Entrepreneurial Entertainment

Well another week of pulling up my new bootstraps and re-inventing myself has been interesting. We have been crafting our first workshop offering for Nov. 15th in Tucson and it is proving to be a fun challenge. I promised last week to tell a bit about what I've been up to...so I shall.

Since this time last year Missy and I have been on the road steady, exploring and integrating, reaching and learning, finding the ways that we can best give our gifts and continue to support ourselves while doing it. This has been quite revealing... I must say it has been an incredible year and we both have grown in many ways, most of which would have not moved to much if we hadn't taken the risk. I have learned that abundance is truly a state of mind and that it is the natural state of the universe... we can choose to be present in the moment in exactly what we have AS what we need, or we can choose to think about future haves and have nots. Either way my experience is that we have what we need when we need it, period. And that being said there has also been moments where we have been on that threshold as I mentioned before. The new choice we are making is to dig a little deeper, take a much bigger risk and step out in ways that ourselves of last year could not even imagine!

I have decided to expand my career from just music and poetry to speaking, coaching, music and poetry... in a nutshell anyway! In more detail I have been needing a container for my music and my message and what has always turned me on the most is connecting with people and inspiring shifts in perception and action. Bottom line is that I need to find the audience for what I do in order to continue doing it! A challenge? Yes! An insurmountable one? No way! What I'm realizing is that I will just have to do things a little differently to get a different result... Step one, get some help from those who know how to do what I want to do. This used to scare me and I'd think I would lose creative control or I might be judged as stupid or whatever. Just like long division and I didn't want to repeat that mistake! So now I stepped out of my comfort zone and have been crafting with Missy and Faye a new outlet for these gifts. We are starting to build some momentum and have some basics set-up... so much detail to accomplish though. Our company is The Resourceful Human, and it is all about supporting the emergence of the authentic human being! A perfect channel for all of our gifts to come together in the ways of our choosing to support those who really need what we have to offer. Resourcefulhuman.org

One of the challenges I've come up against over the years is just not fitting in, to the structures available for success. An example being the music business and its limited channels for making a living and reaching your audience. After making a few different forays into various scenes, styles and venues, I always felt like i was coming up empty. Not to say I wasn't enjoying it or that I didn't get a chance to reach people, I did. The missing element was a rhythm, a flow and sustainable success. I always felt like I was starting from scratch. That get's pretty draining after 10yrs. The realization dawned on me that no one was going to show up at my door and offer me a record deal or love me so much that they would sponsor me. It just didn't happen. So I'm left with the choice to empower myself, take what I've learned and apply it to what does work or retreat into a life of mediocrity... fortunately for me, mediocrity is just not acceptable:<)

It is time to stand up and count yourself
take a dive off the normal and boring old couch
you are needed with your heart on your sleeve
alive and insatiable, but for giving not greed

We are the brilliance of future right nows
illumined in the beauty of our unknown somehows
Dreaming is for giants and you were never small
Just waiting for your reason, and that is all.

Blessings on your road home!
Chief ME

Something in the way you move me

Not to be too narcissistic but I've had one of my new songs stuck in my head this morning. It is called simply "Be Yourself"... What I've realized over the past few weeks is that I'm exactly right where I need to be. An interesting insight.

I've been doing many different things for many years and had hopes that they would all take off and provide me with a sense of success, security, freedom and fulfillment. I suppose there were those elements but never all at once?? At times I just played music for a living and had freedom and some fulfillment, and for a while I ran a construction company with my brother and had some success and security, but I naturally wanted it all. Don't you?

I'm driven by what many feel is unachievable. I am not too excited about settling on mediocrity. So my excitement has been aroused when I or others are putting these pieces together. A novel concept perhaps, but how many people do you know who are living the life of their dreams? I only know a few and they are the coolest authentic, balanced and real folks I know. Not to say I don't know many others who are flirting on the edge of stepping into their personal unknown, I do, and it brings me great joy to support and encourage them.

As I've matured with this idea I began to see a burning passion in me to help people in this way. And so, I'm turning a corner in my life and taking all that I've worked so hard for with me, only this time I do not plan on working so hard for it. My belief is that what we love to do comes easy and as the great Stuart Wilde says "life was never meant to be a struggle." Or the path of least resistance may speak to you. The clue is the kazoo... Excitement!!

One key point I just heard Missy talking about is this:

Because we are all one on the deepest level, when you step into being your authentic self, it naturally is a gift and benefit to everyone else. I would postulate that we all lose out if you don't. It is not just about getting what you want, but bringing your brilliance to the whole.

One thing that I have struggled with over the years is finding a receptive ear for my music. The fantasy that the mainstream is interested died a long time ago and even when I get some momentum going, I've felt that something is missing. Recently I put my finger on it. This year I decided to focus on offering these gifts in more specific situations and with more receptive audiences. Go where the people are I guess. So Missy and I wove music and movement for workshops and seminars with great success. I love the connection piece with people that you just can't get on stage, and we realized that this was very important to us. The only problem is that like many pursuits in the arts it is hard to connect wealth to being yourself!!

Well as Dr.Epstein would say this is a crucial point in the transformational process..."Enough of this!!" Truly we were frustrated, after having such amazingly fulfilling experiences and getting to do what we loved and then not having enough money to eat well or having just enough for a tank of gas. Something had to change, and fast!

You are probably saying... "okay how is this not a struggle, or easy like he said up there."
This is where it gets interesting. Like I eluded to last time, the path of least resistance may require you to step into unfamiliar territory and examine the blind spots. For me this is taking the personal responsibility to value myself enough that I am willing and actually absolutely need to create a business structure that will support all of my dreams, gifts and passions, and get them out in the world in all the ways I could ever imagine! I know we are moving into the age of authenticity, where a whole new paradigm of being together is emerging. I intend to be right in the middle of it. There is room for everyone!!

See you next time... I'll elaborate on how we're doing it!
Love and blessings,
Chief ME

Paid and on Purpose!

I can only begin to tell you how jazzed I am right now. Completely thrilled with my last four days and even more excited to share some of the learning and insights I gained with you.

As you mostly know I'm an artist to the core, and have been experiencing that archetype in it's positive and negative ways for many years. I've always done creative things very well and have excelled in certain pursuits. And there are those things...see long division, a few blogs ago, that I have struggled with and continue to avoid as much as possible. Well, this has been great in many ways in my life and I feel tremendously blessed to have been able of giving so much focus to that! Also I became an expert at living on the wind, learning how to live on little and find the deep abundance in every experience. Unfortunately I have ended up like so many other young people following their dreams. I wasn't starving but I have been down to $20 many times! Not the best feeling when you're mission is to inspire people to live successful, authentic, brilliant lives! So the good news is, I've been paying attention and taking responsibility to change that, because only I can shift that perception of myself.

This weekend I spent at a workshop called the Million Dollar Marketing and Soul Intensive. Most that know me well would laugh at my name beside all but intensive in the soul department. So yes this was a big stretch for me, and at the same time, I am here to make a difference in people's lives, and whatever it takes to do that, I'm in! Many things became clearer for me by going to this thing and I am excited just to share a couple of them and hear how it has helped open up my mind to a plan for moving my dream into action.

The one thing I learned that is so important for creatives and spiritually based people is understanding that the most effective way to offer their gifts to a large audience and get them to the people who need those gifts, is to understand the value in what you have to offer in terms of what it will do for folks when they engage with you and what they will miss out on if you don't reach them. And because your gifts have great value you should be compensated for giving those gifts. When we get paid we feel empowered and energized to do more. I think one of the challenging concepts is how to put a price on these things, and the conclusion I've come to is that it is not the number that matters but how you feel about it. For example I have been charging $20 for my cds for a while now and I came to that decision because I know they are worth it and it feels good to me when I know I'm valuing myself and my work. This is not to say I don't give away tons of them or accept less at times, but the important thing is that i honor myself in the transaction knowing that the music has true value and they will engage more with that value because they paid for it. We value what we pay for. The other thing is that when I have more money I can do more of the things I need to do in the world. So I'm taking the reins and responsibility to accept and leap into this place of power.

The journey into authenticity constantly brings up the need to value the self. By it's nature, authentic being is from one perspective a place of oneness. You may not always experience the amazing bliss of a oneness consciousness but you can draw down the understanding that you are equally a piece of the equation as any other. Stepping up to one's value is a key piece in being authentic and expressing, giving and receiving from a place of power and transformation.

I will keep you posted as I implement these new parts in my life and and new business.

Much love and thank you for offering your thoughts.
Chief ME

The "What" Obsession

Thank you for showing up, and tuning in to the rest of your life.

I have to share this video to start I love this kind of humor, be warned though, its edgy- Enjoy!

New Philosophy

I wrote this yesterday, and I have been changing so much each day, I don't think I'll read it again before posting it... trust I imagine!!
Today is holding a great energy for me. After 32 1/2 years of aiming, I feel like the target is finally coming into focus. Wrong turns of the past are now just lefts, and there is a nice momentum building with the rights. A reflection I'm getting from the past is that I spent a great deal of time and energy focused on "what"; what it is I'm supposed to do, what am I to be, what am I doing here? I must say that there are many current benefits from that focus and also a realization that I missed enjoying a lot of life in the way youth deserves to be enjoyed. So I'm writing in an effort to connect the dots from the point of purpose to the start of the journey. I feel these cycles repeat themselves in many forms and layers throughout our lives, and the more we can tune into them with deep self-honesty the more happiness flows in the now.

This ties into to the idea of following excitement. Here is a structure that may help you aim to the path of most joyful and least resistance in your never ending journey to find and create purpose. I have found Donny Epstein's models a great tie in and inspiration for me around this. His triad of change in particular for this discussion. Basically in short, we all have certain strategies that work for us in accomplishing goals and transforming aspects of our lives. He breaks them down into 3 sides of a triad they are Structure, Perception and Behavior. For those of us who best lead with behavior, leading with what to do can be very effective. I personally lead with structure and so having at least the starting point is often enough for me to put something into action. Donny says "when you affect any two sides of the triad of change the other one will automatically come into alignment with that. And if you find what you are obsessing about in this example, what = behavior, ie: what should I do, what do I do! This is usually your least resourceful resource and so you can just let it happen as you worry about the other two sides.

So I'm going to lay another structure on top or beside that one. This I call the:
"Why of Why: Foundation of Success"
1. Who am I? and/or Who is behind the wheel?
2. Why am I here?
3. What am I going to do about it?
4. Where can I take action?
5. Now

So when you work with the triad of change you can begin to layout your strategy for answering those questions. For example, if I'm asking Who am I? And I lead with structure then perception, I might decide to go somewhere new and change my living structure so that then I might perceive myself differently and start to act more in alignment with who I am, by actually being with myself and getting in touch with the me beyond my usual barriers of protection. We have been using Donny's models for a year or so now and have been engaged in his NSA work for a few years. These are some of many things I have used to support my understanding of self and purpose. So it doesn't matter what your particular spiritual path is or what you do in life, it just supports that.

Why am I here, is a nice question that begins to flow naturally when the who becomes more into focus and my experience is these to begin to blend together, taking turns with your inner attention. But if you aim for the why first it may be a confusing journey for a narrow sense of self.

As I said yesterday, start where you are, and I assume that we will always be engaged in some sort of "what" activities, hopefully those that provide energy to what excites you. What I'm talking about in these questions is a slightly bigger what, more close again to purpose but I would say don't get too attached, because, "where" you start taking action, will add another element to the equation and things will change and become clearer as you pay attention and move forward.

So hold the resonance as best you can experience it in your body, as you tune into who, that you is that has this thing I'm calling purpose. It is not an object or a place, just a resonance, a feeling and perception of the most joyous you. And Now you can act as the sequence of the questions builds a momentum up the body through the spine into inspired action, inspired being.

Blessings playing with this and the triad. Just start having fun with yourself, it's your life!
Chief ME

Start where you are

Hi again and welcome to the continuation...

I have been thinking all day about the need to start where we are. I realize that in certain states of being the concept of excitement is so buried in the background while worry, anxiety and fear make their home in the foreground. So how do you connect with your excitement when life seemingly is throwing crap all over you?
I can share a couple of ideas that you can implement no matter which stage of healing and integration you may be at. I don't believe that at anytime we are victims and if we are to move most effectively forward, complete responsibility for life as you/I/we know it is a good place to start. I understand the stretch and also the urgency, so no excuses. To clarify another way, feeling like a victim is a state of consciousness and by that definition you are always response-able to change it. Also I'm not in judgment of that state, as I have been in it many times and found it sucks. My mission in writing these blogs however is to connect some ways that can energize your life from a place of responsibility and what Dr. Donny Epstein would call Transform and Awaken energy and possibly help shift you into that from a low energy state which he calls discover - In his words "While you are there you better discover something!" because it isn't fun, and we all know it. (for more info and my mom's wealth of real life experiences with Donny's models and insights into his work check out : http://reorganizationalcoaching.blogspot.com)

Okay let's talk about a couple ideas I'm working with and have used with great results:
The first concept is truly just common sense and I'm a philosopher by nature so the logic of this I find comforting. It is as the title says: Start where you are. I know it sounds obvious but the act of doing it is something else entirely. I also don't claim to know anything here except the living feedback I receive by putting these ideas into action. So here is an example of what I mean:
When I was in high school I cared mostly about enjoying myself as much as possible amidst the stress of teenage life and a growing uncertainty about my future. I was bored in school and found that passion was mostly an idea when it came to studying something. Then I was introduced to The Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman and it inspired me. I began to see having a spiritual path as an important facet to a successful life. For me at the time I realized there was a deep excitement there, somewhat uniquely different in its quality. I just felt turned on in a new way.

What I am leading towards is this; in my senior year I was to make a choice about what to study in university. I knew that anything in the maths and sciences was out, due to my nagging failure to comprehend long division in the fifth grade! So I thought hey I'm interested in spiritual things there must be something like that... as I traced my finger down the page to "S" it dawned on me that there were no courses for the sudden onset of self-awareness syndrome!... And I was still going to college no matter what. So I looked again and saw philosophy. Well I have no idea what that is going to be like, and it is the only field I recognize that might be connected to that deep excitement. I didn't know I was tracking it at the time, but I was in a state of trusting my feelings and the brochure to U of Western definitely looked the most exciting!!

The point being that I just started right where I was. I knew that this wasn't my biggest dream, and I was nowhere near comprehending what that might be. I always thought there might be something wrong with me because there was no shot of lightning inspiration that told me what I was here to do. For some it comes clear and easy, for the rest of us there is a sweet journey. My sense is that if more of us just embraced the place of not knowing and engaged in the journey of discovering purpose, we would be much happier and fulfilled as a result... mind you it is not the beaten path, and taking that risk has both its rewards and challenges. I'd say the price is only your life.

The importance of compassion for self, balanced with skilled determination is something that just came to me. I had a bunch of life structure ideas I was going to throw out, and I've decided it should wait. I feel the need to say some words that might help draw us together and out of our shells. I've always been cautious about saying my piece and expressing myself, and to be doing this blog is definitely a stretch for me. It is one current example of how I am balancing those two concepts. Compassion for myself in a deep way, understanding that moving my passions forward is absolutely necessary for the satisfaction of my being. And skilled determination, using everything I can within myself and my current resources to make sure that I act on it. Also I know that there will be reactions to me doing so, and in the past I may have shriveled from these. Now in the transform energy and time in my life it is only fuel to move me forward. I invite us all to take a step up in our lives, come together in ways we have just imagined and ask ourselves what kind of future is really worth creating?

I have been so blessed to meet and be inspired by so many truly great human beings. We all have something uniquely special and glorious to birth into the world. I'm all for supporting that! Missy and I just heard this great prayer on a Christiane Northrup CD about Joyful living. It is cool and I invite you to work with it:
Dear God, please help me to believe the truth of who I am, no matter how beautiful it may be.

Thank you for reading and creating this field with me,
Chief ME

Context

Hi and welcome to another moment, full of surprises and challenges.

I spent an hour or so yesterday writing a bunch more extending the concepts and ideas i was talking about in the first installment. I sat with it a while and decided to wait on posting it. I've been feeling the need to set up a container for this, even though I'm not sure of all that it will need to hold. You follow me?

Well I will assume that silence means yes. hehe. Ok I first need to say for my own sanity that I've certainly lost my mind. I'm not interested in putting the old back together and my intentions with this blog thing are as follows. First to push myself into unknown territory and find out what I'm made of and how I can apply that to the co-creation of the world which I would like to live in. Second I am excited to connect with a broader soul family, of which when brought together in combined energies can accomplish just about anything! Third I intend to push buttons, boundaries, and stretch the bubble of reality as we tend to know it... and maybe even pop it for some. I trust that if this mission inspires you that you will get involved by commenting and engaging at the bottom of the page. We are all in this together and let's take some risks with ourselves, not just our money. Transparency is a powerful ally I believe. It provides the opportunity for authenticity and vulnerability to rise to the surface. These two qualities are I believe of epic importance to the evolution and even survival of our species.
So much love to you for joining in, tagging along, or passionately expressing. This is about a transform consciousness, and starting from the perspective that there is ultimately only One.(even if that sounds ridiculous to your mind... it should, the mind often can't handle the truth)

Okay now that we have that out of the way. I am going to get into something that may be useful to you. I don't claim to be an expert or even that I created any of this info. I really am just a messenger, and my experience in life has been a great teacher. The funny thing is I often have no idea what I'm about to write. This is exciting for me... moving past the obvious thoughts popping up at the front of the mind and sinking into a place where the creative flow, or what I like to call divine creativity can take over. My wife, Missy and I as well as my Mom Faye, have been waking up and spending some time each morning practicing what we are now calling attunements. We learned this term at Barbara Marx Hubbard's workshop a few weeks ago. basically we spend a few minutes to an hour connecting with the more expansive parts of ourselves and each other in some form of meditation of movement etc. What I have been finding is that it sets up a foundation for the day that is in congruence with our goals and objectives. I tend to get the things I need to get done in a sweet flow and in perfect timing. I just thought I'd share that as it has been very effective for all of us.

This idea of foundation is so important to me, and will be a recurring theme throughout my philosophical ramblings. In the couple pages I wrote yesterday(that you will get tomorrow) I discuss a concept I've been working on about the foundation for an experience of success. I must say I'm a bit obsessed about success lately and a lot of this comes from previous perspectives I've held of feeling unsuccessful. I just now realized that a big drive behind my blogging is to share insights into how to perceive the path less chosen as a successful one. Because in my case it meant doing the opposite of most everyone else, at times many times dealing with having no money, feeling alienated from friends and family. Sheesh sounds like success doesn't it! Well that is just it, it didn't... but now as I feel engaged in all my most deepest desires I look back and realize that it was a tremendous success to stick through that murky and dark tunnel. It was the Foundation for the ability to now choose an exciting life at 32. I've spent many years involved in various retreats, seminars, workshops and such and most attendees are 45-60, which is understandable in many ways, but, I would like to shift that paradigm... Let us start working for our whole selves now, whether you are 70 or 20. Time as we have known it is running out.

What I can share is not directly about making money, although ask me again in a year or two, it is about uncovering the simplicity of who you are, why you are here and how to to be it in the world. Oops, did I really just commit to that? Fear is such an interesting thing isn't it? Well I will humbly offer whatever I can, and I am excited to hear your additions. Together let us enter this new paradigm of supporting and taking care of each other, making all dreams come true and remembering what is is to be human and beyond.

Blessings and love,
Please stay tuned for my next installment "Start where you are"
Chief ME

In the Beginning

So here it is! The beginning of a journey into unknown territory. A glimpse into the possible, aiming for the leading edge of perspective and shifting from potential into the absolute now of life as we dare to live it!

It is with much trepidation that I leap into the written word, asking some new questions about the nature and foundation of this activity. Because what this blog is all about is reality; creating the reality that is a true reflection of all that we are and are capable of. Oh yeah, I'm sure a blog is going to do that. No, certainly not, but there is something deeper at work here and I find it my mission to lead a foray into the heart of life in the new paradigm. This is not about "new age rhetoric" as a new friend recently challenged, it is about you and I and us, it is about opening our f@#king eyes and gaining the perspective we need to support our first steps into a new chapter in history... Perhaps herstory, or at times I realize that the story is the prison and to be on the leading edge of each new page is to be writing it as we go. Crafting the expression and essence of life through authentic action and joyful choices.

Maybe now you are saying oh shit, here we go another love is all we need sermon! Actually far from it. I awoke this morning with a dream so present in my mind. I've been having these amazing dreams lately, so real and clearly related to what I'm working on. I was practicing a speech I'm working on about the kazoo of quantum physics and I was giving it to a new friend whom I respect a lot. the words came to my mouth with striking clarity... Love is not enough on its own, it is not the objective, it is a state of stillness, the calm before the storm. By moving from the stillness of love into energy and action we transform the bliss of love into excitement for the soul. Excitement of the expression of essence, flowing like the joy of an innocent child. And when we connect to this river of potential, it is the ride of a lifetime dared to be dreamt.

This passion is about having the balls to listen to yourself in the face of so much pressure to choose all but the right thing. There is only one way to achieve total and complete success in your life, and that is to start living it Now. Success is a process of self-discovery always present, waiting for our acceptance. How many times have you had a "terrible" experience in life only later to accept it as a blessing? I know it has happened to me too many times to count. So I began to close the gap between denial and acceptance. When you are present with your life and excited to discover what the next challenge will be, what incredible joys maybe through that next door, you step into what I call the resonance of success. The flow, yes the flow!

I am having fun with this conversation with myself and would love to engage this process with you. The courageous explorer of the heart. Into the regions where normal doesn't exist, beyond the boundaries of reality as we know it into reality as we want it! So as I continue this journey, join me in co-creating, moving from dreamers into authentic humans!

So before we connect again here are two things to play with!
1: Excitement is the kazoo of quantum physics - everyone can play it - How do you create the reality you want? Follow your excitement and be success!
2: By choosing what excites you and what you want to do vs. what you think you have to do, you create more excitement, which soon turns into a life that is empowering, joyful and exciting!

Your feedback and questions are always welcome.
Blessings and thank you.
Chief ME