Keep The Faith

This post is going to be a little different than my typical articles. A few days ago a friend of mine sent me an email with a video attached to it. It was titled Keep The Faith. I personally don't recognize the man telling the story. If someone does, I'd appreciate you filling me in and letting me know.

The story moved me. I took me back to a time when I was in my mid 20s and had completed four years of college and a bachelors degree and an additional year of graduate school and had earned a masters degree. I was a young business man and I was going through another life change as I entered the service to our country to serve in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War Era. So, while the presenter of this story is, obviously, younger than me, which you'll pick up on as he relates the story, I relate to what he is saying because I had experienced the attitudes that he relates.

There's not much else to say because I don't want to steal the presenter's thunder. But, those of you of a certain age (mostly from the Greatest Generation, the Silent Generation, the Baby Boomer Generation and the very early Generation X) will be able to relate to this. You will likely remember when this was pretty much the overall attitude in the U.S. regardless of what part of the country you were from. For those of you who are younger than the group I just described, this is the way our country once was. It certainly wasn't perfect. But, it was a lot better, in my mind, than much of what we're witnessing and experiencing in all sectors of our society.

If It Is To Be It Is Up To Me!

If you've never heard of this short sentence made up entirely of two letter words, it's time you did.

Over the past few weeks I've been talking about “New Beginnings” and how I'm going through this challenging phase of my life. Everyone either has, is or will go through some very difficult times. Unfortunately, some of these events and experiences are going to be traumatic.

Someone once asked Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, the author of The Power of Positive Thinking, if there were any people who didn't face problems. He said, and I paraphrase, he knew of a place where there were a lot of people who didn't have problems. Let me take you there. So, the person went with Dr. Peale who led him to a cemetery. The person at first was stunned and then thought he was making fun of him. Dr. Peale assured him he was serious, none of the people in that cemetery or any other cemetery had any problems. The only people who have no problems reside in graves. So, if you don't want to join these people, you better get down on your knees and pray for God to give you problems.

We start having problems when we are small children. Our parents help us learn to cope with and solve our small problems. As we get older the problems get more difficult. And, of course, when we become adults, we have to deal with problems and situations that often seem insurmountable. Everybody has problems of one kind or another. I won't bore you with a list of the many kinds of problems we all face during our lifetimes. It's also said that God, or the Universe or life won't give you any problems that you can't handle. That doesn't mean they will be easy. It just means it's up to us to resolve the problems.

New Beginnings – 2022 – Part 3

Three weeks and three new articles. I'm patting myself on the back! I hope I'm back on line again.

This is going to be a short article today. Winter has set in here in the area of West Virginia known as the Potomac Highlands. It's where I've been staying with a friend while I've been recovering from my bout with cancer. I'm very lucky to have terrific and very supportive friends in various places and, certainly, my friend Carolyn has gone way above the call to help me.

It's snowing quite hard here today and into about midday tomorrow. It's quite cold with the current temperature registering at 16 degrees and an estimated accumulation of snow between 9” to 12” and possibly as much as 18.” I grew up in northern New Jersey and we had some cold temperatures and significant snow accumulations there when I was a kid. And, then I lived in Syracuse, NY and I have to be honest, snow, lots and lots of snow was a way of life along with sub-0 temperatures. We had some serious winters when I lived in the Washington, DC area and for the ten years I lived in Annapolis, MD. About every five years or so, we would have a very serious winter in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia when I lived outside Winchester. But, while some of my friends look forward to winter and snow, I have experienced probably about 30 blizzards during my life and frankly, I'd much rather see the snow from a distance along with the cold temperatures. I'm perfectly content to watch snow in TV shows or in movies. I don't need to experience it in person any longer.

Part of my New Beginnings is to start researching and searching for a new region to base my operations from and I'd like it to be a location with a moderate or temperate climate. So, I've been looking at places around the U.S. during the last several years I was traveling, prior to being inconveniently stopped from my travels by my cancer challenge. But, I'll be looking again for the right place once I can get back on the road.

New Beginnings – 2022 – Part 2

This is my second article of 2022 and you'll notice it has the same title as the first article, except I extended it as Part 2. I've been thinking, researching and contemplating this entire past week about what I said last week. Something sparked in my mind and heart about my thoughts and feelings. But, to start things off, let me give you a long quote I discovered during my research.

When someone you love dies, you are given the gift of "second chances". Their eulogy is a reminder that the living can turn their lives around at any point. You’re not bound by the past; that is who you used to be. You’re reminded that your feelings are not who you are, but how you felt at that moment. Your bad choices defined you yesterday, but they are not who you are today. Your future doesn’t have to travel the same path with the same people. You can start over. You don’t have to apologize to people that won’t listen. You don’t have to justify your feelings or actions, during a difficult time in your life. You don’t have to put up with people that are insecure and want you to fail. All you have to do is walk forward with a positive outlook, and trust that God has a plan that is greater than the sorrow you left behind. The people of quality that were meant to be in your life won’t need you to explain the beauty of your heart. They already understand what being human is----a roller coaster ride of emotions during rainstorms and sunshine, sprinkled with moments when you can almost reach the stars.

― Shannon L. Alder

Substitute the first and second sentence with, When you die and are reborn, you are given the gift of new beginnings. Your eulogy is a reminder that the living (you in your rebirth), can turn your life around at any point. With those two changed sentences, this quote is exactly what I'm feeling as I leave the past behind after being stricken down by my cancer experience and the ensuing battle. I don't know if I can describe what happened the morning of August 18, 2019 as having experienced death and coming back. I know there is a short period of time that I have no recollection of. I don't know if it was seconds or minutes. I don't recall seeing my life pass before me. I don't recall seeing a long tunnel with a white light at the end. I just don't remember anything for that brief period of time. And, of course, I was completely disoriented when I regained consciousness or grasped life again, whichever the case may have been.

What I do know is that a lot of things changed. To be perfectly honest, if friends, family, business associates or new people see me today, the only thing they will likely notice is that I'm slimmer because I lost about 20% of my weight (and, unfortunately, muscle mass). Otherwise, externally, there is little about the changes I described in the previous article that one can see. The voice I've used to speak and to provide voice-overs for numerous clients is still the same. I still have the knowledge, creativity, any talent I may have been blessed with and the skills I've learned and honed through over 60 years of adolescent and adult experiences. For all practical intents and purposes, externally and experientially, I'm still me. But, as I described, there is a new persona residing inside this older and, now, somewhat modified body.

New Beginnings – 2022

I'm writing this on January 1, 2022. As you can see, if you look at my last blog article, this is my first new article in a year. The year 2021 was very similar to 2020. They were both years that weren't. I mean, for me, they weren't noteworthy. Many things happened during 2021, but from my perspective, they were mainly negative things. But, I really don't want to focus and dwell on the negative. A few years ago, after writing this blog for about ten years, I began facing writers block. My articles became fewer and far between. I picked up again for a short time in 2019 when I was stricken down with my battle with cancer and I wrote almost daily for a few months about my experiences.

Let me be clear, I'm 76 years old. I'll be 77 years old in a few months. I try to not dwell on my age, however, due to many things that have occurred over the past couple of years, most notably, my battle and, so far, my victory over a near fatal bout with a pretty rare form of cancer, I have begun to accept my aging reality. You may have heard older people express the aging process as experiencing all kinds of aches, pains, physical changes, lower levels of energy and stamina. But, at the same time, they say their minds are acting like they are still in their 30s or 40s. I can relate to that.

However, some of us are dealt a variety of challenges. Some of those challenges result with life ending. During the past couple of years I've lost at least 12 friends from various facets of my life. Some of these friends were considerably older than me. Some were around my age. Still others were younger than me. Meanwhile, some of us survive after being dealt strokes, heart attacks, hip, knee and other joint replacements. Others have to deal with issues like diabetes, MS, Lupis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other chronic and autoimmune diseases. And, some, like me, must face the “Big C,” cancers of all kinds. I'm actually a two time cancer survivor, but I'm still going. In many cases, probably most cases, these medical issues are surprises. They blind-side us and, like it or not, we must deal with them.

Photo-of-the-Week #173 Padre Island On An Overcast Day, Near Corpus Christi, Texas, September 2003

Just another day at the beach. This is a somewhat lonely section of the Padre Island National Seashore near Corpus Christi, Texas. There is something about an overcast day on the beach - with a lonely seagull. The weathered pilings just add to the starkness of this setting. . . READ MORE

Information Overload, Brain Drain & Writers Block

As regular readers of this blog, I'm sure you have noticed that I haven't been publishing much in the way of new articles for the past few months. I regret that. I have actually written several posts, however, after spending considerable time writing and contemplating each article, I just wasn't satisfied that I was delivering thoughts and ideas I felt would be useful for you. So, they sit in my draft file and may surface sometime in the future after I look them over again and possibly edit or rewrite them.

So, What Is My Problem?

I am back at my base camp in West Virginia. I arrived here about 9:30 PM this past Tuesday evening, July 22^nd after six weeks of travel. I realized that I just haven't been producing the way I normally do or the way I like to. Since I returned I actually wrote, yet, another article the other day. I wasn't happy with it either.

So, I realize that I'm in some kind of funk, phase or mode that I'm not very pleased with, after all, my life and philosophy are all about living free, yet, I don't seem to be able to write anything about it. Am I actually living free? Is my mind and creativity free? Or, am I trapped in some kind of black hole of my own creation.

I believe I've identified three causes for my writing malaise. The first is “Information Overload” or as some call it, “TMI” or “too much information.” It's basically mental clutter. The second is “Brain Drain.” The third is “Writer's Block.” Let me explore each of these a bit with the intent of helping emerge from my personal state of the literary doldrums and, perhaps, assisting you in climbing out of some kind of personal “black hole” you may be dealing with.

I might also mention that this kind of lethargy or mild despondency may actually be the manifestation of some (hopefully) mild form of depression. I'm not sure what specifically triggers various manifestations of depression, but I know that I have a genetic predisposition. So, while I don't feel particularly depressed, it may have nothing to do with how I'm actually reacting.

Information Overload

Let me first examine the idea of “TMI.” I am, by my very nature and as a 50 year veteran of the recording industry, an information “sponge.” While I was drawn into the recording industry by the music part of the business, I actually spent the vast majority of my life creating thousands of hours of information content. I guess I could almost say my middle name is Information. People often comment to me that I'm a fount of information. This can be very good, but it can also be a curse.

I am a voracious reader (though I really never classified myself as such), but not so much in book form as in articles, blog posts, newsletters and a variety of other forms. There has been so much going on in our country and our world, both recently and currently. My mind seems to never quit grabbing at and attempting to comprehend and order continuous sound bites both aural and printed. I have also shared time with an amazing array of very interesting people over the past six weeks on my just completed trek to New Jersey, Connecticut, New York (state) and Pennsylvania. By the way, if you aren't aware, I find just about everyone amazing and interesting since each person is so unique.

I learned so much on the trek. I took more than a thousand photos. I have about 150 hours (maybe more) of video I've captured with my dash cam. I explored old “stomping grounds” and witnessed the changes. I met, spoke with and learned from the numerous people I interacted with along the way. All this while traveling about 3,300 miles mainly in just one of the four states I visited. My mind may be having some issues with sorting, categorizing and analyzing this “data” to put to some tangible use. So, as I said, TMI!

Brain Drain

What I mean by “Brain Drain” might be considered by some to be numb or “brain dead” (not in the clinical sense, but psychologically and, maybe, emotionally). There is so much going on inside my head that I simply have needed to shut down for a while to take some time to sort, analyze and categorize all the accumulated new data. I need to discern that which is useful and valuable enough to to relate it to you and which is the chaff that I simply need to discard.

There is a blog I read by Randy, titled Mobile Kodgers. Randy seems to have his act together, but he uses pictures to speak thousands of words. He has found his voice. I haven't met Randy, yet, but intend to when I get out west later this year. Another interesting blog is Waterfall Road by TJ Worthington. I've met TJ down in his territory in the mountains of northwestern North Carolina. I was down there this past New Years Eve and passed a brief pleasantry with TJ, but it was at a celebration of one of my closest and longest friend's wedding (on New Year's Eve – that's a way to start a new year). So, I didn't have the opportunity to get aside with TJ and really chat about – well, lots of things. TJ also seems to have his thoughts in order.

So, not only am I dealing with Information Overload, but I've allowed this overload condition to drain my brain, leading to . . .

Writer's Block

I'm sure, if you've been reading my blog for any length of time, being at a loss for words has not been a problem for me. Actually, if anything, I need to get a copy of the AP Style Guide used by journalists and learn how to curb my words to make my posts faster, easier to read and comprehend and more interesting. (Maybe I'll order a copy for my Kindle library after I complete this post.).

Writer's Block is a real psychological problem, first described by a psychoanalyst in 1947. Many, if not all, writers including best selling, award winning authors have suffered the malady at some level at one or more times during their careers. So, while not exactly reassuring, at least I know I'm in good company and I can “recover.” I also read another article that enumerated ten types of writer's block and I can identify with at least four, if not five, of those.

I am going to post this article because it may assist you in overcoming some form of writer's block or even just some other challenge or even procrastination you may be dealing with. I know there are numerous other bloggers and writers who read this blog and, perhaps, you may also be going through some periods when writer's block sets you back a bit.

Ready! Set! Write!

I have a lot of things I want to write about. And, actually, writing this article has been educational and motivating for me. It has helped me focus my attention on the issue and recognize the things that may be blocking my creativity and productivity. So, be ready for some new articles with, what I hope will be, valuable and useful information. It's welled up inside this living free, location independent, nomadic blogger. It's about time, isn't it?

Finally . . . Another Functional Page On The Living Free Blog

Good Thursday morning. I'm currently located in (as it has been described to me) the Geographic Center of Nowhere, in southeastern Georgia. As I sit here in My McVansion at my desk, I'm listening to the pelting rain on the roof. Now, if it was after March 21st, I'd call it a spring rain, but, alas, it's still officially winter. It's actually been raining pretty hard for the last couple days as I've been parked here in front of the Camp Host's motorhome at the Stagger Lee Music Park (and campground) between Hazlehurst and Baxley, Georgia. I'm actually not that far from the great Okefenokee Swamp. The Camp Host is my friend, Gypsy Jane aka Jane Cassidy. Jane's friend, Ellen, and her trusty canine companion, Sasha (a 90 pound German Shepherd) is parked next to Jane's motorhome. Yesterday we recorded some of Jane's original music and an interview, but more about that in another post.

While residing in the 50 square foot confines of My McVansion during on and off (today, so far, mostly, ON) pelting and torrential downpours might impact some people with claustrophobia, it actually provides me with an opportunity to catch up on a lot of things. For example, last night I finally made another of the pages listed on the left, next to the article text, a functional, working page. Several folks have been prodding me to get more of these pages up and running and the page I worked on last night has an, obviously, very pragmatic reason for existing. So, last night I activated my "Donations" page.

Now, friends/readers allow me to state categorically, I am neither destitute nor a beggar. I have been funding my lifestyle since I decided to pursue the Living Free life at the end of 2008. I have yet to not have more than enough to eat, run out of gas, had to wear rags (even when doing dirty work on My McVansion), to have a roof over my head, enjoy my travels and the places I visit and the people I meet. I'm not disabled. I still practice my profession of 50 years in the audio industry on a limited and selective basis. So, I'm NOT at all like the people you see standing at intersections with signs saying, "Will Work For Food." But, frankly, I thought the guy I saw once with a sign that said, "I'll Be Honest, I Need A Beer," was probably being just that, honest.

So, why do I have a "Donations" page on my site and why am I now activating it? It's really simple and I'll be very honest, I live a frugal life, BY CHOICE. I felt, after over 40 years (actually 57, beginning at age 12) of working, almost entirely for myself and creating jobs during that period for probably 100 other people, it was time, in 2008, to transition to a new, challenging lifestyle. Thus, through my Living Free lifestyle and blog, it is my mission to inspire, encourage and, perhaps, be the catalyst for you and others to uncover your dusty dreams, buried in the far reaches of your memory and reactivate them. I have numerous ideas on how I can help you if you're open to the possibilities and the opportunities.

Many hundreds of people visit my Donation page, and, I think it's reasonably obvious what the implication of such a page would be, so if these people have visited it, there must be at least a slight desire to consider helping me support this blog, my travels and my mission. But, to date, there has been no way to do it. So, my obvious reason for activating the page is to create a channel for those interested in supporting my mission.

Let me assure you, the Living Free blog is NOT going to become a "member" or "subscriber" site. It will always remain free and the content will continue to flow. And, I'm not expecting a flood of donations of some large denominations. Rather, I expect some modest contributions from those who are gaining value from the site and want to become a part of the mission. Perhaps, the donations will fund an extra tank of gas for My McVansion or help defray the expense of some occasional repairs. Maybe it will give me a bit more freedom to explore venues or meet up with people I can interview and share with blog readers to further inspire, encourage and be the catalytic converter to go from dreams to actions. Some funds will be helpful in expanding the scope of this blog and mission. Perhaps, I'll be able to rent a venue from time to time in various parts of the U.S. to invite blog readers to come together for a seminar or workshop I might put on and make it an event that brings more people of like mind together. The possibilities are endless.

However, I also plan to show my appreciation for all those who are so inclined to contribute something to the Living Free mission. I will do that by providing periodic "gifts" that will be only for those who are providing some generous support, regardless of the amount it may be. And, no, this is not a Public Radio or Public TV fund drive. But, to me, the least I can do is express my appreciation in some manner other than the simple, sincere "Thank you."

So, now you know that the Donations page is functional. You can use a regular PayPal account or you can use any major credit card if you wish to contribute to the Living Free blog. You have a choice of a one-time donation or a recurring donation. And, of course, I appreciate your loyalty in reading and following the Living Free blog whether you donate or not.

I might also add that you can also support the Living Free mission if you shop at Amazon by simply clicking on the Amazon icon on either the Product Page or the Donation Page. You pay the same price if you make your purchase through my Amazon Affiliate icon or go directly to Amazon. The only difference is that Amazon sends me a small referral fee for each purchase made through my affiliate icon. So, I appreciate your consideration in this manner as well. Soon, I'll be adding a Scottevest icon, as I'm now an affiliate of Scottevest. Scottevest is where "The Hat" (all leather, I mind add) came from as well as my travel vest, pants and windbreaker. And, I'll be adding other affiliate links as I identify vendors that I personally use and can endorse.

Well, that's about it for this rainy Thursday morning. I hope it's sunny and warm where you are today, but if not, just remember, there sun is always just behind those clouds.    

The Two Great Motivators - Pleasure and Pain

Perhaps you're familiar with this philosophy and psychological concept. If you've studied any Freud or, more recently, Tony Robbins, you'll have been introduced to this concept. Certainly other psychologists, motivational speakers and philosophers of the 20th Century used these two concepts as the base for basic human motivation. The reality is that this isn't a new discovery by modern psychologists or philosophers. In fact, Aristotle spoke of it in his book, Rhetoric, some time around 400 BC. And, if you want to go back to the Book of Genesis in the Bible generally accepted that the creation of all things by God began at 4000 BC, you'll see the pleasure-pain (also construed as reward-punishment) concept repeated in numerous scenarios.

If you are a follower of any number of motivational speakers and organizations that use motivation as a basis for advancing and becoming successful in any number of endeavors (music, art, athletics, business including multi-level and network marketing, other career paths, education and so on), you have probably been led to believe there are a slew of motivators. Let me name just a few of these so-called motivators: money, happiness, success, freedom, awards, promotions, homes, cars, expensive bling and toys and the list goes on. Some of the negative motivations or demotivating ideas include: failure, loss, divorce, being fired, being passed over for promotion, lack of money, lack of the home you believe you should have, the same with vehicles and other stuff.

Here is the reality. Everything I just listed and anything else you want to add to these lists ALL revert directly back to the two Great Motivators, gaining pleasure and avoiding pain. Success equates with reward and gaining pleasure. Gaining all the money you want (unfortunately, that never seems to be enough for the majority of people) reverts back to what the money can be used for to gain pleasure. There is no intrinsic pleasure in money itself. It's only what money can do for someone that matters. This applies to every other superficial motivator. The negative motivators are the things that cause pain (emotional, psychological, physical, spiritual and economic). The negative motivators are what motivate us to do things we may not like to do, maybe even despise those things, but if they will prevent failure, loss of family, bankruptcy and so on, one will do whatever it takes.

It is generally accepted by most legitimate psychologists and behavioral scientists that the stronger of the two Great Motivators is the avoidance of pain. Take only one simple example, working hard at a job or jobs that one dislikes, despises or hates for 40, 50 and even 60 years. Why would a person work all that time at something they hate? To avoid the pain of not providing for their family, putting food on the table, putting a roof over their head (regardless of how conservative that shelter may be) and failing in life as measured by the standards established by society. This society goes by many names including the Jones's (as in "keeping up with the Jones's") and "They" (as in what will "They" or "everyone else" think of me or, as I term them, "The Committee of They").

To Gain Pleasure

Once again, I'm not preaching Judeo-Christian doctrine or ethics, but simply illustrating the basic principles that were pretty plainly laid out by these early books. You can go to any number of other ancient philosophies and find the same thing. But, why did God create the Garden of Eden and put Adam and Eve there when he "created" them? Because this life we have was meant to enjoy pleasure. Adam and Eve were given everything they needed to be free and happy and enjoy an abundant life. The miracle that is this planet has always had the capability of providing people and the animals on the planet with a fulfilling and abundant life. But, when that "snake in the grass," Satan, tempted humans to want more than the abundance, freedom and happiness they were endowed with, everything changed.

Instead of relating this to religion, simply look at it from this perspective. Humans are greedy and easily corruptible. I dare say there has been no human who has walked on this Earth (other than, supposedly, Jesus, The Son of God - relating back to religious convictions, again) who has not expressed and displayed greed and can be easily corrupted (tempted). Depending on our origins in geopolitical terms, societal and familial standards and ethics, some are more greedy and corruptible than others. Read this carefully, please. People who are born into poverty, slums and a low class of living are not anymore corruptible or greedy than those born into great wealth and an opulent lifestyle. I would even go as far as to say that those who have more are far greedier and more corrupt than those on the lower end of the scale.

Those in the Middle Class may be the worst of all. They consider themselves above the lower class people and have no problem stepping on them and exploiting them in their efforts to realize the pleasure of living like the wealthy, opulent class. Of course, I'm making broad generalizations with this description. However, most of us don't have a conscious clue as to what is actually motivating us - other than more is better and will make us happier. Unfortunately, that's not true. More can make most people more comfortable, but not necessarily happier. And worse, yet, at what price?

Gaining pleasure is certainly what life is all about in my estimation. But, it's how you define pleasure that really makes the difference. Going back to Biblical references, virtually all religions, in some manner, describe a heavenly afterlife of some kind. It might be called Heaven or Paradise. In Asian religious philosophies this relates to a state of Nirvana. One reaches Nirvana when the spirit is free from the material, lust and avarice of the greedy, corrupt being. However, achieving these idealistic states is only possible with work, learning, change and practice. I also believe that Nirvana doesn't have to follow some Eastern philosophy, but that we can each define our own Nirvana and strive to reach that state.

We've often heard and likely said ourselves, "the best things in life are free." And this goes back to the Garden of Eden. Essentially, Adam and Eve had it all. They could want for nothing in the Garden. But, God put one temptation there and instructed them not to go down that path or they would pay a severe penalty. We know the rest of the story. It only took one serpent (Satan, Evil, The Dark Side of the Force, whatever you want to call it) to lure them down the path. Eve was the first to partake, but Adam went along with it. Personally, I don't think it matters if it were Adam or Eve, human nature is what it is and the results would have been the same either way. They sought more pleasure by following the snake's lead and they suffered much pain as a result.

My personal belief is that we deserve all the pleasure we can derive from this limited life on the planet. The very concept of working for 40 or more years doing things someone hates or even dislikes is abhorrent to me. I look at my own life and, now, realize how much of my time I spent working at avoiding pain and putting off pleasure. Don't get me wrong; I've experienced much pleasure in my lifetime. I am not bitter or angry about anything. I just realized that with some adjustments in my personal conditioning and orientation, I could have spent a lot more or maybe even most of my lifetime realizing pleasure. However, our parental, religious, educational, occupational and moral education and conditioning is really about avoiding the pain factor.

Avoiding Pain

Do not misconstrue my meaning. I'm not saying that we should not work or have purpose in our lives. I'm not suggesting that we be irresponsible regarding choices and obligations we assume. I'm also not passing judgment on anything that anyone has or wants. I'm simply saying that gaining the greatest pleasure in life may have nothing to do with the amount of money we accumulate, the size of the house or houses we own or occupy, how new or expensive our vehicles are, how much stuff and bling we have in the form of toys, jewelry, furnishings, designer clothes, RVs, yachts, private aircraft, etc., etc. It's even entirely possible that all of this accumulation may actually result in pain or cause pain for others in any number of situations.

Working at jobs that we have to take and dislike or hate in order to pay for indulgences is really not gaining pleasure. It's actually avoiding pain. The pain comes when you don't have those things and feel emotional or psychological pain because you're not keeping up with the Jones's or meeting your parents, sibling's, spouses or offspring's expectations. We start our life off with all kinds of dreams and once we become adults and responsible for our own lives, the dreams get shelved and life becomes a rut, a drudge and sometimes a nightmare. How many people do you know (maybe you're one of them) who keeps putting off living the life they want, their dreams (pleasure) for when they retire? But, a lot can happen over all those decades including death, becoming physically disabled, emotionally and psychologically maimed by death of a spouse, a bad divorce, your offspring making poor choices and ending up incarcerated or imprisoned by aging parents who refuse to make age appropriate decisions for their stage of life and straddle you with the responsibility (and, often, guilt) of giving up your life and taking care of them. It's not that we don't care or respect them. It's simply that in today's society, at least in this and other developed countries, there are better ways for older people to have a very fulfilling life (a better life than sitting around a house doing nothing and having no one their own age to relate to) right up until the end with other people they can relate to in their own age bracket.

Life is very complex and for most people, though they've learned to cope, painful. Most of life, for most people seems to be about avoiding pain and making choices, often-poor choices, to do something, not to avoid or alleviate the pain, but to act as a painkiller. For some people it's gambling and playing the state lotteries. For other people it's alcohol, prescription drugs or recreational drugs (often used with the excuse of it being for medicinal purposes). For others it's buying "stuff." Women will buy shoes and purses and all kinds of clothes, not because they don't have any shoes, purses or clothes to wear or use, but because it's a diversion from feeling the pain - pain avoidance, in other words. Men will buy new cars and trucks, ATV's, boats, fishing gear, etc. The current vehicles may be fine, fully operational and low mileage, but there is a big sale at the dealership and they feel they need it, despite the fact that their payments will increase and stretch out another six years. They don't need the ATV or motorcycle or boat. They want it because for a short period of time it distracts (avoids) the pain in their lives. Yet, they don't use the toys enough to justify the pain the payments, interest, insurance, storage and upkeep costs.

Here's an interesting example of how the greed factor plays into this picture of pain. A man (or a woman) plays football in high school, college and then gets drafted into the professional league (it is likely a different physical sport for a women). These people began experiencing the pain of this choice during their first practice, but it really became apparent during their first actual game against an opponent who's intention (as is yours) is to tear the other team's heads off. But, as a professional player you will realize a contract, potentially, worth tens of millions of dollars. So, in search of the pleasure, you assume the pain that is inevitable. It goes with the turf, so to speak. You play the game for ten years and earn millions of dollars, often making way too many bad choices in using those millions. Your body is banged, bruised, lacerated and broken over and over again, but the greed to gain all that money that will supposedly bring pleasure drives you forward.

One day you realize that you just can't face taking another hit or the coach makes that determination for you. You retire or are retired (fired, in other words). But, now your body is pretty well worn out and broken up. Within a few years terrible arthritis and other debilitating physical ailments set in. You continue living everyday in pain that grows worse. One day in your 40's or 50's (a relatively young age in today's terms) you start realizing that you can't remember things or you can't do some simple thought processes that once were easy for you. Now, you realize that you have serious, irreversible brain damage. You traded a life of pain for all that money that's now being expended on medical treatments, medication and other necessities related to your situation. So, what's the answer? Start seeking sympathy from your "adoring" public about your terrible physical situation and passing the blame to the game and the league that paid you tens of millions of dollars for enduring the beating that you took. No one put a gun to your head to accept the pro football (or whatever sport it might be) job. You did it for all that gold you were going to be paid. You knew what to expect. You'd already played the game for six or seven years before the pros. But, now we should all feel sorry for you. And worse yet, you're going to hold the teams, league and the spectators/fans to blame and expect to extract more money from them because of your choice.

Pain vs. Pleasure

You could have followed another dream or maybe your real dream instead of selling your body and soul for the gold. Maybe you wouldn't have been paid millions on top of millions of dollars, but you might have loved everyday of your life doing something that still served a purpose and other people, while fulfilling your own dreams and life.

I certainly could have made any number of other choices in my life that not only would have avoided the pain, but actually gained me the real pleasures I was truly seeking. Indeed! I will not, hypocritically, blame my father, mother, sisters, teachers, college professors, friends, my Uncle Sam, clients, banks, my former wife or anyone else for my choices. I made them entirely on my own. And by the same token, I cannot and will not pass judgment on any decisions and choices you or anyone else made or makes. That's way above my pay grade. I simply want to suggest that everyone, myself included, needs to REALLY understand that there are only TWO GREAT MOTIVATORS that control every single choice we make from the time we're old enough to choose to spit out those strained peas we don't like as an infant until we are ready to head to Heaven, Paradise or whatever awaits us when we die. If we're smart, we'll choose to seek our own Nirvana while we're still alive on this Earth.  We'll focus on the choices that will take us toward the paths to the pleasure we seek and not be diverted down the paths that get us into the wrong relationships, debt, jobs we hate, but have to have in order to pay for the other bad choices we've made. Life is as complicated as we each want to make it for ourselves. But, it can also be as simple and easy and pleasurable as we want to make if for ourselves. What is your main motivator?  

Tuesday Thoughts - Are You On the Wrong Path To Success?

I received an email from John Williams in England this morning. John runs a Web site titled Screw Work,Let's Play. His question was, "What if everything you’d been told about careers, work, and success was wrong?"

Have you ever thought about it? Has all the information you've been taught all your life from childhood about working hard, setting goals, mapping out careful career plans, staying focused on the target, etc. been misinformation? Sure! That's what they tell you in high school and college and graduate school. That's what all those engineers, MBA's, doctors, lawyers, etc. do. Most business profs, coaches and consultants will have you setting short term and long term goals and creating detailed business plans. But, what if that isn't really the way the most successful people become truly successful?

WOW! Wrap your mind around that one. Think about it - suppose Bill Gate, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, Richard Branson, JK Rowling, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Mark Zuckerberg and so many others who have literally changed the world - had followed that advice and course of action. Let's see, no Microsoft or Windows or Word and so much more. No Apple, Mac computers, iPods, iPads, iPhones or iTunes. No Dell Computers. No Virgin Records and Virgin Airlines. No Harry Potter. No Google. No Facebook.

I don't know Branson's, Rowling's, Brin's or Page's educational backgrounds, but Gates, Jobs, Dell and Zuckerberg are all college drop outs. They have college graduates, many with advanced degrees working for them. So, obviously, college or advanced education is not necessarily a precursor for success.

If you look at their path to success it doesn't look like a well defined line from a starting point to becoming a successful billionaire. More realistically it looks like a tangle of curves, detours, wrong turns, course corrections and experiences. And here's the most important part. They all did something they absolutely loved doing. They actually had no idea where they would end up. They simply lived free, did what they enjoyed, turned them on, excited them and made them happy.

Of course, not everyone will experience the extraordinary financial wealth these people achieved. But, since life is short and there is so much to do and experience, why do so many people - (you?) - follow this prescribed path and conditioning that locks you in, deprives you of your freedom and happiness - while waiting for some magical chronological age, like 65 to retire and, if you're still healthy, have the finances, the energy and even the dreams any longer, do the things you wanted to do when you first started dreaming about them.

You can click on the link above to go to John William's Web site. He's selling an on-line course and I'm not promoting his course. I'm not an affiliate of John's. I just like the way he thinks. If you go there and decide to buy into his program, that's your choice. I'm simply asking you the question John asked, "What if everything you’d been told about careers, work, and success was wrong?"

Commencement Day for My McVansion’s Metamorphosis

The day finally arrived! Yesterday, September 11^th 2012, I officially began the construction of the interior of my Ford van, now know affectionately as “My McVansion” after a van naming contest I began right here on this blog.

Now, yesterday holds some national and even worldwide significance as the date of the worst attack by foreign individuals on U.S. soil. It was the anniversary of the unforgettable attacks taking nearly 3,000 lives in the collapse of the two World Trade Center Towers in New York City (along with the loss of other smaller buildings), the Pentagon in Washington, DC and the lives of airline passengers on the four U.S. passenger airliners hijacked and used as missiles in the attacks. The heroic passengers of the fourth plane saving either the Capitol or the White House from nearly certain attack by crashing that plane in a field near Somerset, Pennsylvania.

Additionally, as the day rolled out and while I was working on my personal construction project other events and attacks against the United States were taking place in Cairo, Egypt and Benghazi, Libya that ultimately cost the lives of four American diplomats including the U.S. ambassador to Libya. We live in troubling and dangerous times. The events of this day in 2001 and again in 2012 should make us all stop and not only take a moment to remember those who have perished, but also how important freedom is, both politically and personally.

So, while I certainly remembered the negative significance of the date, yesterday, I was also feeling some exhilaration and fulfillment as I took the next step towards my own progress in achieving more personal freedom. In light of the events that were unknowingly unfolding, I was enjoying the beautiful day, comfortable temperatures and doing something I hadn’t done in a long time. I was working with my hands and creating something that was designed to propel me forward towards my personal objective of living free(r). I feel it was all very fitting. I certainly decry and condemn the dastardly actions in the Middle East, yesterday. However, there is little I, as one individual, can do to change the course of events in the world. The only thing I do have any power over is the course of events in my own life. I must remain responsible for my actions and myself.

This past Saturday, I ventured to the nearest “Harry McVansion Owner’s” DIY emporium and selected a batch of materials that would allow me to begin molding my Ford van into my McVansion. You have seen photos of the van posted on the blog before. Here is the basic van as I purchased it.

The Exterior of  My McVansion as purchsed
(Fiberglass running boards and flares in place)

Interior as purchased with seats and couch in place

Space wasting and useless "atmosphere" lighting panels just above the windows

I removed the rear seats right after I obtained the van. 

Van interior with all rear passenger seating removed but seat belts still in place

Finally, two weekends ago, I found a local man here in Keyser, West Virginia, about a block away from my “Eastern Base Camp” who had a garage, a lift that could handle the van and we removed the aging and badly deteriorated fiberglass running boards and wheel well flares.

Some of the damage and deterioration to the fiberglass running boards and wheel well flares

That instantly eliminated several problems including the terrible squeaking and screeching noises those fiberglass parts made as the road and vehicle motion flexed them. We also removed the spare seatbelt anchors for all the rear seats and removed some excess trim that was of no value for my purposes and will make the build in somewhat easier.

After removal of fiberglass running boards and wheel well flares - right side

Interior with seat belts and useless wood trim/atmosphere lighting removed

The left side useless wood trim & atmosphere lighting removed (the 12 volt truck wiring remains)
One of the included shades was damaged when I bought the vehicles, but I have plans for that

So, I loaded my purchases at the DIY place in the van and took them back to Base Camp. My bank account was a little lighter and there sure doesn’t appear to be very much there. But, everything is carefully calculated to serve a specific purpose. When one decides to take approximately 50 square feet of floor space (the space between the back of the driver’s and right passenger’s seats and the back doors of a van like this and turn it into a habitable environment, it doesn’t take much to fill. Every inch needs to be as efficiently utilized as possible. Additionally, weight must be taken into account, especially in these times of high fuel costs. The more weight, the lower the gas mileage will ultimately be.

So, I’ve designed and redesigned the floor plan of the McVansion several times. I’ve continued to find ways of utilizing as much of the space as possible for multiple purposes. I’ve attempted to build in as much useable storage (in addition to some limited storage in the original van conversion as I bought it) as possible, with full recognition that, again, I need to be very cognizant of the weight factor and that less is more in this kind of living environment. Here are just two of several floor plans I've developed. The plan I'm pursuing is not here and is still evolving as I build in.

Rear Bunk Floor Plan

Side Bunk Floor Plan

So, yesterday, I built the frame for what will ultimately be the bunk that I’ll sleep on at night and the couch like seating area I’ll relax on during the day, especially on days when the weather is inclement and I will need to remain inside My McVansion and either work (at writing or some audio production) or catch up on some reading or find some other way of occupying my time when the great outdoors is inhospitable. The frame will be raised high enough to provide for various kinds of storage underneath. A plywood sheet will be on top of the platform to support a memory foam mattress. I am not building this for beauty, but for functionality. As pragmatic thinker, my mantra has pretty much always been “form follows function” and that’s true for My McVansion.

Doesn't seem like much, but my checking account groaned as I paid for it

From humble beginnings a "tiny house" on wheels begins to take shape

So, 9/11 in 2001 changed the world forever. Politically, 9/11 2012 made another statement on the condition of the world we live in and on freedom. And, 9/11 2012 is the day I took the next step towards my own personal freedom and the ability to live free as I define it for myself. Follow along as I document my project and get My McVansion ready for a “shakedown cruise” and then to be exploring America.

There is one final note I want to make about this project. Procrastination is a terrible thing! I just looked back at the records on the van and I acquired it on September 16, 2011. That's just about one year ago minus four days. If I had been on the ball, I would have had My McVansion on the road by last winter and spent a good part of this past year traveling the country and meeting up with all the folks who have offered me a place to park and visit, many are already friends I've known for years and other are friends I haven't met in person, yet. There are too many little obstacles and, more often then not, excuses we allow to slow up our progress. I urge you, if you have a dream, a purpose, a passion or an objective - DON'T PROCRASTINATE! Like the Nike slogan says, "Just Do It!"

Photo of the Week #5

In 1969 the Vietnam War was pretty much at its peak. I was 24 years old, had completed BA and MS degrees and I had exhausted any appeals for possible deferments after my student deferment was expired. Back then, when you became 1A or draft eligible, you were called, “draft bait.” I became draft bait in 1969 and chose to enlist in the Air Force rather then take my chances with the Draft Board. The United States Air Force has traditionally sent all their new enlisted recruits to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX for basic training. So, on August 19, 1969, I reported for duty to Lackland. I completed my basic training in early October and went into the city of San Antonio and saw the Alamo for the first time. I was back in San Antonio around 1990. And, nearly 34 years to the month, in September 2003, I was back in San Antonio visiting the Alamo with my long time friend from New Zealand, Brian Morris. Yes! I remember the Alamo.

Enthusiastically,
Ed

Step #1 – Dreams and Realization

A dear and, prematurely, departed friend of mine, Rosita Perez, frequently told this little story when she made presentations for major corporations and large, multi-national organizations. It went like this. Her husband, Ray, also a friend of mine and a super guy, would come to her complaining about a number of issues that all seemed to need resolving right now. She’d remind him of one of the philosophies of Dr. Richard Carlson, who titled his best selling book by this philosophy, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: And It’s All Small Stuff.” Rosita would tell Ray, “Don’t sweat the small, stuff, Ray.” Ray would often reply, “But, this isn’t small stuff, Rosita, this is important.” To which Rosita would respond, “Ray, Being born, BIG STUFF! Dying, BIG STUFF! Everything else . . . small stuff.”

So, what does this story have to do with Step#1 – Dreams and Realization? It’s simple! We let the small stuff of life enslave us. There’s another saying that has passed around the Internet and is part of the chorus of a George Strait (country artist) top 10 song from 2010 that goes, “Life’s not the breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away.” In other words, each of us have so many breaths we’ll take during our lifetime, but just breathing doesn’t have anything to do with experiencing life to its fullest.

Life Is For LIVING!

I like to think that life is for LIVING and I don’t just mean waking up every morning and doing the same routine things everyday. Let’s see, you shower, groom, catch a fast cup of coffee and half a bagel, drop the kids off at day care or school, commute to work, do whatever it is that you do at your job, watch the clock waiting for the end of the day, commute home, prepare and eat dinner, clean up, help the kids with their homework or take them to their soccer games or whatever, watch a little CSI,  Law and Order or American Idol, catch a bit of Jay Leno or David Letterman, climb into bed, pick up the book you’ve been trying to get through for two months, fall asleep and start the whole routine over again when the alarm goes off at 6 AM. Okay, so maybe your routine varies a little, but I doubt that it varies very much.

So, what were those dreams you grew up with. Remember when you wanted to be a fireman or a cowboy or a soldier or a race car driver or an astronaut or a doctor? Fill in your own dreams and ideas for future occupations. Ladies, fill in your dreams here, too. They may differ from a man’s dreams. The dreams probably changed many times as you grew through childhood, adolescence, the tough teen years and when you finally reached adulthood.

What other dreams did you have? Did you want to run and win marathons? Did you want to play baseball, football, basketball, golf or tennis competitively or professionally? Did you want to be an artist and paint or sculpt or take award-winning photographs? Maybe you wanted to be a best selling author with lots of fiction or non-fiction books to your credit. Or, perhaps, you were musically inclined and played in a rock band with your high school buddies or sang in a classical choral group. You might have even composed your own music. The list could go on endlessly.

But, why aren’t you doing those things? Why didn’t you pursue your dreams? Probably, because during your childhood you were being conditioned into the model created by the Industrial Revolution. This model, in my estimation, is now obsolete, but it’s still the prevailing model that most people live their lives by.

Four or five generations ago, men, primarily, since women were only a small part of the out-of-the-home workforce back then, would take a job in a factory or a coal mine or in whatever field they found work and they would stay in that job for their entire working lifetime, typically, 40 to 45 years. Then, they’d retire, live for a couple years and die.

Women, typically, stayed at home for all those years and handled the domestic necessities of life. Some women were school teachers, nurses, telephone operators, waitresses and airline stewardesses – or, so-called, women’s work. Everyone is still conditioned for this same model today, though women have probably made the most progress over the past several decades.

The school system is based on that model. It prepares you for when you’ll enter the workforce and get a job. Creativity is stifled. Thinking outside the box is frowned on. Doing what your dreams would lead you to do becomes unrealistic by those in authority and influence around you. You can’t make a good living as a musician or an artist or a photographer or an adventurer or a professional athlete. You need to be “serious” and get a job where you have security and can make some real money.

Life Happens!

So, you put those dreams on the shelf, push them to the back of the closet in your mind and just say, “someday.” When does someday arrive? Usually, it never does. And, why does it never come? Because LIFE HAPPENS! Now, life is going to happen whether you’re working in a field that pays good money or not such good money. It comes whether you love what you’re doing or despise what you’re doing. Life is going to happen because it just happens, period!

What exactly does “life happens” mean? It basically means the chances are reasonably good that, whether you’re a man or a woman, you’re going to seek a mate, create a secure home and have a family. Typically, once you identify the mate and go through the ritual courting process, you’ll bond in a marriage agreement. Then you’ll start to create little people just like yourself and the cycle begins again. Only now you are the parents and will begin conditioning the new little people into the same “system.” And all this requires a stable, secure, responsible environment, right?

Wow! Do I sound cynical, or what? Well, actually, this is all very natural and the way the human life cycle has been since “Adam and Eve,” or however you define the beginning of our species. Here’s the rub. Everyone is born with a natural freedom. Once you understand a bit about life, you understand that you want to be happy. And a fulfilling life means that you have done something that fulfills your dreams while contributing to some degree to the society you associate with.

There are certain basic needs that Abraham Maslow outlines in his Hierarchy of Needs. You can look this up yourself. Essentially, you all start at the base of the pyramid with very basic needs for survival and as you meet these needs you progress up the pyramid. However, nowhere in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, nor anywhere else, does it say that you need to conform to the standards or system of survival, personal growth and achievement of anyone else. Yet, by the time most of you reached the end of high school and, certainly, college, for those privileged to attend such an institution, you were conditioned to “get a job.”

“I Did It My Way”

For some reason, call it providence or, maybe, just luck, while I went through the “indoctrination and conditioning process,” I didn’t buy into it totally. I started my entrepreneurial career at age 12 as the proverbial “paper boy” delivering 108 to 110 evening newspapers to my customers six days a week and collecting for the papers on Saturday mornings. I learned that the better the service I rendered, the larger the tip I’d receive. I, of course, had to pay the newspaper their share each week. So, I really was an independent businessman.

My father, a self-made and educated man, always held a job. He would have liked to have been in business for himself, but he grew up during the depression and hung onto the “so-called” security of his employment with someone else. Today, we all know that the term “job security” is really a paradox. Even finding a “good” job is extremely challenging. Finding a great job or one that fulfills your dreams is next to impossible. And having any kind of job security is virtually non-existent for most people. My father fostered my entrepreneurial spirit during those formative years. To some degree, he guided me toward a certain degree of non-conformity.

After completing my four years of college earning a degree in Education, I was totally disenchanted with what the “job market” offered me. As I told one recruiter, I was perfectly capable of starving all by myself. I certainly didn’t need to sign a contract and indenture myself to starve. I went immediately to graduate school for a master’s degree in Television and Radio. The job offers were a little better, but not very much.

I had been operating my own independent recording business through college and graduate school and I had a contract with a small regional radio network based in Syracuse, NY. One day while I was having lunch with the vice president of the small, family owned group (he was the son of the founder), Al said to me, and I paraphrase, “You have to make a decision. You can find a full-time job and keep doing your recording part-time. The chances are very good that you’ll still be doing it part-time 40 years from now. Or, you can take a chance on yourself, go full-time into your own business and pull in your belt and eat a lot of franks and beans. But, this is the only way you’ll know if you have what it takes to make it in your own business.” I chose the second option and I’ve never looked back.

I always tell people I became an entrepreneur because I was just plain lazy and couldn’t deal with the idea of commuting to and from a job and putting in eight hours a day, five days a week for someone else. Instead, I chose to work about 14 hours a day, seven days a week working for myself. As the song, with lyrics penned by Paul Anka and popularized by Frank Sinatra, goes, “I did it my way.”

Reality, In Your Face!

So, here is the Realization. Like it or not, you’ve all been sold a bill of baloney. No one needs to conform to the system, though the vast majority will. You could have opted out when you were a kid and chosen to pursue those dreams. Sure, you could have failed. Hey, you might have ended up as a “lounge lizard” playing the piano or the iconic Hammond B3 organ for a bunch of sad, drunken lushes. You could have written songs that may or may not have ever been recorded by any of the artists you wrote them for. You could have gone treasure hunting and never discovered a single gold doubloon. You could have obtained your commercial pilot’s license and never found a position with a commercial airline. You could have trekked around the world and taken photos that never won any awards or had your photos displayed in shows in New York City galleries. You could have done any of your dreams and failed miserably and never made an amount of money that would have made your parents proud of you and your friends envious. But, you’ll never know, will you? THAT is the realization!

Maybe you would have made a fantastic, exciting and fulfilling life for yourself doing exactly what you dreamed of doing. So, you might not have made all the money and couldn’t have afforded the MacMansion. But, you might have the pride in knowing that something you did directly impacted one or more lives positively. Instead, you conformed to what your parents, siblings, religious leaders, friends, teachers, professors and so on told you should do to have a nice, secure future. None of these people had any malice in the way they influenced you. They, actually, believed that this was the best for you. And, by the way, there is ALWAYS a price for security and it’s usually called freedom.

Perhaps, right now you’re saying, “But, It’s too late, now.” Or, you’re saying, “Ed is just a dreamer blowing a bunch of blue smoke in the air.” Well, you have the right to your own opinion. I once had dreams of building a huge multi-media empire and being a multi-millionaire media mogul. But, over the years, every time I went down that road, I became a prisoner in a prison of my own making. I ended up creating businesses where I wasn’t free and doing what I was passionate about. I ended up creating businesses with employees to manage. It turns out, building an empire wasn’t really my dream – it was a series of choices. The results of my choices and life happening, in my case, ended up with me building personal prisons.

“Your Assignment, Should You Choose to Accept It”

So, here is your assignment for Step #1. I know many won’t do it, but for those who do, you’re at the beginning of realizing your real dreams, life, freedom, happiness and fulfillment.

1. Make a list of your REAL dreams. These are the things you wanted to do when you were a kid and teenager facing an exciting future full of unwritten pages waiting for you to fill them in. It doesn’t matter how off the wall or unrealistic the dreams may seem now. Just list them!

2. Then circle or highlight any of those dreams that still stir excitement in your heart, mind and soul. Get your daydreaming mojo going and release adrenalin as you imagine, “What if?”

3. Now, make a brief outline of where Life has taken you. You know, the Life Happens, stuff. How free do you feel about where you are, now? How happy are you based on where you are, now? How fulfilled are you based on where you are, now?

You’re going to have conflicts and anxieties as you think about this seriously and deeply. Your spouse’s and kids’ (if you have any) faces will flash in your mind during this process. You’ll think about all the stuff you’ve accumulated and how could you possibly live without it. If you’re still employed, you’ll have questions and doubts about surviving without the income from your current job or business. If you’re retired, questions will arise about whether it’s too late or about working all your life for the “security” you feel you currently have and you might lose.

Reality, when you face it toe to toe and square in the eyes can be both ugly and scary. But, if you want to live free and be happy, this is all part of this all-important first step.

Keep asking yourself these three questions:

1. Are you as free as you feel you want to be and can be?
2. Are you as happy as you feel you have every right to be?
3. Are you fulfilled in the knowledge that you lived your dream, didn’t sell yourself out and with what you have contributed to society, can be proud of your legacy when that second “Big Stuff,” that Rosita Perez alluded to, arrives?

You can’t do this exercise in ten minutes or an hour or a week. I’ve been working at it all my life and now, in my mid 60’s – even though I’ve been a non-conformist and serial entrepreneur all my life – I’m finally facing my own realities and realizing that I sold myself out much of my life.

Let me leave you with one other pearl of wisdom, a quote attributed to Wayne Dyer and often used by my dear, departed friend, Rosita Perez, “Don’t die with your music still in you.”

Good luck! You’re on Step #1 of your journey to living free. Hang on for the ride of your life.

Enthusiastically,

Ed

Photo of the Week #3

When I visited my friend, Bill, and his wife, Diane, in Austin, Texas in September of 2003, I enjoyed a tour of the State House of the Great Republic of Texas. Bill worked for me as a studio engineer in my audio and video production company back in  Washington, DC about 37 years ago. Diane is the Director of Administration for the Lt. Governor of Texas. This photo is of the inside of the State House Dome from the floor of the State House. It’s a pretty good photo considering that I was using a very primitive and basic digital camera back then.

Enthusiastically,

Ed.