Uncomfortable + Risk = Success
Spiritual Suicide/Puppy Dogs and Cupcakes
Monday: the rain was appropriate. For many reasons. I heard the schizophrenic weather pattern that winter offers the islands was ready to make its move. It came quick. It was harsh at times and I wondered if I needed to set up the emergency flood gates which consist of towels lined against the front door and the small ledge that separates our lanai from our living room. An effective wall indeed.
Maybe it was appropriate because the grey skies that preceded the onslaught of rain mirrored the way I felt and the less-than-enjoyable conversation I had with my wife before…
Drinking Bourbon as a Spiritual Practice
Who’d of guessed that sipping cocktails can lead to enlightenment? Well I always thought so; however that could have been simply to justify the amount of cocktails I consume. I’m just kidding of course. I only consume them once or twice a week. Maybe three or four times a week. Who’s counting? Certainly not me.
I’m sure there are many groundbreaking ideas that have come from friends enjoying a round or two of cocktails. That’s when guards come down and people start speaking freely. Egos can get added in but generally ideas flow as quickly as the whiskey. Sometimes they…
Wasn’t It Yesterday?
Running a publishing company is as glamorous as you might expect. Today, after I shined my bestselling plaque made of gold and put on my tuxedo short pant suit, I ate a seared baby duck that a man on the Ala Wai Canal caught for me for a few schillings. It tasted like rainbows. After breakfast and overwhelmed by the immensity of my several bank accounts on the islands, I sat back to smoke a cigar made of figs, rolled by only the best Potsman on the island. As I contemplated world domination, something nagged me. There was something I…
Purgatory
I’m not Catholic, nor was I brought up in the Catholic tradition. Being raised shrouded in Christian philosophy, religious mysticism has always tickled my curious brain. The concept of purgatory wasn’t taught at my church or school, yet when I heard of it some questions arose. The idea of a place where one is stuck, clearly needing some form of spiritual purification before moving forward (or more importantly up to Eden or swimming in heat) fascinated me.
The process of writing seems like purgatory. Put me in front of an audience and words flow like a raging river. Sit me…
My Birthday… A Year in Review
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!
Another year older and hopefully wiser. I don’t feel older and guess I don’t feel thirty-nine; however I’m not sure what it’s “supposed” to feel like so maybe I do after all.
When I was I child, I thought thirty-nine was old. At that age, my father had three children, one of which was leaving for college, one in elementary school and me, one year away from Kindergarten. He was busy; working sixteen hour swing-shifts at B.F. Goodrich and running a busy tax service during tax season. From my viewpoint, he seemed awfully mature.
Of course,…
Go For IT!!!
Whatever IT is. I know you have goals, dreams and even a vision (which may be pushed down inside you, but it’s there). There is a process to life. There are ups, downs, flippsy and flopsys, things can be topsy and turvy and then sometimes they are calm. Especially when you are grounded. Is it possible to create the life of your dreams when everything in the world seems to be crazy?
YES!!!
I’ve got evidence!!! I see it everywhere in my life (books, websites, wife, friends, dogs, weather, health, love,etc), even when I’m choosing to look at what’s wrong.…
You’re FIRED!!!
That’s right. GET OUT!!!
Who am I talking about? The fucking committee living inside my head. I’m done with them. For good. Yeah, I’m talking to you. Get the fuck out of my head! NOW!!!
Okay, back to writing. Yeah, I know they probably aren’t gone for good; but it feels great anyway. Sometimes, I have to take back control of the castle. You feel me?
How about you? Do you ever get to the point where you just have to let go of that constant nagging in your head? If you’re answer is no… stop reading now and go…
Ask Paul E. Lama: So You Wanna BE a Writer, Huh?
So you want to be a writer, huh? I used to feel the same way. And now… I AM! Since I’ve been published, many friends, associates and people I don’t really know approach me and tell me that they’re gonna write a book, too. Sometimes there’s a bit of sourness in their words, as if they’re saying, “If this motherfucker can write a book, I can, too!”
That could just be my story, but if that’s the case – I’ve got three books in under three years. How many do you have? If you think writing a book is easy,…
Get Up and Dance!
Tunisia, Yemen and now Egypt… If you’ve turned on a television over the past month, you are witnessing people all over the world taking back their power. So why are so many people here, in America, still complaining? People around the world are re-claiming their birthright – LIBERTY!!! They are risking their lives to have some of the very things we take for granted. Are there things we can improve upon? Absolutely!
So, tell me how complaining is going to improve our freedoms? I know you think you are helping by pointing out all the flaws. How about this, be…
Launching Awesomeness!
It’s a new year, which doesn’t really mean much unless you use it to your advantage. What I mean by this is, enjoying what you currently have while “BE”ing excited about what you’re creating is crucial. So many people seem to be “happy” that 2010 is over. I won’t pretend to know why, because I’m filled with gratitude for 2010. It was a great year, like every year. Of course their were ups and downs, flips and flops. That’s life! I don’t spend too much time looking back over the year and don’t encourage anyone to dwell in the past.…
