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Editors Note: From now on we will be highlighting a cause that a young person is involved in that is making a difference in the world. The goal is to give them some much needed props and inspire you to live your dream. This is a post by our spectacular intern who helps with the blog. BTW, big announcement in a week. Until then enjoy!!!

Guest post by Diem Nguyen

There are so many companies out there who claim to be socially responsible. It has almost become a buzz word like “going green”. However, there are a few businesses that really believe in making a positive difference in the world. TOMS is a unique business that makes eco-friendly, vegan style shoes. More than an environmentally responsible company, TOMS is also socially responsible.

TOMS boasts the slogan “one for one,” meaning that for every pair of shoes they sell, they donate a pair to a child in need. Since 2006, over 400,000 shoes have been donated to children in other countries.

A very obvious question would be, “why shoes?” Well, in the states we usually drive cars, take the bus, catch a cab, or ride the subway. We rarely walk long distances as a means to our destination.

In other countries like Argentina or Brazil, you get from one place to the next on your feet. Also unlike the U.S., simple staples like clean water can be miles away. So children walk everywhere for their basic needs.

Having shoes isn’t considered a luxury to us like having a cherry red mustang cobra. But for these kids, shoes are a luxury that their families can’t afford. TOMS cause is the cause of the month. It’s actually a really cool idea and they are pretty stylin’ shoes. You already buy shoes so why not buy shoes that you know will help someone else. Check it out and maybe pick up a pair for you and a child in need, http://www.tomsshoes.com/default.asp.

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Lately I’ve been finding myself having really productive weeks and weeks that aren’t so much.

Well enough is enough and I definitely don’t like the inconsistency. There are a ton of things I want to do and dreams to fulfill and if you know me, you know I’m impatient like none other.

One thing that I know I’ve been missing is DISCIPLINE.

Is this the case for you?

Well from now until next week I am going to be scheduling every minute of my day and sticking to it to the tee. The goal is to track my level of discipline and start changing a habit (lack of discipline lol).

Let’s call it a social experiement and see what happens. One that’s fun but can seriously help me out. If it works I’ll show you what I did and how you can as well.

I’ll check back in next week to let you know how it went.

Also we have a lot going on right now and like I said yesterday. Big news on the way and a lot of things are moving.

You are going to be really excited once we drop the news.

I love ya’ll!!! Thank you for supporting us. Let’s have a great week

- Aaron

Image by fnune4

Last week I talked a little bit about fear and it being the main obstacle holding you back from living life how you want. This week I’m going to talk about something that kills the dreams of even the most fearless people.

As you gathered from the title… I’m talking about the death of a dream. For me when I see someone who has allowed their dream to die, I see a couple of things. These are also signs for you to personally watch out for:

• Never satisfied
• Always strapped for cash
• Empty feeling
• Like to complain
• Envy people with money
• Feelings of hatred toward happy people
• ALWAYS cynical
• Searching for the next “whatever” to keep them going
• Talks bad about other people more than good
• Finds themselves in a lot of situations where the convo gets boring quickly
• Has a hard time making people smile and feel good about why they are smiling

So after this rant about what dream death looks like, I’ll get back to the topic at hand.

Your dream can die multiple ways and one of them is by letting distractions rule your time.

Distractions can be anything that prevents you from doing what needs to be done to achieve your dream. The first thought that comes to your mind is probably TV. Well that definitely is the largest, but there are more distractions that you may not have thought about. Here are some:

• Lazy/unmotivated friends
• Needy girlfriend/boyfriend
• The News wherever you get it (political, entertainment, gossip, co-worker, etc.)
• Lame environments (sitting in your cube)
• Being unorganized
• Negative people
• Having your cell phone on you all the time (you cannot fight checking it if you have it nearby)
• Messy environments
• Daydreams
• Negative thoughts

I could go on and on but I think you get it. There are tons of distractions and more than I care to name.

Here is what you do:

1. Ask yourself “Is this the best use of my time?” (learned this from Juwon and if you are honest you can easily sort out distractions.)

2. Get organized however it works for you.

3. Make a list of all your distractions and get rid of them or set aside a set time for yourself to be distracted. Sounds weird, yes? This is really hard to do but it is the only way you can save your dream from dying by distractions. The only way this works is if you know what you want out of life and steel your mind to focus on going after it.

4. Lastly, limit your time with people who have let their dreams die. Nothing good can come from hanging out with these people. Maybe a few laughs while you bitch about whatever the latest issue is, but then you are left feeling empty and bored. MOVE ON. You don’t need them but they do need you or they will have no one’s life to ruin but their own.

So there you have it.

Try those four things out and for more than a couple of days.

“Life is meant to be lived, not survived” – Unknown

Thrive or Die!
Aaron

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Happy Friday!!!

Just wanted to let everyone know that I’m heading back to Chicago this weekend and you can expect fresh pics from the city as well as new posts. I love Chicago! Always feel inspired by the city and I will be recharged and ready to go.

Big announcement coming soon…

Until then here is some great music to leave you with

-Aaron

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“It’s amazing what you can do when you know you must. It  is incredible what you can accomplish when it means everything to you.” – Diddy