When India celebrates its rebirth, memory becomes tradition, project and canvas. India marked its 70th Independence Day on 15 August 2017 the day Gurdeep Singh Khurana celebrated his 70th birthday. Khurana ji, as he is addressed fondly by neighbours in New Delhis Batukeshwar Dutt Colony, where he has been living since 1947, was born in Mianwali, Pakistan.

For this Midnights child, events that led to his exit from the family home in Pakistan, weigh more than the clock, hour, minute, and moment of his birth. For him, 15 August is a spiritual milestone not merely a date, and 15 August 1947, a beginning. He celebrates it. He celebrates it with prayers at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib and his home, with neighbours and family members at the special gathering. He says, this year, my neighbours are demanding a treat. They tell me that 70th is a milestone. It is a milestone for the country. I am about to go. A young man of immortal India.

A bit about the day before we know the man. What does being born on 15 August mean? Many things. From my experience of the (birth)day, it resembles a collage of headlines displayed at a newspaper office. It becomes your own. Events happening in the countrys seamless calendar, over years, get added to the mad collage of birthday. The collage smells of dust flying and dust settling, a bit of marigold, desi gulab, sometimes. A ball of history rolls towards you. You pause it, with a birthday cake or laddoos. Nothing big. Nothing worth a story.

Singhs tryst with destiny is a ball of history and narrative. It has a huge momentum. You can pause it (only) with tears. It took place after a political jigsaw was set on a storm, it goes back to a bunch of people, their decisions and moves, and their share of shares; millions sharing divided and divided sharing. The day, 15 August 1947, was erected before us Indians like a monument, in the life of a civilisation immortal India.

Read it again. This year, my neighbours are demanding a treat. They tell me that 70th is a milestone. It is a milestone for the country. I am about to go. You can pause it with tears.

August 15 the day Sri Aurobindo was born. The day India was reborn. My own consciousness of 15 August transformed with the birthday ritual of reading bits from the vast heritage of thoughts from Sri Aurobindo. On Indias 60th, the ritual led to a beginning of a churning. It led to an appetite for meeting people who share the birthday, and to know what they think or feel about it and about themselves. I was waiting to meet people like Singh.

Last year, on 15 August, while being wished birthday over phone, I got to know about him. Last week, after a conversation with Kishwar Desai, who will be in Amritsar on 17 August to mark the opening of the Partition Museum, her memory project, I couldnt wait to hear Singhs story. I approached him with a simple qualification of being born on 15 August. It helped break ice, some dhokla and samosas. Hamara din hai (it is our day), he declares.

I approach Singh with a lid on my own perception of the day. A good decision. Singhs perception is much bigger. I get no opportunity to tell him that this day suddenly sits upon my head, like a conical birthday cap made of kite paper. Or that, on some, national sentimentalism sits in the throat, like a boondi laddoo soaked in desi ghee, melting in an instant to emotion from Lata Mangeshkar or Mohammad Rafi or A R Rahman. I neither tell him that for some born on this day, 15 August brings a storm of wrath, circling along, with page loads of views and news; in crazy mutations of amber and brown of dry disagreements, disappointments and wrath, especially, if the government or party in power is not the one the birthday girl or boy have voted in. Or worse, have voted in to disappointment.

Singhs celebration of India, life and faith, continues. He offers his Saturday prayers at Gurudwara Rakab Ganj, where he also offers ghee brought in a steel box from home, to the flame. You must go to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. I used to take my daughters there for Raksha Bandhan. They dont have a brother, he tells me at Gurudwara Rakab Ganj.

What does being born on 15 August mean? How is it different from celebrating birthday on 15 August? The difference is of hours and meanings. Singhs birth and birthday are hours apart, they live in his conscience, through stories and storytelling from his parents and grandparents. He begins with the usual birthday pride alphabet. He says, Mera janmdin poora desh manata hai (the nation celebrates my birthday). Desh India, where his family moved, flowing with the red rupture of twin freedom.

Singh pulls out pages from his memory. He says, my mother shifted to my maternal grannys house in Mianwali, from my fathers house in Sarghoda, for my birth. My siblings and my father were in Sarghoda. His mothers account places the time of his birth moments after the ringing of a bell outside my maternal grandmothers home. Was it a warning bell? Was it a school bell? Perhaps, his mother, engrossed in giving birth, did not register the message in the bell-ringing. Perhaps, pain numbed that memory.

In the following hours their number now fading from his narrative his maternal uncle took charge of protecting the entire family from any attack expected and unexpected. In the following years, my mother told us that our neighbours had politely warned us regarding attacks resulting from the Partition. Now, my daughter tells me that my mother had often recalled, in her accounts of those painful days, how she had turned around to have the last glimpse of her mothers house, as they moved away, only to see the neighbours looting it.

His eyes widen. He adds, my family left the house only with a utensil used for boiling milk. It was their only material possession. Hours preceding the exit from home were emotionally wrenching. He adds, there was no news from my fathers family in Sarghoda. My mother was anxious regarding safety of her older children, especially daughters. Men in my mothers family were well-built. My uncle, Dharam Singh, was a very brave man. His kesh were not very long. He used this to his advantage, I was told. He would wrap a blanket around his body, revealing only a part of his face, his eyes and beard. He would barely look like a Sikh after this makeover. He would hide a kirpan under the blanket, and use it during those challenging hours. He would come back with milk for the family members." Milk.

For Singh, past seems to be a divided country sitting on the surviving cracks and fissures of anger, resentment and retaliation. He feels the fissures and cracks even today. Rebuilding, restarting and recreating have become the inherent tradition of his life its seeds sown by his grandfather and father.

Singh celebrating his birthday on 15 August isnt a matter of chance, but a conscious decision, which gives the day bigger meaning. My mothers family travelled from Mianwali and my fathers from Sarghoda. We found them after a lot of difficulty at a refugee camp in Bhatinda. When they reached Delhi, they were lucky to find some space in basements here.

Years later, when it was time for my admission at Khalsa school, my mother, for some odd reason, shared with the authorities her memory of the bell ringing outside our home in Mianwali; drew a blank, and told people at the admission desk that I was born on 19 August! Four long days! What could be the reason? Memory, or memories. Memory of pain physical and emotional. Perhaps. What did it? The memory of turning around to see her house being looted by their neighbours in Mianwali. Perhaps. I declared that I would celebrate my birthday on 15 August. I have been celebrating it on 15 August. It is mine. It is 19 August on papers. It is 15 August in my head and calculation of events.

Accounts of Singhs memory of the Partition are oral heritage. They were passed on by his mother, grandmother, father, maternal uncle and sisters. His journey from his place of birth, between two countries born a day apart, happened in the arms and embrace of the elders. He was cushioned by his mothers anxious breathing, perhaps, in the therapeutic wrap of his grandmothers smell, perhaps, against the thudding wall of his uncles anger-ridden and alert chest. He wasnt given such details. If given, he doesnt remember them.

He uses the notepad for scribbles that help him in daily life. His Partition memory canvas has been painted by different strokes and lines. There is nothing his own on its coarse surface. Not a line, not a dot. It is a memory canvas that has transformed into a solid and pretty memento decorated with coloured glass pieces. He holds borrowed memories in it, under the layers of more memories. Memories of 1984, when his shop, where he sold shoes, was set on flames by rioters. Neighbours saved us and our business. Shoes stored in the shop got damaged. Neighbours and friends told me that they would still like to buy them. Some friends helped in wiping the soot off those shoes, he adds.

What makes Singhs story and narrative unique? It is pure. As pure as a baby. History didnt register itself in this viewer. Birth brought with it real freedom, freedom from fear, freedom from compulsions of recording, recalling and responding. Unlike his family members accompanying him in this monumental march to uncertainty, he, bundled in cloth, was unaware of the weight of decisions, the swinging pendulum of expected outcomes, various illusions of safety, mirages of home and the grief of leaving behind belongings, that chased his elders. He was between sleep and wakefulness, growing up to a tradition of rebuilding life, again and again. When my family came to Delhi from Pakistan, my father bought a cow to meet his familys need for milk. He bought a couple more, then, he bought some buffaloes. Soon, it was a dairy. My grandfather stitched clothes on his sewing machine, at the Mehr Chand Mahajan market pavement. He was honest to the core. He would return the tiniest strips to the customers. I picked honesty from them.

Singhs family had left their home in Pakistan for the two-way displacement, to become one with the millions crawling and moving in opposite directions, to become dots in a painful magnitude, to part, meet and part and meet, finally. He was unaware of the killing, maiming, crippling, burning of trust, friendships, bonds, and years. In a way, he was fortunate. Birth and its timing helped him escape from the burden of memorising, memory miles, nostalgia rituals that make and bind archives. He is a specimen of hope and freedom, who cannot contribute to an archive; or lend a memento to a museum dedicated to Partition, but, he can lend a story. A story told over and over again about his birth.

Among people who left Mianwali that night or morning, or evening or afternoon, Singh would be the youngest, and the only person meant to see India building, shaping, sculpting, chipping, constructing, deconstructing, remembering, and recalling, on its 70th. He is celebrating. He adds, I cant celebrate without listening to Mera rang de basanti chola and Ae mere watan ke logon... He holds back tears. I wish him a good celebration of life and immortal India. His wish list is short. He concludes, I wish to sign off while visiting gurudwaras. I want to sign off from this Hari ka dwaar.

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The Birthday Is His, Still: How A Midnight's Child Celebrates 15 August - Swarajya

The North remembers is a catch phrase from the HBO show Game Of Thrones that is also true for the Jordan High football program. The only Moore League school in North Long Beach has an ingrained sense of pride, but after years of disappointment, the Panthers are looking for a bright future while respecting the past.

Jordan alums John Ross and John Timu have made that connection a lot easier. Both All-Moore League stars attended the University of Washington and are now on NFL rosters. Timu is playing linebacker for the Chicago Bears, and Ross was the ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft after setting the NFL combine record with a 4.24 40-yard dash.

We talk about it a lot, head coach John Kane said of Ross and Timu. They lifted weights in that weight room. (Ross) ran 40s out here. He caught passes and played defense on this field. And now hes doing the same thing for the (Cincinnati) Bengals. The kids see anybody can do it if they set their mind to it and work hard. I mean, they watch him on TV. Whats better than that?

Jordan found success running the ball last year and will continue to develop its rushing attack in a variety of formations. Senior Maesean Misher will be the featured running back in a stable full of capable runners that Kane calls fast and shifty. Senior Isiah Clark is also returning after rushing for almost 1,000 yards last season.

The running backs will be working behind a rebuilt offensive line led by new senior center Joe Torres and left tackle Omar Escotto, who is 6-foot-3 and 285 pounds. The Jordan lineman won the beach press competition at Warren High last month after Torres put up 185 pounds a record 38 times. Top-ranked Mater Dei and other Division 1 teams competed.

Winning at Warren helped boost our confidence as a unit, Torres said. The weight room is going to help us finish blocks. We are going accomplish big things for our football program.

We line up in multiple offensive sets, and our kids like it, so we use that as one of our strengths, Kane said. The (offensive line) is new at it, but when you work hard from December to August, its not that hard if you have the strength and toughness.

In the defensive secondary, Clark and fellow senior Josh Wofford are the key returning starters. The 6-1, 190-pound Wofford will be moved back to safety after having to play out of position at linebacker last year.

Were trying to make sure were not asking guys to play both ways, Kane said. Its the tired, mental mistakes at the end of games thats cost us.

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Jordan was a win away from the CIF playoffs but gave up a 19-0 lead to Lakewood in the season finale. The Panthers lost three other games in the fourth quarter.

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Jordan High football using NFL alums as motivation - Long Beach Press Telegram

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa

Thousands of fans from all over the world came to West Des Moines Friday to watch some of the best female golfers.

Fans said the amount of support for these golfers was inspiring. They were proud that West Des Moines was hosting the tournament.

Among the sea of American fans wearing red, white and blue, it can be hard to spot the European fans wearing blue and yellow.

You feel a little bit outnumbered but at the same time youve just got to make your voice heard and like I said, people are very friendly and when they hear you shouting for Europe then its a case of where are you from, who are you following? said Julie Ballantyne, of Scotland.

Friday afternoon, there was a huge following for American golfer Michelle Wie.

I mean, shes been killing it since she was 16 years old on the tour, so tons of respect for her, Des Moines resident Will McDonald said. I mean, its unbelievable to watch what she does and what she does for the game of womens golf.

I love coming out and watching the women playing as well because it tends to be dominated by the guys quite a lot, especially in the UK, theres not so much womens golf on TV, Ballantyne said. And something like this, an event thats effectively the equivalent of the Ryder Cup, its really, really encouraging to see so many people out supporting the women as well, which is great.

It proved encouraging for some of the golfers biggest supporters.

I golf a couple times a week, follow all the LPGA players on Twitter and social media and Facebook and all that, so its kind of neat to see them in person, said Krissy Halbur of Cedar Falls.

The support is inspiring for future players of the game.

It means a lot, said Esther Henseleit, a junior golfer from Germany. Its my dream to somebody also play in the Solheim cup for Europe, and so its really inspiring to see them play and to see them compete.

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Solheim Cup serves as motivation for aspiring young golfers - KCCI Des Moines

RAPID CITY, S.D. -

It was a tale of two halves for the Hardrocker football team last season. After winning five of their first six games, the Hardrockers lost their final fives games of the season to finish below .500.

But this year, head coach Zach Tinker is convinced his team will be more competitive in the RMACConference.

South Dakota Mines kicked off practice for the 2017 season onMonday, Aug.7. The Hardrockers are coming off a year in which they finished 4-6in the conference and 5-6overall.

Last year, the Rockers were hit hard by injuries which contributed to their losing streak at the end of the season. Coach Tinker feels his teamis motivated by last year's poor finish.

"What we didn't do great last season was we weren't able to recover and get that next one when we did lose one," Tinker said. "So that's what it's all about. You got to finish. Get in to those 11 games. Our goal is to get in to 11 games. Be tight in 11 games and see if we can finish those games because we know we're doing the things that good teams do to finish games."

South Dakota Mines has a few holes to fill on bothsides of the ball. But overall, the Hardrockers return a core group of players including quarterback Jake Sullivan.

The junior passed for nearly 1,900yards and 19 touchdowns and ran for eight scores before missing the last two games of the season with an ACLinjury.

"I'm just blessed to be out here with my team," Jake Sullivan said. "My second family actually. At first it was frustrating. Any injury really is. But when you have the support system like I have with my family and coaches and my teammates, it goes by pretty smoothly. These last couple days of fall camp, it feels like nothing even happened and I'm blessed to be out here."

"We've got a lot of guys back who have started games," Tinker said. "How you call them starters, I'm not sure. I really don't know how you call that. I mean we feel like we have four returning starters on the offensive line. We've got Jake back. So we feel like we probably have about seven returners on offense probably. And probably eight returners on defense when it comes to starters so."

South Dakota Mines opens the season on August 31at William Jewell College in Missouri. The Hardrockers home opener is Saturday, Sept.9against Dixie State.

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Hardrockers have same lofty goals, extra motivation - Newscenter1.tv

IN the cottage where I grew up, Dad had a little study where he would do all his writing. I didnt understand why hed pasted hundreds of letters to the walls, which turned out to be rejection letters from publishers.

Instead of being discouraged every time he received one, he stuck it to the wall and used it to motivate himself on to better things. Thats why he persisted after having 13 separate novels rejected by countless publishers before his first one eventually made it to print. Im so impressed by people who possess this unshaken self-belief in the face of countless disappointments, where others would simply give up and walk away.

I recently watched a TV programme about sprinter Usain Bolt, and what surprised me most was that he claimed to lack motivation to train, especially, after hed won his first Olympic gold medal. Once hed become the best in the world, where else could he go? The trigger that shook him out of his apathy was when he discovered that people thought he was not the best anymore, and that his nearest rival declared he would beat Usain at the following Olympics. As soon as he heard that, he was back training harder than ever, and as he retires this month, he remains champion in the Olympic 100m, 200m and 100m relay. Like my Dad, people telling him he couldnt achieve something just spurred him on, and that takes a particular kind of mental strength that many of us simply dont possess.

In his column from 13th August 1977, Dad talks about cleaning his study and having to remove pictures from the walls, which prompted him to think about the superstitions associated with them.

Apparently, if a picture falls from a wall, it foretells the death of one of the inhabitants of the house. The belief varied from place to place, with some saying it was only valid if the glass broke, whereas for others, just the picture falling was enough to prophesy a loved ones demise. There are other variations too, such as if the picture is a portrait, then that person will die, with others saying it doesnt matter what is in the picture for it to spell doom. A similar bad omen is associated with mirrors - if one falls unexpectedly from the wall, then a death is imminent.

This made me wonder what other signs we should be mindful of if we are to avoid an untimely death.

Black cats have long been associated with both good and bad luck, and if you hear one meowing at midnight, it means a death is coming (although at midnight, it might be hard to see what colour the cat is!). Be afraid if a black cat sits on a sick persons bed, and if one crosses the path of a funeral procession, as that foretells another death is not far away. A similar fear is held about white rabbits crossing your path.

Birds of varying kinds are portents of doom. Seeing a single crow or magpie is bad luck, although seeing two is good. Seeing six, though, spells death. If you open your door to a magpie staring at you, then go increase your life insurance policy at once, and if a bird flies into your house, cancel any plans youve made for the future. I could go on, but I fear you might never again open your front door if I do!

We moved from that cottage to a new house in 1981. We brought our pet cat, Marmalade, with us and at first she hated it! She fearfully slithered between rooms on her belly until finally she settled under the desk in Dads new study. The reason? Shed found the only piece of carpet that had come from the old house.

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Countryman's Daughter: From motivation to superstition - Darlington and Stockton Times

BARCELONA, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone said on Friday his players will dig deep in the face of adversity as they begin the new season shackled by a transfer ban and with key players missing.

Atletico will be without striker Kevin Gameiro and left back Filipe Luis for the opening game at newly promoted Girona. Thomas Partey and Diego Godin are suspended, deepening the deficiencies of a squad banned from registering new players.

The ban, imposed by FIFA for the illegal transfer of minors and upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in June, means Atletico cannot count on the services of their one new signing, Vitolo, who is spending the first five months on loan at Las Palmas before joining up with Simeone's side in January.

The squad has been further weakened by midfielder Tiago retiring and Theo Hernandez leaving for Real Madrid, while the club has parted ways with Matias Kranevitter and Rafael Sante Borre.

Crucially, however, Antoine Griezmann, Saul Niguez and Koke have all been persuaded to stay, signing new long-term contracts, while Fernando Torres agreed a one year extension.

"The club has made a huge effort to keep its most important players and it's clear that the players who have stayed have a huge sense of belonging here and that reflects well on the club," Simeone told a news conference on Friday.

"Now we have to reflect that on the pitch. Some would see not being able to sign players as a weakness but we've taken it as a positive because we all know each other, we know how we want to play, and that boosts the essence and ideas of the team."

Forward Luciano Vietto is reported to be on his way out to Italian side Sampdoria but has been named in the squad for the trip to Girona.

The Catalan side are gearing up for a first season in the top flight in their 87-year history and have signed experienced Liga players such as goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz from Athletic Bilbao and former Espanyol forward Christian Stuani from Middlesbrough in their bid for survival.

Girona have also brought in four players on loan from Manchester City, whose parent company, City Football Group, is reported to be close to purchasing a majority stake in the club.

(Reporting by Richard Martin; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

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Simeone says Atletico can use transfer ban as motivation - Eurosport.com

Think and Grow Rich was written in 1937 by Napoleon Hill, promoted as a personal development and self-improvement book. Hill writes that he was inspired by a suggestion from business magnate and later-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.[1] While the book's title and much of the text concerns increased income, the author insists that the philosophy taught in the book can help people succeed in any line of work, to do and be anything they can imagine.[2] First published during the Great Depression,[3] at the time of Hill's death in 1970, Think and Grow Rich had sold more than 20 million copies, and by 2015 over 100 million copies had been sold worldwide.[4][5] It remains the biggest seller of Napoleon Hill's books. BusinessWeek magazine's Best-Seller List ranked it the sixth best-selling paperback business book 70 years after it was published.[6]Think and Grow Rich is listed in John C. Maxwell's A Lifetime "Must Read" Books List. [7]

The text of Think and Grow Rich is based on Hill's earlier work The Law of Success, said to be the result of more than twenty years of study of many individuals who had amassed personal fortunes.[3]

Hill studied their habits and evolved 16 "laws" to be applied to achieve success. Think and Grow Rich condenses them, providing the reader with 13 principles in the form of a "Philosophy of Achievement".[3]Mark Hansen has said time has shown that two of the laws/principles are most important: 1) The MasterMind principle/process and 2) "Know very clearly where you want to go."

The book asserts that desire, faith and persistence can propel one to great heights if one can suppress negative thoughts and focus on long-term goals.

The 13 "steps" listed in the book are:

There are several courses created from the Think and Grow Rich content and principles.

Earl Nightingale co-created with Napoleon Hill a 30-minute audio summary of the book titled "Think and Grow Rich: Instant Motivator".

The first edition of Think and Grow Rich was released in March 1937. Hill claimed that despite limited promotion, the original print run of 5,000 sold out in six weeks, at $2.50 a copy, and that another 10,000 copies sold out again in another six weeks. The third print run totaled 20,000.[9]W. Clement Stone wrote: "One of the most important days in my life was the day I began to read Think and Grow Rich in 1937.[10]

Think and Grow Rich was revised in 1960, and published by Crest Book, Fawcett Publications. The revised edition had a testimonial from W. Clement Stone on the inside front cover page: More men and women have been motivated to achieve success because of reading Think and Grow Rich than by any other book written by a living author. [11] In 1987, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton hosted a TV infomercial that sold the 1960 version with an audio cassette version of the book (the audio cassettes contained an introduction and conclusion by Tarkenton and supplemental study guides).[12] In the introduction, Tarkenton stated that he believed Think and Grow Rich to be "the greatest most honored formula for success that has ever been developed."[13]

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Think and Grow Rich - Wikipedia

Are you on track to attain your financial dreams? Most people are not. If you're hungry, financial freedom is possible.

You need specific written goals and a plan of action. Good mentors are crucial for learning and accountability. Realize that you won't reach your financial dreams by simply working hard to trade your time for money. Financial success requires that you build a passive income system. Don't discount your future. Learn how to launch your unstoppable cycle of success.

Attaining financial freedom requires burning discontent with the limitations of your life today. Hunger motivates changes to get on a new path leading to your vision of the future. An appetite for success demands something different than the familiar complacency that 95 percent of people accept as reality. In "Launching a Leadership Revolution," Orin Woodward and Chris Brady state, "Hunger provides the energy to begin, the stamina to persist, and the will to finish an endeavor."

Why do you want financial freedom? What were you put on this Earth to do? Those who strive to fulfill their purpose attain success. Napoleon Hill, author of "Think and Grow Rich," said, "One must realize that all who accumulate great fortunes first did a certain amount of dreaming, hoping, wishing, desiring and planning before they acquired money." What would you do if time and money were not limitations? What is your dream for your family and friends? How will you be remembered?

Dreams require specific goals with a timeline, otherwise they are fantasies. The Second Law of Thermodynamics says the universe spontaneously reconfigures to increase entropy (i.e., disorder) and minimize potentials. That applies to your potential, too. A plan of action launches you on a trajectory toward success, but life continually knocks you off course. Remember, "goals are etched in stone, but plans are drawn in sand." Be resolved to constant course corrections to attain your goals.

How do you set goals and plan for a future of abundance? In "The Slight Edge," Jeff Olson talks of "The Law of Association" that shows every aspect of your life equals the average of the five people closest to you. Napoleon Hill revealed that successful people create a "mastermind," a group of achievement-oriented individuals who amount to more than the sum of their parts. Associate with the 5 percent of people who choose to elevate their existence and serve their purpose.

Seek counsel from people who have achieved what you want. It's said that experience is not the best teacher; other people's experience is. Warren Buffett said the keys to financial success are eliminating debt and investing in self-education. Good mentors help you learn and grow and they hold you accountable. Read educational books and listen to empowering audios. Enroll in seminars on finance and leadership. Join a community of people who will lift you. Create your own "mastermind."

Trading your time for money won't result in financial freedom. Active income is limited by your finite time. Robert Kiyosaki points out in "The Cashflow Quadrant" that average people can attain financial freedom by building a passive income business system. Leveraging a system is like building a pipeline so you can stop carrying buckets of water. Associate with those people who can teach you how to establish passive income on the side while excelling at your current job.

According to Kiyosaki, the first key to wealth is long-term vision. Financial success is achieved by those who put great effort into attaining dreams and purpose. Research shows it takes 10,000 hours to gain mastery in any endeavor, including the passive business system to gain your financial freedom. Stay focused on your purpose and don't give up. An unstoppable cycle of success begins as financial growth enables purpose; fulfillment of purpose increases happiness; and happiness fosters further success.

Financial freedom depends on faith and liberty. Faith in purpose instills hunger and liberty enables free enterprise. Excessive government control and high taxes rob us of freedom and the opportunity to build wealth. Our Founders established a nation to protect "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," giving every citizen a chance to work toward financial freedom. Stand against those who strive to give away your freedom to government in hopes that it will confiscate and spread your wealth.

Henry David Thoreau said, "Most men live lives of quiet desperation." Have you given up on your dreams? Do you think your purpose is just fantasy? Buying into such beliefs is a costly mistake. You have the power to live your financial dreams. Write out your vision. Develop goals and a plan with a timeline. Seek mentors and commit to constant learning. Build a passive income business system. Launch your unstoppable cycle of success.

James D. Kellogg is an engineering consultant, author, and business system advocate. He is the founder of RadicalActionForLife.com and the author of "Radical Action: A Colt Kelley Thriller". Look for the novel on amazon.com and visit JamesDKellogg.com or email jameskellogg@comcast.net.

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Kellogg column: Launch your unstoppable cycle of success, attain financial freedom - Glenwood Springs Post Independent

Steve Strauss, Special for USA TODAY Published 12:46 p.m. ET Aug. 15, 2017 | Updated 1:26 p.m. ET Aug. 15, 2017

The late Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers restaurants.(Photo: PRN)

Welcome to this years annual Small Biz Quiz. This summer, it's the Famous Business edition.

1. Ben and Jerrys, as we know especially in the summer, makes great ice cream. Why did they start an ice cream shop in Vermont?

A. Because the price for bagel-making equipment was too highB. Because Bens mother had an amazing recipe for ooey gooey chocolate chip cookie dough ice creamC. Because they had both recently been laid off

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2. A few years after launch, FedEx faced a cash crunch and probable bankruptcy. How did founder Fred Smith stay afloat?

A. He used his own money to coverB. He flew to Vegas with the last $5,000 in the till and parlayed it into $32,000C. He missed payroll for the first time

3. Did you use a Post-it today? One study says that the average worker gets 11 Post-it messages a day. How were they invented?

A. A 3M scientist was trying to create a super-sticky glue but in a failed experiment ended up with a sorta-sticky glueB. A 3M researcher was trying to create a new type of bookmarkC. 3M offered a $1 million prize for best new office product

4. In 1998, the co-founder of Dominos Pizza sold his majority stake of the company, which was worth more than $1 billion. For how much did the other co-founder sell his share to his partner 38 years prior?

A. $1B. For a used Volkswagen BeetleC. $27,444

5. What was the original intention behind the invention of Silly Putty?

A. It was a failed attempt at making a synthetic rubber to be used by the Allies in WWIIB. It was supposed to be a putty that fixed leaky pipesC. It was supposed to be a hair replacement goop

6. Speaking of failures, even Apple has had them. In 1983, Apple introduced Lisa, a precursor to the Macintosh. Why did the Lisa fail?

A. It cost $10,000B. It weighed 48 poundsC. Both of the above

7. Remember the DeLorean auto? (Think Back to the Future.) Automaker John DeLorean was arrested in an alleged scheme to save his failing auto company. For what was he arrested (and later acquitted)?

A. Bilking investors out of $100 millionB. Bilking the Northern Ireland government out of $100 millionC. For trafficking in drugs, after prosecutors said he tried to buy cocaine in a Los Angeles hotel for re-sale in an attempt to fill company coffers

8. Dave Thomas was the founder of Wendys. While still a teenager, Thomas went to work for a man who became his mentor. Who was it?

A. Ray Kroc, founder of McDonaldsB. The real Ronald McDonaldC. The real Colonel Sanders

9. Whose was the first stylized Face on the first Facebook logo?

A. Mark ZuckerbergB. Al PacinoC. Steve Jobs

10. What was the first book ever sold on Amazon.com?

A. Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies. A book about artificial intelligenceB. Think and Grow Rich. The classic by Napoleon HillC. The Small Business Bible. Apparently, a great small business book.

Happy summer, all. Dont work too hard!

Answers: 1-A, 2-B, 3-A (with B providing a kind of "Eureka" moment as to how to use it), 4-B, 5-A, 6-C, 7-C, 8-C, 9-B, 10-A

Steve Strauss, @Steve Strauss on Twitter, is a lawyer specializing in small business and entrepreneurship and has been writing for USATODAY.com for 20 years. E-mail: sstrauss@mrallbiz.com. You can learn more about Steve at MrAllBiz.

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Entrepreneurs, time to test your business knowledge - USA TODAY

Jack Canfield once said, "Everything you want is on the other side of fear." And he's right. But I'm going to take it one step further.

Pain, discomfort, shock, boredom, impostor syndrome, awkwardness, fear, being wrong, failing, ignorance, looking stupid: your avoidance of these feelings is stopping you from a life beyond your wildest imagination.

These are the feelings that accompany a life of success. And yet, these are the very feelings you relentlessly avoid!

Interesting how that works, right?

Wealth, optimal health, incredible relationships, deep spiritual maturity are all available to you. But you have to pay the price to have these things. The primary obstacle in your way is how you feel about what you need to do to have these things.

Most people aren't willing to feel difficult emotions on a regular basis. However, if you're willing to disregard how you feel in the moment, you'll have access to a world of opportunity unavailable to 99% of the population.

When you feel the fear and do it anyways, you get the satisfaction of living life on your terms. Instead of being a hostage to your emotions, you get to experience them more deeply.

Hilariously, once you break past the emotional blocks and just act, it's never as bad as you think it will be.

Napoleon Hill said, "When your desires are strong enough, you will appear to possess superhuman powers to achieve." Similarly, Tim Grover has said, "When you crave the end result, the hard work becomes irrelevant."

Put most simply: when the why is strong enough, you'll be willing to do any how. The clearer and bigger the why, the bolder the how. Hence, if you 10x your why, you'll have insights about how to do things far more effectively than the norm. As Dan Sullivan has said, "When 10X is your measuring stick, you immediately see how you can bypass what everyone else is doing."

If your dreams are big enough, you'll have to do different things than you've been doing. Not all "hows" are created equal. You'll have to do things you don't feel in the moment like doing. You'll resist the actions you need to take.

If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got. What got you here, won't get you there.

If you want bold results, you need bold actions.

If you want it bad enough, your momentary feelings won't stop you. How you feel right now is irrelevant. Of course it's out of your comfort zone. Of course it may not feel good in the moment.

Said Tim Ferriss, "A person's success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have."

Are you willing to disregard your momentary feelings to achieve a particular results?

Life is practice.

Every day is practice. Right now, you're practicing; you're experimenting.

Start with small stuff and work your way up.

For me, taking cold showers is great practice. Even after doing it for years, I still often experience a moment of resistance. But I feel the resistance and do it anyways. Within seconds, the resistance I was feeling is replaced with confidence and satisfaction.

The more frequently you can confront and walk past emotional blocks, the more successful you'll be.

You will ride some amazing emotional waves.

You'll find yourself in situations and ask yourself, "How did I get here? How am I going to pull this off?"

You'll put off momentary comforts in order to behave in ways that generate wild success.

You can have anything you want in life. There is a path to get there. But you'll have to face lots of emotional resistance in getting there.

Do it anyways.

Right now.

Don't delay.

Do something right now you've been procrastinating.

Do something right now that shocks your emotional system. You'll quickly realize it wasn't so bad.

Then do it again, with increasing intention.

This is the essence of 10x thinking. Certain "hows" will get you 10x results. Most people won't go there.

Are you willing to go there?

How big is the emotional roller-coaster of life you're going to ride? Small rises and dips? Or huge rises, drops, spins, and twists? Life is meant to be lived, emotions are meant to be felt and experienced. You get to design the roller-coaster.

Do you want the result bad enough that you're willing to feel absurd, horrible, amazing, ridiculous, and stupid to get there?

Or, would you prefer feeling safe and regretful?

The choice is yours. But everything you want is available. And the more extreme the emotional shock you're willing to walk through, the faster you'll get the results you're seeking.

There must come a point when you stop worrying yourself over the opinions of others. Even the opinions of your heroes.

Your work and ideas must eventually come completely and unapologetically through you.

Only when you fully trust yourself and your ideas will you be able to create in a bold, honest, and beautiful manner.

No matter how "successful" you become, trusting yourself never gets easier. In fact, it only gets harder with more external noise and pressure. But you will never be happy with yourself or satisfied with your work if you don't do what you truly felt inspired to do.

Your most honest work will always be your best work. More than likely, it will also be your most successful work.

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The Primary Barrier Stopping You From Everything You Want In Life ... - Inc.com