Free

These are the lyrics to my favorite song.

“Free”
Street Dogs

All my life I have searched for clarity
I have wrestled with two paths
Buried deep inside of me
I lost some rounds
Been knocked around
Felt my share of defeat
Yet somehow I’ve always managed to get back
On my feet

The world keeps telling me
To get a grip or I won’t last
Got to break away from solitude
And let go of my past
I’ve never found it easy
To change my stubborn ways
Or to gain perspective
Throw away those soulless days

We have struggled
We have braved
We’re still searching for something more
We have struggled
We still brave
We’re looking for the chance to be free

Our music is a shelter
Where we know we’re not alone
We sing the words of our favorite songs
The bring us home
We find little comfort
A little piece of mind
Say goodbye to being left out
Hello friend, please come on in

We have struggled
We have braved
We’re still searching for something more
We have struggled
We still brave
We’re looking for the chance to be free

Go slow you man
Go slow young girl
Grow strong young man
Grow strong young girl

All of my life I have searched for clarity
I have wrestled with the demons inside me

We have struggled
We have braved
We’re still searching for something more
We have struggled
We still brave
We’re looking for the chance to be free

To break free
Because you got to hold on to your dreams
It’s not as easy as it seems
Because you got to fight
Fight to be free
You got to stay free
Stay alive, stay alive, you see
Don’t give in
Stay free please

what it’s there for.

“The opposite of love isn’t hate, the opposite of love is indifference.”

Steven Pressfield

Apathy will take over any part of our lives we leave unattended. If you don’t care about nutrition you will be fat, if you don’t put effort into your career you won’t have success, if you ignore relationships you will end up alone.

Hating something is a way of showing that you care. I hate the Raiders because I’m a Broncos fan. People who are indifferent towards the NFL won’t have feelings either way.

I know a man who is a die-hard conservative. He does not believe that social programs which offer people financial support are honest. His mantra of late is, “The government shouldn’t pay for that”. . .

A few years ago this mans daughter lost her job. She happened to be pregnant at the time. In the midst of her struggle she took advantage of many government assistance programs. She never paid for a doctors appointment, or the cost of the labor and delivery of her child. She was given money for food and for bills that she couldn’t pay. She filed for an extension on her unemployment and pulled from it for as long as she could.

This young woman was very self-conscious about taking the help, and she was worried that her father would not approve of her reliance on outside help. One day, with much trepidation  she asked her father, “Dad, what do you think I should do?” His reply was simple,

“You should take the help, that’s what it’s there for.”

Just as action is the cure for apathy, perspective is the cure for intolerance.

Long time, no see

How long are we capable of doing something we really don’t like?

I think it depends. Why are we doing it? Is the unpleasant act a means to an end? And, do we know what that end is?

For me, figuring out the ending I want is the tricky part.

Also, deciding when to quit what I’m doing now and discover a better route to take on my journey to. . . wherever it is I’m going.

 

I missed this, sorry it has been so long.

 

Lull

A lull is a break in the action. Downtime. Slow.
I think you can tell a lot about people by the way they spend their lulls.
I read, hang out with my family, and I dream (or scheme). I think of ways I can change my life, business ideas, things I want to write about. . .
Better than dreaming would be doing.
Preparation is necessary. But endless preparation is just another way to do nothing.

My reading corner

My favorite thing in my living room.

Live Each Day Like It’s Your Last…

I understand the premise of this age-old advice. But when I sit down and actually consider doing it, well. . . What would I do on my last day?

Wake up. Roll over and kiss my wife, go into my girls bedroom and check on them. (I really don’t know what I am “checking”, but it makes me feel better.)

And then I would worry, I would be sad that I was leaving my family. I would not go to work, start a project, spend the time to finish a project, or finish a book, or. . . I would spend my last day with my family and I would do nothing else.

Every once in a while I spend a day doing things pretty similar to what I described above. It is a nice escape, it balances my life, and it re-charges me and prepares me to get back in the fight.

But if I did it every single day it wouldn’t be special. I wouldn’t be productive. And ultimately none of us would be happy.

My point is, most of the things we do are based on the idea that there IS a tomorrow. We set goals, set out on adventures, and start things because we know it will better our future.

Any day could be my last. That’s why I have life insurance. But. . .

Chances are tomorrow is showing up at its scheduled time. Maybe we should live every day like we know that.

A Manifesto for Creativity in the Digital Age

AWSM ROBOT

I believe that inspiration and spiritual insight can be found in many different places.  The Dalai Lama’s 18 Rules for Living provide a great example of spiritual insight.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three Rs:
   1. Respect for self
   2. Respect for others
   3. Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honourable life…

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You’ll be missed.

I quit my FedEx job today. (In this job-market?)

Last days are awkward. Nobody knows the right thing to say to someone who is moving on. Most people stick with the standards like, “it was good working with you.”, or “Keep in touch.”, or “You’ll be missed.”

Most of it is sincere. I think in general we hope for the best for the people we know.

And I am left wondering. . . Did I make the right choice? Is the new job a better option? Should I focus on starting my own gig? What would I do on my own?( I REALLY want to go the entrepeneur route)

So the journey continues, and I feel like I am moving forward.

We’ll see.

Life Lessons Learned From a Punk Rock Show

Energy is everything.
When in doubt; go louder, go harder, go faster.
No amount of talent can make up for a lack of intensity.
A powerful message can bring all types of people together.
Sometimes, you just need to jump, scream, sing, sweat, and feel without regard to anyone or anything around you.

If you have never been to a real punk show you should go. . . It could change your life.