Howdy ,
Want to know how I know there is a GOD?
When I was 16 I got my driver’s license and was living in Ashland, OR. One night a friend of mine Matt Swarts and I decided, for no real reason, to go drive up in the hills “getting sideways” around corners. You have to realize was ~37 years ago (way before cell phones were even imagined.)
I had a bright orange (think Duke’s of Hazzard) 1970 Gremlin which had a very light back-end.
We drove a good 30 minutes up Tolman Creek Road heading towards Mt. Ashland. Each turn was a blast sliding the backend around while we continued to go up in elevation listening to Judas Priest’s Screaming for Vengeance at full volume.
Finally, we got to a point where we decided we’d gone far enough and should turn around.
This is where things went downhill very fast (in more ways than one).
Even though I was 16 and “knew everything” I hadn’t anticipated how much easier it was go gain speed going downhill than going up and the very first turn I was going way, way too fast❗
I hit the brakes hard (way too hard) and started sliding to the edge. Matt and I sat completely silent while we knew the inevitable was going to happen.
We were going off that cliff & would be lucky to survive!
Then, defying all physical laws known to man, we suddenly sped away from the side of the cliff shooting forward like a runaway freight train.
What happened next was even more telling.
Both Matt and I didn’t say one freaking word for a couple of minutes. I just kept driving trying to process what just happened.
Finally I broke the silence saying “I so thought we were dead.” Matt nodded in full agreement and said “there is no way we weren’t going off that cliff”. We both felt so sure we decided to turn around and go back to the spot of our near doom.
What we found stunned us both❗
We literally saw our skid marks starting 20 feet from the edge and proceeded to go off the cliff. Then, miraculously (and I don’t use this word loosely), we saw them re-appear 2 feet away from where they went off the cliff❗
To this day I get goosebumps when I think about it. There is no logical reason we should be alive today yet here I am.
So why am I telling you this?
Our main goal at the-Automator is to spend a little more time up front to save time later.
Today’s newsletter is a reminder that “shit happens” and that even though I’m a huge believer in investing in yourself (like our AHK Courses) I also think you shouldn’t forget about today and give that extra hug to someone you love. 😊
Now on with the show…
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ABL (Always Be Learning)
Dan Kennedy often suggests you don’t just study examples from within your industry. You should be subscribing to others to get ideas you can adapt to yours (often beating the competition.)
A while back I bought a 35 hp tractor and, since then, have been watching a lot of YouTube videos on how to operate one. Brad, from Piney Grove is a YouTuber I like sign’s off all of his videos with the following catch phrase: “Life’s short; Tractor hard”. It took me a couple of times hearing it before I realized I should borrow the idea and come up with a catch phrase for our channel & business.
So, please click here to vote
Please Respond to the AutoHotkey Challenge
Speaking of tractors. I recently released this video explaining my AHK challenge to a bunch of gurus, AHK Hero members and YOU! This is another example that I thought up because of some tractor videos I was watching. Often there are a lot of great ideas out there, the hard part is realizing how they apply to you! In the video not only do I mention everyone that I’m challenging but I mention my top 5 scripts that are my reply to the challenge.
AHK Challenge 1 Favorite AHK scripts
How to write text files with AutoHotkey
Have you ever wanted to write text to a file with AutoHotkey? You should, as it’s a great skill to have! In this video (extracted from Intro to AHK) we show you just how easy it is! Don’t forget the Intro to AHK course is over 4 hours long! You can learn more about the course here.
How to Read and Write to Text files with AHK v2 Extract from Intro to AHK
How to Write Your first AHK script
If you’re 100% new to AutoHotkey, you also might check out this video (also extracted from Intro to AHK) walking you through your very-first AutoHotkey script! Isaias shows just how easy it is to program in AutoHotkey!
Beginners start here: Your FIRST AutoHotkey Script Extract from Intro to AHK v2
Using AutoHotkey w/o Installing it
It’s really cool that you don’t actually have to install AutoHotkey to use it. In this video we show you how easy it is to run AutoHotkey scripts if you can get the AHK executable on your computer. I don’t miss the days of working for Corporate America & having to beg/plead to get AutoHotkey so I could be more efficient at work!
Using AutoHotkey without installing it
📚 What we’re reading / Watching
- How to Transfer Files Between Windows & Android
- Quick Ways to Speed Up a Slow PC
- How to Remove Hyperlinks in Excel
- Mooonvalley looks pretty cool
- llava is a free image to text tool
- 4 HABITS That will make YOU POWERFUL Beyond Belief
🤖 AI / Chat GPT-3 News / Usage
- How to Create cartoon effects with one click
- Captivate your learners like never before
- Increase conversions & improve creatives on the fly
Is AI the Solution to Your Mental Health❓
⚡️Productivity tips: Alt + Enter: Breaking a line in Excel
To start a new line within a cell, or on a chart label, use Alt + Enter.
🤣 A spot of Humor: It’s a Junior Mint…
AHK Hero 🦸Consider joining the 🦸AHK Hero club! Members receive 25% off courses, consultations, tutoring, done for you project work, etc.
They also have access to exclusive & pre-released content and a 3 hours a week where we help people with their AHK issues (the Saturday calls are geared towards people new to AutoHotkey.)
🗣️ 💭 Quotable quotes
- You’ll always think there is a better time; Start now! — Joe Glines
- If you are not ready today, you will be even less so tomorrow — Ovid
- The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is today! — Chinese Proverb
- Life is better when you start forgiving the people who never apologized. — Zig Ziglar
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Joe, Isaias, Irfan, and staff
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P.S. The personal story I told at the beginning of this newsletter is 100% true. I’m not a “religious” man but I just can’t rationally explain how we didn’t go off that cliff. Remember to stop working and start living!
