A Letter to the Dreamers

Dear Dreamers,

If you are like me, you may have once boarded a train, bus or plane in search of something greater than what you thought your home could provide. Whether you have chosen to go the path of the arts, studying to become a pediatrician or you work in Corporate America, you were once a young child looking up to the sky in awe, daydreaming about all the great possibilities of the future. And if your still like me, you continue to hold the same belief that the best is yet to come and that all your dreams can come true, if you work for them.

During this past week, I was given the opportunity to return home to the City of Chicago, a place where I was once raised with the utmost tough love. I returned home to see my family members and friends and through all their excitement of wanting to hear my stories and catch up, I felt I was blessed with the opportunity to not only reflect, but to learn a few lessons. I would like to share some of them with you.

Excuses and Regrets
We all have times when we think others are more deserving of happiness, success and peace than us, but why? Why can't you be the person that breaks the code on solving the eradication of AIDS? Why can't you be like Usain Bolt or better, and break records at the Olympics? Why can't you be the designer of the best energy efficient and environmentally nice smart car? My question is, why can't you be great?

Whether it happens tomorrow or a hundred years from now, you will one day find yourself breathing your last few breaths and as your life flashes before your eyes, you may or may not look back with regrets. Luckily for us all, we can attain the latter path but taking advantage of the opportunities of today.

So how do we that? It starts with diminishing the amount of excuses that we use on a daily basis. I was once taught that 'excuses are tools of the incompetent used to build monuments of nothingness. Those who excel at them seldom succeed at anything,' and the statement is completely accurate. If we continue to live our lives with the excuse that we are not deserving of something better, then we will never do better, thus, never have better. If we continue to live our lives with the excuse that childhood and college days are the best days of our life, then we are automatically setting ourselves up for 40-50 years of discomfort and ultimate mechanisation. But it does not have to be that way. If you choose today, to live more with less excuses, then you may also end up with less regrets. I once heard that 'regrets at death are not about the mistakes we made in our lives, but the fact that we had not made more.'

You have the power to be happy, you have the power to get into the best shape of your life, you have the power to make others smile, you have the power to have less excuses and less regrets, and you have the power to live life to fullest. Contrary to very popular belief, you do not need to be famous and rich to live a good life, but you do need to be open in order to free yourself.

Do Your Best
Do not, do not, do not let other peoples' journeys define your own path. There are close to seven billion people in the world and no two have identical fingerprints. Why? Because fingerprints are our blueprints, our personal brands and our means of being different. It is not possible to be 100% great at every single thing the world has to offer, unfortunately because there are not enough minutes in the day and enough years in our lives to to learn every single thing. For instance, there are currently close to seven thousand unique languages being used throughout the world. This just goes to show how broad our earth really is, but that does not mean that we can not be students of the world.

Each day, we are given another opportunity to start learning a new trade, start a new relationship or simply work on ourselves. Many times we may feel that others excel at things we would love to do and get down on ourselves when we do not do as great as we would like. Failure is inevitable and it is totally okay to fail because failure equals growth. The first day - as long as you are doing your best - you will be successful, but imagine how great you will be on day 23, day 60, day 364 and beyond. As long as you are doing your personal best, then you are successful. Be more confident in yourself.

Live a Little
Don't think just because you are growing up that you can not retain your childhood dreams and still have a little fun. The goal in life is not only to enjoy your youth, but to also enjoy your adulthood. Sure, we now have more responsibilites and fewer snow days, but why stop living your life at such a young age? Society tells us that we should go to school, get a job, get married, have kids and work the rest of our lives. So what, if your life goes: go to school, travel, get a job, travel, get married, go to school and then start building a career. It's totally fine to do the unconventional, just as long as you are content with your choices.

So in 2012, start learning a new language, go to a few concerts and dance for ten straight hours, create a side hustle, learn about investments, live a little bit more.

Show Your Supporters Some Love
Whether it's a thank you card, a round of drinks or a few minutes shared with those who support you, its always great to show your appreciation and gratitude. Maya Angelou has said: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” No great man/woman has ever attained greatness all by themselves. Let your supporters know how much you appreciate them.

Reflect
And toast to 2012. Be Great.

One Life, You Decide™

Video - Visionaries: Tom Ford

Above is a video hilighting the masterful work of the one and only Tom Ford, as he touches on his philosophy of life and the world of fashion. Enjoy.

Some Key Takeaways
1. “You’ve got to figure out what you love in life. You’ve got to do what you love.”

2. “A few times in my life I’ve had moments of clarity when the silence drowns out the noise and I can feel rather than think."

3. “Do something first, then talk about it.”

4. “I’m not going to waste any more time. If it’s not fun, I don’t want to do it.”

Santa Does the Salsa!

Photo by Colin Young-Wolff, LA Weekly

Ever heard of SantaCon? If not, you should probably look it up after reading this post. As I walked down Hollywood Boulevard this morning, it hit me that this past Saturday was not a dream, as 200+ Angelenos and I dressed up as Santa Claus and all his helpers and foes, as we traversed So-Cal.

Even I was a bit apprehensive about the whole idea when one of my friends originally told me about the event. A little weird to play Halloween dress up for Christmas, right? Maybe - but it was damn fun starting off at our meeting headquarters, Hooters of Hollywood and Mel's Diner, for a few rounds of early morning drinks in preparation for an interesting day to come. Next came the flash mob of hundreds of Santas strolling over to the Hollywood and Highland center for Christmas caroling and what totally reminded me of a scene plucked out of Avatar, as we bowed to the 50-foot Christmas tree in praise of the Holidays with bewildered tourists looking on.

Then it was over to a few more bars in the Hollywood area until our sleigh aka the Metro Red Line was departing for Union Station. Surprisingly enough, 'Fuck Santa!' was not one of the first things we heard after departing the train, but actually salsa music as it aired from a local park full of dancers and Santas grooving to the warm sounds of the Caribbean. Without a doubt, it was my favorite part of the day as people gathered around clapping to the beat and humming along to the melodies - I even got a few, 'damn, you're a good dancer!,' from a few people as I left the park dripping with sweat in route to the next bar, Angels City Brewery.

It was about 5:30 PM when we made it to the brewery, which was actually a warehouse full of artisans looking to sell some of their creations, only to be mobbed by the hundreds of us. Eeek! Some Santas were shuffling, other Santas were swinging and some Santas were falling...from a few too many drinks, as we danced for a few more hours. At 7 PM, I noticed it was time for me to head back home and although there were several hours more of the event, I looked back, smiling about the great day I had.

Finally, it was back to the sleigh for me, when an underprivileged person asked me for some change.

What were his words after I gave him a few dollars?
"Thanks Santa, but your shirt is dirty - you should probably get it cleaned."

O' Hollywood.


Photo by visualkaos

P.S. I managed to cross off more than a few goals from my bucketlist.

It's Been a Year: 2011 Google Zeitgeist

2011 Forbes' 30 Under 30

30 Things to Start Doing for Yourself

via marcandangel.com

My two favorites:

Start giving your ideas and dreams a chance.

In life, it’s rarely about getting a chance; it’s about taking a chance. You’ll never be 100% sure it will work, but you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work. Most of the time you just have to go for it! And no matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should be. Either you succeed or you learn something. Win-Win.

Start believing that you’re ready for the next step.

You are ready! Think about it. You have everything you need right now to take the next small, realistic step forward. So embrace the opportunities that come your way, and accept the challenges – they’re gifts that will help you to grow.

The Believer by Common

I personally consider any and everything to be possible and attainable in life, but I have also come to understand that there are many, many people in the world - even those who I currently surround myself with - that can not see the same light at the end of the tunnel and do not believe that we can have everything we desire in life. For some, they may never be exposed to these possibilities and for once in my life, I am okay with that. Everyone has their own path and you have my respect.

Nevertheless, I will not stop believing in you, in others, in the possibilities and in myself.

I've grown to become a believer.

Please take a moment to listen to the words in the tracks above. They are powerful.

"We inherit the power to turn nightmares into dreams,
For those of us who come from less than everable circumstances,
Dreams, good dreams, sweet dreams, dreams come true,
Truthful dreams, truthful dreams become life,
Life becomes belief, belief becomes live!
Live the life you believe."

-Common, Pop's Belief, The Dreamer/The Believer

One Life, You Decide™

P.S. Common's ninth album 'The Dreamer/The Believer' drops December 20th. Definitely worth the buy.

30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself

via marcandangel.com

Got a Dirty Eye, See a Dirty World

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By Mark Nepo

It was a beautiful sun-filled day. I had driven 300 miles to see her. She was 94 and had been in one room for close to 8 months. I was her first-born grandson, and she was so happy to see me. But after catching up, we sat in silence on the edge of her bed, and, finally, she complained how gray a day it was.

I realized then that her one window hadn't been cleaned in almost a year. When I said this, she chuckled, as only someone 94 can, and uttered with her Russian accent, "Got a dirty eye, see a dirty world."
--
It is the same with our minds and hearts. For our very self is the one window we have into this life. And so often, we suffer the mood of a dirty window, believing the brilliant world gray.

Perhaps the purpose of authentic relationship is to help each other keep our minds and hearts clear. Perhaps inner work is the ordinary art of window-washing so that the day is fully the day.

"Before fixing what you're looking at, check what you're looking through."

Update: Writing The Year of 24

Update: Friday, December 2

I don't know how great it will turn out, but I know it all began as a dream over three years ago. I've fallen in love with my book and I have enjoyed the writing journey thus far: A Son's Faith.

A toast!

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Update: Thursday, December 1

It's December 1, 2011 and I am very happy to say that I have reached my goal, AND I am not done. Because the ending has been so difficult to write, I will be staying on my writing schedule until I am satisfied. Sorry, friends - no drinks for me still.

Wish me luck!

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Update: Sunday, November 27

It was quite a shaky weekend for me, and let's just say I was not as successful in my writing as I would have liked. On the other hand, I had an amazing time with family and look forward to closing out this upcoming week with a vengeance. I realize my dreams are coming true as I write this book. And to think, it all started with one word.

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Update: Tuesday, November 22

This morning was probably the most emotional writing day because I received a glimpse of the end, in my story and for the first draft of my writing journey. When I first began writing the book, I wasn't the most excited about the story. Now I realize, it was because I did not fully realize the potential of how far my imagination could actually go.

As my characters have come alive and color has been added, I have been hit with an awesome revelation - I have loved this journey and I equally love the story. In a message to one of my closest friends, I wrote:

Regarding the book, I have been realizing that it is no longer just something I am putting together this month. After I am done with nanowrimo, I will take it as a first draft and go back to the drawing boards for revisions and cleaning up over the next few months. I am not sure how many drafts it will take, but I want to get it to a point where it can be published. Yep, I finally said it.

After years of having the idea, I finally put it out into the universe: it's a story of mother and son.

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Update: Sunday, November 20

Only 10,000 words to my goal! Some days are much tougher than others, but I am getting there. Happy Thanksgiving week to everyone.

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Update: Tuesday, November 16

I'm not sure this is just about writing a book anymore, or about being completely sober in a pool of late night partying and drinking like sailors in the town of Hollywood. Yesterday, I reached the half-way mark towards my goal of 32,000 words by claiming 16,333.

Writing each morning, afternoon or night has given me an escape from any problems and any tough days at work. It is sometimes difficult to find that burst of energy to write, when 40-50 hours of your week goes towards paying the bills, but this month is proving to me that is worth much more.

Each day that I am able to complete my words, grind throughout work, go to the gym and still be able to get other work done, I deem as a success and as a signifier that our levels of discipline can always evolve and grow.

By no means am I saying that writing an entire book in a month has changed me as a man; I am saying that the screws in my brain have started to turn a bit more.

It's quotes like these that keep me going:

"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do."

-Steve Jobs

It's all worth a shot, right?

Click Below to Continue Reading About My Writing Journey

Beautiful and Inspirational Words by Sarah Kay

What I'll Be Tuning Into This Month

Each day for the next 18 days, HuffingtonPost and TED will post ideas worth sharing.

From HuffingtonPost.com
On behalf of The Huffington Post and TED, we are delighted to invite you on a year-end journey of ideas that can help shape the world in 2012. Starting today, we will be counting down 18 of 2011's most impactful TEDTalks -- and combining them with new blog posts written by the people who delivered them. TED stands for technology, entertainment and design, but the content has become much broader than that. The talks you'll be seeing touch on science, business, global issues, education, and much more. Picking the 18 wasn't easy. For the TED team, it was like being asked to name their favorite child. And this year, they had over 300 kids to pick from. But they finally managed to come up with their selections. Watch them, comment on them, and pass them along. An idea is one gift that you can hang onto even after you've given it away.