Creativity

Everything that is not part of the natural world was once just a thought in the mind of a human being.  This is incredible when you really think about it.  Creativity is one of the greatest human gifts.  The ability to take an idea and manifest it physically into a "thing" or action has completely changed our world...for better, and worse.  I am forever grateful for my creative ability and I encourage people to utilize the power of their creative minds as much as they can.  You'd be surprised with the amazing things you'll come up with!

Bodily Movement

Today I'm grateful for the strong movement of my limbs, the ability to play sports and have fun with my body.  Over the weekend I spent time helping a family friend who did not have this ability due to a crippling genetic condition.  He was still smiling, having fun and enjoying what he could physically.  I will make sure that I care for my body and appreciate the pain-free mobility that allows me to do so many things that I really love.  Playing the drums, swimming, sports of any kind wouldn't be possible without the gift of movement.  Move your body!  Love, Jeremy

Rest Grandma...rest

Today I'm happy my Grandma Wells was sleeping peacefully when I went to see her in the hospital.  She's in much pain from her illness and I was very grateful she had found rest.  I hope all of you are rested and feeling well :)  Jeremy

I'll be so much happier when....

Are you an over-achiever?  A goal setter?  Do you overcome obstacles and setbacks to get what you really want?  Good, you are in the minority!  Do you promise yourself after all the hard work, after all the blood, sweat and tears, when the conditions are right.... you'll be so much happier because you've attained the goal?  When you have the money, the resources, the right career, the right partner, the house of your dreams.....etc..... you'll be happy, right?

This almost never happens.  Know why?  Happiness is not determined by exterior conditions.  You get the goal....and if you don't "feel" happier, you just set a bigger goal!  I'm not saying this is bad.  I'm also not saying that achieving goals won't give you a temporary boost, it will ; but your happiness is not determined by anything you've achieved ....it's a state of mind that you give to yourself.  When you give yourself the gift of happiness, you can experience joy no matter what your conditions are.  Give yourself happiness.  Be joyous today.  I find that happiness comes easiest to me when I am in a state of gratitude.  I can always find something to be happy about when I help others also.  Go forward and do something nice for somebody today....and allow yourself to be HAPPY.  Love, Jeremy

The Great Tony Robbins! Enjoy!

I'm super grateful for people like Tony.  He has taught me so much.  I love reading his books and watching his seminars.  This is a great talk!  He's a great speaker with great ideas.  He even gets Al Gore involved in this one!  One of my favorites, because he's speaking to peers at a Ted Convention. Enjoy your day!  Jeremy

Best Friends.

I seriously have the most amazing friends on the planet.  I was once told if you can count five people you really love and trust on your fingers, you are doing well.  I can certainly say that I'd need quite a few hands to fill the very rich friendships I've been lucky enough to cultivate over the years.  I'm very grateful and very blessed for my best friends especially.

Take some time to let your "besties" know that you love and appreciate them.  They are the ones who are there thick or thin, happy or sad, and sometimes will kick you directly in the ass when you most need it.  Have a great day!  Love, Jeremy

Free of Guilt and Worry

The two most debilitating emotions in the world are our old friends guilt and worry.  They rob us of much of our lives.  Minutes, hours even of luscious present moments that we could be appreciating and enjoying, are wasted in guilt or worry.  

The problem with GUILT:  You have done something that didn't agree with your moral code.  That behavior has caused you to constantly fret and replay what happened, or what should have happened instead.  Stop it.  The deed is done.  The damage is done.  Apologize if necessary and move on.  It will not change the past and it is only keeping you from enjoying the NOW.


The problem with WORRY:  You are worried about the future.  Will I have enough money?  Will my kid get home safely from school today?  Am I going to have a heart attack and die?  Is my job secure?  What will I do if my spouse leaves me?  Stop it.  Worry is the same emotion as guilt, except worse because it is a projected negative emotion towards something that HAS NOT HAPPENED.  Why rob yourself of the NOW thinking about calamities that most likely will not happen.  In fact, you are probably more likely to be attracting them into your life by worrying about them.

Let's go out into the day today, free of worry, free of guilt.  Let's do it for one solid day.  If you feel those old buggers sneaking up on you.... allow yourself to worry tomorrow.  Today is yours.  Enjoy the view!  It's the only one you have.   Love, Jeremy

If tragedy strikes...count your blessings!

Yesterday I was involved in a minor collision.  Admittedly at first I was a bit upset about the damage to my vehicle, but I quickly began considering the positives of the situation.  I wasn't hurt, in fact nobody got hurt.  No police report was filed. The bus that I collided with was unharmed and the driver was willing to call it a "fender bender" and away we both went.   I was heading home, and spoke with my mom about it.  We laughed and joked, and then a good friend even made a meme about it on my facebook page.  Within 20 minutes I had forgotten it even happened.

This morning I learned of a family who lost everything in a house fire.  Immediately my "helper gene" was enacted and I got on the phone to help. My family went through the same experience 15 years ago and it was pretty devastating.  We lost everything.   I was actually very excited at the prospect of getting involved with this family.  There is a lesson here.  I believe hardship gives us two distinct gifts.

1.  It allows us to accept help from others- When you go through a tragedy, you quickly realize how important people are to you and how trivial material things are.  When you have nothing, the people that step in to help mean the world to you.

2. It allows us to help others - On the flip side of the coin, you become the "hero".  It is very rewarding to help somebody through a situation that you have been through.  You get a chance to be a resource to them...maybe materially, emotionally...or often both.  Empathy is born of personal tragedy.  It allows us to feel good about helping others.

If nothing ever went "wrong", we'd never have this beautiful exchange of help and love.  In hardships there are blessings.... count them, be grateful....and always pay them forward.  In the end we will leave with nothing but our memories.  Let's make great ones!  Have a fantastic day.  Jeremy

Talk to me!!!

Dear Humans,

Please talk to one another.  Address each other with kindness and joy.  Touch during conversation.  Smile.  Share ideas.  Share life.  Share your story....and more importantly....listen to someone else's.  We are so interconnected, so electronically at the beckon call of one another, but so poorly socialized in many cases.

Don't have many friends?  Talk to strangers.  Don't be afraid.  You'll find they need your company as much as you need theirs.  This world is a human world.  Let's be human beings again and become one big family.  Communicate.  It is one of your greatest gifts.  Trust me!  Now get out there and meet somebody new or rekindle an old friendship!

Love,

Jeremy

You CAN afford to travel. 8 Easy Steps!

I love to travel. I'd say most people do, or at least they love the idea of travel, but most folks never take that big, juicy, life-changing trip. You know...the one you dream about every time your boss comes in your office and says, "got a second?". You get your one or two week trip, but that never feels long enough, and the jealousy always creeps up when you meet that guy or gal at the airport with a shit-load of passport stamps, a guitar strapped on their back, and a glow on their face that only a long term travel experience can conjure. Often times that guy might be me, though I'm a drummer so you'd be hard pressed to find me toting a 6 string around.

 Every single time I hit the road and start blogging or posting pictures and comments on my social media feeds, I hear the familiar sighs of the "wish I's". Who are the "wish I's" you ask? The friends and family members who constantly say, "Man, I wish I could do that! You are so lucky. You must be fabulously wealthy....etc" While I have been on a few expensive and extravagant vacations, I have a dirty little secret to share... most of my trips have cost $2,000 or less. Also, many of those trips have exceeded a month in duration. What's the secret? Desire to experience something new, savvy use of internet travel sites like kayak and priceline, and a willingness to sleep on a beach in a tent... or stay at a private residence or hostel instead of a hotel. That's it. Oh... you have to save a little money and negotiate the time off....and that is where most plans meet their bitter end.

I'm here to tell you that the planning, budgeting, negotiating with employers (or customers if you own your business), family and would be bill collectors is one of the most exciting parts of taking a long trip. It's the salt of the sea! You will feel a far greater sense of satisfaction when your toes hit that sand if you know you got there by the fruits of your own efforts. You will discover a set of skills you didn't even know you had like patience, foreign languages, perhaps writing or photography. You will reset your proverbial buttons and feel more alive than any week long cruise or all-inclusive indulgence. Traveling teaches you about yourself and no matter how much planning you do for your trip, the trip ends up taking you to places you never expected, both geographically and spiritually.

 Ready to go? Here's 8 easy steps that I use every time I get wanderlust:

 1. Pick a place or region to visit - This should be a place you are dreaming about so much that you just HAVE to go! My first long term travel experience was a 6 month backpacking trip in the Hawaiian Islands. I payed off almost $50,000 worth of debt in under 2 years to do be able to do it debt free. I was drooling over luscious reefs, hikes to splendid waterfalls, bikini clad girls, surfing, and sleeping on beaches while I survived on peanut butter and jelly. Yes...I made sacrifices to get my goal, but I got it!
 2. Decide how long you will go - make it at least 6 weeks if you can....and YOU CAN!! Got kids? Bring them with you... got bills? Pay them in advance.... or negotiate suspended payments while you travel.  Got a house?  Rent it out, or let a family member or trusted friend stay there during your absence.
 3. Find out what it will cost - Airline tickets are typically the most expensive part. You can shop online for deals...they are everywhere. Also, flying standby is often a cheap option.  Look at alternatives to hotels, which kill any travel budget.  Camping is a favorite of mine, but there are some great hostels and also travel sites like couchsurfing.com and hospitalityclub.com where you can meet and stay with other like minded travelers in their home towns!
 4. Tell your employer your plan - You will be surprised how supportive they may be. Figure out a way for them to survive without you, but also have a job when you get back. I have done this many times with employers and with customers of my own businesses. If they are not supportive... look for another job before you take your trip. Take the trip... then start the new job when you come home. There are also several ways to make a living on the road... you can become an ESL teacher (English as a Second Language).... or transplant your current skill to a new locale.  This is often much easier than you think with modern technology.  Every option is available if you look for it.
 5. Budget- Really budget. Most of you DO NOT have a budget. I know you don't so stop pretending you do. You can vacation on the money you waste on coffee and lunch alone. The $100 you spent at the bar on Friday night could have bought me 4 days on a beach in Hawaii... and Hawaii is a rather expensive place to travel, even for the most savvy of backpackers.
 6. Visualize- Remember why you are making the sacrifice in the first place...and picture yourself exploring in your favorite destination. The one YOU picked, and made it to with your own effort. Don't let anything short of death keep you from getting there.
 7. Go. Did you leave yet? Get going already!!
 8. Enjoy and Repeat.  It's addictive.  Once you know you can do it... you will continue doing it for a lifetime!

Don't be a "wish I"!!!  Get out there and explore!  Live some of those dreams!

 The End! Have a great day! I'm grateful for having so many fantastic travel experiences! They have truly changed my life and will change yours too!!!

Friends in Times of Need

This morning I will be attending the funeral of a young man who passed way before his time, in extreme circumstances. Even though I was not close with him, a great number of my closest friends were related to this gentleman and are taking his passing rather hard. It doesn't matter that I didn't know him...I know them, and my support during their time of need is what I will be there for. I remember when my Uncle passed away a few years ago. People came out of the woodwork for us. We got hundreds of phone calls, letters, and were joined by many folks who barely knew him at his memorial service. It reminded me that we are one big human family, often experiencing many of the same joys and tribulations in life. Death is one that really brings us together to help the grieving family members. Today I am grateful for another day of beautiful life. I am grateful for my friends and their support over the years in my own personal tragedies...and I'm equally happy to be there for them. I am proud of the human family. Have a great day!

Here comes the sun...little darling...

The sun is out! We in the North get very little in the winter months so it is suggested that we supplement our supply of Vitamin D, which is actually a multitude of chemical compounds according to a recent article I read in the Harvard Medical Journal. We all feel better when we get a little sunshine in our lives. Today, the weather is not so bad, so get out and walk under the sun's rays while they are shining. It's good for your bones, good for your heart, and good for your mental health. The sun provides all of the Earth's energy. We are all converting it in one way or another. We are all products of the sun. Let's be thankful for a little sunshine. Have a great day!

It's Electric....Boogie Woogie Woogie

Today, as I strike the keys of my laptop creating electrical impulses that seemingly instantaneously appear on my led screen, I am thankful for the gift of electricity. It makes our lives incredibly easier, more connected, we use it every single minute of every day, and most of us don't even know how it works. Well flip blindly no more my fellow illuminated ones. Here's some great info on our favorite power source! Have a fantastic, electrified day!

Gram...

If you have a grandmother that is still among the living, you have cause to rejoice. Grandmother's, typically speaking, are the best people in our lives. My own grandmother goes out of her way to do things for others, to make sure people are comfortable, taken care of, and happy. She does the small things all the time...she lives it. She doesn't perform nice gestures and go out of her way for praise or accolades. She just does it. She's a damn fine human being through health, through illness, through hell or high water. In my family she is a rock. We have all lived with her, counted on her, confided in her, and been the recipients of her constant gifts. As luck would have it, in my 34th year, I have both of my grandmothers still with me. Both amazing women in every way. For this, I am eternally grateful. Kiss your grandmothers today. If you are a grandmother...we, the grandkids, love you :)