I like Suddenday. It gives me the opportunity to learn and to teach and to learn to teach. Well, for now I will leave it at that. Want a good book to read? There Is No Power In Chaos will be out very soon. And I continue my quest to see what Mr. Faith will do next! See ya!!

Day Forty Eight - Normal days?

If I say that today was a normal day, what is that supposed to mean? If I see normal as a day that I get a lot of work done but don't get anything in particular finished, then there are a lot of those days. I don't like them. I don't feel like I see progress. For instance, I had to redo the book cover because the other file was corrupted. I didn't lose the whole idea, because it was printed. I just lost the digital file that I can make the changes on. In a way it was good because it forced me to make changes that I might not have the other way, simply wanting something to be done once and for all.

I have the book reedited up until chapter 10 (out of 20) and I received Chapter 11 today but was disappointed. The main story and idea was cut out. It frustrates me to think that I did not express myself clear enough to portray this message so that the editor could see that. This is one of my major frustrations. I have spent 20 years learning about the power of faith and I understand it, a LOT. I admit that there is a TON more to learn. What really frustrates me is how many people equate their own knowledge with mine and wipe out 20 years of experience with the "oh yeah, I understand faith." My response? "Really, then I must be stupid. It has taken me 20 years to understand what I know and I don't even know THAT much about it."

A normal day huh? I am going to have to define what normal is so that I can have a standard to judge by. Hey, Have a normal day!, ok? Naw, HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!! CU2morrow.

Day Forty Seven - A Day In the Battlefield

Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q

As days seem to roll by, and I seem to be caught in the rolling, there are several good things to report. The cover was printed today and it shows up with mistakes so the pdf file won't work. The original InDesign file is also corrupted and won't open so that means I get to build the cover again, and this time paying attention to details and making sure that it not only saved as a backup but making a few changes to the cover to make it better. Who said writing a book was easy? And publishing, even more difficult. And selling all 10,000 copies even more challenging. And I said good things to report? Actually it is good to get to this stage of the cover development, just a few tweaks and this important piece is done. Printed work sure is different from what is on the computer screen.

For lunch today, Rosa and I went to choose the menu for the wedding banquet and now I like that! It was a free lunch, or 5000€ how ever you want to look at it. Just today I didn't pay anything. It was fun and excellent food. It was a hard decision to select for many people between what you really like and what you think would be a good mix for Spanish guests as well as the American guests that will be there. (It was a delight to have an opportunity like this one, even though I am paying for it.)

Two things done! Next, an interview with a marketing specialist. Two and a half hours later (thank goodness for Skype, the call is free) And I think I found an important piece of getting the book known. This really is an exercise of faith! On one part you have to have product, on the other, the marketing expert's opinion is that it is going to be hard to sell 10,000 books. This is a job for Super Mr. Faith!!!! Just wish I knew his phone number. Just kidding. This is fun! Who else would do silly things like this and not pull hair out?

Last but not least...we are on a roll with the final edits. With a bit over half way and a good weekend ahead let's hope by Monday we are getting close to done with everything. I will be happy when the daily battles all result in a substantial victory. Fighting in the trenches makes it hard to see what the outcome can be. Doing this blog caused me to step back and see what is happening. So more than for the reader's good this one is for me!

Awhile back when I was struggling to keep a business alive and was lost in the 16 hour workdays fighting the battle alone, I really could not see a way out. I fought to fight and hoped that my sheer willpower would bring the victory. It doesn't work that way. Hard work and good intentions can never bring you to your desire without some good strategy and consistent evaluation to guide the overall effort. So even though it seemed like just another day in the battlefield, even with its casualties, it was a good day for the strategy department. See you tomorrow!

Day Forty Four / Five & Six - Stuck in Time

Well I guess I should have never thought about inventing a time machine. Some how I got stuck in time and I seemed to jump from Monday to Thursday and didn't even realize it. I really have no clue as what happened to Tuesday and Wednesday's posts. Let's not go there...I know what your thinking...this poor goon's got Alzheimer's. What? Did I say something? Get outta here. I was just trying to duck my mistake by claiming that I forgot. I just saw that trick make money for two ex-Whitehouse characters. Bill and Hillary are coming out with their Memoirs and Bill gets $12 million for his and Hillary gets $8 million for hers. The funny thing is that during eight years they couldn't seem to remember what was happening..."Uhmm...I don't remember if I did or didn't."

I think though that you have to have lived in the Whitehouse for that scenario to work. I visited it once. At that Rate my Memoirs would be worth $6850 approximately! Darn! I should have been a U.S. President in my life instead. You know, I think that for post like this one, I am probably better off not posting. :-(

Ok let's get serious. Let's just say that I have been a little busy. My time is running out and I am running behind. Beside that I have been in the gym, working out. Now this is serious! I am on a diet, I am exercising (and hurt all over, again) and am getting things ready for a book launch and a wedding. (Stefanie, my youngest daughter.) With that in mind and knowing that I am up against deadlines, even some good things are happening. I just sent a letter to the President of Search Big Daddy, a new search engine (like Google) and requested that I be interviewed for a half hour radio show by Robert Floyd. I think that they will do it. It will give There Is No Power In Chaos some good exposure for the launch. Friday I talk with a book promotion specialist and see if we have a chance to work together. It may be exposure to more than 1 million people. I'll let you know. So besides, working a part-time job (which gets me my contacts in China, Andy Gong, who prints my book) and seeing the doctor (for the kidney stone that got stuck on the way out...yes it still bugs me) and getting in shape, marketing a book, putting the final touches on it, helping prepare for a wedding, being lazy every now and then...well, I think I am doing pretty good.

I still have three websites to prepare and a workbook to get done, two other books to edit and continue to make my posts. Oh, had a high council assignment that I attended to tonight as well. I think I am ready for my vacation. Which my vacation will go like this... Fly to Washington D.C., change planes, fly to Phoneix, miss my flight on purpose to Salt Lake, stay and meet with Search Big Daddy, (in Phoenix) catch a flight the next day, get to Salt Lake, head up to Idaho to see mom and Buddy and have a family picture, rest. Head back to Salt Lake, set up Search Big Daddy portals in Salt Lake, help Dan get his new business going, attend the temple with Stefanie, set up some sales reps in the Salt Lake area, have a wedding, rest. Get back on the plane and head to Spain for a reception here. Oh and somewhere in there keep the promo/book launch on target! So when I am done with my vacation I will be ready for a vacation. But for real... Its it a wonder that Rosa gets frustrated with me when she wants to just go on vacation and do nothing but that? Hey see you tomorrow...if I remember.

Day Forty Three - Inventing A Time Machine

I think that I ought to stop what I am doing and invent a time machine. That way I could go back and get more done in the same day that I need to get it done. The only problem would be getting the work to stay done when I went back to do more. What a dilemma! Maybe I had just ought to focus on getting more done today and then some more tomorrow. TIME GOES TOO FAST!! Weeks fly by and I only get closer to my objective a little at a time. Maybe I could look into cloning.

It seems that I am being pressured by this very blog. It makes me aware of the days gone by and the days left, and that little fear that while I maintain this blog public (even though there is not a lot of people who read it)this is a way that I keep myself accountable to finish work, Get it done! This evening, by brother-in-law and his family wanted to go to the movies and the eat something afterward. Well that will definitely take away from my project time. Whoa! Hey, I still have family and a wife that would like to do things occasionally rather than look at the back of my head as I pound away on this keyboard. So guess what? I chose to be with my lovely wife and her brother and his wife and their 2 boys. And I am glad I did. Work for this evening gets put on a back burner, while I go out for the evening. Hey, I am human too! (Haven't figured the clone thing out yet.) CU2 morrow!

Day Forty Two - Just Another Rainy Sunday

It was rainy most of the day, but at least it has cooled off. We like that in the middle of a hot August! I was quite thrilled today in church, in two different meetings that I was in. We had a visitor in the class of youth that I teach, a young man of 23 that is a perfect example of a Q1 person. I couldn't have written a script and paid an actor money to do a better job than he did. I have taught and taught the characteristics that belong in Q1 and the results that happen if you persist in that line of thought and he said it almost to the tee. I was thinking this guy is perfect for the script and I didn't ask him or coach him to say anything.

It was a good experience. After that we went into another class for the men and the lesson followed what I had written again. Humm. Perhaps it is that I followed the information that is taught to the tee? Could it be? Regardless it was fun and exciting to have such a clear idea about how COnCEPT Q fits many different situations. I am exited to get this info out!! See you later.

Day Forty One - The Fantastic Four

Today Rosa was back from her get away with the girls. Even though I got a lot done this week by focusing on my work, it is good to have her back. She took the week and went to Madrid to spend some time with some friends of hers and break the everyday routine. I picked her up at the airport in Barcelona at midnight-thirty and we got home around two-thirty. Yes, that is way past my bedtime, but worth it to go get my honey! :-)

Since she works at the movie theaters, I get in free. And today I decided to go see a movie while she was at work. I went and saw the Fantastic Four. It is a movie that she said that she would not go watch because it was something that wouldn't teach her anything. Ok, fair enough. So I think of what could a person learn from this movie? And since I think in Quarters, (thanks to COnCEPT Q) I look at the over plot of the movie. (If you don't want me to spoil the movie, go see it and then come back and read this.) This great big mega galactic cosmic monster cloud (how's that for a description?) travels throughout the universe sucking the energy out of planets. But in order to do it, the Silver Surfer gets to the planet first and with his powerful surf board bores 8 gigantic 200 meter diameter holes at strategic points around the globe. It is the Fantastic Four's job to stop him. They do separate him from his board and he becomes powerless. And the invisible girl has a chance to talk to him and reminds him of someone he once loved. He says that he has no choice but to do what he is doing. She makes him realize that he does have a choice. And love prevails over destruction. It is interesting. Especially if you look at the underlying message. We all have a choice to be Q4 or destructive in Q1. Think about it. See you tomorrow.

Day Forty - Finishing Touches

These last and final touches that are being done on the book even make it seem to me like a Never Ending Story. This weekend I print and bind the mock up copy that will be sent to China next week. Andy Gongjiamping, the printer is getting worried that he won't get the book printed and shipped in time. It does take 28 days for the freight to get from China to our new warehouse in the USA. Yup new warehouse! My brother Dan and Hans, his partner open Printegrity in the first part of September! They are a digital print and binding shop as well as mail fulfillment house. With over 40 years of experience between the two of them they are excited to bring their knowledge to a new company that will give service like what the customer needs. Both Dan and Hans worked for Alexanders and moved to Hedgehog where they thought that the management would listen to ideas and suggestions of how to make the company better. For awhile it was headed in the right direction but when management began acting like the former company well... Printegrity was created. And I can guarantee it will be a top contender right out of the chute!

In September when I am there for my daughter's wedding I will be talking with them to see what I can do to help, other than taking care of the webpage and handling some of the sales work for them. I want There Is No Power In Chaos to take off and become a best seller so that much of the handling / distribution income can help out there as well. It is exciting! Too much to do in one day. And I am going to be glad to focus my energy on marketing rather than writing/editing. Well there is a twist in the news of how this promo is going. There are many aspects that are involved in getting a book to market successfully and distribution is just one of them. Hey see you tomorrow.

Day Thirty Nine - Inspiration...but not for me?

I had an interesting experience that I'd like to share. I had left part of Chapter 18 unfinished to so that I could concentrate on the table of contents, notes of the chapters, layout and design (so that it was uniform throughout the book) and a general copy edit of the first 17 chapters. Now that alone takes a lot of time. If you figure 1 hour per chapter that is 17 hours of work by itself. And who can work 17 hours straight and still keep his cabolo (head) from melting down? Not me. Wednesday I had added some material that I thought was pretty awesome but it was something that I had in my head for sometime. Chapter 18 was new to me.

And I still had three blank pages to finish. I went to bed thinking what am I going to put there. I woke up thinking what am I going to put here? I continued to work on other things but then (and I am not even sure how) I was lead to write about something I do not know much about. The chapter is written for teenager / post-teenage young adults. And I suppose as I was seeking something in Internet I came to a page that ask for help from someone that lived near three cities, Sydney, Australia, London, England and Atlanta, Georgia. It ask for someone who could help counsel some teenagers who were seriously considering suicide. The thought came that There Is No Power In Chaos could help them understand many things about that. And I thought also well you have not addressed that particular subject either in the book. And then the thought...you still have three blank pages.

I began a little research into the topic of suicide and was frightened by the 2 top webpages that I found, they were scary and gloomy feeling. Both of them with a black background and one with a drippy blood red font. I thought yeah!, If I am contemplating death that is what I want to see! Right! There was some pretty confused information as well. And those were just the first two that I saw! I didn't even have to look hard. Well, I am not sure if it is coincidence or inspiration but it has allowed me to expand COnCEPT Q in a direction I would never have taken it. But then again...the inspiration given may just not be for me...just through me. See you 2morrow.

Day Thirty Eight - Holiday or Workday?

Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q

This is probably one post that I would not want my wife to read. Today is a holiday and if she were here we would have gone to the beach, and later somewhere else. Now that is ok because I love being with her and looking at her and watching her, etc. But she went to Madrid this week, so I am baching it. So I have all day to do what I want. As long as it includes the list of honey dos. ;-) That is ok, I still get to choose when I do them as long as they are done by Friday. Today I have finished 16 chapters of revisions and finished some work that needed done in the kitchen and I have not even stepped one foot out of the house today. Can you see why my wife wants to get away from me? I am boring!! Well actually I need her to keep balance in my life and as long as I do as she wants it keeps the balance.

I have 2 days to finish the book, two websites, iron and hang some curtains, do a little painting in the kitchen, straighten the house and with that I could probably get by and she probably won't think I am a total disaster. Oh and I must straighten up my office and clean Chicken's cage. (our canary) Who has time to go lie on the beach and work out at the gym? That doesn't include the normal work.

Well I have had a fairly productive day. It only took me 6 hours longer that I had planned. But like I said today's holiday was a work day and a good one at that without interruptions. Hey I even did my post! Ta Ta for Now...

Day Thirty Six / Thirty Seven - Back to Back Conferences

It amazes me how days can slip by and how easy it is to miss a post. I am under a lot of pressure to finish the edits and corrections to get the book to the printer and my focus is on that right now. Monday night and Tuesday night I have had two conference calls, one with Stefanie Hartman, the expert's expert, which is an open call to the students of her Millionaires In Training Program. We are allowed the opportunity to send in questions prior to the call and she answers them on the call for the benefit of all of her students. This call also had a lot of questions about teleseminar presentations which was good for me also because of the teleseminars that I will be doing in the fall.

This evening was a call with a master mind group that helps us focus and solve issues that we have regarding more specific questions. In other words, it is less formal and we each get 10 minutes to present questions, problems and get answers from members of our group. There are eight of us and it is a very intense call, and I am grateful to each of the members as well as Stefanie for the support and help that is received. Well anyway that shouldn't be an excuse to not get my post done, but I can say that I haven't been goofing off and doing nothing toward my progress.

Tomorrow is a holiday in Spain, and I have some honey do projects that I will be unable to escape plus finishing some parts of the book, my Never Ending Story ;-)
For now, let this post serve as an advance notice of some pretty cool interviews that I will be giving this fall in a series called Advanced Faith 201. It is part of what I call Faith Beyond Religion, jumping right into the principles that make faith so powerful.

Well there you have it for today, comments are welcome, and for those of you that really read this...see you tomorrow!

Day Thirty Five - Final Edits

Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q

If you have ever written a book you will understand the hours of work that goes into one. It seems to me that when I wrote "No Money? Sorry, No Honey" A 100 page e-book, it took me something like 200 hours of work to get it written, laid out and ready for pdf format. Now if I take that time reference and can compare it to other works then I could roughly figure that There Is No Power In Chaos would be some where around 700 hours worth of work, But guess what? That doesn't count for the Jacket cover or the revision of the Table of Contents or the copy edits or the regular edits. For instance, I had my page titles too close to the body on each page and the page numbers were too big of a font. That means I go through 338 pages just making those changes. And the font that I chose cannot be embedded, so I have to go through and convert it to outlines. Yeah, yeah, I know that all this sounds too technical and should be what the publisher handles right? What happens when I am the publisher? So I can easily see the hours going upward of 1000 plus for this project. Do you not think that I want it done? The printer is pushing me for the book, but he also says...NO MISTAKES!! On top of that I have webpages to keep up, a daily blog that I don't even know if any one reads except for myself, but I made a commitment and I intend to keep it.

Now in the meantime, with all that going on and doing a few edits I went back through the book yesterday and read parts and pieces. When I myself can do that and be impressed with some of the things that is written in it, which only gives me more desire to get this out, then I think that all the effort is worth it.

I taught two classes today. One to a group of youth, and one to a group of men. Both classes on the same subject, but my presentation to each group had to be different. I love using such instances to polish and hone my skills as a presenter. I feel that both classes went well, I had full attention in both of them, which is actually pretty good for the youth class. The adult class I had to repeat a subject that was taught two weeks prior, which meant that even though I had the same material I had to give it a different twist. It went over very well and I use the instance to practice my on stage presentation abilities. It is fun and gives me practice for larger crowds later on.

This week the book goes to press!! Nothing will hold it back! I am looking forward to getting a copy back myself, finished and ready to hit the shelves. I want all 10,000 copies of this first run to be sold on Day 92 or on October 8th. I guarantee that there is no book like it!! And it is worth the wait. Well back to the process of getting it done...see you tomorrow.

Day Thirty Four - A Normal Work Day

Today I have done a lot of revision and correcting on the book, nothing special just a get it done day. This has been one of those in the trenches sort of days. A lot of copy edits, spell checking, grammar revision, layouts, and all the boring stuff that has to be done to make a book look good. Anyway this is short and as boring as the work that I did today. That's all folks, for no and see you tomorrow.

Day Thirty Three / Thirty Four - More Tests

This is getting boring. No, No, Not the blog, I mean having a kidney stone that won't go away! It was the 29th of June I went to the Doctor to see if he could give me something to cure what I thought was a urine infection that later turned out to be a kidney stone. I passed through much of the pain, several weeks ago and thought it was over, at least had relief for a couple of days but then the stupid feeling of a full bladder came back. And frankly I am getting tired of it. People keep telling me that these are signs of getting old, but what are they talking about?!!? I haven't even hit the halfway mark to 100 years old of which that is how long I am going to be around.

So my advice to my kidney stone...GET OUT, so I can get off the pot!!! ;-)

Well that ought to make you laugh, comment or let this go unnoticed, but I still got to go in for more tests to see what the hold up is. Sorry for the trivial post but that's all I can think of today! Bye for now.

Day Thirty Two - Happy Q-Day

Q-Day. This is the 7th anniversary of Q-Day. Next Year I really want to have a party!!! Next year is going to be something VERY Special, Q-DAY 08-08-2008. I officially POST my dibs on that day!! 8-8-08 It belongs to the official COnCEPT Q-Day!! And we are going to party hearty and rock the world!!

So what is Q-Day anyway?

Day Thirty One - Twas The Night Before Q-Day...

Twas the night before Q-Day and all through the house...
there are no creatures around here 'cept me and my spouse.
I at my computer and she at hers...
It is late in the evening and the words are a bunch of blurs.

So I must now settle down for my usual midnight nap...
and drift off to sleep as quick as a snap,
For tomorrow is Q-Day, the 8th of August of each year...
A day to focus on spiritual objectives and get them clear.

But this year still, Q-day will come and go...
Without much fanfare or much notice that will show,
It will still be a day much like the rest,
until it is shared that this day is to bring out your best!

What is Q-Day you ask so that I might say...
It is a substitute for something done on New Years Day.
It is a solution for the New Year's resolution you make,
only to forget it and over the next little while, it you will break!

So what is Q-Day? Well I guess tomorrow we find out. :-) Stay tuned.

Day Thirty - One Third the Way There

Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q

Help, I feel like this is getting too overwhelming. Yesterday I talked with a possible JV partner and he gave me some pretty big hurdles to get over. I have been pushing just to finish those requirements, which is good to be pushed, It helps me focus on specific points that need done, but it makes it hard to take care of other commitments like this one.

Make a commitment and keep it. So that is what I will do. 48 hours is not a lot of time, especially when there is a learning curve to deal with. This is one of those experiences that you know you want it, you know that you NEED it, but inexperience keeps you from shining through. It shows the flaws and weaknesses in the machinery. Here is where many people pull out, back off and quit. Others figure that "it was not meant to be" so time to get out. You know what I think? I think it is time to hone the axe, sharpen the saw, learn what it takes to make the cut! And that is exactly what I get to do. So many people let fear and temporary defeat bring their goals to a screeching halt. It does not need to be that way. So like I say before, make a commitment AND KEEP it! The rest will come together! See ya later!

Day Twenty Nine - A Lesson in Marketing

Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q

Sunday morning is not a typical day to learn what marketing is all about, but I suppose that Saturday evening counts. (It was Saturday his time.) I was up early as usual and I get an e-mail that gives me 90 minutes to reply with a phone call. And I opened the e-mail about an hour after it was sent. I made the call and for the next 30 minutes I had the opportunity to get a one-on-one lesson with a person who knows his stuff when it comes to marketing. I had been putting together a page that would allow me to participate in a marketing Joint Venture with this person but in reality what I had done showed my inexperience and coinciding online at the precise moment allowed me to get my page reviewed, critiqued, and suggestions offered for improvement by an expert. Frankly it was one of those once in a blue moon experiences that really help you progress.

Even though, my time is very limited to make the deadline for this opportunity I now have another piece of the puzzle to make this work over the long haul. Ok, what now can I write that will make this blog useful to you the reader? As you begin to understand the COnCEPT Q Model you will realize that everyone has things that need improvement. They are Q1 characteristics that need changing (Q2). The best way for you to make that change is by being guided by someone who knows what they are doing and have already gone the way before you. I am fortunate to have people who care what my outcome is. But this didn't come in Day One or Day 10, for me it came at Day 29 or at about one third of my journey. At least with this 90 day journey. So if you are in the process of doing something yourself, or you want to accomplish a goal, realize that all the pieces do not come in a box, ready to put together. Many times they come at a point when you are ready to put them together. Think about it. See you tomorrow!

Day Twenty Seven / Twenty Eight - Good Guidance

Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q
I dang the dabbling habit and then skip a day...go figure. Well it was Friday night, I had a phone call with Stefanie Hartman, (Thanks Stefanie for the advice on making the book launch and book better! For authors, speakers and entrepreneurs there is no better coach!) Also had a quick visit from Elder Hale and his dad, went to visit Rosa's dad and then took Rosa out to the movies to see Ratatoullie. So basically we got home at 1am and I missed my post for Friday. So is that an excuse or a real reason to miss it? If I missed it without doing something toward the goal of a successful book launch then I would say that it is inexcusable but I am very pleased and excited about the teleconference that I had with Stefanie. She provides some excellent guidance and counsel to make an excellent product. This is my second call with her and both times I feel that in the long run the value that she has added to my work is incalculable.

I am still elated with the few changes that we made yesterday to the book cover and the table of contents. I was pleased with what I had before but now am pondering the real impact of what 30 minutes with an expert can do for you. If you by chance are reading this blog and wonder how this can apply to your own life I can only suggest that if you are stuck and feel like you are going nowhere, fast then consider getting a mentor. It will make all the difference for your progress. See ya later.

Day Twenty Six - Dang the Dabbling Habit

Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q

Consistency builds habits and habits build character and character is what causes you to succeed or fail in life. I think we are all a bunch of dabblers, to an extent. But that is not necessarily wrong just as long as you don't continue to dabble. When I say dabbler I mean to work at anything in an irregular or superficial manner. Dabbling is ok to try something out to see if you like it or not but once you have had an ample trial period (most people give you 30 days with a product), then either get in or get out!! If dabbling becomes a habit it builds your character of being a dabbler, and dabbling only can end up in not doing because it takes far more effort for accomplishment.

Ok, go ahead and dabble, for 30 days but then make a commitment to plunge into whatever you have decided to do and then make it a habit. For many years I have coasted on basically good health and average state of fitness. Withing the last year I have seen more doctors than I have in all my lifetime (partly because of my accident) but now I have decided that I must GET FIT, for real! I started the gym this week and it is hard! This is going to be a difficult habit to create. My wife though is my greatest motivation and with her going I can also go and get in better shape. So there you have it, my personal commitment to NOT dabble at it.

Don't wanna dabble? Then make a commitment and keep it! (Publicly) Think about it. See you tomorrow.

Day Twenty Five - Putting Together the Pieces

There are 2 essential beginning posts to read to understand what this blog is about:
Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q

In my teenage years my focus in life was being a mechanic. After several years of being a mechanic, Smitty, the shop foreman for the local Ford Garage came looking for my dad to see if he could help them. They had a problem where their truck mechanic had disassembled an engine all over their shop floor and then stopped coming to work. They needed someone to fix the mess so they asked dad if he could reassemble it. He told them that he couldn’t do it because he was already working but pointed to me and said, “He can do it.” That was how I got hired as the truck mechanic at the Ford Garage when I was only eighteen. When I left that job they even threatened to chain me to my stall so that I couldn't quit them and all that because all I did was went into their shop and find a puzzle (the truck engine)and just put it back together.

Now I am trying to turn my book into a best-seller and most of the people that have read the preview copy have given it superb review. But that is not enough to make me a best selling author, there are so many other things that have to be done to put the whole puzzle together. For some time I have had a domain name that I wanted to build a site for but it had not come together in the right way. After a very powerful master mind call and being basically pushed back into doing something to be a part of a Joint Venture, (thanks for the push to get back up A.J)the website for a teleseminar series called ADVANCED FAITH 201 was put together in just 2 days. You can look at it at www.advancedfaith201.com and feed back is welcome as it gets set up.

It is just one more piece of the puzzle. And it is a piece that feels good! See you tomorrow.

Day Twenty Four - Surprises

There are 2 essential beginning posts to read to understand what this blog is about:
Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q

It is absolutely FUN to take on a challenge and see where it leads you. These last 2 weeks have been very interesting. I have suffered in body, more ways than one. First, what I thought was a urine infection and then perhaps even prostate problems which all turned out to be a small kidney stone, dang little thing was pretty painful for such a small feller. Then I figure if I am going to get up on stage I ought to at least lose my tummy. So I go to the gym to work out. Now I am so sore I can hardly type.

Then I suffer in spirit, figuring that I am going to get my book in the Frankfurt Book Fair, I miss the deadline and when I want to get in a JV I am not ready for that either and miss that. Ok how much crap can a guy take??? I am a pretty positive guy but some days you would think, man I could use a break.

Well nice thought! On the Mastermind call tonight I was feeling pretty low and was left til the last and just thought "Great for all you guys!" Because the mastermind partners seemed to be doing good, and I'll just put up and shut up with all my seeming hurts, pains and failures, but at the last minute... A.J. (out mastermind moderator) shines through and gets me back on track!! He wouldn't let me back out and NOT do something with him on a JV!! Interesting Stuff...stay tuned for some exciting news as we work out the details. Persistence pays off!! Guaranteed!
See you tomorrow!

Day Twenty Two & Three - Oops I did it Again

There are 2 essential beginning posts to read to understand what this blog is about:
Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q

I cannot believe I missed a day....AGAIN! I was so focused on getting the book finished that I totally blew my Sunday's post off! Not much I can do about it now other than to start my 90 day consecutive count all over. It will teach me to be consistent. Oh well...

Day Twenty One - What Do You Think About?

There are 2 essential beginning posts to read to understand what this blog is about:
Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q
I went early to pick up my wife from work (she works at the movie theater which gets me in for free) and I went and saw The Simpson's Movie. Now I know many people don't like The Simpson's because they are vulgar and rude which was my initial reaction to them also. But over time as I was exposed to them from my kids watching them, I would notice the satire in it had many things that are true to life. Well I am not going to defend it here I just wanted to make an observation.

There is a scene where Marge is trying to get Homer to listen to her and she states to Homer that she knows his mind is easily distracted so she wants him to pay attention the best he can. In the meantime there is a view of what is going on inside Homer's head: A toy monkey banging cymbals together, but it even gets to a point when the monkey stops clanking the cymbals and points to Marge with a stern look, thus Homer pays attention.

Are we any different though? When we should be paying attention to something that is very important are we listening intently or do we have some monkey in our head? Here is even a more revealing question; What do you think about when you don't HAVE to think? Take some time to focus on your own thoughts and take note of where your thoughts naturally drift to. Our thoughts can either help us or hinder us in life. It really is worth the time to analyze how you think and see which monkeys occupy the front and center stage of your mind.

Write down all things and begin to notice what things cause you frustration and those things that actually do help you out. You might be surprised. Not long ago I awoke at 3 AM and being unable to go back to sleep I began to think about things. And one of the most common things I think about is COnCEPT Q, I examine all aspects of it and see if there is anything else that I can learn or angles that I have not considered. It does NOT surprise me to always find something new. I can continue to learn even after 20 years of COnCEPT Q in my brain.

When you occupy your mind with things of worth your life has no other choice than to elevate along with your thoughts. Let me give one example that I am sure the girls will like. Over the years, I have loved my wife Rosa, however I can say that some aspects of our relationship could have used improvement. They were Q1 in nature. Like for instance I would be quick to defend myself on occasion and in the heat of the moment say things that might hurt her which would even produce a 'hotter word war'. Once I began to control my responses and answer with love instead of defense our conversations became much more tolerable even in disagreeable times. For the past 8 or 9 months our conversations are very different and at least on my part I am school-boyish in love with my sweetheart! I cannot remember a time that I have ever been so in love with her, even when we first got married. It is a matter of the thoughts that you entertain in your mind. There is a chapter in There Is No Power In Chaos where I talk about building better relationships. It is worth reading. Thanks for your attention and you can now go back to whatever you were thinking about. Hasta mañana.

Day Twenty - Living with Irritations

There are 2 essential beginning posts to read to understand what this blog is about:
Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q

First of all for those that follow this blog on a daily basis, I am better. It was a rough week but if that is what it took to end a month long urge to urinate then it was worth it. I would much rather put up one intense period of pain and have it over with than having little irritations over a long period of time.

Now please excuse me for those of you who don't really feel very Christian, but that little thought made me think of something that I feel is important, so I am going to talk about Christ, and if that makes you uncomfortable for today you can stop reading here. (And hope to see you tomorrow)

For those of you that have faith in Christ, here is an interesting analogy. My comment of putting up with a lot of pain for one intense period of time rather than having little irritations over a long period of time is EXACTLY what Christ chose to do. He chose to suffer intensely in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross and GET IT OVER with rather than putting up little irritations for eternity! How about you? Do you avoid the intense pain that can go along with repentance? Is it easier to put up with the small irritations of remorse, guilt, mental anguish in little but constant doses over a long period of time?

Yeah I know that repentance (or change, for those people that do not like a harsh word), I know it is a continual process. But do you really think that by putting it off for, let's say...for..ever, do you think that it will just go away? Ummm,...probably not. Yes you can bury the remorse, forget about the guilt and hide from the mental anguish by putting distance between you and God, but you cannot hide forever. Yes, yes... eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die (well hopefully 15,000 tomorrows from today)and all the hogwash that those religious fanatics rant about, it is just a way to CONTROL you, right?

Well maybe not. Focus on physical pain and suffering or just the opposite of indulgence and pleasure can put out of mind the needs of your spiritual self, at least for a little while. I am NOT going to convince ANYONE with this blog (or by any other means) that DOES NOT want to listen, that your spiritual health and satisfaction is just as important as your physical health and satisfaction. Ignoring your spiritual needs and suffering will NOT make it go away. You can grow accustomed to the little irritations but it WON'T go away.

Hey, there's my two cents for today. See you tomorrow.

Day Eighteen / Day Nineteen - The Flaw in the Armor

There are 2 essential beginning posts to read to understand what this blog is about:
Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q

Ok I guess I found my weakness. There are two things that I can learn from this. One - Don't put off the posting until the last minute, because when you absolutely cannot get it done at the last minute, you miss the opportunity. Rosa swore that she was going to take my to the emergency room last night, but I didn't go cause I couldn't even get dressed because it hurt so bad. I am a bit better today, and am going to post early because I have pains that threaten more of the same.

Two- I must follow my own advise - Never, Never, Never give in. Ok I missed one day, so I will keep this up until I do a blog 90 days straight without missing.

In There Is No Power In Chaos I write about the importance of taking care of yourself physically. You might not realize it, but when you are suffering in body...ta heck with the spirit! The ONLY thing you desire is to get back to that state of neutrality, just simply not feeling bad.

So here is my flaw in the armor...just get a little stone in my kidney and I am not so strong. Can you believe that little tiny stones can break your greatest will? Oh well, gotta get back up and do it again. I will write later.

Day Seventeen - Not so good

There are 2 essential beginning posts to read to understand what this blog is about:
Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q

Dad always said that it'll feel better when it quits hurting. You know I think he was a very wise man.

Day Sixteen - The Power of Small Stones

There are 2 essential beginning posts to read to understand what this blog is about:
Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q

Make a commitment and keep it...no matter what. Some days my posts are not going to be as good as others, right now my mind is not as free to think and concentrate today as it is other days but if you make a commitment...keep it, that is part of success. In fact it is part of Quarter Three labeled Faith. This post is extremely difficult today because I have some extreme competition for my attention. I believe it is a kidney stone that is on its way out and I think the pain is winning over my ability to write. I just want to scream, cry, go lay down, quit the pain, stop writing...you name it, but this too will pass. So if you don't mind I leave you with this one thought...ouch! Just kidding. Sometimes I laugh not to cry. But really ... in life there will be things that distract us from what we want to accomplish, but no matter what it may be, do like Winston Churchill did and in one of his final speeches he stood at the podium, weak and frail, and grasped it firmly and said some of his most famous words, Never give in, Never, Never, Never.

So as I fight to pluck out a few words to keep my resolve of this 90-day blog, the only thing I can think of is...Even though small stones may bring me to my knees it is my desire and will that puts me back on my feet. Right now that sounds cheesy but it will suffice for today. And...I'LL BE BACK...

Day Fifteen - A Run for The Finish

There are 2 essential beginning posts to read to understand what this blog is about:
Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q

Today I have been finishing layout and editing some of the final chapters of the book. The printer wants it this week so that he can be sure that his part gets done on time. Ahhh, pressure, don't we love it? Well I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel I could do without it, then I realize that pressure at times is what causes us to get things done.

I could use some help though. I want to make this blog wider read and the book launch known to more people so if you like what you read please share it with a friend, or an enemy for that matter, in the long run if they will read the book it will do them both a world of good. See you on Monday!

Day Fourteen - Evil Vegetables

There are 2 essential beginning posts to read to understand what this blog is about:
Prelude to 90-day Case History of Mr.Faith and
A Brief Description of COnCEPT Q

Today was beach day and even though Rosa and I went, it was cloudy and cool so no swimming or tanning. Boo. But we did talk, for a long time...and that was good.

I was in the grocery store later today picking up a few things and when I was in the vegetable department I observed a man get upset at his wife that had something to do with the tomatoes. It caught my attention so I watched a little more intently and could see that she was feeling quite bad at his little fit.

Did you ever watch the movie called A Perfect World with Kevin Costner in it? I remember where he gets very upset at the man who treats his young son bad to the point he was going to punish him for it. I thought it was only fair that Kevin's character stood up for the defense of the young boy who really was not at fault. NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO MISTREAT ANOTHER HUMAN BEING. Well today I felt similar when I saw the man and the way he treated his wife. I really did feel like slapping him on the back of his head and telling him to apologize to his wife. Then just two minutes later another man gets after his wife for some silly reason as well. I about grabbed the both of them by the nap of the neck and bonked their heads together. Either that or find out if there was something evil about the vegetables causing all husbands to mistreat their wives.

It makes me think how many people really DO live in Quarter One and how those characteristics run wild in our society. I am happy to about have There Is No Power In Chaos about done and I really DO see a need for its principles and easy-to-understand visuals to be taught in today's imperfect world.

Please keep this in mind: Each and every person deserves to be treated with respect REGARDLESS of what we may consider their sins to be. We all have our faults so let us NOT be the first to throw the injurious stone. That is a Q1 action that is in the quarter filled with chaos...and there is no power in chaos! We'll talk again tomorrow.

Day Thirteen - A 4 am Stroll Through The Past

First of all, Please keep your gift suggestions coming! (See yesterday's blog) There are some real good suggestions and I can see the possibility of offering them. The only problem I see is, since the survey is anonymous those people that want the gift they suggest may not get it and someone else who doesn't want it gets it. Isn't that like life though at times? We may want something with all our heart and someone else who really doesn't deserve it is the one who gets it? We need to work on a solution for that problem. I have an idea or two though for a super gift that may work, but then again it may back fire, we shall see.

Last night around 4 o'clock in the morning I was just lying in bed pondering the COnCEPT Q Model. (I know that sounds crazy, at 4 am I ought to be sleeping or up working, but hey I was just pondering, good time for it I guess.) I retraced its history and tried to think of a time when I did not have this idea in my mind. I revisited 1986 when I was blessed with inspiration. I sat down in my mind at the desk in the home where we lived in Waco, Texas. I revisited ideas and events that caused me to begin writing. I remembered my frustration of not understanding the model enough that it caused me to quit writing. I pondered my defects back in time and considered how I had improved and realized that it was COnCEPT Q that helped me stay on track. I compared my strengths and abilities of today's me with the novice of me twenty years ago. I am NOT perfect!! but I am happy with what saw and excited with what I can be in the next twenty years.

James Allen in his wonderful little book As A Man Thinketh writes, "Calmness of the mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of long and patient effort in self-control. Its presence is an indication of ripened experience, and of a more than ordinary knowledge of the laws and operations of thought." As I took my 4 am stroll, I considered the strength and calmness that my mind experiences, even in the most difficult of times and I owe it to my constant journey toward Quarter Four. Oh no, please don't get me wrong. I do not feel that I have made it completely to Q4 and it still seems far off and will probably take the rest of my life to get there, but I do enjoy some of its benefits from the association of its characteristics.

James Allen continues to say "The strong, calm man is always loved and revered. He is like a shade-giving tree in a thirsty land, or a sheltering rock in a storm." I have remembered that phrase many years and that has been one of my desires and I still continue to grow my tree because it is yet a sapling and my ability to be a sheltering rock is still that of just a stone. (I might be a good shelter for a few ants :-)

You know, I liked my little stroll through time, and it only encourages me on to become better and I am so grateful to be the one that was entrusted with COnCEPT Q and am excited to share it with others. It has made all the difference to me. A friend and the moderator of a master mind group to which I belong wrote something that makes me feel the huge responsibility that rests on my shoulders and gives me the desire to carry on. He said, "I give sincere gratitude to Don for not holding back any longer on releasing "There is No Power in Chaos" to the world. It would have been a crime for him to keep this to himself one day longer." And who wants to be guilt of a crime?

I am anxious for the book to be done, printed and available. It is the weight of that crime that keeps me awake at night. See you tomorrow.