Blogging at http://drewrieder.com NOW!

Hello visitor! I wanted to let you know that I’ve moved. It’s kind of like moving your house but in a digital way. I’ve moved all my content from the three blogs I’ve written from (starting back in October of 2009) over to http://drewrieder.com

You’ll like my new home. It’s cool and there’s lots of room to wiggle around and create stuff. I’m just getting started.

So come visit me here and you’ll see that I’m stepping up my game a bit for you. I’ll continue to post fun and interesting info always with a personal approach. Thanks for reading and I look forward to seeing you at http://drewrieder.com

Peace….drew

Lessons from Otis Redding’s “Dock of the Bay”

PORCH SITTING IS A LOST ART! 

STOP and stare at the beauty of God's creation all around you!

DISCLAIMER: This is not the view from my front porch (i-pod photo). It’s Multnomah Falls. But I wish it was the view from my back porch. Wouldn’t that be cool?

In America, we tend to label any activity where it looks like you’re not busy doing something as laziness. We champion the appearance of work as some badge we get to wear that proves we get to still keep collecting a paycheck. I believe the appearance of work and work for the sake of work are the worst kinds of anti-productivity. Perhaps the workplace would be much healthier if we had a results only work environment.

I think the corporate culture of “looking busy” is bunk and it’s this kind of widespread behavior that’s not only reinforced daily but is driving humans into the ground in this hyper-driven society. Think of all the people out there who are working hard to appear to be busy doing things. This seems like a lot of needless energy being expended to me.

Recently I carved out a small twenty-minute window of time from my day and just sat on the front porch and did nothing. It was sublime. It was relaxing. It was cathartic in a healthy and passive way.

It seems like nobody ever slows down anymore or unplugs from their electronic life on their phones and computers (irony of blog posts noted). There’s a great lack of rejuvenating types of activities.

• I’M TRYING TO SLOW DOWN & UNPLUG MORE OFTEN (AS A MATTER OF MENTAL HEALTH)!

Surprisingly, sitting out on my porch the other day doing absolutely nothing but watching cars go by, people walking and the leaves dancing on the trees was one of the most productive activities I’ve done in a long while.

Lately, I’ve just been feeling a great need to have more solitude in order to figure some things out and decompress my mind.

Both solitude and doing nothing at all are two things I’ve been desiring a lot lately. My schedule is usually full from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. so neither of these things happen very often unless I’m intentional.

But what if I miss something important (I think to myself) when I’m unplugged from my phone and the internet? What if I miss the latest piece of big news coming down the Twitter stream? At the end of the day, my answer to myself and this nagging question is, “who really cares”?

• I’M TRYING TO LEARN TO GIVE MYSELF PERMISSION TO DISENGAGE FROM TECHNOLOGY AND THE GRIND!

So here’s a quick note on solitude. It is a precious resource that hardly exists for anyone these days. It’s a wonder we don’t find ourselves falling into  large holes as we try to text & walk from here to there or drive our car off more cliffs as we text & talk while driving.

I don’t do either of these things very often, but I am guilty of doing them every once in a while (don’t get all judgmental and stuff). My point is that we’re hardly ever focused on the “now” and for many people “distraction” is a constant problem.

Everywhere you go people are interacting with their electronic devices and relating to their phones. You think childhood obesity is an epidemic? Why not throw worldwide distraction in the ring for consideration?

People think to themselves “I’m important and I have value & meaning because so-and-so just texted me or just sent an update on FourSquare or somebody Facebooked me.” There’s this desperate urgency to get back to our connections right away or to send notes out constantly reporting every grid coordinate that we stop on.

• I’M TRYING TO BALANCE MY LOVE FOR SOCIAL MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY WITH MORE HUMAN INTERACTIONS!

SO WHAT DOES OTIS REDDING HAVE TO SAY ABOUT ALL THIS?

You might not be surprised by this as I’m sure it’s probably true for you, also. I learn a lot from listening to music (all kinds, all eras). Otis Redding–legendary soul singer, song writer and performer–had some wisdom to depart on the topic we’ve been exploring together? It seems that he was alluding to many of his own stresses and worries in his song “The Dock of the Bay.” Give it a listen.

Great tune, by the way, and it was written way before e-mail, mobile phones and the Internet ever existed.

So as I was sitting on my front porch “resting my bones” this song ran through my head and had a very different meaning than it had ever had before. So keeping in mind the things I talked about what can we learn from this song? Otis recorded it only 3 days before he died. Here are the lyrics.

(SITTIN’ ON) THE DOCK OF THE BAY
- written by Otis Redding and Steve Cropper
- lyrics as recorded by Otis Redding December 7, 1967, just three
days before his death in a plane crash outside Madison, Wisconsin
- #1 for 4 weeks in 1968

Sittin’ in the mornin’ sun
I’ll be sittin’ when the evenin’ come
Watching the ships roll in
And then I watch ‘em roll away again, yeahI’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
Ooo, I’m just sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Wastin’ time

I left my home in Georgia
Headed for the ‘Frisco bay
‘Cause I’ve had nothing to live for
And look like nothin’s gonna come my way

So I’m just gonna sit on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
Ooo, I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Wastin’ time

Look like nothing’s gonna change
Everything still remains the same
I can’t do what ten people tell me to do
So I guess I’ll remain the same, yes

Sittin’ here resting my bones
And this loneliness won’t leave me alone
It’s two thousand miles I roamed
Just to make this dock my home

Now, I’m just gonna sit at the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
Oooo-wee, sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Wastin’ time (whistle)

Here are some habits I’m going to APPLY after thinking about Otis Redding’s song:

• Take time to sit and observe nature for long periods of time.
• When the stresses, demands and worries of life become too much (daily) take time to be still outside of my office.
• Go for short walks around the block.
• Lay on the grass in my backyard and watch the clouds roll by.
• Sometimes, if my mind wants to wander I should let it. Focus is good but not all the time. Great creativity often happens.
• There is something beautiful about the active pursuit of rest & renewal in God’s creation that can renew the mind. It’s good for the soul.
• I would beg to differ that sitting on my front porch or the dock of the bay is not a “waste of time.”
• Trying to pick 1-2 days to watch TV and leave that wondrous distraction OFF the rest of them. I’m not quite to the get-rid-of-it-completely phase yet, but that’s not a bad idea.
• Using an actual writing utensil and journaling some of my thoughts as I chill out.
• Seeking to not become a slave to cyber space, but instead become its master by using it to reach my goals (like building a healthy and vibrant online community).
• Breathe in and breathe out. Listen to the sounds all around me.
• Marvel at all the life happening in front of me.
• Repeat all of the above as often as I can.

REALITY CHECK: 

The way our world is built today, we’d all be hardpressed to completely disconnect from media and electronic interaction, but we can’t forget to take regular periods of time to be offline.

 The soul of the human needs time to interact with its Creator by being out in nature and we also need lots of time to relate to each other by doing human things (like face-to-face meetings, playing sports or sharing a cup of coffee). Ponder all this as you get close to the weekend.

 What’s the best way you’ve found to unplug from technology or unwind from a stress-filled life?

 Share your best practice with the rest of us. And, as always, thanks for reading….drew

Have you been voted off your ISLAND?

The Tribe has Spoken

What is your tribe saying?

BIG QUESTION: What if you were a part of a larger online community where you had such a high level of accountability to your fans, friends and followers that they could, essentially, vote you out of their group if you weren’t meeting their standards or if you did something to compromise their trust?

Pause. Now ponder that question for a minute while I explain the references in this post and the nature of my question.

SURVIVOR THE TV Show!

I love it when TV shows and pop culture lingo find their way into our everyday lives. The title of this post is a direct reference to the popularized show, Survivor, in which the small group of island inhabitants get to vote their least favorite castaway off the island at the end of the show. To speak thoroughly on the topic, this person may or may not be a weak player or have done anything wrong (other than posing a threat to other people trying to win the show).

Maybe some of you are still fans of this show and have watched it since it began back in 2000. I don’t even know what season they’re on now as I haven’t watched it since some former Navy Seal named Rudy was on the show. However, it’s a pretty good “reality” show and has stood the test of time as far as how long these types of shows tend to last. More importantly, I thought that the show’s premise was a good backdrop for some discussion about online accountability to our people.

So to finish painting this picture for you in order to draw a comparison to what we do as artists, the end of each show goes like this.

Each tribe member casts their vote for the person they want to send home. The losing tribe member (the one with the most votes) then gets his or her torch extinguished and they must leave the island right away.  Immediately preceding the loser walking into the darkness of the jungle and into oblivion, the show host says something like “the tribe has spoken” and then it cues to some dramatic music, of course.

So there’s a REVIEW. Now back to THE QUESTION at hand.

What if life online was like Survivor? What if our online tribes had this kind of power? Better yet, what if we empowered them to be able to help us stay the course and stay true to our work? Or what if we allowed them to hold us to the standards we professed to live by?

You might think this type of scenario seems a bit extreme–that you and your work could or should be under such scrutiny. But remember that me even posing this concept puts my neck on the proverbial chopping block, too.

I beg the point that the pursuit of developing a community like this very well should be the heartbeat of every good marketer?

So what might a “Survivor” model blog or an online community look like, you say?

Let’s play this out in a realistic scenario. It would be a place where the following things could be true:

1. We tell the truth to our readers as we see it flowing from our own life experience.
2. People have the freedom to respectfully share their opinions about us and our work.
3. We tell people what we’re about and live transparently.
4. If we do something that we said we weren’t going to do then our tribe has the right to call us out on it and raise an issue.
5. Our loyal constituents can interact with us on a personal level and may even help shape some of our content by expressing their preferences.
6. People in our communities feel like they are a part of a special team of insiders who get access to content and art that makes their world better.
7. There are rewards to be had for making it through different challenges, sharing stories & ideas and reaching milestones.
8. It is a place where we can champion our fellow tribe member’s projects and applaud collective success.
9. Community members could even filter out other members who may not be living up to the right tribal standards of conduct and call those individuals to give account for their actions or to exit the island (metaphorically speaking, of course).
10. Adventures can be expected as the social landscape changes for the community site and we discover new places & interests and experience things together.
11. Members start to form their own tribes (spin-offs) as they are inspired by us and by one another to pursue their passions with excellence.

Does this sound like a place you’d like to be or something you’d like to build? This is the sort of community model that I desire to be a part of.

I think you should consider what your ideal community would look like. Every community might look a little different but to each one the artist has a big responsibility. So here’s a few ending thoughts and questions.

• What is your ideal design for your community?
• What kind of people would you like to join your online tribe?
• What would an action list look like that could help you build this?

Answer these three questions and you might be ready to make some new changes. I’m ready. Will you join me?

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear any thoughts you might have. Let the community voice be heard….drew

Your BLUE TRUCK Moment (Carrie Underwood)!

What is your Blue Truck moment?

Since, I just posted about my unique perspective as a military veteran and how that informs my view of Memorial Day and all veteran’s holidays, I thought I’d keep the patriotic theme going and talk about a country music concert I just went to. And what’s more American & patriotic than some country music?

So, here’s the story. The day before Memorial Day (last Sunday) I was fortunate to be able to take in a Carrie Underwood concert at the Spokane Veteran’s Memorial Arena (great name for my hometown arena and right in line with my patriotism theme) with my better half. My wife and I had an awesome date together with dinner beforehand and everything! For those of you without kids, you might not think that’s as cool as I do. But, that coupled with the fact that we got to see CU, it was pretty stinkin’ rad. And, yes, I did just say rad.

So, not surprisingly, I was blown away by Carrie’s performance. She sang her lungs out for over 2 hours, and that girl can “sang” (southern tense intended). Right from the get-go she came out with power and that vulnerable yet invincible persona that makes her who she is.

As a musician, I tend to draw inspiration from other musicians and by listening to music (be it live or recorded). There were times during the concert where I was moved to tears at the purity of her voice and the message in some of her songs. Here’s a YouTube clip of Just a Dream. Listen to it first and then read the rest.

Let me paint the picture for you. Imagine me sitting next to my wife who spent a year alone while I was over in Iraq, pregnant with our second son, raising my first-born and wondering each day if I’d make it back. This song could’ve been her and it could’ve been me. But, by the grace of God we made it through. So, listening to a song like this was surreal and beautiful and overwhelming all at the same time. And all I have is gratitude for my wife, for the life I now have and for making it back from that war that still rages on.

Crazy, you wouldn’t think you could get all this from a country concert. But I did.

Sorry, I really didn’t mean for this to be an “emo” post. I’m just writing to you from my heart, and this is what’s coming out. So, all that said, I am getting to my point about the BLUE TRUCK. Wait for it! Wait for it! Okay, here it is. No wait. One more thing. If you listen really carefully, you might hear me singing “West Virginia” along with Carrie in the “blue truck” moment of my story. And so, here it almost is.

What I thought was so cool about the concert overall, other than the vocal quality and all the bells & whistles of the multi-media stage & lights, was the fact that, from my perspective, she was able to totally be herself by talking about her journey thus far, giving credit to God and people who’d contributed to her career, sharing things about her past and simultaneously was still able to keep 5,000 people spell-bound for over 2 hours.

But the grandest moment, the cherry on the Ice Cream Sunday (drum roll, please) was the BLUE TRUCK! Watch THIS! Wasn’t that amazing?!?

And, as if that wasn’t cool enough here’s another clip of her journey around the arena in the BIG BLUE TRUCK!

So here’s my BIG THOUGHT in all this. What is your BLUE TRUCK moment for your fans, followers, readers and friends? We all need one. For Carrie, this was the part of the concert that left people talking. I was struck by the fact that I need to work towards providing a “blue truck” sort of experience with my art and my content. Don’t we all owe it to our constituents to do this? I think we do.

So, here’s our assignment. Let’s share with one another what we are doing to really provide something unique and special in our work. There is a lot of power in the sharing of ideas.

Go brainstorm about what  your “blue truck” moment could be. Like me, you’re probably not all the way there yet.  We’re all at different points in our journey. But it’s important to pursue a vision of what your  distinguishing factor–this BLUE TRUCK–could be and work relentlessly to make it happen.

Thanks for reading. You and your thoughts mean a lot to me. I draw inspiration from your work and your encouragement. I’ll be back with you soon….drew

A Veteran’s Perspective on Memorial Day

As most of you know, this last Monday (5/31) was Memorial Day. I went into the weekend not really focused on the meaning of it all, because I’ve been so busy and caught up in the day-to-day. But as the weekend progressed there was much on my heart and mind.

Being a Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and having lost friends and loved ones to this conflict I think about this day differently than most. Actually, because I’m an Army veteran I look at all patriotic holidays through a different lense.

Here are some thoughts that routinely role through my head:

• Why did I survive all those bombs and bullets in Mosul?
• Thank God I did survive (this thought usually immediately follows the first one)!
• I wonder if most of America even cares about this day or appreciates those soldiers who paid the ultimate price for our freedom?
• I think of all the soldiers that are still over there–the ones that my kids know by name and pray for every night at bedtime prayers.
• How long has it been now since I’ve been back (5 years from Feb. 7, 2005)?
• How are those families doing that lost their loved ones? What will their kids know about the parents they lost?
• Why did my cousin, Sean Langevin, have to die in Afghanistan at such a young age and leave behind a wife and baby girl?
• Why did Jamie Campbell, one of my first soldiers in my very first platoon turned officer and Blackhawk pilot have to die?
• Why did Matt Stovall, the brave lieutenant who helped my convoy make it to our base have to die in that ambush?
• When will the media start reporting some of the good that our soldiers are doing over there to rebuild and to reach out?
• When will this war end?

So, as you can gather, it’s not just another day off for me that I get to work out in the yard and not be at work in front of my computer. It’s a grave reminder of my past and the present “forgotten” war that our country is embroiled in.

Although, I’m five years back from this conflict and since out of the military after nine years of service, there is still much that I’m sorting out. I’m proud to have been able to serve our country and I deeply appreciate the freedoms we enjoy everyday.

I wonder sometimes if we even really grasp all that we have in the United States being the envy of the world. I’m concerned that we don’t have enough brave souls standing up and serving in our military. I ponder the legacy we’re handing to our children and the next generation.

So with all these thoughts swirling around in my heart, I encourage you (my readers) to do some simple things to embrace freedom and show your gratitude to our soldiers. Here’s a few:

1. Be a part of the Gratitude Campaign. It’s really easy to do.
2. Send a Care Package to a soldier. Get your office or family together and gather some things that will make a soldier’s life a little better as they protect our freedom in the U.S. Armed Forces.
3. Take a few moments to Pray for our Soldiers.
4. Call a family member or friend and let them know you appreciate their service. Reach out to friends you work with, too.
5. Go make your freedom count so that their service is not in vain. Change the world for the better.

There is a lot more I could write about war and our county and military service. But I’ll save those thoughts for another day or another song. Thanks for reading. God bless you and God bless America…drew

Even WAR can't stop the music!

Your Last Day on Earth!

Hypothetically & Philosophically Speaking

What message would you send out to the world if this was your last day on this planet?

• Would you tell everyone that they should live it up because they don’t know when their expiration date will be?
• Would you encourage people to make things right with any relationships that are broken?
• Would you try to pass on all of the wisdom you thought you’d amassed in your short spin on this blue marble?
• Would you go on a mad rant about all of the things you wish would have worked out in your favor?
• Would you simply send a short message and then go make peace with God?

What regrets do you think you might have if this was your last day on earth?

• Would you regret all the time you spent working extra hours at your JOB?
• Would you regret not having turned off the TV more and just sitting on your front porch to take in the sights and sounds of the world around you?
• Would you regret the things you said to the people around you?
• Would you regret not having relentlessly pursued your dreams?
• Would you regret not having left a big enough contribution to humanity?

TWO THOUGHTS on a Friday!

1. Don’t live with regret about anything!
2. Do something today to start sending your message out to the universe!

We only get one chance at this, so let’s make it count. Baby steps toward your goal. GET STARTED!

What are you sending down stream?

10 Great Movie Moments!

TEN Great Movie Moments!

I’m a huge fan of movies and I’m fascinated with how they bring so many shared memories into our lives. Here are a few of my favorite clips from movies I love. Brought to you courtesy of YouTube! You might want to toss in some microwave popcorn for this post. Enjoy!!!

1. The Princess Bride: Here’s the scene where the magician (Billy Crystal) brings the man in black back to life!
2. So I Married an Axe Murderer: This is the scene where Charlie (Mike Meyers) goes to his parents house for dinner and a soccer match. He also plays his Scottish father. Love this (the whole movie, actually)!
3. The Three Amigos: This is the “My Little Buttercup” scene. This just makes me fall over, still, after all these years!
4. Field of Dreams: I love this movie. Here’s the scene with James Earl Jones when he realizes that they need to find “moonlight Graham.”
5. The Goonies: This is one of the great scenes when Chunk confesses all his wrongdoings to the Fratellis. Ridiculously funny!
6. Say Anything: This is one of my favorite early John Cusack movies and great movie moments. Who wouldn’t stand outside with a huge boombox over there head playing an awesome Peter Gabriel love song (“Your Eyes”) to send a message to the one they love? Sometimes I want to hold up a boombox to the world and send a message. Maybe I’ll just try that.
7. Always: This is my favorite movie. I saw it four times in the theater when I was a teenager. So, while I’m on the theme of love, here’s a nice montage of some of the best scenes from Always set to the Smoke Gets in your Eyes by the Platters. Great movie about deep love, being passionate about what you do, taking risks, grief, loss and finding love again.
8. The Whole Nine Yards: Have you ever had one of those days or weeks or months where you just want to bang your head against the wall? Try this therapeutic method. Just one of the many hilarious scenes from this movie with Matthew Perry.
9. Forest Gump: Forest Gump was such an interesting and funny movie that much of its dialogue has worked its way into our everday lives. In the spirit of starting a movement, this scene shows Forest “running” and the impact it has on the people around him. At the end of this clip (set to a great Flock of Seagulls tune) he decides to stop running but has seemingly (unbeknownst to him) effected social change. Here’s a thought! Go do something your passionate about and the right “people will come” along (Field of Dreams allusion) to support you.
10. ROCKY: And for the knock out punch to this mad-movie post why not throw in some video highlights from the Italian Stallion, Mr. Rocky Balboa. I always get pumped up when I hear that music.

So, there you have it! I hope you enjoyed the show and that you laughed a bit or gained some inspiration. Send me your favorite movie link and we can discuss. Thanks for reading and watching (as was the case with this post). I’ll be back again soon. Have a great day….drew

You’re a SOMEBODY now!

This is a post where I rant about how up-and-comers like you and me are important NOW!

YOU ARE NOT A NOBODY!

Do you ever look at the superstars out there and ogle unceasingly at them? You probably have some role models or celebs that you keep up with. You read their Twitter Feed, RSS or track their websites. You watch them on YouTube, TV or catch their latest escapades on Entertainment Weekly. You see their movies, read their books & blogs and listen to their CD’s. And probably some part of you wishes that you were in their shoes and had accomplished what they have accomplished. I’m pretty sure we all do this. But how do these activities make you feel?

• If checking up on your favorite celeb makes you feel bad about your apparent lack of progress in your life goals then turn off the stream!
• Connect with people who are getting started or are at the same stage as you, so that you can share ideas and encourage one another.
• The Internet & Social Media can be a lonely place without meaningful connection. So build your communities wisely with a foundation of contribution.

WHO DEFINES YOU?

Do you define who you are based on the fact that you are not standing on a certain pedestal? You see, I think we make this mistake far too often! We fight these imaginary battles in our heads and we say to ourselves “I’m not (fill in the blank) _________ .” And because I’m not (so and so) ___________ then I am a nobody. Defining our work and who we are by the status or opinions of a finite being is a mistake! Here’s the reality check. The same people we admire and follow and wish to emulate got started by making a decision to put their art out into the world.

• Rockstars put their pants on one leg at a time. They eat, sleep, cry, love and bleed like all humans.
• Uber-Tweeters are just people who worked hard at building and refining their messages over time.
• Celeb Bloggers picked a niche, kept writing everyday and stuck to a posting schedule.
• Our role models were “some bodies” even when they were unknown to the public. And so are you!
• You are somebody special right now and you need to be making meaningful contributions to the world!
• DEFINE what you are actually trying to accomplish. If you define your goals you will more likely accomplish them and not feel lost in a vague pursuit.

A WORLD OF CHOICES!

Being successful then is due in large part to the choices we make. Because, truly, we can only manage the next action we take. So then most of our life (in both the physical and spiritual realm) is about managing our choices! The superstars we “look up to” made a conscious decision to consistently create art and share it with others. They started with a handful of loyal fans and worked to build community. They got over themselves and hit the PUBLISH button on their computer. They kept improving their craft and drilling down their voice to a core message.

• Make a choice to ask for help and collaborate with others to make progress towards your goals.
• Make a choice to do something daily that brings you closer to mission accomplishment.
• Make a choice to DO something, because NOT doing anything is the only way to fail.
• Make a choice to grow new relationships online by helping others.

YOU ARE SOMEBODY NOW!

Behind every computer screen is a real person. I’m real. You’re real. And that’s why we need to encourage each other in our endeavors. Ask yourself why you are doing what you do. Know that you are beautiful and loved and that you MATTER! Show someone from your growing community that you care about them and the work they are doing. Give before you take. Promote someone else before you self-promote.

• You are somebody now–a person unique to the world with a perspective that no one else has.
• You are not your role models or heroes. You are something even better!
• You have a heart that was made to beat with colorful self-expression.
• The world needs to hear from you now–not in 20 years or on the 4th of Never!

Do one thing today to take a step forward toward your future! Life doesn’t often work according to the READY-AIM-FIRE model. None of us are ever completely READY. All of us can FIRE our art into the universe today! And we all can get our AIM perfected as we share our contributions with those around us! YOU ARE SOMEBODY NOW and the world needs SOMEBODY to step up! After YOU, friend!

Sincerely and Affectionately yours….drew

Erasing the “what if” factor in your life!

THIS IS A POST ABOUT ASKING THE QUESTION

“WHAT IF.”

It is my belief that all of us, at some time or another in our lives, get entangled by this question. Does this list of questions below sound familiar?

• What if I write this post or send this tweet and no one likes it?
• What if I tell people who I really am and they don’t like me?
• What if my new idea is a flop or isn’t original enough?
• What if that critic says that my song sucks?
• What if I become wildly successful (fear of success)?
• What if I fail to accomplish my goal?
• What if I keep asking myself “what if” until the clock runs out?

This is a shortlist of “what if’s” and you could probably build a more exhaustive list of “what if” questions that you routinely allow to cycle through your mind. All this is just a case in point that we all doubt ourselves much too much. But what good does asking “what if” do for us in helping us reach our life goals? I would venture to say it does no good at all. All too often our “what if” questions have nothing to do with us dreaming of success and everything to do with allowing someone else to define our failure.

This has got to stop! You and I were created and put on this planet to do things that are unique to who we are. I am not exactly like you and you are not exactly like me. We have some similarities but we also have a lot of differences. And being different from one another is a great thing! These differences are often what make the world and humanity such an interesting adventure to be a part of!

So, here’s what I propose. Let’s replace this nagging “what if” question with some statements of belief! Wouldn’t it be better for us to make this choice rather than choosing to halt our progress with a myriad of “what if’s”? Here are a few statements that I’ve thought of.

• When I achieve my goal of building a blog or web site or Biz page or Facebook community that has _______ (500, 1K, 10K) followers I will have accomplished my goal. Or when I achieve my goal of publishing this many e-books or albums I will have reached my goal. Advice: Try using a “when” statement instead of a “what if”.

• I am working towards becoming a writer (musician, business owner, speaker, artist etc.) and exploring my voice through blogging, v-logging, singing and making things. I believe that I have something important to say & do and I’m committed to putting my work out there and gradually growing a following for myself. I know my message won’t resonate with everyone, but I will find the right people who’ve been waiting to hear what I have to say.  It’s a big world and I know that there are many folks out there who want & need to hear from me.

• I am building a tribe of online friends by publishing 2-3 times a week on my blog and posting to Twitter and Facebook _______ times a day (hypothetical–you fill in your numbers). I define this as success and believe it will help me accomplish my goal.

• I am aware that success doesn’t happen over night and that it will take time to refine & define my craft. I know that the more I publish and create my work the better I will become as an artist. I don’t expect everything I produce to be world-changing, but I know that my collective work is needed to send my message to the world.

Let’s help each other stop the incessant “what if’s” and start a steady stream of “when” statements! It’s about time, because time is indeed ticking away for each of us. One goal I’ve set for myself is to post my goals as a tab on this blog. That way you can support, encourage and challenge me towards becoming & doing & believing and making. I need your help to succeed. How can I help you? Thanks for taking time to read this.

Affectionately and sincerely yours….drew

Falling Forward-10 Things you can do to get STARTED!

Often the toughest part of life’s journey is the act of getting started.

As I mentioned in my last post, it’s important to “quit” doing those things which are not helpful towards progress! And, of course, we’ve all heard the saying that “a journey of a thousand miles begins with one footstep.” Well that’s nice to hear but these words may not be the inspiration you need to get moving toward your goals and dreams.

So, here’s my advice for you. Fall Forward! You might think to yourself “why would I want to do that.” Here’s my answer. If you fall forward you will at least be on your way to making some progress. Forward is not backwards. Forward is the right direction for the things you want. If you fall forward you are actually doing something. If you fall forward I’m quite certain your mind will very quickly engage your body and tell you that you need to throw a leg out there to catch your self so as not to actually do a face plant. Before you know it you are doing this coordinated, human activity called “walking.” After all, falling forward is really just walking.

Now this advice isn’t scratch proof or bruise proof or fool-proof, but it’s simple and it helps you break through the freeze of inactivity! I’ve fallen forward on several different projects only to realize that they were not the right things (eg. I’ve started two other blogs–Drewmanity and Share Great Ideas–and now we’re here). I fell forward into blogging and my first music recording project (more on that later). I did some things that I’d most definitely do differently now. I don’t call those mistakes or failures. I call them lessons. Humans learn best by doing. And what I came to realize (duh) is that I just needed to be myself! Why? Because being yourself is the easiest person to be.

So, BE YOURSELF and FALL FORWARD! You’ll be glad you did. Here’s a quick list of ten things you can do to GET STARTED falling forward towards your goals and dreams!

1. Fall Forward by opening up a notebook or a new MS Word Document, Googledoc or spreadsheet on your computer.
2. Make a quick list of everything–I mean everything–you are currently doing (good, bad or otherwise). TV, Work, coaching soccer, church, working out, going to class, leadership boards, civic commitments and family stuff etc.
3. Determine what activities you are able to cut back on or remove from your schedule in order to make room for what you really want to do.
4. Next to all the activities you want to stop or decrease write or type some quick notes about how to do this or what your goals are (ie. call so and so, one hour of TV a night, step down from this board or committee etc.)
5. Now, after you’ve made some room in your life then make a second list of all the goals & dreams you would truly like to do or accomplish in your lifetime. You can flip-flop your list if you’d like to do your dreaming first.
6. Once the list is done then pick one thing from your list. Don’t get overwhelmed now. Remember, we’re falling forward. Just pick one thing that you would like to start doing or becoming.
7. Okay, have you picked your one goal? Now, do a brain dump of all the ACTIONS you need to do in order to accomplish this first thing (A-Z). This doesn’t need to be an exhaustive list as you can fill in the blanks along the way. The important thing is to start.
8. Choose one action that you can do today or right now. Don’t get caught up in having it be perfect nor worry about whether you did it in the right sequence. Those thoughts are just excuses which you need to “quit” using.
9. Okay, Nike, go and just do it! It will feel great to start doing what your heart really wants to do. If you can take one step you can take another.
10. Congratulate yourself on falling forward and before you know it you’ll find yourself walking at a steady clip and changing the world around you.

This is not rocket science, of course, but all of it takes a choice (your choice) to fall forward. You can do it. I have faith in you. I fell forward and I’m still falling (maybe starting to walk a bit, too). And it feels really good. Staying where you’re at is not an option now. The world needs you! And tomorrow might be too late. At this very moment you are thinking of one thing you can do to get started. So, go and do it! And let me know how it goes.I wish you well and I’ll send you my thoughts again soon.

Affectionately & Sincerely yours….drew