Engage Your Passions
Those who know me, know that a dear friend of mine is the International Bestselling Author, Barry Eisler.
Now Barry and I have never met in person, only over the internet. We have many of the same friends and I became a huge fan of his RAIN series. After a time, I gained a respect for Barry and his writing genius to the point that he inspired a great character in my Wanted Hero story.
So I’d like to encourage you to go to barryeisler.com and spend some time getting to know Barry and his writing adventures, but for now, I’d like to share this great TED talk he did. Especially for those of you seeking to turn an idea into a reality.
Enjoy.
Jaime Buckley
Don’t Give Up, You Matter.
Take a moment and listen to me.
It might sound crazy, but this feeling in my heart keeps pounding to share this with you, so I need your attention.
Over the past year I have had quite a few heart to heart discussion with some amazing people. People who I look up to and admire for their integrity and unwavering morals. These are the people I honestly started to think were invulnerable to bad times. The super beings who shrugged off challenges while the rest of shriveled up crying on the floor. It made my heart ache to find so many of them in pain, in anguish and a few even in deep despair due to ongoing financial circumstances.
I want to tell each of them, you and anyone else who reads this blog that the rain will not last forever.
Circumstances may test you to the very core, you may feel the world is personally against you, but hang on. Endure and make the most of those circumstances until the sun comes out once more, even if it’s nothing more than covering your head until the kicking stops. I promise you, it will eventually stop.
There’s something else you need to keep in mind.
Someone, somewhere, looks up to you. They use you as a beacon of hope when things fail them in their own life. You may never know about the life you saved, improved or inspired just because you made it through one more day and were that example of strength.
I just wanted to get on today and tell you that you matter.
You do.
Read MoreTHE CROCODILE SYSTEM OF LIFE.
Used with permission from Roger Anthony and Crocodiles International.
“All of nature is organized into perfectly balanced and timed systems. From the motion of endless galaxies in the universe, to the specific orientation of electrons that give each element its unique identity, everything in nature operates as part of a system in exact accordance with its design.
However in the dynamic realm of human performance, there are only two types of systems that govern our behavior…and therefore our lives, those that produce control and the resultant emotions of peace, happiness and joy equating to inner contentment, and those that produce chaos and the resultant negative emotions of fear, unhappiness and joylessness equating to inner discontentment.
All we need to do is to understand and have the courage to abide by the laws that govern the human emotional and behavioral system of integrity and reap the above-mentioned rewards.
Manipulate the system in any way either knowingly or unknowingly and we will by natural law suffer negative consequences!”
The Crocodiles not Waterlilies System Model.
The Crocodile Systems Model is extremely simple, and is best explained this way
System:
- Everything in the Universe operates within a System there is nothing that functions outside of a system… Absolutely nothing!
- There are two types of system:
- Those that are based on principles of integrity and thus naturally produce stability, control and harmony.
- Those that are based on that lack integrity and thus naturally produce instability, weakness and disharmony.
Teams:
- All Systems are made up of individual team members.
- By way of explanation, even something as mundane and as a simple as a White Board Marker is a System.
As with all Systems, it’s made up of individual parts or team members.
The team members are; an outer case, a lid, a pocket clip, ink, a felt tip, signage that indicates the color and type of ink, a colored lid indicating the color of the ink, and a shape designed to be held easily when scribing.
(Note: At the atomic and sub atomic levels there are other team members to consider, which we have not included in this example)
Control:
If the manufacturer has the job right, then we can rely on the parts (individual team members) to work together in integrity with the makers specifications, guaranteeing that that we can trust the marker to perform without leaking, or worse, disintegrating in our hands.
In other words, if the team members are operating in Integrity with each other, then the entire system is functioning in accordance with its design, thus producing control and stability.
However, if one or more of the team members are not performing as they were designed to do, the entire system becomes compromised! It lacks Integrity, thus becoming out of control and unstable.
Summary:
- Everything in the universe operates within a system.
- All systems are made up of individual team members.
- In broad terms, there are only two groups of systems.
- Systems based on the principles of integrity: causing each team member to operate in synergistic collaboration and cooperation with each other producing positive control, harmony and stability.
- Systems based on principles that oppose integrity: causing team member to operate in conflict with each other producing lack of control, discord and instability.
With this simple model in mind, and remembering that it applies to everything in the universe, it’s not difficult to see why in the field of personal mastery, some people feel in control of their lives and others feel out of control.
At the risk of being judged as naïve, because of my simplistic approach to life, I provide the following facts related to the field of Personal Mastery discovered in my sojourn here on Earth.
- The Team Members that make up the system of Personal Mastery are the universal principles and associated laws that govern our lives.
- If we live in harmony with the principles that were divinely created/designed for us to anchor our lives to, the laws governing the system, guarantee a life of true success leading to Peace Happiness and Joy equating to Inner Contentment.
- If we elect to follow the system but don’t apply the governing principles with their associated laws, we can’t expect positive results. By default, and most likely in ignorance, we choose to operate in a system of Personal Failure instead of Personal Mastery.
- When we feel out of control, it’s simply because we are not functioning in accordance with our divine design, and as such are not living in harmony with the principles of Personal Mastery that guarantee success.
- It’s the system that determines the outcome!
- Change the system and we change the outcome!
- If one is unhappy with ones life, we simply need to change the system and we change the outcome!
Breakfast with Brothers 4 (March 2010)
We have the new date gents, though it popped up a lot sooner than we had anticipated: march 13th!
That’s right, next Saturday!
Not a lot of time, but very doable. I have the hash browns covered again, but I need someone willing to cover the eggs and someone to cover the pancakes. Who will rise to the food famine call and join me in the RCA kitchen at 5:30am?
The last breakfast was the best yet and we had some new surprises, which we all enjoyed, meeting new people and having that wonderful discussion with Ryann. I hope he felt like one of the guys, being new to the crowd =).
Those of you who came last time are invited once again. No one can make it all the time, but please make the effort and let me know ASAP so I have a head count.
Again: I NEED SOMEONE TO SUPPLY AND COOK EGGS / SUPPLY AND COOK PANCAKES.
Let me know guys and I’ll see you all on Saturday for more laughs and good food.
Jaime
Read MoreBreakfast with Brothers 3
I knew this was going to be fun–I just didn’t realize it would be THIS much fun.
Breakfast with Brothers was Saturday the 27th and we had the largest turn out yet with men driving 60-70+ miles to attend at the RCA Building. I got there at 5am and started cooking with Craig Werner, he on his incredible blueberry pancakes, and me with my mountain of spiced hash browns. Luckily I had helpers to do a lot of the cutting, even though I only made 30lbs. of potatoes this time.
I saw faces new to me, which threw a spice into all conversation as we laid out the selections of food for everyone to dig in. We had two sets of hash browns, one set for the men–which included every pepper, hot sauce and sausage I could find…and a set of heavily flavored hash browns for the girly-men and those who eat Kosher. We used beef sausage and eggs from Jewish, circumcised chickens.
The conversation exploded as we all sat down at one extended table, nearly 25 of us (I forgot to take a head count), including new friends of news friends. Laughter echoed through the halls for hours as we had our fill of food and told stories of stupid mistakes, adventures in life, points of view rarely shared and smiles could be seen on every face.
This is why I wanted to start this. I wish we could do it with everyone we knew. It’s needed. Just a few moments each month for men to get together with their own kind, to strengthen bonds, friendships and to know they are not alone in the hell we call society. Will we do this again? Yup.
Next month.
I will find the Saturday and this site will have a page dedicated to this event, where you can get details, along with a set of food assignments. If you were invited and couldn’t make it, we missed you. If you didn’t get invited–please don’t think we didn’t want you there, your turn will most likely come.
Gentlemen, Saturday was a blast!
Have a great month!!!
Read MoreWhen Something Funny Just Becomes a Joke.
When you’re a creative person and live within a semi-close knit community, there are times when you find yourself at odds. Not always out of choice mind you, but out of a natural set of circumstances that automatically alienate you from time to time. I bring this up regarding humor in my own case. I’m not trying to be difficult…but I think certain things are simply funny.
Personally I’m known (at least I think I’m known) as an open, honest personal concerning the way I think and feel. I wear my life on my sleeve–and where that makes many people uncomfortable, those I associate with closest find great comfort in knowing my mind as I think it. No hidden agenda and all that.
My humor has some extremes. I’m aware of this, but I’m not light minded…I’m light hearted. I just don’t have a problem laughing at myself. I mean…have you looked at me? It’s funny! Though I’m told I have a rather cute waddle.
Anyway, my point is, I had a circumstance with my cartoons that cemented the realization that no matter what Ido, no matter how hard I try, someone’s going to pee on the campfire. Happens every time. Someone is not going to like my story, not like a cartoon, SOMETHING. Yet I was shocked at myself, because I didn’t care in the least. I knew it was coming, and it served nothing except the confirmation. I just sat there and smiled as a good friend tore through my comics and questioned the humor as being inappropriate when everyone else I had shown them to (I do mean everyone, BTW) had the exact opposite reaction, laughing their heads off.
Just so happened the sour patch was in charge of the project.
Oh well. Such is life and time to move on to happier, funnier pastures. I was asked to change the jokes. I said no. When asked why, I simply said: “Because when you tweak good humor, it’s no longer funny…it just becomes a joke.”
Read MoreMy Latest Book
