Paying it Forward.
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 12:18PM 
It's always nice to be recognized. Knowing that something you've done had a positive effect on another person is one of the best motivators you can receive.
Recently, I've been fortunate enought to have received some kind words and complements from my readers. I can't express how much it means to me when I log into my computer to discover a bunch of emails reflecting on my latest newsletter and comments posted on the Facebook fan page.
Thanks to all you guys!
On top of that, I also was given a little nod from a fellow raw blogger the other day. Charlene from Char's Kitchen included me in a list of her favorite raw blogs.
If you take a peek at the posting, you'll see that the award comes with a little string attached. Actually three strings! They are as follows:
- I must say thank you. (Thanks Char !!! :^D)
- I must tell 7 things about myself.
- I must pass along awards to 10 other blogger who I think are fantastic.
Well, since I don't want to be disqualified and have to send back my trophy, I had better follow the rules! ;^)
Here goes...
Seven things about me:
- I am way into reading self-improvement books. Not the pop fluff ones, though. I look for books with a deeper meaning. The kind that really make you think about yourself and how you live you life. The kind that lead to new and better ways of doing things that you never thought about before. I suppose this is how I discovered the raw diet. It's also how I plan to have a successful and rewarding career and continue building a strong, loving, trusting relationship with my better half.
Some of my favorite books are:
- The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey
- Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motives Us, by Daniel H. Pink
- Emotional Intelligence, by Daniel Goleman
- Talent is Overrated, by Geoff Colvin
- Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell
- Stumbling on Happiness, by Daniel Gilbert
- The Little Big Things, by Tom Peters
- I push myself like crazy to always improve. If I don't accomplish something tangible every day, it really bugs me. Not in a bad way. It's a constructive attitude, not a destructive one. I just get a huge sense of satisfaction out of the pursuit of perfection. The ultimate target is, of course, only theoretical, but the journey is the reward.
- I'm working really hard to become a Chartered Accountant. Go ahead, yawn if you want, but I find it really interesting. It took me quite a while (I graduated high school ten years ago) and a lot of experiementing to really find my calling, but I did it. Now it's the lifelong process of learning the trade and building a great career.
- I study the Russian language every day. Not for any particular reason. My family's not Russian, and I don't know many people who speak it. I just think it's interesting to learn another language and Russian happened to be the one I chose. I listen to audio lessons every day while I do the dishes or go for a walk, and I listen to Russian business news podcasts. (Geez, they speak quickly.) When I'm really diligent, I carry a few vocabulary cards in my back pocket for practice on the go, and I stick post-it notes all over the house. It'll be a few years until I master it, but once I do, I'm sure I'll move on and start learning another language too.
- I'm super-organized. I run a tight ship, as they say. My room might get messed up during the day while I have things on the go, but everything always gets put away before I go to bed. I really don't like messes and can't function very well when I have to sit at a cluttered desk. That includes cluttered thoughts, too. I'm definitely a planner. Ever seen a checklist the size of a table?
- I have an awesome partner. I'm not married yet, but I might as well be. It's tough to find a great match, especially when you're as much of a keener as I am. Who wants to put up with that? When you find someone great; someone you can spend 24 hours a day with and not get on each others' nerves; someone you always miss, even when you're only apart for a little while; someone who feels the exact same way about you too; that's when you've finished searching. The rest is all about building on top of that.
- I'm stupidly, insanely, never-enough-time-in-a-day busy. And I love it! Why? Because it's all stuff that I love doing. I'm just fortunate enough to be wired to enjoy doing productive stuff. To me, a day that's jam-packed with 16+ hours of going to work, attending classes at school, doing homework, exercising at the gym, studying Russian, reading on the side, and doing household errands isn't hell. It invigorates me, and it's how I spend nearly every day. No, it certainly isn't a recipe for happiness for most people, but I've focused a lot of time over the years discovering what makes me tick as a person, and this is the lifestyle I love. I seek challenges to overcome and my happiness comes from conquering them, little by little, day by day.
...so... I hope you can forgive me when I miss the odd newsletter or blog post. The truth is, sometimes there really isn't enough time in a day. In my case, I can honestly say there's never enough time. I just do the best I can. Rather than writing a short, junky little post I wait until I can put in the time to do it right. I don't mean to neglect the site. Believe me, I want to make Real-World Raw as great as it can be. And when you guys write and tell me how much you love the work I'm doing, it just makes we want to do that much more. So, thanks for putting up with my craziness, and thanks for showing your interest. I really do appreciate it!
Well now you have. That's my to-do list for the next few months. It might look excessive but I get plenty done and it ensures I keep on target with how I spend my time.
By now, Charlene must be wishing she never asked me to do anything! Ha ha. Maybe she will take back my trophy after all!
Finally, we're off to item number three...
Several blogs that I think are fantastic:
- Char's Kitchen; A Vegan-Friendly Food Blog It might seem like I'm sucking up, but believe me, I'm not. What I appreciate most about Char's blog is the enthusiasm she brings. You can really feel it. Also, ... well... how shall I say this... she is way more diligent about posting on a frequent basis. Something that, as I've said, I'm guilty of falling through on. Take a peek if you like recipes.
- Frederic Patenaude's blog I've been following Frederic for many years. He's definitely got his head screwed on right and is an excellent source of raw insight and advice. You might recognize his name because I've recommended one of his books, The Raw Secrets, on my site over the years. You can't go wrong with Frederic.
- Seth Godin's blog One of, if not the, most read bloggers anywhere online. Seth is a genius. I've read all of his many books. His insight into people is very sharp, indeed. The blog is particularly interesting if you're into business or marketing, but it's great food for thought for anyone who likes to think about how we interact with the people around us.
- Explodingdog One of my favorite web comics. I have saved tons of old images from this feed onto my computer to cycle through as my screensaver. I always look forward to new posts.
- Stepcase Lifehack If you want some great ideas on how to improve your life, check out this blog. It covers a wide variety of topics, but I particularly like the Lifestyle feed most.
- Mark Cuban's blog Like Seth, Mark is full of great maverick insight. This is likely only for those who are into business or the tech industry, though.
I know it's supposed to be ten blogs and I've only got six so far, but I'll add some more to this later. These are the one's I follow on a regular basis at the moment.
So, this was really long post. Hopefully, it was of interest. Just to make sure we don't lose sight of the whole point, though, I'd like to restate my thanks to everyone. I really appreciate the interest you've taken in my lil ol' blog.
Talk to you soonish!
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Real-World Raw Health and Nutrition:
The raw food diet made easy for your busy life!
Mike Dillman is a self-taught raw-vegan who began his journey nearly six years ago. Having worked his way through all the challenges firsthand, he wants to save you from making the same mistakes yourself. You can visit Mike's blog at Real-World-Raw.com to learn how easy it can be to make a raw-vegan diet fit your busy lifestyle.
If you want to experience the amazing health that comes with living the one truly natural diet, Mike's new book, "Real-World Raw: The Busy Person's Guide to the Raw-Vegan Diet" is just what you're looking for. See for yourself.
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