It's Not Me but He is One of My Own

Poor Laughing Gravy is a perennially depressed individual who walks around with a paper bag over his head and once when someone asked him why, he answered:

"because when I use plastic, I can't breath"

That answer may not be a satisfactory explanation as to his reasons for wearing a paper bag, but it might somewhat clarify  his outlook on matters. He responds to it in a way that avoids a direct answer

There was another incident when a man was being interviewed for a job and was asked a very common question posed by interviewers whenever vetting new job applicants: 

Nowhere in this particular gag does it identify the character wearing the  bag but he's been accused by many of my readers  as Laughing Gravy. Whether or not it is him, I cannot say with any certainty, but again, it may shed some light on reasons why Laughing Gravy does what he does. It's a way for him to avoid real world stress and the shame which he feels for having no helpful copping mechanisms other than just hiding himself. Like the myth of how an ostrich sticks his head in the sand at the first sign of danger, Laughing Gravy also attempts to disappear. Who, I ask, has never wanted to crawl under a bed, or go into a dark closet when life sometimes becomes unbearable? It may be his way of wishing it would all just go away but it's been said:

A crisis is when it's too late to say, "lets just forget the whole thing."

Poor Laughing Gravy has a therapist and has been spotted in the psychologist's office but what, if any, medications he takes to remedy his mental state isn't presently known. Labor day is his doctor's traditional vacation week and it's traditional for therapists to take off that specific week for reason unknown. So, during the first week of September the country is full of crazy people. 

Some have told me that he is actually my own alter ego and even though there is at least a little of myself in all the characters and gags I draw, I must deny that he is actually me. I understand why some people think he is me because there are certain "tells" in other specific gags. For example, the character in the gag below has a striking similarity to me and his posture is the same as Laughing Gravy's in the top gag on this page:

Actually, in the way my gags have been accepted by so many, it is apparent to me that he is a relatable character and many of his feeling and interpretations are part of lots of peoples feeling. He is humble and loveable man muddling his way through the life he's inherited. 

 

A Tennessee Werewolf in Texas

The Law of Averages

One minute read

Years ago, when people still wrote checks, one could look in his/her checkbook and observing all the checks written, one could see what they were spending the majority of their money on, whether it be eating out, entertainment, booze, clothes, whatever. These check entries were evidence of what was important in someone's life. 

Now-a-days we probably must look at our bank statement as most purchases are made with plastic, but the evidence is still there.

Not unlike the above example are the friends one chooses and if you're like me and find it difficult to name five people you are close to, don't despair. There are other ways of telling.

You are the books you read, the movies you watch, the TV programs you view, the music you listen to, the conversations in which you engage, the websites you visit.

Pay attention what you pay attention to.

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The above cartoon is a reprint from my book Shut Up & Draw available on Amazon by clicking this link.

 

Gorilla Tactics

A renown football coach once said "if you find yourself in a fight with a 400lb gorilla you don't tap him lightly. You hit him with everything you've got".

His meaning was to decisively, aggressively and intentionally show up and take control right away and the likelihood of ending with a good result increases.

Do you want to use creativity in your life and career?

Shut up & Draw: A Journey to Creativity

is a book that can give you some insight on how to do it with loads of humor.

Order yours now

 

To Be a Bear

One minute read

Jimmy Johnson, former head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, speaks much of  "scared money" which has become popularized in various circles, But 

                       what does "scared money" mean?

Playing with scared money often refers to gaming as in black jack, for example, when one, afraid of loosing, will wager little money and in return receives smaller gains, if any. 

Johnson, who enjoys black jack, used this philosophy much in football as one who is daring, bold and takes calculated chances, knowing the risks but is willing to put it on the line for 

gains all out of proportion to the investment. 

This may also be related to one's personal or professional life when one has little he wishes to put at risk consequently has little gains as a result. A basic rule of investing is if one has little to loose, then risk it. 

What's the harm if it's lost?

In business, seeking a big payday, not playing with scared money can be easily applied. Soliciting an unlikely but good client who would pay top dollar for my services, is a good applicable example. 

How can you use creativity in your life and career?

Get your copy of Shut Up & Draw: A Journey to Creativity here

I was a Teenage Ditch Digger

 The following is an excerpt from Shut Up & Draw: A Journey to Creativity

One minute read

Because of my intrinsic belief system, as a child, I felt somewhat of an oddball as I was more of a reflective type of kid. I preferred to read books, write stories, and draw but 

I never imagined indulging in these practices as a career. 

How could I? The adults in my life never thought of it that way either. To them it was a nice talent for a quiet boy, and a good hobby but it was no way to earn a living. To do that it was necessary for me to get a job and do what I was told so I could  pay the bills.

pay the bills.

This programming has stayed with me for most of my adult life even after I became self-employed in a non-artistic field. It's been hard to reprogram. 

Becoming self employed when I did (albeit in a blue-collar capacity) I became associated with other self-employed business people who were not as timid about following their aspirations which was contrary to my 

"play it safe" programming.

It's worth noting that even in such an optimistic environment I still sensed the reluctance to share my vision overtly. This has to do with whom we choose to share our vision.

 Get your own copy of 

Shut Up and Draw: A journey to creativity 

Order Now

You're a what? (Two minute read)

 "The chief enemy of creativity is good sense."

Pablo Picasso

Being a creative person has a misleading reputation surrounding it and among the confusion is how so many artists have given us the impression that to be creative you must empty your mind of all thought and plug into the spiritual realm of your being. 

Many profess either overtly or by inference, you must be in touch with some other heavenly part of the universe that takes you somewhere without self input as if you're not in control of the outcome

As remarkable as this sounds to some, it simply isn't true. Many pretentious artists, who wish to be venerated, want us to envision their creativity as something that has been gifted to them from the gods on high and with such a pronouncement it often discourages many from even attempting to draw declaring...

"I'm no artist"

The truth of the matter is that creativity in general and drawing specifically is a skill that can be learned with practice like any other progressive skill such as math, welding or selling insurance.

Creativity in general can be practiced and like any other part of the mind you focus upon, the more you use it for creative purposes the easier it becomes. 

It's true that drawing specifically lends itself to mindfulness and focus, but it's similar to the way a mathematician focuses on solving a calculation. Like many other activities, some people are predisposed to it. Mozart was a musical prodigy, Michelangelo was masterful and these traits were often reflected in their personalities and their approach to everyday things, but by no means does this disqualify anyone else from learning to tap into their own creative potential.

There is no compulsory temperament a person needs to possess in order to be a creative person. No one must be either introverted or extroverted, neither eccentric or plain. 

My wife put it to me this way:

"Shut Up and Draw"

This article and accompanying illustrations is an excerpt from 

Shut Up and Draw: A Journey to Creativity.

Order your copy of the book 

Learning to Win

 

(Two Minute Read)

They say failure is just another step in the learning process. Ted Turner, as owner of the Atlanta Braves, when asked during the teams rebuilding process, how he felt about all the losses incurred in the interim said, 

"we weren't loosing. We were learning how to win". 

All fine and dandy but it still doesn't make loosing and failing any easier. At least not to most people, me especially. 

My virtual mentor, Dan Miller, (48 days Podcast) brought up the subject when he read a letter from a listener who said "sometimes it's prudent for a person to quit wanting what they want because there comes a point of realization that the dream will never become a reality. Consistent failure leads to deep depression and one must come to the conclusion that loosers are a fact of life". 

Yikes!

Mr. Miller addressed this and, for me, the most meaningful point of  the conversation came when he suggested that if my business life isn't where I want it to be or is failing, then take a look at my personal life because the state of one's personal habits and practices are reflected in the business life. 

• How are my relationships? Do I have a date night with my spouse? Do I tell her I love her? Do I call my mother regularly? If not then I'm setting up my personal life for failure.

• How's my health? Do I eat badly? Junk food, processed food? Do I exercise? If I'm not living a healthy lifestyle then am I not setting up my health for failure?

• What are my personal finances like? Am I in debt? Do I impulse buy? Do I budget my money and stick to it? Do I save? If so, my personal finances are at risk of failure.

• There is also the question of my personal and spiritual development. Do I spend an hour a day reading quality books and articles? Do I have a period of personal devotion? If not, again, I'm setting myself up for failure in that area. 

• My personal habits also play an important role. Do I stay up late watching TV. Do I sleep late in the mornings? Do I indulge in useless, pointless online videos? If I'm not making good choices in my personal habits then I'm again setting myself up for failure. 

Mr. Miller chose 5 areas in ones life to help a person either finally succeed or come back from failure.

1. Loving relationships
2. Uncompromising integrity
3. A clear purpose
4. Vibrant health
5. Optimistic faith

We all make mistakes. We loose, we fail but as Robert Kiyosaki said in Rich Dad Poor Dad, an entrepreneur's job is to make mistakes. To make no mistakes is the job of an employee.  

Do you want to know how to be creative in your life and profession?

For a copy of Bob Doll's book Shut Up & Draw: A Journey to Creativity click here

Not in the Contract

 I've said on many occasion that if I knew beforehand how being successful was going to be this hard, I would have preferred to just live happily ever after instead. It harkens back to the days over 12 years ago when all I knew was having a secure job with benefits and how the "security" tuned out to be delusional, on more than one occasion, in my experience. 

Ironically, the shallow waters I experienced in the traditional world of employment was setting me up for a world of self-employment. There are pros and cons to each, and it also recalls the question, which I've written about in previous blogs, is a person's personality made to be entrepreneurial or does entrepreneurialship make the person?

It's also a matter of how self-employment has conditioned me to be very discontent with traditional employment. I am seriously questioning my ability (or willingness) at this point, to return to the world of employment. 

"All mortal greatness is but a disease."

 I don't know why because I'm no psychologist, but I tend to believe less in myself than others do. It's been my arch enemy all my life. It's my Lex Luthor, my Mr. Hyde, my white whale. 

The Meaning of the Meaning

The meaning of life. What a profound statement. There are so many implications and interpretations behind the meaning of life and is there only one answer? Some people think there is a singular solution and they advocate that if everyone would just  do things exactly the way they do it then everyone would be successful, thin and happy. However, we know that's not the reality. 

To me, life can seem a blissful holiday one day, with sunshine, birds singing and unbound optimism. The next day it may seem a foreboding harbinger of doom, ready to fall upon me a crush out my very life. 

Aside from the psychological implications of being hopelessly schizophrenic, or whatever the proper medical term is, most of us would admit to having mental highs and lows which will not be debated here, but I, for one, am happy that I have the ability to illustrate my thoughts, either through drawings, words or both. Doing so requires me to examine some giants of art and literature (or any field of endeavor) , as well as the everyday people. When I realize that even people of great success have everyday problems, then I don't feel like such an anomaly.

My Favorite Writer

It's no secret to my friends and business associates, that I write and most of the time, when it's convenient, my words are accompanied with a humorous drawing. 

I have a handwritten journal I keep at home, and I always have paper and pen with me when I'm away from my desk. Recently, I've been keeping a micro-journal on my cell phone using the OneNote app which syncs well with all my devices. This micro-journal is good for writing on the go or when I'm even at home when I get the itch to write right-away. No waiting.

Needless to say, I have an assortment of sketchbooks which also serve as a journal. A graphic journal, if you will, and in them are drawings which record my thoughts just as words can.

I have this thing about me where I insist I can do things better than anything mass produced whether it's cooking a meal, coffee, or even writing. There are many best selling books I've read (or began reading) that I couldn't stomach. Some of these books are bestsellers and congratulations to the authors who have found the way to sell to the masses. It's also a heavy commentary on the mindset of the readers of these books. Someone once said

"When I want to read a 

good book I'll write it."

Maybe I'm totally wrong. I could be swinging at a ball that isn't there. Who am I to determine what is good writing and what isn't? But don't we all have our own opinions?

This is a Life?

There is a network of Christian business men I attend on a monthly basis and I've slowly come to the realization that the guest speakers at these meetings tell very similar stories and follow predictable patterns which is why I know I'll likely never be chosen as one of their guest speakers. 

I'm being rather presumptuous to think I would be considered as such, but it is my hope that one day I will be chosen as someone's guest speaker. However, I am quite certain I won't be chosen as the afore mentioned organization's speaker.

Why? Because based on the previous speakers, I don't fit the pattern. Most of the guests speakers have had a life of alcoholism, drug abuse, wife beating, and prison who have been face down in the gutter, then found God who led them to a remarkable recovery and brilliant life.

My background contains none of those experiences and in fact, based on said criteria, I am apparently very boring. I've been a faithful husband, my marriage involves no abuse, and I've never been afflicted with alcoholism or drug addiction. I've never gambled. I've never been to prison nor have I ever been homeless. I've never driven a successful business into the ground and neither have I been "on fire" for The Lord.

My message is how normal I actually am. My story is not to impress the average guys and gals, with stories of rags to riches, other than I hope that one day, this heretofore ordinary life is one that reaches a certain level of success to which the normal person can more relate. I wish to be more inspirational to those of us lying face down in mediocrity, not the gutter.

 

Pray, Work, Repeat

Recently I've made the announcement how I've contracted with Morgan James Publishing and 48 Days Press to get Shut Up & Draw published. We all know the old adage, "be careful what you pray for cause you might get it".  (Pre-order Shut Up & Draw)

My partnership with Morgan James and my relationship with my virtual mentor, Dan Miller, (which by the way is becoming less virtual as we communicate more often) has opened so many doors and realms of possibilities which is not unlike culture shock. I've thus been researching all the ways to market the book and networking in relation to the same and it's quite overwhelming. I need to break the elephant up into smaller bite sized pieces which is in itself a big job, mentally speaking, that is.

Upon making the announcement to my network of friends and associates, I received the admiration from people to whom I was previously invisible and the funny thing is they have no clue as to how overwhelmed and  intimidated I am. 

However, the bottom line is this: enough research and studying. Now it's time to get to work. 

 

Platitudes and H.L. Mencken

"Platitudes are the Sundays of stupidity"

The above quote is attributed to H.L. Mencken (1880-1956) who was a journalist, satirist, social critic and free thinker. I don't pretend to know what all that means. 

I found it to be a very interesting statement and I wanted to find out what he meant by it. 

He is also known as the "American Nietzsche" and in order to fully understand this remark, I had to look up some definitions. The first was "who is H.L. Menken". I just answered that. 

The next thing I wanted to answer was the definition of "platitude". Webster defines it as 

"the quality or state of being dull or insipid; a banal, trite or stale remark."

Next, what has Sunday to do with it? Sunday is a day of rest. A holy day, a sabbath. A day off. In the case of the quote it might be more related to the adjective used to describe someone putting on their best behavior or appearance; an amateur as in the phrase 

"put on your Sunday best".

"Stupid"? It means slow of mind, unintelligent, brutish or senseless. 

So if I put it all down another way, the quote may go something like  this: 

"dull, uninteresting and trite remarks, are showy things senseless people say". 

Could it be said another way? 

"Things are said in trite ways to satisfy unintelligent people".

It might also mean 

"the dim-witted things people think or say are generally acceptable when wrapped nicely in an insipid quote".

To me it is like a politician, when trying to win the votes of the masses, dances around the substantive issues by giving a wordy speech bedraggled with nice, banal words and phrases, but short on specifics.

I think of this quote when I hear an oft repeated phrase; a platitude. Things like  

• "Reach across the aisle"
• "The time is now"
• "There's only one race, the human race"
• "There's still work to be done"
• "Glass Ceiling"

No Punching a Time Clock for Us

I've often struggled with my daily regimens and habitual work routines. When I was working a job, my schedule was very much set in stone by knowing when it was time to punch in and out, when to go to lunch, how long I could take, etc. In the world of self-employment, however, it's a bit more challenging. 

The challenge...

There is always the dogmatism of some who feel like every moment we're awake should be filled with work and not just work but the type which is associated with our vocation. There are also those that feel how they do things is how everyone should do it.

I must admit I've grappled with this philosophy because I've discovered that spending hours of continuous focus on a solitary task tends to diminish my creative thinking as fatigue sets in. I would then think of myself as undisciplined or berate myself for being so lazy.

Poor, poor, pitiful, me...

As time passed and the more I discovered about great creative thinkers throughout history, the more I realized that there may be less amiss with me than I have thought. Many famous and wealthy people have had various working routines and strange habits to help them and they're all as varied as the individuals themselves. 

• Maya Angelou would work for about six hours and she always did so from a hotel or motel room.
• Mozart would compose and teach for over ten hours a day but his time was broken up. In between he would dine, read, and take walks with his wife.
• Charles Darwin worked for short times dispersed between recreation, reading and dining. 
• Beethoven started each day with a cup of coffee from exactly 60 coffee beans, no more and no less. He would carefully count them. To him it was the perfect cup of coffee. 

Some famous people worked regular or mundane jobs that helped in their creative thinking.

• Albert Einstein worked as a patent clerk when he came up with his Theory of Relativity.
• Walt Whitman was a newspaper editor even after he was publishing his famous poems. 

Aside from the work routines, some famous celebrities had some very strange habits many of which bordered on the bizarre.

• Aldous Huxley kept a revolver in his desk drawer and whenever he finished writing a book he would fire a shot out of his office window.
• Artist Georgia O'Keefe painted from the rumble seat of her Model A ford.
• Leo Tolstoy, though wealthy, wore only ragged peasant's clothes because of his disdain for the upper class.
• Earnest Hemingway wrote standing up.
• Composer Franz Schubert wore glasses which in itself isn't strange but he never took them off. He even wore them to bed.
• Michelangelo rarely bathed and would wear the same clothes for days. He would even sleep in them, boots and all.
• Victor Hugo wrote in the nude. He instructed his servant to hide his clothes to prevent him from leaving the room until he met his deadline.
• Dan Brown hangs upside down to prevent writer's block. 
• Friedrich Schiller, the German poet, kept rotten apples in his desk drawer because the putrid smell jolted his brain into activity.
• Truman Capote was the oddest of them all. He never called anyone whose phone number added up to 13 nor would he stay in a hotel room whose numbers also added up to 13. He never began or finished a piece of work on a Friday. He was a chain smoker which he claimed help him in his creative process but would never allow his ashtray to have three cigarette butts. He would put then in his pocket. 

I have some habits of my own that don't go as far as those mentioned which are:

• I start everyday handwriting in my journal, and I have a specific refillable fountain pen I've had for years used for only that purpose and I never use it for anything else.
• I use only a hardcover dictionary and thesaurus. Nothing digital.
• I draw using dip pens before making it digital.
• I have to wear shoes when working at my desk. 

No, these aren't as bizarre as Capote or Huxley but I'm grateful I'm not so oddball. I think.

Feel free to list any of your own habits or routines, strange or not, in the comments below. 

Spending Time in the Shower (and other things)

I am in the throes of transitioning from one career to another and the meat of the matter is my new work routine. I have, as of late, been distressed over spending most of the week trying to fill my time with productive hours, ignoring the fact that my income generating days are usually on the weekends for now. It gives me a sense of uneasiness because it's a routine I'm not as accustomed to. 

I'm reminded of an episode of Seinfeld in which Kramer becomes distressed because he thinks he is taking too long to bathe in the shower. He takes steps to improve the situation by comparing himself to the bathing habits of his friends Jerry and Elain and comically goes to the gym to takes notes on other's shower techniques (which turns out to have very negative consequences).  In an attempt to take shorter showers he discovers he didn't rinse properly and still has has soap lather streaming down his neck and leg.

After failed attempts at modifying his shower routine, he finally concludes that he actually prefers longer showers and resigns to simply doing so regardless of his prior distress over it. He purchased a water proof  telephone, installed a garbage disposer in the drain, even prepared his meals in there and resolved to quit trying to take shorter showers. 

A funny scenario and it's a perspective I've adopted in a way. The fact is I am working.  I'm employed. I'm meeting our present needs with the weekend work in which I'm now engaged and for me to get distressed over my new weekday routine is unnecessary. To have a healthy sense of urgency to find productive endeavors during the week is a worthy pursuit but not one worth anguishing about. In my activities and pursuits of finding more and more creative endeavors, I can rest assured I will find them.  

Believe it or Not

 I don't always quote movies because most of the tripe coming out of Hollywood lately isn't my cup of tea but when a good story, good acting and good directing come together, it's something special. 

There is a scene from a movie that came out in 1980 that deserves my nod and I won't mention the movie but if anyone reads this, they may easily recognize it.

The scene is when a teacher tells a student to perform a task that requires great mental and physical effort which is tantamount to moving a mountain. The student expresses his skepticism with the remark "It's too big".

The teacher responds, "It's not too big except in your mind. You must unlearn that which you have learned."

"You're asking the impossible", replies the student who then walks away discouraged.

At that, the teacher proceeds to do the very thing the student said was impossible right in front of the his eyes. The astonished student gasps a reply, "I don't believe it!".  

"That is why you fail", said the master.

The scene is from The Empire Strikes Back" and I think George Lucas, the writer of the script, was giving a bit of autobiographical insert here as the Star Wars franchise succeeded to levels that even he could not have predicted.

Self-belief is essential if one is to reach any level of success one desires. The unwavering faith that comes from total dedication to one's craft.

Punched in the Face

This past weekend I drew at my first all digital, live event at the Katy Home and Garden Show and I gave myself a substantial learning curve. I had planned, in my head, how drawing digitally at events were going to play out and I expected good things. It reminds me of what boxing great, Mike Tyson once said: 

"Everyone has a plan until 

they get punched in the face". 

Saturday was very much a difficult day as I had a traditional gig in Spring Branch and hurried to Katy to set up the TV, tablet, drawing table etc. and by the time I did all that, I was well spent.

As time progressed, things proceeded as many first endeavors go. I had technical issues, missing equipment, I was tentative and intimidated at using it and very slow and choppy. All in all it was not a good day.

What's worse, is I later discovered a streak across the TV screen where I may have damaged it and I was so discouraged and exasperated that I wanted to cancel my time for the following day, Sunday, and forget about the whole thing. 

Then I began thinking that I made a commitment to my vender and as leader of a local network, I had an obligation to live up to the standards of the group. How credible would it be of me to stand in front of the group and stress the importance of stepping out of our comfort zone and taking chances if I bowed out that Sunday.

So, I decided to show up and as a result, I had a better day than the previous one. I corrected mistakes from the previous day, was more aware of the intricacies of the set up and more people were pleased as I became more bold in my work. 

It's a good example of how doing something for the first time can be difficult, embarrassing and fraught with issues but as part of the self employed, it's important to accept it, learn from it, improving each time. Zig Ziglar said, 

"Anything worth doing is worth doing 

poorly until we learn to do it well".

A Target Too Far

 

I’ve set for myself a financial target which I’ve shared with very few people and I’ve received different reactions. Some have simply encouraged me with the question of how I will do it while there has been one or two which have snickered and scoffed with remarks like “you don’t have enough time to do that” and maybe they’re right.

 There are no guarantees I will reach that target. It doesn't mean I won’t be happy until I meet that end, but it does mean I can be happy on the journey.

I must admit it is an unrealistic objective and from where I stand it’s difficult to see. It reminds me of the days in boot camp at the rifle range when it was time to qualify with the M16 rifle. Marines are known for their marksmanship and the qualification process is grueling. Every Marine is required to perform well at the range and hit a target 500 meters away.

The first time I saw the target at that distance I was amazed. The target was nothing more than a white dot on the horizon and when I aimed at it, the front sight completely obscured it. It was more than 5 football fields away: half a kilometer. I had serious doubts about my ability to meet the requirement. I asked myself “How can I hit a target I can’t even see?”. But I also reasoned that if Marines do it every day and have done so for generations prior to my arrival then it could be done.

I then immersed myself into the task. During training, along with the rest of the platoon, I learned everything I could about the M16A2 rifle. I learned it was a 5.56mm, air cooled, shoulder fired, semi-automatic weapon. I learned its maximum effective range and maximum rate of fire. I studied every detail. Its length and how much it weighed. I learned the nomenclature of every part. I could disassemble it and have it in a dozen pieces on my footlocker before me, name every part and then put it back together. I learned about ballistics, velocity, camber, trajectory, and how the weather, even the humidity, affected the path of the bullet.

I studied windage, elevation, sighting in, and how to breath while firing. I learned how much pressure to use on the trigger before the weapon fired and how to use the sling for leverage to steady the rifle.

No amount of head knowledge would help me if I didn’t put it to practical use, so I practiced and practiced. I fired the weapon at 200 meters, 350 meters and 500 meters. Each day I improved from the previous until finally, on the final day, qualification day, I was ready. Nothing could stop me, The rifle became an extension of my body and was part of me as much as my arm or hand.

I performed well at the 200-meter and 350-meter distance and then there was the mountain. When it came time to qualify at the 500-meter target, I was ready. Ten shots in the prone position and not only did I hit the target, but I hit ten bull’s eyes. In fact, I succeeded at making the company high score and was awarded the “Expert Rifleman” status prior to everyone else in a special ceremony. Out of 500 Marine recruits, I was number one. The task at which I thought was impossible just weeks earlier, I had become an expert.

At the beginning of the training, I didn’t have the vision of becoming the top rifleman but I became the person who could be him.

So, looking at the financial target I’ve set, I know, from where I now stand, it’s an unrealistic objective. I also know that many others before me have set improbable aims which eventually became a reality. If I do as they did, also as I did at the Camp Pendleton rifle range and learn everything I can about the work in which I am now engaged, then I may hit that target.

There are no guarantees that I’ll succeed at hitting the target but, in the process, I can become the kind of person who can do it.

There are the nay-sayers and the doubters, but they will always be with us. Those people are not the ones with which to share our aims. They’ll claim we’re too young to set that as an objective because we don’t know any better. Some accuse others of being too old and time and opportunity has passed us by.  

Too many, even after the target is hit, still express their skepticism. “You must have cheated” some might say, or some even alleged that we’re lying about it or succeeded dishonestly. All those nay-sayer types are the ones we need to get away from as fast as possible.

“Never listen to the criticism of those from which you would never take advice.”

 

I Can't Get No...

The difference between demanding respect and commanding it are stark. When someone demands respect they are simply saying 

"show me respect. 

I demand it. 

I deserve it. 

Do it or else". 

One problem with demanding respect is the respect is a façade, superficial or fake. It's possible to respect someone as a person, whether we know him or her, but we may not give any credence to their values, what they do or what they represent. We're respectful out of courtesy or politeness. 

Many times, the danger of demanding respect means that as soon as the one who is insistent upon having it is out of earshot, the subsequent respect is gone as well.

However when one commands respect it comes from who the person is, what he or she represents, his or her accomplishments or skills. The one who commands it, rarely must ask for it as it is freely bestowed by others. 

The commander is spoken of with respect even when he or she is not around to hear it. 

If I feel I don't get the respect I deserve, then it is incumbent upon me to be the kind of person who is respected whether I ask for it or not. If somehow I feel disrespected, then either the people I'm around aren't my friends, from whom I can never expect anything more or I've not commanded their respect by being a person of  respect.

Anyway, most of the people I speak to about my endeavors are usually thinking about themselves.

 

In the Game

 Lynn Swan, hall of fame receiver for the Pittsburg Steelers, once described football as a game of opportunity. He never knew when the ball was going to be thrown his way and in some games he had no receptions all day. On other occasions he was the player of the game but he never knew when the occasion would present itself so he had to be ready for it on every play.

Now, he was never walking around on the streets, going out for a cup of coffee when suddenly a football rocketed to him from out of nowhere to receive the winning touchdown pass in Super Bowl X. No, Lynn Swan was on the field, in the game, running the plays and he was available by putting himself in a position to score at any time during the game. 

Often times we find ourselves wishing for an opportunity for success and to shine but we are never in the game. We find some kind of dull satisfaction from belonging to ordinary groups or the popular culture that makes excuses for our mediocrity. 

• "It's Monday."
• "It's raining."
• "It's too cold today."
• "I haven't had my coffee, yet."
• "It's too early. Just five more minutes."

To catch touchdowns we have to be in the game.

I Have No Business Being in Business

 I've been self-employed, full-time, since 2011 and part-time even longer. As time has progressed, I've become aware of the supposed qualities of the popular character traits of what a business owner is expected to have. My virtual mentor, Dan Miller, posted on his blog another list of these traits with only slight variations of the others I've seen over the years. 

As I read these lists, I must admit I grew quite discouraged, especially in the early days of my solo ventures, because I recognized I had very few of the "requirements" or character traits of the traditional entrepreneur. Here are just of few from Mr. Millers' list:

• Have a positive outlook
• Enjoy competition
• Plan ahead  
• Have a high level of confidence and belief in my abilities
• Enjoy what I'm doing
• Work long hours
• Support of my spouse

There are more but these are the ones that stand out in my experience because the possession of these traits has come into question over the last 11 years. Of course, everyone's situation is different, but I must say I respectfully take issue with Mr. Miller's list and most of the other lists of character traits I've come across over the years. 

Being the reluctant entrepreneur that I was, I possessed painfully few of these traits. If I had truly believed that the required traits were necessary, then things would have been dreadfully different. I would never have attempted to earn a living on my own, and according to the list I should have never tried. Based on conventional advice, I should have simply given up completely and continued to work low paying, unfulfilling jobs. 

But necessity is the mother of invention as they say, and I started working on my own regardless of what the "experts" said. 

However, as time went on, I've discovered what few people discuss openly or write about in the realm of the self-employed. Even though I was aware of how few qualities I possessed of the traditional business owner, at least in the beginning, I was driven by my need to earn income, pay my bills and eat. These are the qualities that trump the litany of features espoused by conventionality. 

But as time progressed and my business and reputation grew, I became the type of person who possessed many of the qualities listed. The requisite features of a typical business owner, though not initially apparent, developed over my time as a businessman.

So, I venture to say that if one possesses the qualities listed then one will increase one's chances of success from the start but it isn't required. What is required is the unconquerable sense of responsibility and duty that drives a person.

Repotting

 

There is a popular misconception that people start their own business for financial reasons, to get rich, but that is merely one reason, if at all. The reality is that business owners start their own companies for a variety of reasons and what they all have in common is self-control. The entrepreneurs create an environment consistent with their own values, goals and work ethics. 

The vast majority of working people strive to please an employer, a boss or company which so often does not share with their own values or goals and the companies often define for the employees what those traits should be. These contingencies determine their employment or status with that company.  

Many daring individuals, particularly the late bloomers, decide to create a work environment consistent with their own vision. Entrepreneurs choose the products, services, employees and culture they see fit. 

The real benefit of changing from employment to self-employment is that we get to define our own life instead of having someone else define it for us.

 

Start Digging

In the mining industry, a ton of ore produces, on average, only one gram of gold. That seems to me a lot of digging for such a small amount of gold, but the results speak for itself. Miners produce billions of dollars' worth of gold or diamonds, so the reward far outweighs the cost.

Mining is without a doubt hard and expensive work, but apparently it is a small price to pay for the sought after result. 

It is the same for me, is it not? I own acres of property that contains diamonds and gold and some of it is just laying around for me to pick up, which I periodically do, but the real good stuff is buried; I have to dig for it. 

I have the tools. Why don't I start digging? 

 

Archaic

It's raining and quite chilly outside this morning. Although 51degrees isn't cold to some people, it's cold enough for me. The fortunate thing is I'm not outside working in it and as of lately, I've not been required to do so. Not much, anyway.

I can't forget the endless number of days my professions over the years have required me to be out in it from the time I was very young. As a carpenter or grinding metal in my first years of college. The Marines, working offshore, DHW, and more, they all have been outdoor jobs, exposed to the elements, whatever they were. At the time I thought about when, if ever, I would have a vocation that would allow me to be sheltered from the weather, but those days never seemed to come. 

But they have come. Now that I'm safe indoors I am reminded that on all those countless days I was outdoors, experiencing the sunlight, the coolness of the wind blowing through my sweat drenched hair, the fragrance of fresh cut grass, the sound of trees rustling in the wind, the smell of the rain and the bitterness of its cold on my skin. Ironically enough, even though at the time I disliked the physical labor, I never felt so much alive as when I was struggling in that way. When the day was through, I felt a sense of satisfying accomplishment and the hot meal and cleanliness relished after a good shower. I felt it was well deserved and I am a better man because of it.

Maybe that is why, so often, every day in fact, I choose to write with pen and paper. It's the physical act of writing with my hand, holding a pen to paper that brings me satisfaction. The ability to mentally arrange lines of ink on a page in a way that makes sense to whoever reads them or recognizes the artwork is something relegated only to humans. That sensory perception is why I use thick, hardback dictionaries and thesauruses in lieu of smart devises. The mental and physical energy it takes to thumb through the pages to find what I'm looking for is irreplaceable. The feel of the paper in my hand, the weight of the book and the aroma of the old pages is therapeutic. It's un-replicatable. 

It's in every heart of men to seek and discover that for which he is looking. It's a primal urge to actively look for something and work for it rather than have it presented to him effortlessly. To be sure, I use electronic devices but in a fundamental sense, I prefer hardcover and not a day goes by I don't enjoy them.  

A Prophet's Relatives

 I showed my latest drawing to a family member recently with a caption and his response was "oh yes, I've seen that before". 

Another time, a family member bought my first book Shut Up and Draw and promptly handed it over to their two-year-old daughter to use as a coloring book. 

There are other instances. But my point is, within my family I'm not regarded as a learned man or one who puts out things of value.