Happy Valentine's Day, dear readers.

The author of Sideline (Book One) tells the story of how it all began on Vocalo Radio.  Listen in.

 5 Songs to help Entrepreneurs get out of bed in the morning

Sometimes it's hard to wake up.  Here are 5 songs to get you up and going.

I know you're highly motivated, and most of the time you can't wait to get up and solve the day's problems and get working on your next project. But, on those rare occasions when you don't feel like getting up at all, even though you know you have to, here are five songs that can help IGNITE your day. (As John Lee Dumas of Entrepreneurs on Fire would say)

It's the Climb  Miley Cyrus  Always good to be reminded by the star of Hannah Montana that the journey is the destination.  It's not about "getting there."  There's no "there" to get to.  The "there" is "NOW."  When you get to "NOW" you have the chance to be happy and content. The Zen masters have been talking about this for thousands of years.  I'm 11 and I kind of understand that if you're not happy in the "NOW" you probably are missing quite a bit, because NOW is where life is lived. Anyway, Miley cheers me up.  I hope she cheers you up, too.    Sometimes, btw, "the climb" is just getting out of bed.

This is it  Kenny Loggins  This song is a classic motivational song.  It's important to remember, as the song says, "This is it!  Make no mistake where you are!  The waiting is over!"  Just get out there and carpe diem! (Seize the Day!).

Chariots of Fire  Vangelis  This song is a bit more subtle.  There are no words, only music.  But it's the theme song from a movie about Olympic runners.  This song makes you want to get up, put on your shoes and RUN!  I don't really run that much, but this song makes me want to run around the block and hold my arms out like a champion when I'm done.  

Truckin'  Grateful Dead  Once you feel the beat of this song you'll want to get up and take long strides to wherever you need to go.  As the song says,  "You've got to play your hand."  So get up, get out into the world, and do what needs to be done to make good things happen.

Send Me on My Way Rusted Root.  I love this song, in part because it was used in Matilda , one of the greatest kid's movies ever made. Matilda is the story of young girl whose parents don't appreciate her intelligence. Mara Wilson is the star, and she's great. I think most people can identify.  I know I can (although I love my parents.)

So there you have it.  5 songs to get you up and moving.  Today and every day.  I know sometimes it's hard to do.  But once you listen to any of these songs you'll feel more ready to face whatever comes at you.  

BTW: If you have another song that you think should be added to this list to help the rest of us get up and get going, send your suggestion to me. Just added it to the comment section.

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How to Be a Successful Entrepreneur

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by Emma "Sideline" Rockland

11 Year old Promoter of Financial Literacy for Kids

Sideline (Book One)

10 Rules for being a successful Entrepreneur

Rule # 1  Find a Friend.  

This is the most important part of effective collaboration and successful living. Here's something you need to learn real fast. No one "makes it on their own." No one in the history of the world has ever, ever "done it alone"and no one ever will.  Recognize and accept that you are human and like everyone, you  need a little help at some point in time. Everyone.  You can't be a successful entrepreneur without some assistance. I suggest you get a mentor. You probably don't believe me because I'm 11, I get it. So instead of listening to me, check this out from Psychology Today magazine: The Importance of Friendship

Rule #2  Act on your creativity.  

Risking being "different" is the only way to break out of the mundane.  You were given creative powers, just like all of the people you know.  Give it a shot.  Again, the assumption is that I'm 11 so what could I possibly know.  Read this from Elite Daily:  Why Creativity Is The Most Important Quality You Have.

Rule # 3 Give people the joy of being right.  

Many people love being right far more than they enjoy being happy.  Really.  That's why people often point out why something won't work.   They  tell everyone why they "can't do this, or achieve that." So, when they don't do this, or achieve that," they say, "You see, I was right!" Once more, from our friends at Psychology Today: Why is it So Important to Be Right?

Rule #4 Accept that everyone makes mistakes. 

Everyone in the world makes mistakes.  Everyone.  There are no exceptions, including you who are reading this.  Give yourself a break and give everyone else in the world a break, too. Assuming you are perfect or others  could be perfect if only they listened to you is a good way to live an unhappy life.  Assume mistakes are going to be made, forgive yourself or whomever makes the mistake and find a way to move on.  Here's some professional credibility from Health Guidance: Accepting Your Flaws and Mistakes

Rule #5 Listen to everyone, then do what you think is right. 

It's important to ask for and listen to all kinds of feedback.  Seems obvious, but here's an article from the Huffington Post that backs me up: 5 Reasons Why Feedback is Important.

Rule #6 Don't let the world turn you into a pessimist. 

Sure, there are innumerable reasons to be pessimistic, (wars, climate change issues, sexism, racism, agism, weight-ism to name a few) but there are also innumerable reasons to be optimistic: millions of good people working hard to feed the hungry, heal the sick, comfort the afflicted, house the needy, educate the young.  Yes, I realize more could be done, but many people are doing the best they can to make the world a better place.  Focus on those people and their actions, rather than on the people you might deem selfish or destructive, and the reasons for being optimistic are clear.   The evidence, from Happify Daily: The Benefits of Looking on the Bright Side: 10 Reasons to Think Like an Optimist.

Rule #7 Appreciate all opportunities presented to you. 

Everyday all of us are surrounded by opportunities, too many, in fact, to take advantage of. Realizing the bounty of opportunity that is within each of our grasps is one of the first steps towards a more enjoyable life.  As I was reading the Harvard Business Review, I came across this: Why Appreciation Matters So Much.

Rule #8 Be a better listener than anyone you know.

Being a great listener is an invaluable quality that everyone can and should develop. It is most easily developed by responding to people's words by ACTIVE listening. One more time, via Psychology Today: The Art and Value of Good Listening.

Rule #9 Be grateful that people listen to you at all.  
With so many websites, so many Facebook postings, so many tweets, (you get the idea) it's amazing anyone listens to anyone else at all.  Learn to be grateful for the fact that all of us have an audience of some kind or size.  In the end, we are all audiences for one another, and that means we're alive and part of the collective NOW.  How fun is that? According to the International News Media Association: Why Audience Appreciation Matters.

Rule #10 Remember that effort is everything. 

Everything.  George Orwell, the author of 1984, said that.  If the author of the greatest, most depressing dystopian novel ever written can recognize that "effort is everything," then who am I to disagree?  Here's some evidence from the Daily Motivator: The Value of Effort

So there you have it, the 10 Rules for Successful Entrepreneurs. Send me an email if you have other ideas, or go ahead and buy my story at Sideline (Book One) It's a five part series, BTW.

Everything has an Opportunity Cost

"Happy Tired" is the feeling you get after a long day of doing and accomplishing the best you could.  You know there is a lot more to be done, but tomorrow is another day.  All entrepreneurs need to feel this regularly.  So should all sentient*** beings.  (*** Sentient is a big word that means "anyone or anything that can think. -  I learned that word from my English teacher and I use it whenever I can.)