You have a business or other work that could be used as a model for a part-time job for a teacher, something the teacher would do in the evenings, weekends, or during holidays.

Do you tutor, offer test-prep courses, develop online learning, offer professional development for teachers, or anything of that sort?

If so, we’d like to write about what you do at TeachMarket, a site devoted to helping teachers develop supplemental income.

Popularity: 10% [?]

I think you know by now that I’m a pretty big fan of Tom Butler-Bowden and the work he’s been putting in over the last several years with his books on success, self-help, and spirituality.  See 50 Success Classics for more details about Tom and my review of that book.

So, I was pretty thrilled when Tom agreed to talk with me so that I could share some of his thoughts with you.

MW: Tom, what are you doing for work these days, and why?
TBB: I’ve just finished writing a book on the classic works of popular psychology (50 Psychology Classics, due for release in January) in which I look at some of the outstanding writings in the field, everyone from Freud, Jung and Adler to William James and Alfred Kinsey, and also pick out some of the best modern stuff from people such as Martin Seligman (Authentic Happiness) and Malcolm Gladwell (Blink). The book is basically about human nature, or what makes people tick. This is something we would all like to know more about – not just the psychologists! So I wanted to put in one volume many of the most intriguing ideas and research about motivation, the emotions, and intelligence.

MW: How did you get involved in doing the 50 series?
TBB: I had a regular job writing briefing notes for senior politicians, then happened to start reading Steven Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, followed by Anthony Robbins Awaken The Giant Within. I was amazed by what these authors were saying about personal possibility, and started taking notes about some of the best books in the personal development field. I read more, researched more, and the result was – a few years later – my first book, 50 Self-Help Classics. I never intended to create a series, but it became obvious that there were plenty more classics in the motivational area that I hadn’t covered, so I then wrote 50 Success Classics.

MW: Which other titles are in the planning or development stages?
TBB: We are going to do a book on the wealth creation-investing-entrepreneurial classics, which I’m excited about, plus I have a few other concepts ready to be translated into books when the time comes, but still along roughly personal development lines. I’m also working on a book about success of a ‘slow-cooked’ nature, looking at the hundreds of examples of people in different fields who express the fact that genuine achievement takes time. If there is one principle I can take from all my reading and research, it is the importance of the time factor in any kind of success.

MW: How would you describe your dream job?
TBB: Doing what I’m doing now is my dream job, as I really created my own career. I would do it no matter how much money I had. If you can say that about your work, then you are doing what you were meant to do.

MW: What would you suggest others do to find theirs?
TBB: Simply follow a path that intrigues you, where you believe something needs to be done, to be created, to be improved, and no one seems to be doing it at the moment. If you don’t do it, who will? This is not to say that following the path might be difficult, or involve some kind of sacrifice, but if you are energized enough by what is ahead of you, none of the difficulties will matter that much to you.

MW: If you were not able to be a writer, what career do you think you might have followed?
TBB:  I probably would have stayed on the path I was on, which was being a political advisor. I enjoyed doing research and providing recommendations on courses of action for political leaders - without having to take the rap for anything! In another life I might also have become a newsreader - I fancied myself sitting behind one of those big desks breaking the day’s news, but ultimately I probably would have come back to personal development, so I’m very happy with the path I’ve taken.

MW:  From your Self-Help and Success book lists, which three or four titles would you suggest someone start with, and why?
Anthony Robbins Awaken The Giant Within - just a great all-round motivational book if you want to change your life.
David Schwartz The Magic of Thinking Big - most of the time the big difference between what people achieve in life relates to the size of their vision or goals. It is no more difficult to think big that it is to think small.  Dale Carnegie How To Win Friends and Influence People - a timeless and powerful work of ‘people relations’ from the 1930s that is also a very enjoyable, witty read.  Napoloeon Hill Think and Grow Rich - another landmark work that has awakened thousands of people to the idea that they can create prosperity through the use of their minds.

MW: How do you define success?
TBB: This might sound like a cliché, but it is simply the achievement of meaningful goals, that is, not goals that society says you should have, but ones that you have genuinely created from inside yourself.

The important point is that everyone wants to be a success, no matter what they may tell you. Even the monk in the cave has a goal to achieve enlightenment. Humans are ‘goal seeking beings’ - unlike other animals, we are able to make a difference to many people, some of whom are not even yet born, through what we do in our lives today. Appreciate that your actions reverberate across the generations, so you might as well make those actions constructive.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Today I want to share part of a conversation I’ve been having with Stephen Hopson.  Stephen and I met through our interest in writing and article distribution on the Internet at the Ezine Articles site.

Click here for an earlier post I made in reference to Stephen’s incredible story.

MW:  From your website, I see you were born deaf.  How did you learn to speak?
 
Stephen:  For several years throughout elementary, junior, and senior high schools, I went through daily speech therapy sessions at school, with more at home with my mom.

MW:  Did you attend a deaf school or were you mainstreamed?
 
Stephen:  With the exception of kindergarten, I was put in the public school system where all of my teachers and peers were hearing.  I was often the only deaf student in the entire student body.

MW:  That’s really phenomenal, Stephen.  Of all the people in your life, can you name one or two who had a profound influence on you?
 
Stephen:  Mom and Dad (count as one) and Mrs. Jordan, my fifth-grade teacher. (Click Adversity University, Stephen’s blog, if you’d like to learn more about Stephen’s teacher.)
 
MW: You’ve experienced enormous success in the worlds of Wall Street and aviation by becoming an award-winning stockbroker and the world’s first deaf instrument-rated pilot.  How did you do it?
 
Stephen:  First off, I believe strongly in myself.  Secondly, I have faith in God’s ability to provide what I need in terms of having the right people in my life, the right resources at my disposal, and ideas to take action on.

MW:  Well, you must have a very strong grounding then.  Anything else that you would attribute your success to?

Stephen:  Sure, lots of things, but really it has come down to persistence, with the ability to be flexible with changing conditions and to have a strong passion for what I am doing.  I also try to stay very focused on whatever challenge I face, and to carry out ideas with integrity as best I can and know how.
 

MW:  What obstacles did you encounter on your way to success? 

Stephen:  Perhaps the single biggest thing is overcoming other people’s pre-conceived notions of what a deaf person is capable of doing.  I’ve also had to deal with a lot of rejection from potential customers.

MW:  Well, you must have really had a hard time, then, with getting your pilot’s license.

Stephen:  Sure did; the FAA regulations prohibit deaf pilots from becoming instrument rated, because they need to hear the radio while in the clouds.  Also, I have a tough time with people who mumble (MW side comment:  We all do, Stephen!), talk too fast, or have facial hair covering their lips, because I lip read.

MW:  How did you develop your writing skills?
 
Stephen:  After I left Wall Street in 1996 to pursue my dreams of becoming a motivational speaker, author, and pilot, I started a private dairy, letting myself write whatever came to mind.  This freed up any potential writers block and allowed me to access my creative writing skills.

Then later I did some writing exercises using Julie Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way, (MW Note:  The Artist’s Way is a phenomenal book — it’s by no means just for artist’s — and I put it in my Top5er list, so get it if you work with any sort of artistic, writing, or creative endeavor).

After that, I started submitting stories to various websites, eventually leading to the publication of three stories in best-selling books including Chicken Soup for the College Soul. Nowadays I write at least one article a day and submit to Ezine Articles, my blog, and my website.
 
MW:  When you give speeches, do you use sign language or do you speak on your own?
 
Stephen:  I speak on my own because most of my audiences are hearing.  On rare occasions I speak to deaf audiences where I use sign language for their benefit.
 
MW:  Stephen, a tough one now . . . you’ve obviously handled a bit of adversity in your life, so how do you keep going when the chips are down?
 
Stephen:  As I mentioned before, i have a strong faith in God and really believe that everything happens for a reason, even the challenges that come before me.  I view setbacks as opportunities in disguise.  I also believe that I have a special purpose in life – that I am here to help others succeed.
 
MW:  What are the most important qualities of a successful person?
 
Stephen:  That’s easy, Michael:  integrity and maintaining an attitude of gratitude. I go crazy from time to time with handwritten thank-you notes, thanking people for whatever they did for me, whether they had faith in my abilities, helped me with a referral, helped me with a sponsorship, gave me an opportunity to prove myself, or any number of other things that have helped me along the way.
 
MW:  Stephen, you’ve had so many wonderful experiences, but what was the most significant turning point in your life?
 
Stephen:  When I realized that I was born deaf for a purpose.  It became clear to me that I was given certain talents to make an impact on the world, and for me that was using my ability to speak articulately and in a way that audiences are able to bond with me.  This ability to communicate opens the way for them to learn, grow, and find their own life’s purpose.
 
MW:  How would you define success, then?

Stephen:  Success is seeing your dreams come to pass, especially when there was no evidence of it ever coming true in the first place.  Success is also being able to hit the pillow every night knowing you did your best to make a difference in other people’s lives and feeling a sense of inner peace about it.

MW:  As I think you know, Dream Jobs Dialog reaches a lot of life seekers and dream job searchers.  What advice would you give to someone who is unclear of their place on this planet and their role in the world of work?  In other words, how would you advise someone to seek their own dream job?

Stephen:  We are all here to serve others by carrying out our life’s purpose.  The way I found mine was by paying attention to my innermost passions.  I am successful because I always believed in the old adage, “Follow your passions and the money will follow.”  Yes, I’ve hit rough patches along the way (more than a few!), but I never starved nor was I ever without a roof over my head.  God has always come through for me simply because I believed and trusted. 
 
Start by writing down all your passions — think about the things you used to do as a child that made time fly by.  What were they?  Whatever they were most likely defines why you came here.   
 
If, on the other hand, those childhood passions no longer excite you (which is quite possible, because we do change as we get older), then I would encourage them to think about the things that you’re excited about today.  Then make a list.  Pray about it.  Believe in the possibilities.  Surround yourself with supporters.  And ,finally, listen to your intuition for ideas to take action on.

MW:  Thanks much, Stephen, it’s been great talking to you.  I hope you’ll stay in touch with us as things evolve in your life.

 

So, Dream Jobbers, holler if you have questions for Stephen of if this interview has sparked you in any way.

Popularity: 9% [?]