Motivational Quotes About Passion

“If you can't figure out your purpose, figure out your passion.

For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.”

This famous quote brings home the connection between passion and what we are meant to do in life.  It's easy to say that having a passion for singing or acting won't lead to financial success but it can lead to happiness and a sense of fulfillment,

Of course, bills have to be paid and food has to be put on the table but passions can still be pursued and obtained.  A passion for helping others can be realized through volunteering or mentoring.  A passion for singing can be achieved by taking lessons or even performing at amateur nights.  You don't have to sing at Carnegie Hall to fulfill a heartfelt dream.

The quotes are by famous people who followed their passions to achieve their own successes in life.  You may not attain their fame but you can certainly follow your own passions.  Who knows where it might lead you?  Certainly to greater happiness!

We all have a purpose in life and passion is a beacon that lights the way to that purpose.  We only live once so we have to make sure that we make the most of it.  Following and fulfilling our passions ensures that we will do the best for ourselves and for others!




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Motivational Quotes on Starting A Business

There are many famous entrepreneurs who started with nothing but an idea and a dream.  Through hard work, they were able to reach astounding success and benefit the lives of many people.  If you have an idea that might change the world or simply have a passion that you'd like to follow, you can take a closer look at the life stories of the famous names quoted below.  They most likely had the same thoughts and dreams starting out that you're having now!

Of course, simply dreaming about success won't work without effort, perseverance and just the right amount of luck and good timing.  The good news is that your starting point doesn't have to be too large.  As Walt Disney remarked about his success, "I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse."



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Diet And Exercise: A Couple of Tips

Eating well is not that hard if it's done right.  Rather than shocking the body with a drastic cut in your food intake, it's much better to get your nutrition without the calories.  That way, the body isn't led to believe that there's a food shortage and it must batten down the hatches by storing fat.  

Social Eating!

One purpose of change in diet should be to get rid of any cravings you have for sweet and/or salty junk food.  Of course, this is very hard to accomplish if you've been eating such food your whole life, which most of us have done.  We know it's bad for us but our physical craving overcomes our knowledge that junk food is bad.  'A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.'

Thus, are you tempted by bag of chips?  A bowl of candy?  A king size chocolate bar?  Fries?  The food spread at a Superbowl party?

If you are at home, you should be able to resist that after a proper fast.  If you're at a party or at a friend's house for a visit, it's much more difficult.  If you are a family gathering or BBQ, it's even more hard to say no!

Treat these events as your indulgence.  It can be like being a social drinker.  If you only drink alcohol at gatherings, treat junk foods the same way.  You can eat them when you're at a social event with other people but not when you're at home or on your own.

Don't do this at home!

The main point is not to deprive yourself of enjoyable food. Eat healthy but have the occasional not-so-healthy treat to satisfy your mental craving. This makes socializing all the more fun!

Here's another tip.  If you like to buy treats such as potato chips or ice cream, don't buy your favorite flavor.  That is, if you prefer salt and vinegar chips over barbecue, but barbecue.  If you would rather have vanilla ice cream over chocolate, then buy chocolate!   You'll still enjoy the chips or ice cream but you'll have less of it.  No need for a second helping!

Avoid or Use Moderation with 'White Foods'

These are mainly processed foods which should be avoided or eaten in moderation.

They include:

a) White bread and white flour

b) Sugar

c) Pasta

d) Dairy (in excess)

e) Processed white rice

Core Exercise

One reason I changed my diet was to reduce the paunch I had in my mid-section. It took 5 inches off that area but I also realized that I had to do core exercises. My workouts were mostly about strength training (bench press, bicep curls) with only a few sit-ups done as an afterthought.

Mistake!  Core is defined as 'a central and often foundational part usually distinct from the enveloping part'.  The core of the body's strength is the foundation of the strength of the legs and arms.

I have been doing various core workouts now, which can be difficult at first if you've neglected the core like I have.  It's get easier and you'll feel a lot better as you go along!  You can try the following 30-day ab challenge to get your core in shape.

Diet and exercise are the hallmarks of good health but they don't have to be such hard work that you give up after a short time.  Any exercise is better than nothing and a diet low on sugar and processed foods will do wonders for the body.  There are many diet books and resources but it's often common sense, moderation and a little effort that will go a long way to better, and soon optimal, health!

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Google Shares Soar To An All-Time High

Reaching a new high, the share price for Google (Alphabet) rose more than $47 on Tuesday, July 24 to reach a new high of $1258.15.  This brings the company's market valuation to almost $860 Billion, again with range of Apple.

This surge came after Google's 2nd-quarter results beat Wall Street's expectations, despite the $5 Billion fine imposed by the European Union.  Revenue was almost $33 Billion, driven by ad sales, and the company's profit was $3.2 Billion.

"We delivered another quarter of very strong performance," Ruth Porat, Alphabet's chief financial officer, said in a press release. "Our investments are driving great experiences for users, strong results for advertisers, and new business opportunities for Google and Alphabet."

Is a market valuation of $1 Trillion with reach?  Stay tuned!

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The share price for Google's parent company Alphabet peaked at more that $1,221 on Wednesday, July 18 before settling at $1212.9  to reach a new high.  This enabled the company to reach a valuation of over $837 billion.   This brings the company to within less than $100 billion of Apple's market cap. Will the company pass Apple in total valuation this year and is the $1 trillion level within reach?

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From January 2018:

According to Business Insider, Alphabet  recently generated $27.77 billion in revenue, up 24% from a year ago" thanks to its mobile search advertising business and YouTube videos.  The Nasdaq itself rose more than 144 points to reach a record high of 6701.26.  It will be interesting to see if Alphabet or Apple will soon reach a valuation of $1 Trillion.

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Since June of this year, Alphabet (Google) share prices have fluctuated and hit a low of about $920.  However, the company's share price reached a new all-time high of $1,005.65 on October 11 after rising more than $17.00.  According to an article at Business Insider, the "tech giant has put itself in front of the shifts in mobile, video and cloud computing, setting itself ahead of competition in areas slated for the most growth in the coming years."  Is a market valuation of $1 Trillion far off?  It will be a very interesting competition to observe between Apple and Google as they race toward that milestone figure.

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As of June 7, 2017, the share price of Alphabet (Google) closed at an all-time high of $1001.59 after rising almost $5 on Wednesday.  This brought it's market capitalization to over $680 billion, second only to Apple.  Net profit was up 29% from the 1st Quarter in 2016 on revenue of almost $25 billion.  Advertising on YouTube and Google search continued to be strong and shows little sign of slowing down.  

Google's share price did reach $1,200 prior to its stock split in 2014 so it's a remarkable achievement to reach the $1,000 level again after becoming Alphabet.  The company does not pay dividends but investors have been very happy with the ever-increasing value of their shares.

Google's value has risen so high that even Warren Buffett now regrets he didn't invest in the company.  You can read more about it in this article,

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Google's (Alphabet) share price rose at all-time high of $858.45 on Wednesday January 25, the same day that the Dow Jones broke through the 20,000 barrier.  The company's earnings report comes out on Thursday and predictions are for almost $21 billion in net revenue, which could put Google's share price even higher.



Google has been doing very well with YouTube, its mobile advertising and the introduction of the Pixel phone, which some forecast to sell 7 million units this year.  Google's share price is expected to reach $1,000 this year by some forecasters but Thursday's earnings report will add some more light.  Stay tuned!

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Google's revenue rose 21% from last year to $21.5 billion, resulting in a net income of almost $6 billion, itself an increase of 28%.  This reflects the company's success with mobile advertising as well as its gains with such projects as Nest, Verily, Fiber and Google's driverless cars.  According to CEO Sundar Pichai, "The strength of the quarter is about mobile, (which has) changed the way people consume information. Our investment in mobile underlines everything we do…[from] search and YouTube to Android and advertising. Mobile is the engine that drives everything.  (With our) deep investments in machine learning and [artificial intelligence], we're building the engine that drives our future."

Apple closed at $104.21, giving it a market value of  just over $569 billion, compared to Google's $538+ billion.  Google certainly has a lot of momentum after this past week and it will be interesting to see if it will overtake Apple in the coming weeks.  Stay tuned!



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November 20, 2015:

Alphabet's share price rose more than $18 on Friday to close at $756.60.  This is an all-time high and gives a company a market valuation of $526.8 billion, second only to Apple.

As the chart shows, the company's share price has steadily increased (with a couple of dips) since its IPO back in 2004.  The stock split once, so those who bought the shares in the company at the initial price of $85 have seen an 1800% return.

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After changing its name to Alphabet, Google had a busy week in October.  Some highlights included:

1) Net revenue for the 3rd quarter of 2015 were up 13% from last year to $18.7 billion.  Net income was up 44% to $3.9 billion.

2)  Mobile ad clicks were up 23% from the same quarter from last year.  Mobile advertising has become an important source of revenue as people increasing rely on smart phones for their internet use.

3) Alphabet will buy back $5,099,019,513.59 in Google stock, which will lead to a surge in the stock`s value

4) Chief financial officer Ruth Porat was quoted as saying, `"With six products now having more than 1 billion users globally, we're excited about the opportunities ahead of Google, and across Alphabet,".  Other highlights included a figure of one million Apps for Work customers being reached and schools activating an average of 30,000 Chromebooks every day.

4) To compete with companies such as Netflix and Spotify, Google announced YouTube Red which lets viewers watch videos ad-free for $9.99 per month.  You can read more at their official blog.

October 2, 2015 marks the official day that Google becomes 'Alphabet', It will trade under that name on Monday as the company will wait until the markets close on Friday before making it all official.

Forming a parent company called 'Alphabet' allows Google to let its independent businesses have more freedom and move faster in today's fast-paced world of technology.  Nest and Google X, for example, can follow their own separate trajectories while Android, YouTube and Google Search will remain as Alphabet's core business.

Monday will definitely be an interesting day as Alphabet makes its debut.

Google's statement about today's news can be find at its Investors Relations page.

Google had another memorable day on Monday, August 10 with the creation of Google Alphabet, which is basically a collection of companies with the largest one being Google itself.  'Alphabet' is even used as a basis for the company's URL, which is now abc.xyz.

Why did the co-founders of Google take this radical step?  Larry Page writes about it in his blog at:

http://googleblog.blogspot.ca/2015/08/google-alphabet.html

Google has branched from being simply a search engine company into one that has ventured into such technologies as self-driving cars and Google Glass.  Calico was formed by Google to literally cure death while Android and YouTube have transformed the way that we use phones and watch videos.

What does this mean for Google?  As Larry Page writes:

"We are excited about...

• Getting more ambitious things done.
• Taking the long-term view.
• Empowering great entrepreneurs and companies to flourish.
• Investing at the scale of the opportunities and resources we see.
• Improving the transparency and oversight of what we’re doing.
• Making Google even better through greater focus.
• And hopefully... as a result of all this, improving the lives of as many people as we can."

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Google had a memorable day on Friday, July 17 as its stock surged more than $100 in early morning trading to cross the $700 barrier for the first time.  The company's quarterly report exceeded Wall Street's expectations and allayed fears about declining revenue from Google's desktop search or threats to YouTube from Facebook.

Google's Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat is well-known for keeping corporate expenses in check and industry experts have confidence that she will continue to keep a close eye on Google's balance sheet.  There is a question about whether Google will one day pay dividends to its shareholders but that has been put aside for the time being as investors enjoy the huge increase in the value of their shares.

Brokerages such as JP Morgan predict that Google's share price could exceed $800 within 12 months, which would make Google worth more than $500 billion, joining Apple as the only two corporations with a market cap of more than half a trillion dollars.

YouTube is still YouTube (viewing hours increased 60% from last year), mobile ad revenue is catching up to desktop and Google's desktop search is still extremely strong.  These factors along with items such as its self-driving cars will keep Google a vital and newsworthy corporation for a long time to come.


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Google's initial share price was at $85 back in August of 2004.  According to a CNN article at the time, "The company's timing isn't ideal... Tech stocks have tumbled this summer, despite their recent mini-rally, on concerns that profit growth may have peaked. Internet stocks have been hit especially hard due to questions about extremely high valuations."

The CNN article makes reference to other companies such as LookSmart, FindWhat.com and AskJeeves.  Investing in those companies back in 2004 would definitely not have had the return enjoyed by those who took a chance on Google.  Back then it was seen as a search engine, great for finding items on the internet, while now it's involved in many ventures such as Google Glass, Google Fiber, Google+, Hangout, Play and much more.

As the chart shows, Google's share price have enjoyed significant gains since its debut in 2004. The future does look to hold a lot of promise for those willing to hold onto their shares. Look for more news at this site in the upcoming weeks.



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