Why are there numbers in my website address?
My company is called UpBeing. I wrote about choosing a name for my business here I tried to get UpBeing as a domain name for my website, but another company (in China, I think) already had it. I needed to add something to my business name to make it unique, and I immediately decided to add the number 158. Many people have asked me why I did that. The reason is that the number 158 has special significance in my self-improvement journey.
What is the significance of the number 158?
For the past 30 years, I have been on a quest to be happier, healthier, and more successful financially. I also longed to improve the quality of my relationships with family and friends. I looked for help where and when I could – usually from television and radio talk shows. I watched while I folded my children’s laundry or prepared dinner; I listened while I weeded my garden. Watching and listening to Dr. Phil, Oprah, Dave Ramsay, and many others gave me lots to think about, but I wanted more. I wanted to dig deeper into the topics presented in 60 minutes or less by hosts and guests on tv and radio shows. I wanted to read. Since I didn’t have an unlimited book-buying budget, I made my way to my local library. Early on, I remember looking for a book by Jack Canfield called Success Principles. I went to the card catalog, which was on the computer (how I miss those giant wooden cabinets full of drawers…), got the call number of the book, 158, and headed to the non-fiction area of the library. In case you didn’t know, non-fiction books are classified according to the Dewey Decimal system by subject. 158 designates books on Applied Psychology. I found the book I was looking for, and I discovered treasure – hundreds of other self-help books on habits, time management, perfectionism, decluttering, communication, success, and even meditation. I was in heaven! Over the months and years to follow, I wore a path in the carpet between a certain library study table and the 158 section, reading and taking notes on all the books that sparked my interest. I always went home with a few so that I could read them from cover to cover. My deep dive into Dewey Decimal classification 158 awoke my passion for self-improvement.
What’s the Latest from the 158?
I continue to grow and learn, and find new things to teach, by reading books with 158 call numbers. When new books come out by authors such as Brené Brown, Gretchen Rubin, or Malcolm Gladwell, I don’t bother with the card catalog (which saves me time AND having to touch a germy computer keyboard). I just head to my favorite shelves and scan the spines for the first three letters of the author’s last name. For the next hour or so, you’ll find me at my regular study table near the window reading my recent find. If I’m still there when they start turning off the lights, it’s because I find more new 158 books near the one I came for that catch my attention. I get so excited reading that I can forget to eat when I’m in the library.
Sharing the 158 with you
When you see my website address and note the number 158 in it, I want you to think about all the time I’ve spent studying principles of happiness and success so that I will have the answers you need when you are ready to make changes in your life. I am a walking encyclopedia of self-help knowledge. My purpose and passion is to collect all the best ideas and most effective strategies for living life better and to share what I’ve learned with my clients. Contact me here for a free phone consultation. I want to put the knowledge I’ve gained from “the 158” to work for you!