All My Affairs Blog

Someone Made a Purchase Today!

It may not sound like much, but someone spent about $19 today at one of our merchant partners.  It only generated a little over $2 for recovery.  But multiply that by 10,000 and we're really making a difference here.

I'm just excited because it is the first purchase not by me.

“There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth...not going all the way, and not starting.” -Siddharta

I Want What I Want When I Want It

AllMyAffairs.com will be back up by Monday morning.  Hopefully for good.

This has been a complete lesson in patience.  Despite living in recovery, I find that so often (maybe more often than not), I still want what I want when I want it.  I wanted a smooth website launch for All My Affairs.  It didn't happen.  I did the best I could, but factors beyond my skill level prevented it from happening.  So I must practice acceptance.

I apologize if I told you about the site and there was nothing there.  I also apologize to those of you who have registered and created accounts. 

"I'd rather be happy than right."

I heard someone say last night that he'd "rather be happy than right."  Thanks Mark, I feel the same.

I spent a short lifetime wanting to be right in all situations.  Sometimes I was, sometimes I wasn't.  But my ups and downs, in many ways, were determined by how much I had to fight to be right.  Because even when I wasn't, I was going to convince myself (and you) that I was.

I just read a book called Fooled by Randomness.  It made the point that humanity and especially the United States, look down on those who change their mind.  It is seen as a bad thing to completely reverse course based on new information.  Instead of incorporating the new information into our outlook (and thereby changing our outlook), we adjust how we see the information so that it fits our outlook.

This is dangerous.  There are countless examples of this in the world, but I'll let you come up with your own, lest I alienate people from my website's goal to help recovery.

An Hour a Day

I have a dear friend who is not happy in his corporate job.  He isn't about to jump off the roof, but clearly not pleased.  Either he actually does have to stay awhile or he believes he has to stay awhile.  Whatever the case, he's staying (awhile). 

He's got a passion and he's intelligent.  And his passion, like 100% of all passions out there, could lead to a full time career/job/business.  More importantly, it could lead to happiness. Therefore, pursue it.  If nothing more than an hour a day.

John Grisham started writing A Time to Kill while he was practicing law in the 80's.  His goal in the beginning - one page per day.  That's it!  One page.  Probably took him an hour.

I like writing, I like the web, I like web business.  Plus, nothing clarifies thoughts like reading blogs and writing one.  So my answer to everything is start a blog.

Maybe not the right answer for everyone.  But an hour a day probably is.

I have a dear friend who is not happy in his corporate job.  He isn't about to jump off the roof, but clearly not pleased.  Either he actually does have to stay awhile or he believes he has to stay awhile.  Whatever the case, he's staying (awhile). 

He's got a passion and he's intelligent.  And his passion, like 100% of all passions out there, could lead to a full time career/job/business.  More importantly, it could lead to happiness. Therefore, pursue it.  If nothing more than an hour a day.

John Grisham started writing A Time to Kill while he was practicing law in the 80's.  His goal in the beginning - one page per day.  That's it!  One page.  Probably took him an hour.

I like writing, I like the web, I like web business.  Plus, nothing clarifies thoughts like reading blogs and writing one.  So my answer to everything is start a blog.

Maybe not the right answer for everyone.  But an hour a day probably is.

AllMyAffairs.com

We have a tentative launch date for our private release.  October 20th.

It is a sober social network with a twist.  Your actions support recovery causes.  There will be more details to come, but for now I would love to hear any and all thoughts about which recovery causes should be supported.  There are no restrictions as of yet (501c3, # of members, etc.) so please, tell me what you think.  Tell your friends to tell me what they think.  The only requirement is the desire to further recovery.  Thoughts can be emld to:  byron a t  allmyaffairs dt com. 

If you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, but want to know more, shoot me an email.  If you would like to be part of the initial private release, go to AllMyAffairs and submit your name and email. 

A note on the development process.  I am using an Indian development firm.  I keep waiting for them to say, "You got got.  Thanks for the cash."  Yes, I'm actually waiting for them to say it, not just do it, which would, of course, be the way it would happen.  I don't know if this is a fear born of doing business in a strange digital age or my own instinctive skepticism.  Certainly both.  But I've done my best in choosing a firm and I will roll out my parts of the development process on schedule.  Perhaps the rest isn't up to me.

The Next Right Thing

Just as in life, The Next Right Thing is the important thing to remember in business.  I've been combing the web for all things recovery and I have found so many great sites.  Recovery blogs, shops, music, thoughts, meditations, and ideas are everywhere.  I want to start sharing my vision for the recovery network I am building, but then I realize I don't really have anything to show people.

There is soo much work to be done to get All My Affairs ready for everyday use.  The good news is the developement team is now working full speed ahead and a few roadblocks have already been navigated.  I'll probably be annoucing a launch date within a week or so.

Until then I am actively seeking info on recovery causes.  If you know of an organization that supports recovery, please let me know.  byron aT allmyaffairs dot com.

Learning from the mistakes of others

I used to take a lot of pride in saying, "I don't learn anything if I don't learn it the hard way."  (Or some variation thereof)

In reality, this isn't the best way to exist.  It certainly isn't something to be proud of.  If fourteen people in a row jump off a cliff to their death, why do I, the fifteenth, think I can fly?  If a restaurant tells me "careful, the plate is hot," why do I touch it?  They tell you it's hot becuase someone burned their hand very badly, then sued them.  Do I think my skin functions differently?  Why do I feel the need to see for myself in everything. 

I had a company before All My Affairs.  I was given the advice from a person whose opinion I value greatly.  He said, "Be careful with loss leaders, most of the time their just lost.  In fact, I'd just avoid them completely."  I did not - to my peril.  I was also told, "Build slowly, we tried to grow too fast, and it ruined us."  Again, I did not learn from the mistakes of others.

The old adage says, "A smart man learns from his mistakes.  A wise man learns from the mistakes of others."  There is a book called The Spirituality of Imperfection.  If I may crudely synthesize it into one sentence, it is: Embrace and build upon mistakes, becuase failure to do so is an attempt to play God. 

Humanity - you and I - are imperfect beings.  It is embedded in our DNA at a deeper level than the color of our eyes.

Written on the spine of my most referenced book are the words Remain Teachable.  I must learn from my mistakes to grow.  I must learn from the mistakes of others to grow exponentially. 

A beginning

Thanks for coming by.  I'm Byron W. and this if the official blog of AllMyAffairs.com. 

We are building a website - a web community - where people can give back to recovery.  Some people might call it a sober social network, some might call it a sober search engine, some might call it a sober village.  Whatever you might call it, it's going to be about giving back to recovery. 

Hopefully, people will share their experience, their strength, and their hope.

We are in development right now.  With any luck, we will launch early in the fall.  Until then, this blog will be where I chronicle the process and deal with my own struggles in starting a new business.  It is my aim to do the right thing in all my business affairs.

My life has to be about transparency.  People close to me need to see what I am doing.  I need to be open and honest.  And I think anyone chronicling or participating in my business affairs deservses no less.  In the "Letters to Pat H." category you will be able to see me ask for help and guidance.  Pat H. is an important advisor to me.

Also, at any point, please feel free to contact me - byron at allmyaffairs dt com.  I would love to hear thoughts, feedback, and even criticisms.  It is not me who creates great things.  Great things are created when I am an open channel for inspired contributions.  And all positive contributions are inspired.  So please, anything welcome.