If you don;’t know what this festival is about, you get 48 hours to write, shoot, . . . → Read More: How Vinny Got 40% of His Groove Back]]> This is video from the most recent 48 hour film festival in Austin. I’ve participated in the 48 hour film festival in the past with most of the same people on this team and I had a blast.

If you don;’t know what this festival is about, you get 48 hours to write, shoot, produce and edit a 10 minute film. You’re not given any topics in advance, so you go in cold turkey. On Friday night, you’re given your topic, then you go off to shoot your film.

It’s a ton of work, and also a ton of fun.

I think the bottom line is that people will follow inspired leaders for themselves before they follow someone for the money. Money isn’t enough to motivate people to greatness, a desire to be great is what inspires people to be great.

If money is your primary motivator, you won’t amount to much.

Here’s another flash mob, but this one is an MC Hammer . . . → Read More: Phlashmob at the Hard Rock Casino]]> This is a pretty cool video. For the record, a flash mob is essentially a group of people that show up suddenly someplace and start dancing or doing something else. I think this particular flashmob is great since it’s in a casino.

Here’s another flash mob, but this one is an MC Hammer one. I’d rank it higher than the first one, but it was produced by A&E to promote a TV show:

I love the look on people’s faces when the flash mob starts doing it’s thing.

It’s the story about a guy named “Ordinary” who lived in a city named “Familiar” to whom nothing happened everyday.

Here’s my summary:

Ordinary went to his “regular job” day in and day out. He would come home, have pretty much the . . . → Read More: Follow your dreams]]> At church group meeting, we read a book called The Dream Giver

It’s the story about a guy named “Ordinary” who lived in a city named “Familiar” to whom nothing happened everyday.

Here’s my summary:

Ordinary went to his “regular job” day in and day out. He would come home, have pretty much the same thing for dinner everyday and then he would sit in his recliner and watch nothing on the box (aka TV) until it was time to go to sleep.

Ordinary thought he was content, but he really wasn’t.

He felt uneasy and sad, nothing ever changed.

One day, Ordinary discovered that he had a dream within him.

He dreamt that he was meant to be more than what he was. He dreamt that he deserved more out of life. He dreamt that he could have a better life, he dreamt that he could be Somebody.

Ordinary had doubts about himself and his abilities. He had doubts that he would be able to accomplish his dreams.

People that loved him, tried to talk him out of trying to become somebody.  He had doubts that he was worthy of his dream.

In order to pursue his dream, Ordinary had to leave Familiar behind.

He had to get out of his comfort zone. Ordinary had to get through the invisible wall of fear, overcome his bullies, cross over the wide river of the unknown and find the courage within him to become Somebody.

That’s a summary of the first 3 chapters in the book.

This book spoke to me on a deeply personal level. I feel like it was written for me, about me. I was having doubts about my dream and about whether I was worthy of my dream.

I am starting to believe; both in myself and in my dream.

It’s a military strategy book, written in 1643 by a samurai named Miyamoto Musashi. It is said that Miyamoto-san never had a home, never bathed, never had any children, or women. On a side note, I can’t imagine why he never married, but I digress . . . → Read More: 9 Rules from “The Book of 5 Rings”]]> What the heck is “The Book of 5 Rings?”

It’s a military strategy book, written in 1643 by a samurai named Miyamoto Musashi. It is said that Miyamoto-san never had a home, never bathed, never had any children, or women. On a side note, I can’t imagine why he never married, but I digress Miyamoto Mushashi was totally and completely focused on his station in life.

In other words, he completely dedicated himself to his passion.

Here are the rules that Miyamoto-san came up with in his book:

1. Think of what is right and true

2. Practice and cultivate the science

3. Become acquainted with the arts

4. Know the principles of the craft

5. Understand the harm and benefit in everything

6. Learn to see everything accurately

7. Become aware of what is not obvious

8. Be careful, even in small matters

9. Do not do anything useless

Other thoughts from the book are:

• You can hardly become a master of martial arts unless you see the immediate in a broad context
• Keep martial arts on your mind, and work diligently in a straight forward manner
• You can overcome people by means of your body (knowledge and ability)
• Large scale military science is a matter or winning at keeping good people, winning at taking care of the populace and winning at carrying out customary social observances. When you reach this point, how can you be defeated?

Of course, Miyamoto-san was a soldier and a martial arts master. His primary and only focus was on being the best samurai he could be, but I feel that his rules can apply to almost anything that you want to do well.

Some of us are already encumbered with children, houses and bathing regularly, but I feel that the basic principles he outlines in the 9 rules are attainable.

I can think of several times in my life where I should’ve thought about the broader implications of what I was doing. When I should’ve been aware of what was not obvious and let’s not get into doing things that are useless. I do that all the time.

I leave you with this, how can you apply the above rules to your life?

These girls have serious jump roping skills. I love how the people in the stands just got more and more blown . . . → Read More: Incredible Jump Roping Skills from the King’s Firecrackers]]> Wow! This is seriously awe inspiring. I don’t know how long this video has been out, but you have to watch it. It’ll be the best 8 minutes of your day. Probably.

These girls have serious jump roping skills. I love how the people in the stands just got more and more blown away by the performance. Yep, these girls and their coaches are passionate about jump roping. I’d hate to have to follow these girls onto the basketball court.

On Sunday, I read “Crush It!” from cover to cover. Among many other things, it reminded me of a TV show that I used to watch. Do any of y’all remember the show . . . → Read More: Are you a rat?]]> I’m not talking about the Chinese zodiac sign, which I happen to be. I’m talking about something completely different.

On Sunday, I read “Crush It!” from cover to cover. Among many other things, it reminded me of a TV show that I used to watch. Do any of y’all remember the show Dharma and Greg?

During an episode on the show, Greg left his stable job with the US Attorney’s office to “strike it out on his own.” One of his co-workers from the DA’s office, Pete, was talking to Greg’s girlfriend, Dharma, about how much he admired Greg for leaving the rat race.

Pete was waxing poetic about Greg leaving and going to be his own man and go stand on his own.

Pete kept lavishing praises on Greg for leaving the rat race behind and going to follow his dreams. Dharma asked Fred:

Why don’t you join Greg and leave the rat race behind too?

Pete replied:

Oh no, I’m a rat.

This scene has been in my head for sometime now. I always think of it whenever I try to do my own thing and stand on my own.

Crush It! has made me take the time to figure out if I’m a rat or not.

I don’t mean the word “rat” in the traditional sense of something nasty and ugly, but merely as a euphemism for working the Monday-Friday 9-5 with the stable paycheck and health insurance, commuting 2 hours a day in bumper to bumper traffic to a job you hate with people you only moderately like where you work for 30 years and get to retire from.

Come to think of it, maybe I do mean “rat” in an ugly sense, but I digress.

I don’t necessarily believe that being a rat in the rat race is better or worse than not being a rat in the rat race. I just think that I should know if I’m a rat that belongs in the rat race or not.

Of the many things to think about before striking it out on your own, I suggest you figure out if you’re a rat in the rat race or not.

I can tell you if other people belong in the rat race. My girlfriend, although she hates every minute of it, belongs in the rat race. She needs that security blanket, she needs to be one of the masses. My dad is also a rat from the rat race. I’d be a fool if I said that being in the rat race is bad. It’s actually quite comfy.

Besides, I have kids to feed and care for, so I too need the regular paycheck and health insurance. It’s the commute etc. that I can be without.

I’ve tried breaking away from the rat race several times, only to be beaten back into conformance. I’ve tried branching out with an SEO firm, that failed. I tried other side business, they failed. I tried being a commissioned sales person, and failed at that. I was moderately successful as a cab driver, but the overhead was killing me.

Just so you know, a cab driver in Austin pays the company about $500 a week to lease and operate the cab. Tip generously whenever you ride a cab.

I loved owning my own business, I hated having to work for so many hours and have so little to show for it. You know, had I been more plugged in with social media when I was driving the cab, I would’ve crushed it with the college kids.

In the end, I always come back to the rat race.

Writing this post has helped me see that I’m always looking for ways to leave the rat race behind. I just haven’t found a way to make it work.

Yet.

Just because I seem to be . . . → Read More: Salsa Dancing]]> Tell you what, I wish I could dance like these people. My GF and I like to go out Salsa dancing, but I’m not match for her dance skillz. I don’t really want the hair that the first guy has, but I do want his dancing mojo.

Just because I seem to be in a dancing kind of mood, here’s another video of some dancing peeps:

Something that jumps out at me, is that these people are all about the same height. I’m about a foot taller than my girlfriend is, which does create some problems when we’re spinning. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this weird post of mine.