I’ve come to what I think is a conclusion now about the meaning of life. In the previous article I talked about the meaning of life for the individual. Often times we come to our own conclusion about the meaning of life for us personally.

Whatever you come up with for your own life I want you to consider adding this one too…

The ultimate shared meaning of life for everyone on the planet is:

Helping others get through their lives a little bit easier.

That’s it.

That’s the whole meaning of life for mankind as a whole.

If you think about it - that’s what everything, every clue about the meaning of life is pointing toward…

Helping others get through life just a little easier than they would have without the help.

Life is full of suck for all of us. There’s a lot to deal with. Some have it easier than others, sure. But, in the end if you really took a realistic look at your life you’d see that your life is FILLED with pain.

The alarm clock rings in the morning. You know you should get up. The way society is in America, you must get up. If you don’t get up you must lie to your employer about why you didn’t make it to work that day. Do that a couple of times and you’ve lost your job and caused more problems than the pain that existed pulling yourself up out of bed.

From the time you wake up until the time you sleep you have things that you ‘need’ to do to keep participating in the society you live in. Most of these things are not what you would choose to be doing in an ideal life. If your life were ideal you would choose what to do with each part of your day. Few of us have that freedom.

Not all that many of us will take an objective look at their own life and see all that sucks about it. If we did - we’d ask ourselves - WHY are we going through life like this? Am I not SMARTER than this? Why do I owe 9-12 hours of my 16 hours awake to someone or some company I could care less about?

Life as is it in these United States, sucks basically.

There are those of us that can deal with it everyday. We might blow off steam once a year or once in three years. That’s all we need. There are those that can’t make it through each day without major drama.

Is it their fault? How long could you go being so poor you couldn’t buy clothes detergent to hand wash your clothes? How many times could you listen to your kids asking you what’s to eat for lunch when you know they’re going to have to make it through without lunch until they get some bread and peanut butter for dinner?

Me? Not too many times.

There are people in the USA like this. There are people in the world like this. There are HUNDREDS of MILLIONS of people in the world like this. In your town you might know someone like this. You may have had a problem with them in the past or you may know poor children that are in class with your children.

You might have been cut off while driving by someone that has just had enough of life’s stressors and can’t take anymore.

Here in Thailand the majority of people are doing OK on what little they have. They wake up and go to work like you do. They have families that need fed and they work 8-12 hours like you do. Overall most in Thailand are doing well enough to survive and thrive. At the end of the month after expenses they might have an average of $18 to spend on non-necessities. Most of them are OK with that. That’s what most people have. It’s the norm for Thai society. In American dollars that might equate to almost $100 USD.

Others, and there are thousands upon thousands in this country of 65 million, don’t have the education or the physical health to work as much as they need to in order to provide for their families. In the USA we tend to see poverty as something people can get out of if they just pulled themselves together. It’s their fault.

Pulling themselves together is the impossible part of that for most of them. For you and I, sure, we understand there are good times and bad and we roll with them. We tell ourselves there is more good than bad. But, what about those that tell themselves there is so much more bad than good? They’re impoverished and living in your town and every other town across America.

In Thailand there’s an understanding that older people have worked enough and the children are usually working to support them as they move into adulthood and get jobs. There is also an understanding that there are quite a few people that didn’t get a good education - maybe NO education. Thai society, individuals really, take it upon themselves to help those that are too poor to take care of daily needs like food and a place to sleep.

Even so, Thailand is caught up in an era where many are starting to be able to make a little more money. There are Thais driving Mercedes Benzs that cost $100K dollars. There are Land Rovers, Lexus SUV’s, Toyota Landcruisers, BMW SUVs, and all kinds of European supercars driven by the rich. Some Thais have it all. Imagine making $40,000 usd per year and being able to afford a Mercedes, a Lexus RV and a $100,000 home. They’re doing it in Thailand. The cost of living here is cheaper than the USA - much cheaper. But, it’s not free.

Every Thai adult still needs $100 per month for even the most basic necessities in the smallest of villages to survive.

Not every adult gets that here. There are those that work construction for 10 hours a day every day of the week and they receive 2,000 baht (66 dollars) a month for their labor. They sweat outside under Thailand’s blazing sun and in the unbearable humidity every single day building homes for rich Thais just to be able to survive.

All around the world are people that are having a tough time of life. Some more than others.

For myself… life isn’t that difficult. I feel like a winner in the game of life. I know that because I’ve continually pulled myself out of holes and accomplished whatever was necessary to get back to “good times”. I have that confidence about myself. I have the skills, the education, and the unsinkable attitude. I have a well rounded view of reality… Life sucks sometimes, and other times I’m doing everything I can to keep the suck in the background.

Are you like that? Most of you reading this article are. But, there are SO many people that aren’t.

I’ve been really thinking about this latest idea that life for each and every one of us is all about helping others get through their lives a little bit easier.

Some of us have it all. We laugh at others that tell us life sucks. We’ve got a house or houses, vacation home, boat, sports car, SUV, and every electronics toy that comes on the market. I’ve been there. It’s a great spot to be in. As I think back, it’s a selfish good feeling. Good yes, but it’s only being concerned with the self. That kind of good feeling doesn’t last very long.

Contrast your having it all with kids that are living in the projects that are shaking cockroaches out of their Corn Flakes box before they pour themselves a bowl to have with water (not milk).

Some of us are in a position to help. And, help a LOT. There are thousands of opportunities to help others that slip past us - often without us even noticing. I noticed that when I LOOK for ways to help I find some. I’ve been finding so many opportunities as I consciously go looking for them.

Helping others is the ultimate gratification in life. In a way it’s selfish too - because you’re actually making yourself feel really good. But, what better way to be selfish? It’s a win-win. We’re by nature, selfish beings. We seek to repeat experiences which make us feel good. We do that which makes us happy.

Try doing something for someone else. Try helping them do something, to accomplish something - however small, and see how you feel. I’ll bet it feels good. TRY it to feel it yourself and see how easy it is to get addicted to that feeling. I am seriously becoming addicted to it as I realize more each day that there’s nothing better for me to do with my life than help others.

What else can you do for yourself that makes you feel so good except giving something of yourself to others? Buy yourself a new iPhone? How long will that good feeling last? Until the next phone comes on the market. But really, not even that long.

Doing something for others that you didn’t need to do… weren’t obligated to do… maybe didn’t even have TIME to do… and that you did just because you wanted to help a fellow human being get through life a little bit easier is the coolest feeling in the entire realm of experience.

Find out for yourself - I challenge you.

Not only poor people need help. I’m not talking just about monetary help. Helping others can be ANYTHING that helps them get through life easier.

Can you make someone smile?

Can you give someone an alternative view that might get them unstuck from a downward spiral of negative thinking?

Can you offer some words of encouragement?

Can you share a story about your life that mirrored an experience someone you know is having and how you pulled yourself out of it?

Can you help someone get somewhere? Offer a lift to somewhere? Can you offer a smoke to someone? Can you offer 10 minutes to help someone do something? Can you teach someone a new skill with your free time that might help them take care of themselves better later on as they learn?

For myself I really enjoy doing things in secret… I like to give someone something without them knowing where it came from. That to me is a real rush… I’ll share something with you that I was keeping for myself but it will show you how easy it is to do something cool for others without them knowing about it.

I was at a local Buddhist temple and I walked into the convenience store to get something to drink. Two little girls came in after me - maybe 7 years old, both of them. They were in dirty shirt and shorts and their clothing was really simple. They were skinny as rails and they had 20 baht with them clenched tightly in one hand.

Some rubber springy balls almost like yo-yos but made entirely of grippy flourescent yellow and green rubber with tentacles caught their eyes as they came in - they both walked quickly to them. They talked excitedly about them and played with them before looking at the price. 20 baht each. They played a little more and then resigned themselves to looking all over the store for something they could afford for both of them.

I quickly chose a drink from the cooler and went to the cashier, a Buddhist nun  I’ve known for a year now… when the little girls were behind one of the rows of goods I grabbed two of the springy balls - a yellow one and a green one and paid for them. I gave them to the clerk and asked her to give them to the girls. She started to call the girls and I asked her to do it when I was gone. Secret. Kwam Lahp!- in Thai.

I walked away from the store and watched from a distance as they came out playing with the balls - so excited and looking for the foreigner which gave them their secret gifts.

The smiles and the excitement on their faces made me smile inside. For 40 baht, about $1.33 I was able to give them something fun to do for a few minutes… maybe an hour. Maybe they have brothers and sisters that will play with them too? Maybe they’ll tell their parents the story. Maybe their parents will have a better view of foreigners in their country. Maybe…

What could be better than helping others become a little bit happier? What could be better than making life a little bit easier for someone?

Is there anyone you know that you can help get through life a little bit easier today?

Your action need not be life changing. It need not be dramatic. You don’t have to give someone $100 to help. But, you might give $3. You might contribute to someone’s plugin you used to power your FireFox browser. You might offer to carry something for someone. You might offer a ride to someone or share a book you are finished with and that will sit on your bookshelf for 19 years before someone decides to throw it away or donate it to the library.

You might do…

A n y t h i n g.

Look for opportunities… they’re all around you if you look for them.

Is the meaning of life - FUN?

I guess I’m on a quest for the meaning of life. I’m 42 and it’s time I figured it all out. I’m giving myself until December this year, then I’ve got to have the answer.

When I say I want to know what the meaning of life is - what am I saying exactly? Do I mean that there is one meaning for everyone on this planet? Is there one meaning to life that everyone shares?

Or, is it phenomenological and specific to each person. The point of my life might be carving wooden phallus’s to sell to villagers that will offer them to the god of fertility to ensure a good crop growing season. The meaning of your life might be helping Asian orphans find homes abroad.

I don’t know. I’m leaning toward the idea that there are both. There are two meanings of life. One is the overall meaning which is shared, or can be shared by everyone that realizes it. The other one is your personal meaning of life, the one that helps you get through 70 years of hell or bliss - depending how you view it.

Over the years I’ve lived my life with various ideas about what it means and what I ought to be focusing on.

Fun ranks highly. I’ve said in the past that fun is the entire meaning of life. Having fun has taken me through quite a few years. Most years I think. I’ve spent a lot of time in fun-mode and it worked for a long time. It’s an outrageous good time in the present moment and gives me great memories, but having fun most of your life doesn’t prepare you for the future at all. Fun is for now.

Is having as much fun as possible during life the real meaning of life? In the past I might have said yes. Today I think that while it’s a part of life that must happen, must be sought-out I think that having fun is just a part of life, not the meaning. A life of fun is rather selfish and I’ve since decided and I can no longer focus 95% of my life on having fun and know that I’m doing the most I can with this life I have.

Some people live their lives for God. Whatever god they choose is irrelevant. They live their lives according to stories that someone told them that make enough sense that they pour all their beliefs into one basket. People living their lives this way are relying on a morality that was already decided for them. A complete lifestyle that was decided for them. Their church, a book, other followers of the same god dictate what right and wrong is and believers follow it. To most believers the point of life is total (or as much as you can) dedication to whatever god being worshiped.

For a short time I thought some God or religion might be the answer too. It didn’t take long to realize that it was too illogical to believe in something I could neither see or interact with. Religion doesn’t do it for me. There might be a god. There might be a hundred. I don’t know who they are and they aren’t all that interested in 2-way communication so I’m pretty firmly convinced that religion and dedication to a god, spirit, book, religion, or other group based on beliefs of the past or in the supernatural is outside the realm of possibility for me. Gods have nothing to do with the meaning of life except that if they created this world and gave me life then they must have had some idea for human beings in mind. They must have had some sort of point to creating us. They must have had some idea how our time living could be best spent.

That’s something I believe in.

I also think that, though this life looks like an ungodly mess… something very intelligent started this for us. Whether it was a god we know or a god we don’t know. Whether it was intelligent humans before us or smart creatures from another galaxy… I’ve no idea, nor do I spend much time at all thinking about it. What I see here is that life is arranged according to an outlandish number of rules that we’re all following by default.

The world is set up as it is. We are set up as we are. Animals, trees, properties of materials… physical laws, biological laws, laws of thermodynamics, electricity, radiation… all being what they are - are already in motion.

We’re players in this game with thousands and thousands of rules that guide us.

What are these rules of life guiding us toward?

I think they’re guiding us toward the meaning of life.

What else? Are we here for someone’s amusement? Possibly. I don’t want to believe that, but the real reason we’re here could be anything. Whatever created us could be a Jekkyl/Hyde character bent on seeing how long it takes intelligent, selfish humans governed by 68,000+ laws to destroy themselves and everything else living on the planet.

That’s a real possibility. If that’s the case, or if it’s for any other trivial or meaningless reason that we all exist then so be it. That’s neither here nor there. It doesn’t affect me at all. Meaning, it doesn’t affect my thinking on a daily basis. It affects me ultimately, yes… but if I’m unaware of it - it doesn’t really affect me now as I live each day.

What affects me is the nagging question about why I’m going through this life as I am. What is the point of me going through this life? What is everything pointing toward? Surely if there is a point to life then many of the 68,000+ rules that govern us are pushing or nudging us toward that goal. Yes?

If there was really a meaning to human life - wouldn’t that meaning have to be reachable from day 1? Meaning, if there were human beings 5,000 years ago which have a lifespan of 50 years or however short it was at that time - wouldn’t they need to have the tools to come up with the meaning for life at that time as well as we can today?

I think so. Assuming life is fair. By fair I mean, statistically fair. Everyone seems to be subject to the same laws of chance and probability. It all seems to even out across individuals and groups of individuals. For instance, the Chinese as a group aren’t more predisposed toward high-blood pressure anymore than anyone else. And, if they were they’d have other complimentary traits that were not shared by other groups. It’s all kind of evened out.

I have this idea that I need to figure out the equation about the meaning of life. It’s an equation all right. What is important to figuring it out? Can I look at each rule that humans live under and question where it is going… add that all up in a matrices of data and have it point to something?

I don’t think so. People with an average intelligence or below average couldn’t do that. Maybe a team of the smartest people in the world couldn’t do that objectively without looking for an answer they didn’t already believe in - and sway the result.

I think it has to be something obvious that anyone can figure out.

For that reason alone I decided that the meaning of life must be inside me. It doesn’t matter if one is a doctor, physicist, Christian or Buddhist scholar…  The answer is inside each one of us. It must be. There’s nothing outside of us that everyone in the world has access to. The meaning of life, if hidden in chalk scrapings in Kyrgyzstan in a cave wouldn’t really be fair - would it? Would there be any point in that?

I think it’s here inside me. I think it’s inside you. I think many people come up with a meaning of life for themselves. They realize at some point that this or that is the real meaning of their life.

Popular Personal Meanings of Life:

• Be a good mother or father.
• A life of servitude.
• Advancing technology in some area that ultimately helps others live longer or with less pain or problems.
• To have as much fun as possible.
• To make the most money or ascend to the highest position of power in a group.
• Enjoy everyday as if it’s the last. Enjoy what life has to offer.

Personal meanings of life can get you through the day, or through a lifetime. Some and maybe most people don’t go beyond that search. Once they find a personal meaning to life they stop asking.

For myself I’ve found various meanings of life. Some last me one or two years, some 10. Right now I’m more interested in the ultimate meaning of life - one that might be shared by everyone. Is there such a thing?

I’m not sure - but I may have found something. I may have found the ultimate meaning of life for everyone on the planet.

Part 2 coming soon… “The Universal Meaning of Life”

if there is no link here then I’ve not completed it yet… keep checking back!

There are a lot of misconceptions about what SEO experts know and what they don’t know. What they can do and can’t do. I hope to clear up a little bit of the misinformation because when you hire someone for a couple thousand dollars to help your site get where it needs to be. To increase sales. To increase your new business… all the things that SEO can do for your business you’d better understand the topic a little bit first.

1. Programmers that build your site know SEO.
This is probably the most common belief and it’s completely false. There are programmers that have studied SEO inside and out and know what they’re doing. Most of them? Haven’t. This goes the same for the company that builds your website. Nearly all of them have some kind of add-on SEO service they try to get customers to buy. The talk will sound good - but, probably they don’t have any great experience or plans for getting your site to the top of Google. Why do I say that? There are too few GOOD SEO people out there. I started in 1997-1998. I have learned so much over the years that I could write a book. SEO takes a monumental effort when done correctly. For a small site that might mean $1500. For a large site? $100,000+ easy.

2. SEO takes place on your website.
This is true to some degree, but you know what? Even for a small site there are another hundred hours of effort as “off-site SEO” that is every bit as important as what is done on your site. If I’m doing a comprehensive SEO project for a site I tell customers straight off that $2,000 will be allocated to off-site SEO efforts specific to the focus of your website. That’s doing it right. There aren’t any shortcuts. I can prioritize my work for clients that just can’t budget $2K but if I’m doing it the way I want it will take 100 hours and $2K.  I’ve recently started to create a comprehensive list of things I do when I fully optimize a site. I am amazed at the list and it keeps growing as I remember things I’ve done in the past and things I find out as I go along.

3. I can get SEO that works for $595. (insert a figure under a couple grand). Or, “I can get something for nothing!”
Unless it’s your good friend, what you’re getting for under $1,000 is likely incomplete and you’re better off to open the window of your mid-size or SUV as you’re blowing down the road and throw it at some pigeons. Really.

Here in Thailand I can do SEO for $20 per hour. Top quality, my best effort SEO. In the mainland US, I know nobody with my expertise can beat that rate - nor would they try. SEO experts with my skills go for $60-100 per hour in the states.  So, if someone offers to give you a complete SEO package to “optimize” your site for Google or anywhere else I think they couldn’t legitimately get past the on-site optimization of your site for $1000. The off-site would suffer. Or, worse the on-site would suffer. If business website owners understood the amount of time and effort needed to get a website to the top 10 in Google - and keep it there, they would spend the extra money that would make the difference. I really hate to see any ads for SEO under a couple of grand because I know, something will suffer at that rate. Probably you’re wasting whatever you spend at that level.

4. SEO stops when my site is optimized.
This is a very common belief. I’ve done work on sites that brought them tremendous traffic and sales, and then they ignored SEO for six months until sales had completely fallen off and realized they needed help again. And FAST! SEO done correctly is an ongoing effort. Everyday something must be done to add to the attractiveness, functionality, and/or link popularity so the search engines consider your site one of the best in it’s niche.

5. Getting your site ranked in the top 5 in Google is “The Goal”.
False. Getting your site ranked 1st on the keyword phrase, “Jeremy and Jeds Illinois Ice cream” is really not that awesome. It’s child’s play. Now, getting your site ranked 1st on “ice cream”, now that is awesome. Be careful what your SEO is promising you, typically there is that blanket, generic and quite meaningless promise, “Your site will rank in the top 10 of Google!” Make sure the keywords are the best you can get.

6. SEO means optimizing my meta tags, links, and text on my pages so I have a lot of instances of my top keyword represented.
It used to mean this to some degree. Now, it’s a new game. The industry has changed so much over the past 10 years and it’s in flux now - it’s always dynamic and never static. Another reason ongoing SEO maintenance is a must or you’ll find your site trailing your competition. Your competition could be someone from Guam now. Competition has become Worldwide now - it’s not limited to your city, state, or even your country anymore. There are many Canadian sites coming up in searches for SEO now. Go figure!

7. “My friend is going to handle the SEO…”
Unless your friend has spent a few thousand hours reading about and experimenting with live sites for him/herself you’re not going to get anything at all.  There’s a reason SEO experts charge what we do - we have an advanced degree more valuable than my master’s degree even. I’ve acquired what is equivalent to a PhD in real life search engine optimization. While I help friends, I usually can just discount the first project for them and hope I can convince them how important the ongoing maintenance is so they contract me long-term.

8. White Hat SEO is the only way to go.
White hat seo refers to seo experts using optimization techniques that are Google friendly and that won’t cause any penalties for having used them. Google is pretty clear about what can and can’t be done. I use white hat seo techniques for every project and it was the only way to go for a while.

Now? It’s not good enough. I’ve created what I call the “Clear Hat SEO” initiative. I’ve written more about it at that Google knol linked above.  Basically it has something to do with being more transparent to the customers that hire me to optimize their sites. I keep an ongoing Google Doc going in which I detail out things I’ve done for their project. SEO shouldn’t be secretive. Everything I do in the course of an SEO project should be in the open for clients to view. Otherwise how do you know what you paid for? I’ve done this with two recent clients and it seems that they appreciate knowing what is going on. Of course they don’t understand much of it - but I’m open to questions about anything written in the spreadsheet they want to learn about. White Hat SEO is almost OK, but, insist on Clear Hat SEO.

Here are some more articles on SEO that might help you get your head around the topic…

What kinds of things does an SEO specialist know?

Search engine optimization process mind-map >

Vern’s Search Engine Optimization Credentials (resume/cv)>

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Information >

Search Engine Optimization Process Outlined in Mindmap >

Web site / Blog designs by Vern >

Vern’s Recent SEO Success Page

Best of Life!

Vern

Moving 1 inch might set you free to travel an eternity...

I was reading something from Tom at Mindhacks about an experience he has while rock-climbing and I started to relate it to other life situations that it also applies to.

Tom was saying that he frequently has an experience while rock-climbing in which he finds himself stuck in a situation that doesn’t offer any good hand holds to help him move forward. Nor backward even. In his mind - he’s stuck, there’s no real option that exists at that moment in time because his mind is limited to not seeing any options. Everything that he wants to advance toward is just out of reach by only a little bit. Enough that he knows if he tries to go for a big stretch he’s going to fall.

I’m no expert, but I climb some simple routes. Climbing rocks is strange because you really don’t have all that long to find your next hold and get there before you run out of strength. It’s always a matter of time… superman would run out of strength at some point if he was stuck.

As the mind searches - confidently at first and then frantically before the body runs out of energy to hold him where he is… something must happen.

What happens is he realizes he has feet. He stops looking for handholds - which might be two or three feet away and starts looking for a new foothold to support him. A new foothold means he can move just a little bit. Maybe it’s only an inch or so. That might be ALL IT TAKES to enable him to see new hand holds from that new vantage point.

One inch in any direction might the the key to getting the whole way up the mountain, ridge, whatever he’s climbing.

You too.

One inch in any direction starts the ball rolling and it brings to the surface new possibilities… If you are truly stuck where you are - and you probably aren’t, you’re just blind to the possibilities that exist, you might need to move an inch in some direction. Doesn’t matter what direction - go backwards if you can’t go forward or parallel to where you are.

I was sitting here at my notebook computer thinking about how I should post something to Aim for Awesome because it’s been a few days. I have been smashed between some big SEO projects and I really want to give my clients the best I can so I’ve been consumed by them for the last week.

I didn’t have the slightest idea what to write about ten minutes ago. I was stuck. I stepped an inch by telling my friend what my problem was. Not expecting any answer, just wanting to share with her the strangeness of not being able to switch gears from SEO mode and optimizing websites for Google and being creative enough to write an article about something interesting for all of you.

She said immediately, “Don’t you have a stock of article’s you’ve already written that you could use?”

Initially I tried to play it off… “Yes, but I just don’t feel like editing one and making it live.”

Then I realized - wow, she gave me the answer… let me take the ball and run (or jog at least).

I said, “OK, let me open up the folder and see if anything jumps out at me.”

This article did. It reminded me of climbing, which I’m really starting to love… that was just enough to get me interested in reading Tom’s article again and then writing up this one for you.

Go an inch - any direction and see what happens.

If you’re ever stuck in any situation try it. Move an inch.

Moving an inch might equate to:

• Making one phone call.
• Talking to a friend about it.
• Taking one less sip of your bottle of scotch tonight.
• Trying a different style ad on your web site.
• Cutting your hair off.
• Picking up the next phone call instead of ignoring it.
• Giving a pregnant woman begging for money $10.00.
• Going outside to exercise instead of on your stationary bike.

It could mean anything, depending on the situation you find your self “stuck in”.

Frequently I think we’re not really stuck - we’re blinded to possibility. Possibility exists in every situation. Sometimes we’re just blind to it.

Open up your eyes by moving an inch any direction and see what happens…