#SpotLight ~ DREAMS, GOALS AND ADVENTURE by Michael D. Ditton ~ @MCBookTours,

Author Michael D. Ditton makes a stop here today as part of his Dreams, Goals, and Adventure Blog Tour through MC Book Tours.

DREAMS, GOALS AND ADVENTURE 

by Michael D. Ditton

Dreams, Goals and Adventure is a series of personal stories, the ups and downs of someone who inspires to reach all of the dreams set forth and how sometime a life event creates a situation requiring a major adjustment. It is stories others will be able to relate to with the life adventures each and every one of them have experienced, both good and challenging.

From broke to retired in ten years . . .

Returning home from Desert Storm, I found myself mentally and financially bankrupt. Newly divorced, I had no job, no help, and no hope. My reasons to live were gone. At the lowest point in my life, I fell back on simple truths from my childhood: hard work gets results, and it's okay to dream. And dream I did, setting goals that launched me from poverty to a life I could not have imagined. And you can do it, too.

          Dreams, Goals, and Adventure will inspire you to dream big, work toward your goals, and live your life as an adventure every day.

* Don't be afraid to dream.

* Don't accept “no” as an answer.

* Remove “can't” from your vocabulary.

* Small goals are stepping stones to much larger goals.

* Learn how to spring forward from failure.

* Know you will have to adjust.

* Live life as an adventure.

"Your experiences are so extra-ordinary and you're fascinating
to listen to. Your speaking style is humble and respectful of both your role as a speaker and of your audience, as one would expect after hearing of what you were trained to do. If others would open their lives to adventure as you have they would love their life even more." ~Jim Cathcart, author of the bestsellers: The Acorn Principle and Relationship Selling. CEO of Cathcart.com 

Michael Ditton is an entrepreneur, personal development coach, and student of life. In addition to helping others realize their dreams, he can be found sailing or traveling in search of new adventures.

“When met by unexpected challenges, embrace them wholeheartedly as opportunities for adventure and education.”

I developed Goal-Setting Basics to help others interested in learning how to set goals. In my twenties, I had to gather these valuable bits of information a piece at a time. This site offers you an array of information, tools, and resources to help you in identifying, setting, and accomplishing your goals, whatever they might be. In these tools are free worksheets and examples to help you succeed. You will find Goal-Setting Basics is your single source for all of your goal-setting needs.

“Financial Independence means having control over your time

without worrying about the ability to pay your bills” … So many think they have to be as wealthy as Bill Gates to live a rich life, that is so far from the truth … Let me show you how.

◊ Paperback: 148 pages

◊ Genre: Self-Help, Motivational

◊ Publisher: BalboaPress (October 19, 2015)

◊ Language: English

◊ ISBN-10: 1504335880

◊ ISBN-13: 978-1504335881

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Excerpt: 

Chapter Six

Burial Detail

By January 1991 the war became official and the units had all been deployed overseas. My team remained at Fort Riley to continue the logistical support necessary to run the fort on a day-to-day basis. Fort Riley is huge, and due to limited personnel we all had to wear many hats.

Of the many missions I was tasked with there was one that to this day is one of the most difficult, yet most rewarding, jobs I have ever performed. I was a proud member of an elite detail, one that required perfection in precision ceremonial drills, professionalism, outstanding individual character, immaculately pressed uniforms with all award ribbons in proper order, spit-shined shoes, and an extremely high level of teamwork. This select unit was The United States Army Burial Detail. Our responsibility was to provide fallen soldiers, their families, friends, and comrades the honor they deserved, and to express the deepest gratitude for their service to their country.

Although we always shared in the grief for these fallen heroes, we never experienced negativity from the ones they had left behind. In fact, families often approached us at the ceremony to thank us for laying their loved ones to rest in such a professional and respectful manner. In many cases we were invited to receptions, helping to celebrate a fallen hero’s life and to reflect on the impact he or she had on others.

All of these ceremonies had a profound effect on me, but one day in particular remains vividly etched in my memory. Like so many times before, we were to lay to rest a fallen soldier; however, this time it wasn’t a comrade who had fallen in our current war, but a retired veteran from a war long past.

I was a dreamer from an early age. To this day I believe anyone can do whatever they choose to put their mind to.

I didn’t go from eight years old to semi-retired in the length of one sentence. Nor was it easy. But I did follow a simple, time-honored process.

I was in my twenties before I fully understood the true importance of goal setting. After that, I was able to be more focused, see where I wanted to be, how I was going to get there, notice when I needed to make adjustments, and had the satisfaction of reaching goals. I enjoyed the benefits of reaching a goal and putting a big, fat check mark on my list.

Here’s how those goals paid off:

At 8, sold vegetables door to door from my little red wagon

Age 13, supervisor, World’s Fare Hamburgers

Age 15, assistant manager trainee, Pizza Hut

Age 16, assistant manager, Round Table Pizza

Age 18, began a 20-year commitment with the U.S. Army and Army Reserve, retiring in 2005 as a staff sergeant and Desert Storm veteran. Over my service career I became a leader and was recognized and awarded for my achievements and outstanding service.

Age 20, found my true calling as a sales professional

Age 31, began a successful career in real estate and real estate investments

Age 36, semi-retired

Age 37, owned and operated several companies

Age 41, semi-retired, sold everything and sailed south on his 45’ sailboat

Although I found success at a very early age, I became painfully aware of how quickly it can all be taken away. In 1991, after I returned from Desert Storm, I found myself bankrupt, mentally, physically and financially and divorced.

It was the lowest point in my life. Four years later, I had clawed my way back to even, and started to build from there. Two years after that, following my roadmap of goals, I reached my first level of financial independence. The rest is history.

For more on Michael, you can connect with him at the following sites:

www.dreamsgoalsandadventure.com

www.goalsettingbasics.com

www.michaelditton.com

For those following his tour, Michael is offering a special price on the Kindle eBook format of DREAMS, GOALS, AND ADVENTURE at a reduced cost of just 99 cents! Readers can also get a FREE copy of Michael’s GOAL SETTING BASICS in the eBook format. For one or both of these special offers just CLICK HERE!

Thanks for visiting during Michael’s tour stop. Are you following your dreams?