Being able to make choices is something I take for granted.  Whether its to choose to turn off the news about a war, or what to work on, or what to have for lunch.  The majority of people worldwide do not have choices like this at all.  Millions of people don’t have the ability to choose to shut off a war as fighting is around them, or what to eat or not to eat is their only choice.   With all the gifts and blessings each day brings as our cups overflow, it is always nice to know the freedom, safety, and health God blessed us with allows us to make choices.  Lets try to make choices to not be self-absorbed but rather count our blessings and choose to help the less fortunate.

Photo: [americares]

This image is of a little fighter living UNDER concrete and disaster with no food nor water for days only to be elated first over being exhausted.  The rescue workers and all involved in that rescue experienced joy in its purest form.  See the video of the rescue here.

I have always been grateful for how God gives us the experience of joy from the simple moments to the misery of seeming defeat thousands of miles away.

Photo: [flickr]

If you have to tweak your idea to be more “check worthy”, go for it. Once you feel your idea is pretty good and some folks would buy it, try and find who your customer would be (target audience). From an advertising model to a product or a service, do a bare minimum presentation (powerpoint or flash) and send it around. Don’t talk about everything your idea does, just focus on the message of “solving THE particular problem.” If your idea is easily stolen, you might want to get an NDA in place before spilling your candy to strangers.

So lets say you have a good idea. You didn’t have to spend REAL money (tons of cash that you count on or you had to raise.) You have a nice color presentation in your hand. Now its time to do the 3425 revisions ;) The way you do revisions is quite simple really. Get as cynical as you can, find the most smart cynical people you can, and blow holes in your idea. “What is wrong with my idea?” – you ask (yourself / others). Find out all the negative reasons why it wouldn’t work but most importantly ask WHY. “Why don’t you like this and that about my idea?” This will you help you revise your idea and take you to the funding phase where you are prepared for potential investors to blow holes in it too.

Stuff you can do for free: Tips.

- Moina Michael
Photo: [FLICKR]

What a great way of honoring the brave people of the US Military, to dedicate a day.  I hope as a country we can understand it is not a convenient three-day weekend, but a time to remember or even for us parents, teach these little ones why they are not in school today. Or even that the very peaceful road we drive on to Lowes without fear of car bombs, was paved by sacrifice of men and women who love this country.