My name is Bryant McGill. I am a simple person who loves to write, think and enjoy what life has to offer. My first priority and joy in the world is that of being a father and husband.
I do not consider myself to be famous, or a celebrity. There all types and degrees of notoriety, and mine is minor compared to many. I have been fortunate enough to have had a few million people read my various works, and even a hundred-thousand or so use my references for writers, but in the grand scale of things I am just a tiny and insignificant writer of inspirational essays, poetry and references, with a modest following. No matter the number, I am so grateful to all of those who take their time to read what I present. Those who take the time to judge me by the content of my writings will understand that I have a very simple and humble message to share. My work is about real people, relationships and experiences that we can all learn from. My quest as a writer is certainly not about me, for I am far too unimportant. I am just a student of the world; a minuscule, and frail embodied consciousness struggling to understand, and be a meaningful part of this great, mysterious play of life, which is set on the stage of our baffling home in the universe.
I enjoy reading, thinking, trying new things, learning, creating, sharing and meeting interesting people. I enjoy being alive. I have had the unique and humbling privilege to meet, interview and get to know as close friends, numerous top personalities, intellects and achievers throughout the world. I have also had the honor to hear stories and learn from ordinary people from nearly every part of the globe. Like my writings, I too am a work in progress. I realize that I am an infinitesimal speck of frailty and vice. My work is often clumsy, and reflects the true splintered weakness of my emotions; sometimes loving, sometimes selfish, sometimes compassionate, and sometimes cruel. As an artist I have a lot to learn. I believe that every person is precious, and inside, we are still like little children who yearn for acceptance, unconditional love and the gentle, warm affection that can only come from another soul who is whole enough, and generous enough to reach out, and give the gift of acceptance and compassion. I would like to be such a person, and am therefore reaching out with a hope that I could bring some degree of happiness to other human beings.
I am a person who is not afraid to love people, or to tell them how I feel. I am a very caring person, and I easily feel for people and their situations. I find inspiration in the random acts of kindness between strangers, and especially when I witness a gesture of selflessness touch and heal someone in pain. Like in Braveheart, when William Wallace, whose actions just caused his new wife's death, kneels in front of her father at her funeral, and bows his head in humility and shame. The father looks down at him, with his fist clutched tight and trembling with rage, but then in that magic moment, his hand opens, and he reaches out and places his hand on William Wallace's head as he lets go of his rage, and his heart turns from hate to forgiveness. I think about such moments of kindness and compassion like that all the time. I think about them every day. I think that single act may be man's most amazing accomplishment on this Earth. I believe in the overwhelming goodness of most people. The gifts of love and kindness are forces that have the power to change and heal people. How we treat other people can and does change them; equally so, how we treat ourselves can change us.
I work hard to be a good person. It really depends on your world view, and how you define a person, but to me a person is not just the physical body, or the talk; to me a person is defined by their actions. And being social creatures, outside of our own useless self-image, the only proof that we exist resides in the minds of other people we change with our actions. So, I constantly ask myself, "How do I change people?" I want to change people for the better, and have my existence proved by the raised hands of the people I have met, who will say without doubt I have cared.
I credit my inner-strength, survival and love for other people to my Grandfather. He was a loving and affectionate man who taught me how to love others through example. He was the most important person in my life. He has passed away and I miss him dearly. When I was a child he would say, "come and give papa a kiss." I saw the love in his eyes. I would frequently swim in his pool on hot Southern summer days, and often times he would walk several acres from the main house to the pool, carrying a plate of crackers, summer sausage, smoked cheese and some iced pink lemonade for his Grandson. His love made all of the difference in the world to me. I have worked hard to heal my soul from the less fortunate experiences in my life, and have learned many lessons about compassion and forgiveness. I worked most of my life trying to find compassion and forgiveness for myself. I am happy and fulfilled now, but things were not always so.
Some little things about me are: I am constantly amazed at how creative and funny people can be. I like listening to people. I do not drink. I do not smoke. I do not use drugs. I do not watch TV. I only sleep a few hours a night. I am a recluse, and sometimes go months without leaving the house. I believe all people are capable of great things. I am not a person of unlimited means. Like most people, I have worked very hard for everything I have, and my most valuable asset is my time, which I believe is one of the best things a person can own. Time to enjoy my family, time to learn, time to share with friends, time to enjoy life, and time to strive to make the lives of others more enjoyable.
Like most people, even the ones that don't know, I have been carried where I am by the currents of life. I have one oar in the water, and do what I can against the rushing forces that surround me, but I know that I am mostly just along for the ride.
Best wishes from a fellow traveler.
A Gift Giver's Manifesto
If you want to be successful at anything you do, it will help you to first be a successful human. That's right; a successful human. And just what is that? I believe that since human life is a social life, becoming a successful human means being there for other people, which is why I have always believed that no time is better spent than that spent in the service of your fellow man. Further, success does not mean happiness, success means doing the right thing. The rewards of doing the right thing are usually much deeper and painful. The greatest happiness comes from feeling and expressing our love for other people, and particularly our families. If you think about it, we love most those who we serve most, whether it be children, employees, friends or our communities. And this means that we can bring about a greater love for one another, though a life of simple, but meaningful service, and this is precisely what being a Gift Giver will do for those we can educate about the unlimited potentials for success through service.
When John Donne contemplated the indelible inter-connectedness of humanity in Meditation XVII, saying that, "No man is an island," he was speaking to you and me. Irrespective of Ayn Rand's eminent and highly influential tributes to individualism, and the power of self-determination through her unforgettable Randian heroes, John Donne's grounding toll to reason struck a long lasting chord in us all when he wrote, "All mankind is of one author, and is one volume...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness....No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
Donne's bell is tolling for us all right now. When we fail our friends and neighbors, and even the stranger down the way, through our vanity, selfishness, greed, envy, fear, indifference, or complacency; when we fail to even know about, or acknowledge someones suffering, which is in obvious sight, much less attempt to ease it, the world is truly made a darker place, and Donne's bell tolls louder, while something dies in us all. The failure of that individual to act represents an atomic failure of humanity itself. The world markets of optimism and hope can plummet, because of the actions or inactions of a single person. Russell Crowe's character Maximus said in Gladiator, "What we do in this life, Echoes into Eternity." Clearly what we do not do can have the same effect. The upside to this, and there is always an upside, is that the good works of even one person can represent the whole of humanity's triumph through that sole heroic act. One person really can make a difference, and a difference that can seismically move through the masses, transforming an entire ethos practically overnight; a cultural and emotional butterfly effect if you like. Look at the enormous impact Gandhi had on two violently clashing countries with his simple, and frail embodied spiritual exercises of selflessness, loving other people and valuing human life. And that was even without the power of media to move his ideas around quickly. One person can make a difference, and you need not look to icons like Gandhi to find people making a difference.
Above, I mentioned the world markets of optimism and hope. There are many types of currency, not the least of which is a system of emotional and trust economics that govern societies, both primitive and modern. These economics govern every relationship, whether it be between individuals, or nations. In fact, money as we know it does not really exist. Think about it. Money is just a piece of paper, and outside of our dynamic and collective consent it has no value beyond the value of the paper it is printed on. The only reason money has value is because we all agree that it does. So ironically, money can be seen as a placeholder for of all things -- trust. Humorously, while still accurate, you could say "In God We Trust," is printed on our money, because you hope to God that when you go to redeem that worthless piece of paper (or its digital representation in an account) that the recipient will honor its value with real world goods and services at a fair exchange. The key point here is there is more trust in the world that we may think, even during our most cynical hours. When you fully accept that money is a placeholder for trust, you must realize also, that there is a lot of trust in the world, and this offers us something to build on. In a relationship, when trust is lost, everything is lost. We can become emotionally bankrupt, or even in debt. To make money one must spend money. And this is why it is important that we invest in people, whose personal accounts of hope and optimism are low.
There are so many people in need, who quietly are hovering near the abysmal edges of emotional bankruptcy. Life is dynamic, and it can be ugly. Thomas Hobbes said in Leviathan that life was, "...solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." And, Henry David Thoreau wrote in Walden that, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." I must sadly admit that this seems to be the case for too many people. This is one of the reasons I believe too many people anesthetize themselves with a never-ending, glutinous consumption of mass entertainment, television and fruitless consumerism. Most people do not do these things because they're living life, they do these things because they're hiding from life. If you are lonely when you are alone, you are in poor company, and many people are poor in the deepest and most internal sense. They will do anything to avoid being left alone with their thoughts; being left alone to Thoreau's quiet desperation, or worn down by the unforgiving and brutish world spoke of by Hobbes. They are teetering on emotional bankruptcy, and though they do not realize it, they are living with the haunting, but quiet realization that they are not answering the calls for help from their fellow man. They have a nagging feeling that they have not yet experienced all of what life has to offer. They want more in their relationships; more money and more success. They try to force these things, and when they do not materialize, they become negative and pessimistic. The harder they try, the further away the things they want seem to move. They do not realize that all things come through other people. It is counterintuitive for them to hear that you get most things in life you want not by taking them, but by giving. Giving is the key to all success in all applications of human life. Giving is not a physical action; giving is a philosophy, and a way of living life. There are endless opportunities to give the smallest things that cost us nothing, but mean the world to other people. Money and time are not the only things we can give. We can give others appreciation, patience, compassion, courtesy, kindness, dependability, friendship, forgiveness, gratitude, honesty, loyalty, respect, tolerance and of course love.
For example let's look at just one of these; courtesy. Courtesy is a powerful and amazing gift to give. Courtesy is a silver lining around the dark clouds of civilization; it is the best part of refinement and in many ways, an art of heroic beauty in the vast gallery of man's cruelty and baseness. Good manners are appreciated as much as bad manners are abhorred, and a polite enemy is just as difficult to discredit, as a rude friend is to protect. Mastering courtesy alone will enhance your life and the lives of others. We can give a tired clerk a kind and understanding glance. We can give a frustrated driver a spot in line on the road. We can give a hopeful passerby a kind smile and wave. We can speak to people at all stations of life with respectful and polite words and tones. We can wait with one item in the grocery line behind someone with a full cart with a gentle smile, and body language that makes their day better. When we want to talk, we can instead listen, and let our attentiveness to another's need to speak be our silent statement. All of these simple, but powerful gifts have immense value to the person receiving them, and all are examples of an overarching philosophy of giving and service that we can each apply in our lives every day. Simply by thinking about something other than ourselves, and by monitoring our behaviors with a pure and selfless intent of making the lives of other people better, we have the privileged opportunity to change them for the better. This is what being a Gift Giver is all about.
Whether we acknowledge it or not, we all have a debt to the society we live in. If we want to succeed in society at anything, we must first pay our debt to society. But here is the most important part; our debt never ends. We must pay it each and every day for the rest of our lives. Once you realize this, no matter your philosophical, or religious framework, whether it be the golden rule of Christianity, the humanist view of biochemical inducement of self-preservation through the sociological laws of reciprocity, the "Mystical Law" of Karma (the universal law of ethical causation), Confucian Shu reciprocity, good old horse sense of the law of the harvest, or any other world-view construct of the same truth, life will start working for you rather than against you. Life has a way of shining on people who stand in the sunshine of kind actions. But you can't fake it. It has to come from the heart, with a true spirit of giving and selflessness. A talent is no talent, unless it is used for the benefit of other people. Even if you consider your talents a blessing, they will be quickly used against you in a Newtonian reversal if you do not properly use your precious gifts for the benefit of others. For a brief period in this ephemeral existence, we have the privilege to share time with other people, and serve them, and their needs. The greatest joys in life are found not only in what we do and feel, but also in our quiet hopes and labors for others. I have written before, that as with people, the trees that are pruned, watered and nurtured by caring hands bear the greatest fruits. It is critical to know that it works both ways. If you personally have not been served by caring hands in your own life, do not be bitter, but instead, ask yourself who you can now serve. If you have had some tough times in life, now more than ever is the time to make someone else's life better. How we treat other people can, and does change them, and how we treat others is in fact part of how treat ourselves, which changes us. To me a person is defined by their actions. And being social creatures, outside of our own useless self-image, the only proof that we exist resides in the minds of other people we change with our actions. So, ask yourself, "How do I change people?" I want to change people for the better, and I want to have my existence proved by the raised hands of the people I have met, who will say without doubt that I have cared.
Where wise actions are the fruit of life, wise discourse is the pollination. But this message is only talk. To be of value to us all, these ideas need to be made real in the world. We should speak to protect the ideals of goodness, and act to make them real in the world. The first proves a consummate mind, the second a valorous heart. It is my belief that true progress for humanity is anything that takes us closer to loving one another. Small acts of kindness between you and the individuals around you are are the germination that spring into being something as mysterious as life itself, and what may in fact be man's greatest accomplishment; compassion for others. It is my hope that we can all grow in one another a deeper and more meaningful desire to ease the burdens others. Every person is a precious gift, and we are all like little children who yearn for acceptance, safety, unconditional love and the gentle-warm affection that can only come from another soul who is whole enough, and generous enough to reach out, and give the gift of acceptance and compassion. I would like to be such a person, and am therefore reaching out with a hope that I could bring some degree of happiness to other human beings.
Many people are now sensing that something important is happening in the world. People are talking, and they "feel" something; they are picking up on something they cannot articulate, but they know it is there. Let's define it before it gets here. Please join me and other good-spirited people around the world in our deepest and most sincere desire to share our own unique gifts. Become a Gift Giver, and set into motion a life of service, with other caring people, who will leave in the wake of their good deeds the waves of promise, and hope that will cover the vast waters of any shallow doubt. We carry within us the enormity of possibility that has created everything man has made in the world. Let us now yearn for the possibility of building a happiness in every heart. Let us now build inward, a new world of hope, where our greatest achievements are counted as the the simple acts that reap heartfelt tears from the people who have touched, and been touched by the caring hands of other people bearing precious gifts.
An uncle
by Bryant H. McGill, July of 1993
(Dedicated to Uncle Mickey)
An uncle is a very special man, A father's brother's blood, A woven line of family name, Both sewn from seeds of love
Their children too, all heirs the same, Fulfilling legacy's call, Their blood as one from two forth sprang, So spreads the roots of all
This simple truth of bloodline fire, No greater gift is known, Than knowing why our hearts aspire, To forever cherish our own
Antiquity of Autumn
Become the Powerful Change the World Needs to be Healed
I have come to realize we cannot change a person's mind or educate them; this they must do themselves. Through a long study of the concepts of empowerment and transformation, I have concluded that INTENTION is paramount. Intention is the foundation of ALL inner and outer institutions of man. It is the basis of legal and judicial systems, all human contracts, and rests at the root of all innovation and progress.
Your intentions define YOU. People are more than just response to stimuli, for they have the power to make decisions that reject the superficial 'rewards' of yielding to positive consequences. Many people have sacrificed themselves to fates that clearly were not congruent with self-interest by possessing intentions greater than the self. Thusly, deterministic or divine, intention is the seed-germ of all change, and can defy all environments. According to many theologians, the judgment of "the intentions of our hearts" by God upon our very soul is predicated upon our innermost intentions. According to philosophers and, now even scientists, intention is the foundation of numerous quantum physical, and metaphysical universal laws. Intention is the primary concern of all individuals, the collective, the state, and all judgments worldly and purportedly beyond. Both prayer and meditation are explicit forms of manifesting intention. In short, intention is the only pathway to the future we will likely ever know.
Many people feel powerless. But, one freedom that no influence, power, city, state, government, group, consequence or intimidation can reach to gird, is the sovereign soul's ability to think, and consequently react to the situations of life. The most elemental root of our thoughts; the underlying structure upon which our complex ideals and knowledge stands is our basic intention. Propagandists, research scientist and consumer psychologist work steadily to pry into "black box" of free agency and thought, but thankfully individual sovereignty, and the indomitable will of man has not yet been bridled, or entirely broken, and we still have relatively free minds, IF WE CHOOSE.
As individuals, it may seem we are not able to control or change the world, but through our willful intentions we may at least escape the culpability of our own complicit minds and hearts. When we internally oppose oppression, or any force that would usurp individual sovereignty, we thusly lift our hands from the collective reigns that empower such oppressions. We have the power to oppose, and therefor, not be party to what we see as injustice, EVEN if we belong to a collective that perpetuates the injustice. This is the liberating and defining power of intention.
Through our intentions; a place no power can influence, we have the power to oppose. The terrible atrocities in the world require more from each of us than a regret-filled acknowledgment they exist; they require our most earnest intentions be focused on their immediate eradication. To do this we must first have conscious awareness that it must change. Once our 'rightful intention' is set and no longer accepts, we will in time begin to see the change as the collective mind rejects the injustice.
The one and only true freedom we ALL posses is what we think; and our intentions govern what we think.
We all feel that we cannot change the world alone, but as a free soul on earth we can express our intentions to NOT live in a world, where some humans, have in fact been reduced to nothing more than mere vessels of pain. We DO NOT have to be victimized by the ugliness in the world any longer. An incubus of ignorance, fear, hunger, oppression and intolerance haunts large regions of the world, and I have no delusions that I am immune. I refuse to forget that I too am human, that I too am frail, that we all are subject to such miseries, and that in time we shall all be subject to frailty and suffering personally.
Will you acknowledge with me, that everything we have created in the world started as a tiny intention? We carry within us the enormity of possibility that gave birth to everything man has made in the world. Let us now yearn for the possibility of building a happiness in every heart. Let us now build inward, a new world of hope, a world of limitless possibilities for the children of tomorrow, where each soul can reach the heights of their potential to love, and to be loved.
We have the power to set our intentions on the betterment our world. The very "least" among us has the enormous power to effect change through small and intended acts of determination and will. We can each immediately liberate ourselves as victims in the world, through solidifying an 'intent' to act; 'intent' to forgive; intent to love; 'intent' to be virtuous, polite and empathetic. Then with that 'intention' set into motion through the simplest first actions, we will begin to liberate ourselves from victimization, thereby creating an entirely new perspective and future. Our divine intention is to love, to be loved, to feel safe in this world and to each know our purpose. We have the power to choose these virtues, rather than choosing violence, rage, anger, revenge, greed, and other base impulses of the lesser-self without purpose. We may know our true purpose in life, because we may choose our purpose in life.
Through my expressed intentions, I hereby declare that my purpose, which will be, and is now at this very moment being fulfilled is to rise above my own indifference, and irrevocably declare, that I CHOOSE to have a true, heartfelt compassion and empathy for my fellow man. Through my INTENTIONS, I will stand erect, defiant and without shame to declare, that IT IS POSSIBLE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
The beginning of all power starts with your intention the very moment you choose to no longer accept the 'reality' you see before you. Do not underestimate the power in an individuals commitment to harness the power of their intention, which is a way for ALL people to be powerful. Express your intentions now, and become the powerful change the world needs to be healed.
Begot of the ash
by Bryant H. McGill, April of 1994
Born of the ash, Bloom of the dust Fires of the soul, Colors of rust
Bloom of the born, Rust blood red And the gray noon bright, Of the colors of dead…
Break the Chains of Blame
by Bryant H. McGill, December of 2004
Do not forget the others That host of fellow men Cousins, sisters brothers Though different still we're kin
No man knows the design Or the reasons for our difference Let's accept and thus resign This very harmful pretense
We can build from our strengths They needn't be the same Breaking all the weakest links That chain us to our blame
We can then make honest choices About the ways in which we live And listen to brave new voices That freely, take and give
Consuming all til all is done
by Bryant H. McGill, February of 2004
They love the greedy harlot's hand They love the selfish gaping grin They love the murderous natural man They love the supple, silky skin
They taste the baby, budding fruit They gulp the green-leafed tender bud They taste the sour, shadowed root They drink the darkest demon's blood
They consume the world, their own estate They do not love their children one Their own flesh, the thing they hate Consuming all 'til all is done
Cosmic Opal - The Queen of all Gemstones
Country Road PASSAGE
Deep Within the Roots Decend
Dreams from the Past
Dusty Shoes
by Bryant H. McGill, September of 1987
There sitting on a table, lined up together, and paired off in twos
A silent story was told, for a quarter they sold, they were old, and worn, empty shoes
As I looked at them I saw the blood, sweat and strife, The bitter moments of life, With the love, joy, and good things too.
And somehow in that moment, I felt inexperienced, and humbled, by this old man I would never know,
And his dusty old shoes…
Eight Point Cosmic Blossom of Birth
Flight of the Doves
by Bryant H. McGill, December of 2004
Whisking flurries of beating wings Stunning sight to the eye Smiles are set upon such things To the grace upon they fly
And in the winds from there to thither High in places men can know Upon a wing, no trick or tether As the fickle flake of snow
While to the pace of beating hearts With a rush the wings they thrust Up they lift their form to art Wanton men to envy must
And from these beauties for all men Hope abides in their flight That man could soar to such ends In peace their bosom could ignite
How Scant the Sheaves
Humbling Human Divisions by Bryant McGill
I AM FACISIM
by Bryant H. McGill, September of 2004
I have heard the rumors and whispering of discontentment I have seen the shaking, angry fists and pointing fingers I have felt the hot breath of heavy arguments raging I have tasted the bitterness of nations divided by ethos
And... I know the joys that set the roots of longing in your past I feel the desperation in your pleas for promise and hope I sense the anxiety as you hold tightly onto the present I believe in your worthy longsuffering to shape the future
For… You're the split bodies that bathed distant shores to bloody red You're the American born, baptized, and married dressed in white You're the brave hands that held the stars on waving fields of blue You're the hope that freedom's banner would never lose its color
Yet… I will blow down your sacred edifices of long traditions I will flood your highest towers of hope and progress I will freeze still the warm affection flowing for your countrymen I will burn your paper cities to the ground with a thought
For… I am the inquisition of faith and religious hope for your salvation I am the drummer marching through the streets to lift you high I am the movement for your human rights and progression I am the new face, walking an old path, to the same place!
I See the Flower of Kim Chun-su
I shall speak his name, Kim Chun-su, like that spoken of the flower.
Now, no more than a mere whisper; will he come to me - in my heart, and become my flower?
Can you see him now, hiding in the mountains so far away, And can you hear his whispers, in the surf of southern Korea?
Forget everything you thought you knew about him, forget what you think you know now, your belief, that is he gone -
Let us not believe in those ideas, but believe only in this moment.
His poetry of no meaning a pure thought of the true meaning, now speak his name with me and become his flower
Kim Chun-su a golden, happy child of Chungmu who became something to you and I
What we all wish to become an unforgettable gaze Can you see him?
Interview for Lisa Tenzin-Dolma's Book, Mind & Motivation
MIND & MOTIVATION: THE SPIRIT OF SUCCESS guides you step by step through an enthralling journey to the deepest, most potent aspects of yourself, and encourages you to discover new ways of enriching your life. Each chapter explores a quality that you can tap into and develop, and includes practical exercises aimed at enabling you to understand who you are, what you truly wish for, and how you can achieve this.
The chapters explore: A Sense of Purpose, Motivation, Dealing With Challenges, Evolution, Innovation, Creativity, Inspiration, Success, and Creating Your Reality.
Traveling alongside you with each chapter are nine people who are experts in their chosen fields in the arts, sciences and psychology. Each of these share their inspirational, motivational and revealing personal stories of how they attained their goals. Their message is that you too can dream large and follow the path that leads to an understanding of your unique gifts and inner purpose.
Interviewees are: Peter Russell (physicist, psychologist and author), Michael Eavis (founder of The Glastonbury Festival of Performing Arts), Willard Wigan (micro-sculptor), Peter Ulrich (musician, formerly of cult band Dead Can Dance), Dr. Sam Parnia (Founder of Horizon Research Foundation and author), Colin Wilson (prolific author), Dr. Jean Houston (founder of the Foundation for Mind Research, author, and member of UNICEF), Bryant McGill (Author, Syndicated Radio Host and Goodwill Ambassador for Peace), and Joanne Harris (author whose books include Chocolat, which is also a Hollywood movie).
MIND & MOTIVATION will soon be published by Phoenix Rising Press, and details of where you can find the book will be given on this page shortly.
1. Have you always had a strong sense of purpose? And what do you feel your purpose is in this life?
I have always had a strong sense of purpose, though my understanding of my purpose has continually deepened over the years. It has moved from the outer-realm of control, materialism and ego in my youth, to the inner-realm of surrender, spirituality, and compassion. In this context surrender is not a weakness, or state of inaction. Surrender is a powerful state of pure energy; the energy of becoming your true purpose.
To say it another way, the art of surrender is the art of getting out of the way of your own growth. My greater purpose is already written in the fabric of my being. My purpose awaits my arrival. I do not, and will not strive to become my greater purpose. Does a flower strive to become a flower; to radiate its delicate, colorful beauty, or to smell so sweet? I have defeated most of my ego; I have conquered myself and released the illusion of control. I have a photo of myself as a child on my desk with a caption that reads, "Who I want to be when I grow up." I am now in a free fall toward my destiny of a grand reunion with my original-self; a self uncorrupted by the world's false lessons of fear and control.
My true purpose is to become my own unique self, and to do so in happiness, free from fear. At one level I am different from any person alive and from any person who has ever lived, and yet at another level we are all the same. I am a unique and beautiful expression of the divine gift of life and creation. I will not squander the gift of life! I will continue to rise above my own indifference, and CHOOSE to have a true, heartfelt compassion and love for others. I will reach deep inside, and give each person I encounter the gift of myself. No shame, no fear, no regrets, no need for approval, no cynicism, no doubts, no anger; just love.
2. Did you have a route mapped out at an early age, or did you set out on one path and then discovered other branches of that path that you felt compelled to follow?
From a very early age I knew I had a purpose, but my worldview was far too narrow to comprehend the implications of my plans. I had many plans mapped out at an early age. I even created a 30 year plan at the age of 22, which surprisingly is still valid and useful! The most important thing for me has been an overarching plan to not waste my life.
3. You have a great many diverse interests and a tremendous creative output. What stimulates you most, and why?
I love to create. I do not believe in creation for the sake of creation, but rather for creating more joy, beauty and optimism in an often ugly world. I am most stimulated when I tap into what I call the "creator energy." I believe that every person carries the power of creation inside of themselves. They are like superheroes walking around with undiscovered powers. The power of creation that each person possesses is the most awesome force in our universe. What we create individually and collectively is a mirror of what is in our hearts. Our creations are the outward expressions of our inner truths. Everything on Earth under the dominion of humanity is a bounty or bane of the hearts of humankind. Everything we see represents the fruits of choice, time and pressure. Governments, institutions, economies, science, media, technology, philosophy, poverty; everything is a state-of-mind and a creation of choice.
In my work I choose to strive to cultivate and accentuate the positive, and resist indulging in negativity. In my mind the existence of negativity is no excuse to place those horrors upon a pedestal for entertainment or endless meditation. There are enough negative feedback loops in the world without creating more. I am most fulfilled when I am creating beauty and fostering greater hope for others.
4. Are there any particular times when you feel especially connected or "plugged in"? If so, what sparks off that feeling of connection and "rightness"?
Feeling and understanding the "oneness" with others has been an important part of my growth, and has been an enabling force in my life. I once was shut off from others and took pride in my independence. I know now that this was only arrogance. I have come to the conclusion that the stranger on the street and I are the same. We are all on the same path, we are just in different places on the path. I know I am in a good place when I look at another person and see an entity just like me; a person who is desirous and worthy of joy and fulfillment. Even people who are judgmental and mean to me remind me of a former self, and so I will not judge them, but will offer my hand in friendship, and wait for them.
There is not a person on Earth who has trespassed upon me, or whom I have trespassed upon, that I would not accept back into friendship in earnest intent. I am just like every person. I am you. We are not different, we are the same. What we do to others we do to ourselves. So, I will lift you up and be your friend. I will not judge you and I will easily forgive. Will you forgive me when I fail? I know I am in the right place when my answer to that question is yes.
5. When you explore all elements of your creativity, and integrate these, what effects do you notice or feel?
I intentionally express my creativity in areas where I have no real pronounced talent. I explore music, art in many forms, writing poetry, programming, business building, inventing, making jewelry, singing, dancing and numerous other creative outlets. I believe we are all natural creators. So I try not to hold myself to any unreasonable standard, such as having talent! Why should not being "good" at something stop me from doing it? I don't have to be skilled at photorealistic painting to create art. When I create, I don't think about how my creations will be judged. I create as a simple expression of childlike joy. What comes through me cannot be bound by talent; it is an expression of something greater than myself. Like many things, you can learn a great deal from children in this area. The simple joys of creation, discovery and exploration are enough for me. The judging I will leave to others.
By exploring different facets of my creativity I tap into a broader spectrum of potential and understanding. It helps me realize there are no limits, and that is where I live, in a world totally free from limitations. Poverty is a state of mind, and it is through positive creativity that I have discovered true wealth at many levels.
6. What, to you, is most rewarding about your life and work? And what are the aims that you set out to achieve? (Feel free to mention specific projects you're involved in or working on if you wish to).
The most rewarding thing about my life and work is that I am alive and have the knowledge that I can effect the world in positive ways. I am also very blessed that I get to meet so many interesting people. I love learning from people, and teaching people that good things are still possible. I am overjoyed by the discovery that we are each powerful creators. I love sharing the fact that we do not have to be victimized by the ugliness in the world any longer. I refuse to accept that world. There is a new world waiting for us all. I love to ask people what they would attempt to do if they knew they could not fail, and then share with them that it is impossible to fail. Humanity has never once failed at bringing into the world what was in their hearts; never once! It is just a matter of choosing what to hold in your heart, and the rest is as they say, "history."
My primary mission in life is to advocate greater goodwill and peace. Peace is desirable at all levels, is it not? It is desirable in the world, in our countries, in our cities, in our own homes, in our relationships, and even in our inner-selves. Peace is worth considering and accessible through education, and by choice. There can be no peace in the grizzly presence of poverty or excess; two equally abominable monsters. Peace is a state of humility and surrender, and goodwill and harmony exist only as a voluntary acts. They cannot be enforced, coerced, or sanctioned. Like love, peace is fickle, transient and mysterious. It must be desired, fostered, nurtured and protected. From now, until the day I die, I am committing my time and energy to a simple mission of demonstrating greater goodwill and peace is possible. The peace project I am working on carries with it a message of hope through oneness. Every life is precious. Let us subdue the ravages of our baser-self, and aspire to the higher calling of exalting joy through compassion, for that is the one true purpose of humanity.
You can find out more at: www.goodwilltreaty.org
7. You have founded charities, and give away a great deal of your work for free, which is unusual in a world that is largely governed by a desire for material gain. Please could you say what motivates you to do this?
Simply stated I believe in the concept of paying forward. Whether we acknowledge it or not, and as I have written before, we all have a debt to the society we live in. If we want to succeed in society at anything, we must first pay our debt to that society. But, here is the most important part; our debt never ends. We must pay it each and every day for the rest of our lives. Once you realize this, no matter your philosophical, or religious framework, whether it be the golden rule of Christianity, the humanist view of biochemical inducement of self-preservation through the sociological laws of reciprocity, the "Mystical Law" of Karma (the universal law of ethical causation), Confucian Shu reciprocity, or any other world-view construct of the same truth, life will start working for you rather than against you. Life has a way of shining on people who stand in the sunshine of kind actions. But you can't fake it. It has to come from the heart, with a true spirit of giving and selflessness.
Some people feel that when you produce something without apparent compensation you are being used by others. I think they are missing the point. Being used by others is one of the greatest honors you can experience; to be *use*ful. In today's busy world of information overload, for people to stop, pay attention and find value in what I have to share is often times payment enough.
At the same time, there is no nobility in poverty and we can best help others from a position of strength, not weakness. I am worthy of material gain and shall have it. Money is totally unimportant to me, which is why I need, and will have an unlimited amount of it. However, to me, not all things should be materially profitable. I do what I can to make my money in other areas that are not as sacred to me as my life's higher calling. I intentionally create this distinction to keep my intention pure, and to keep my contract with the universe resolute.
8. You're very active in social networking. How important do you feel this is in our technological, high-speed age? What are the benefits?
All success in life comes through other people, whether online, or in "real life." I have been working with "social networking" software since I was 10 years old when I wrote and ran bulletin board systems that pre-dated the Internet's commercial use. Social networking and the Internet are transforming the world before our eyes at the speed of fiber-optic light. Social networking is what we humans do, whether in the remote village, or the global village, and while cliche, it is nonetheless true that the more things change, the more they stay the same. And what we see as innovative now -- is not the end, but rather a new incarnation of what is, and always will be important to people, and that is relationships. People will continue to find new and interesting ways to interact with others. I love interacting with people around the world and making new friends. The more people you meet the more likely it is that you will meet those very special people who will become an important part of your life. Life is largely about relationships; even being solitary is a way of dealing with others. We cannot escape it; we are all here together and the Internet helps to show us the ways in which we were always connected from the beginning.
9. You promote many top names in the creative industries, as well as being personally hugely successful in other areas of work. What does success signify to you? What, to you, embodies the feeling of success?
When I receive private letters from people around the world telling me I have helped, or inspired them in some way I feel successful. When my children look to me as their Father, and I can know deep inside that I am setting an example for them that communicates through action, and not words alone, that their lives are full of opportunity, and great things are possible for them, then I feel successful. When I am able to recommit myself to my goals each day I feel successful. When I can carry my own burden and can still help someone else, I feel successful. When someone betrays me, judges me or tries to hurt me, and I refuse to become like them, or become cynical, I feel successful. When I am disappointed, and yet still can believe, I feel successful. When my heart and mind is open, I feel successful. When I cry because I feel for someone, I feel successful. Even when I fail I feel successful, because it was a place of effort from which I fell.
Each day, like everyone, I wake up and face the world. It is not always a hospitable world. It is full of problems to be solved, mistakes to learn from and the accumulation of my experiences, both good and bad. However, it is a new day and a new chance! Nothing embodies the feeling of success more to me, than knowing that each second is a new chance. Success in the traditional sense is transient; at best a place from which to fall. My idea of success is that I can decide what to do with my next minute, I am alive, I love myself, I am privileged to love others, and others truly love me.
Success, just like poverty is a state of mind. You can become successful instantly with a simple decision and commitment. Long lasting and pronounced success comes to those who renew their commitment to a mindset of abundance every
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