Your Life Is Passing Before Your Eyes

Life is way too short to care what everyone else thinks.
Be you. Do what you think is right. Live the life you want to live.
Forget about the haters, they will always hate.
Surround yourself with people who support you, but also challenge you to be better.
Continue to learn and grow.
Love fully, dream big, live happily, embrace change.

Some Things Are More Important

Some things are more important than being right. Some things are more important than being wrong. Some things are more important than what other people think of you. Some things are more important than getting credit. Some things are more important than your ego. Some things are more important than the money you make. Some things are more important than your possessions. Some things are just more important than everything else.

What's more important to you? If you have trouble coming up with answers, then you need to spend some time figuring out what really matters to you.

Love The Now

Too often, many of us get stuck and start wondering if we are doing what we are "supposed" to be doing. We wonder why we aren't happier. We start to question decisions we have made and the path we are on. Looking around, we only see people who are doing amazing things. We believe everyone else has their act together and knows exactly what they want and how to get there.

You are not alone in wondering what if. From time to time, everyone questions what they are doing and searches to see if there is a way to be happier doing something else. It's okay to question. It's okay to look around and wonder. It's okay to be human. Just don't let the questioning and wondering bring you down. Use them as a motivator and not fodder for depression.

Everyone wants to do what they love to do. Most of us don't really know what that is. It's not always about finding it, but enjoying the search. Unless you are really lucky, you have to continue doing other things while you look. Find ways to love these other things, too.

We are going to spend the rest of our lives searching for that something better, but we can't get so lost in the searching that we don't allow ourselves to enjoy the now. I have to constantly remind myself to enjoy the now. It's so easy to get caught up in what may happen tomorrow or next year, that I ignore today. When this happens, I get into a funk that is really hard to shake.

The questioning and wondering and searching shouldn't pull us down, but should build us up. Don't beat yourself up for searching and wondering, but be sure to find things you love with what you have today while you do. We're all going to search and wonder and question, but only a few of us will figure out how to do this in a positive way...wouldn't you like to be one of them?

What Matters

It's been a little while since I have written anything. Two weeks ago, I married an amazing woman and we spent our honeymoon in Cahuita, Costa Rica. Today is the first day back in the "real world" and I wish I could say I was excited, but trading the beautiful beaches and amazing weather in Cahuita for the chilly autumn air in Missouri hasn't been the easiest transition.

While I was away, I realized how much I care about things that really don't matter and I don't spend enough time on the things that do matter. We all get so caught up in the day to day life of jobs and worry and stress that we often forget to slow down and enjoy the life we are living. We get up every morning to go to a job that doesn't matter as much as we think it does, do some work (not nearly as much as we could) and then come home, often sitting in front of the television for hours on end.

While doing this, we constantly worry about things that don't matter or we don't have any control over and we allow little things that happen to frustrate us and ruin our mood. We do this day after day. Why? We convince ourselves it's all about the money we make and need (mostly to buy shit we don't really want or need) or the prestige of having the job title we have (or want) or because the work we do matters or because it's what society expects us to do as adults.

I'm not here to say you have to quit your job and do something else or make massive changes in your life. I'm saying we need to take stock of our lives and stop worrying about things that don't matter. We need to stop worrying about things over which we have no control. We need to stop allowing stupid little things to frustrate us all the time. We need to spend more time doing things that really matter to us...spend quality time with the people we love. Spend less time at work and more time taking a break and recharging the batteries you need to do a good job. Don't worry about having so much stuff...I know it is the way of our society, but do you really need that much?

Take a step back, slow down and figure out what really matters the most to you. Then, figure out how to do it more. This doesn't mean you have to make a massive overhaul to your life...it only means you need to realign your priorities. Our lives don't have to be filled with worries and stress and fears and frustrations. We can make the choice to live a different life. What's stopping you?

Today is the day.

Today is the day. 

I get to marry my best friend and

start a new journey, together.

Who knows where we will go?

As long as we are together-

where we go doesn't matter.

Who knows what we will do?

As long as we are together-

what we do doesn't matter.

Who knows what we will build?

As long as we are together-

we can accomplish anything.

I get to marry my best friend and

start a new journey, together.

Today is the day.

Lesson #1

The first and most important lesson you have to learn is how to love yourself. Without it, nothing else will fall into place and nothing else really matters. Loving yourself doesn't mean you can't improve, or become better, or learn something new or do something different. It means you accept these things and who you are. As egotistical as it may sound, you are the most important person in your life. Don't hold yourself back.

Your happiness matters. Your dreams matter. Your ideas matter. Your beliefs matter. Who you are matters. Love the great things and the blemishes. Love the person you are today. Love the person you will be tomorrow. This is the most important of life's lessons and we have to learn to love ourselves before we can really love anything else. We are all amazing people...it's time we started to believe it.

Frustration

One thing I think we all constantly struggle with is letting the thoughts and opinions of other people frustrate us. Do you ever have times when it feels as if everyone around you is pointing out all the negatives about the work you do? Do you ever have people who say they want to help you get better but never seem to listen to the reasons why things are the way they are? How do you handle the constant bombardment of negativity? The easiest way to tell if you let other people bother you is to see how often you become frustrated with them.

There will be times when you have a valid reason to be frustrated, but even then, it really isn't worth it. Why become frustrated with someone else when there really isn't anything you can do to change them? There will be times when someone else just doesn't understand, no matter how much they think they do. There will be times when other people just do things differently than we would. There will be times when our best isn't good enough for someone else. There will be times when things just don't work. Becoming frustrated in these cases does no good.

There will be other times when you don't have a valid reason to be frustrated, but become frustrated anyway. There will be times when you let everything else in your life build up and you become frustrated with someone close to you over something stupid. There will be times when you make a mistake that is easily fixed (or even one that isn't easily fixed). There will be times when someone you love makes a simple mistake. There will be lots of times when we want to get frustrated over things that don't really matter, mainly because of other things going on in life. These are times when we really want to eliminate the frustration.

One major problem with frustration is is continues to build. You get frustrated at work because of a variety of things and then traffic sucks and you become more frustrated. When you get home, the stupidest, little thing sets off the frustration again. Maybe it's the way the dishes are in the sink or you left the coffee pot on or you forgot something at work or any number of little things that shouldn't matter. It all starts with becoming frustrated the first time, probably when you feel you have a valid reason to be frustrated and this frustration continue to build to the point where you are getting frustrated over everything.

How do you stop this? How do you develop a way to keep this frustration from getting to you? I'm not an expert as I get frustrated more than I would like, but I do know some things you can try:

• Practice breathing: When you feel like become frustrated, focus on your breathing. Take a deep breath in, hold it, then slowly exhale. Count the breaths you take and focus on nothing but your breathing. This is usually really helpful when you get to the point where you want to explode in frustration. 
• Exercise: Try to get your blood pumping each and every day. Even if it is for just a short period of time, strenuous activity will help to clear your head and put you in a better frame of mind. You can do simple things (jumping jacks, push ups, squats, jumping rope) or more complex things (weights, jogging, yoga, classes). Not only will you burn the energy feeding you frustrations, but the more you work out, the better you will feel about yourself. The better you feel about yourself, the less frustrated you will get. 
• Meditation: This is a difficult one for many people because they picture a monk sitting perfectly still in lotus position for hours on end and think there is no way they can do it. Meditation doesn't have to be that involved. You can meditate by sitting at your desk perfectly still for five minutes. You can focus on your breathing or on a mantra or on anything that helps you clear your mind. You don't have to be classically trained or perfect at anything to meditate. You just have to find what works for you and make the time to do it. 
• Journaling: Make time each day to write about how you feel about things. It helps to get the frustrations you have on paper which makes them real and helps to let them exit your body. This can be your way of letting things out instead of holding them in until you explode over the stupid, little things. 
• Gratitude journaling: This is a lot like journaling, but each day you focus on three things for which you are grateful. You can focus this on things other people did or on things that just happened. You can do this each morning for the previous day or each evening for the day you just had. By focusing on the things for which you are grateful, you can help to forget about the things that frustrate you. As you begin to focus on looking for things to add to this list, you will stop paying as much attention to the things that frustrate you.
• Forgiveness repetition: This is just something you can do for yourself. Many people will do this as they lay in bed getting ready to sleep. Think about the people or things that frustrated you and forgive them. Practicing forgiveness helps to clear away any lingering frustration and helps to make you feel better about everything happening around you.
• Do what makes you happy: This is obvious, but one we often don't do. When we become frustrated, we will often go home and just fall on the couch and watch TV or we bitch and moan to someone else about our frustrations or we drink a little too much or we eat too much or we just go to bed frustrated and angry. Instead, make time to do something you love. If you love to write, then make time to write. Same for listening or making music or reading or playing a sport or shooting pool or doing anything that makes you feel good. We spend so much of our time doing things we may not really want to do and we forget to make time to do the things we love.

These are just some of the things you can do to help alleviate the frustration. The more you do them, the less and less you will automatically get frustrated (hopefully). Some of these may not work for you...the key is to keep trying until you find what does work. Let your loved ones know what you are doing and what you need from them. You don't want your frustration to boil over on to them.

Frustration sucks, but it is something we will all feel from time to time, no matter what we do. Some of us become frustrated at the drop of a hat or have certain people in our lives who are just really good at frustrating us. Some of us will work jobs that are so frustrating that we start to dread them before we even get there. Some of us will get frustrated over things that don't bother anyone else, but we will all have to deal with frustration. How we deal with it will have a lot to do with the overall happiness we feel in life. The easier we frustrate and the more it happens, the less time we have to enjoy the things we love. Personally, I would rather spend my time doing things I love with people I love than feeling frustrated about anything. 

What do you do to help alleviate your frustration?

Kennedy

Kennedy originally came in to the shelter as a young dog and hated me. Every time I would walk by her kennel, she would lunge at me and I wondered if we were ever going to be able to get her adopted. Luckily, she found a home. She had this home until she was diagnosed with Addison's Disease and became a burden to the family who adopted her. As soon as she walked back in to the shelter, she laid her head in my lap and I was in love.

The night I took her home, she played non-stop with my other dog, Atticus, for four hours (and would have kept going if I hadn't separated them so I could get some sleep). She never left. On Wednesday, Kennedy left this world and I lost an amazing canine companion. She was a little like me in she loved every other dog she ever met, but was very picky with the people she trusted and felt comfortable around. If she trusted you, she was the sweetest, most easy-going, most loving dog you would ever meet.

Honestly, right now I feel like I have this giant empty spot in my heart. Some of you might be reading this thinking I am crazy because I am talking about a dog, but the animals in my life are part of my family. Kennedy was a beautiful dog who was with me through the ups and downs of my life for the past four years. She had been though a lot of change and was a constant, faithful companion. Just thinking about her and writing this hurts. It makes me wish I would have had longer with her. It makes me wish I would have cherished the time we had a bit more. It makes me wish I could have been more prepared.

When I adopted Kennedy, I knew she wasn't going to have the longest life. I knew she was going to have struggles and I knew it was going to be hard. Knowing all of these things doesn't make it any easier at the end. But, as much sadness as I feel now, I would go back and do it all over again. My time with Kennedy has shown me we can't take anything for granted. It has shown me the little things we let bother us because we think they matter, really don't. This all has shown me we are going to hurt, but insulating ourselves from the pain would be even worse. It has shown me we need to be more cognizant of the time we do have.

If I would have not brought Kennedy in to my life, I wouldn't feel this sadness right now. But, I would have never had the great times I had with her. On the day she came back in and laid her head in my lap, I knew this day would come. I didn't realize then how much this would hurt, but I also didn't realize how much I would love her. She stood by me when others didn't. She put up with me when I drank too much. She was there when I finally quit. She loved Leila from the instant Leila came into our lives and our home. She showed me love, when I didn't feel as if I deserved it.

Life is short and precious. We have to stop spending our days doing things we think society wants us to do or what we think we have to do and instead do what we need to do. It's easy to get caught up in the drama that is daily life, but what good does it do? It doesn't help us to cherish what we should be cherishing and living life the way we should. There is always going to be loss. There is always going to be death. We are going to feel sadness and pain at times through life. How we live our life in the other times is what really matters. Make moments that matter.

Kennedy was a great companion and came in to my life when I really needed one. She was a big part of our home (figuratively and literally) and she will be missed more than I can express.

What Is My Purpose?

For the majority of us, knowing what we are supposed to do with our lives would be wonderful. This would be the one question most people would what answered. What is my purpose? Most of us just don't know what it is we are supposed to be doing (or even if there is something we are supposed to be doing). We hear people talk all the time about following our passions and doing what makes us happy, but many of us don't really know what our passions are, or if we do, how to make a living doing them. We get stuck in this struggle of wanting to love what we are doing but constantly thinking there must be something more out there to make us happier and feel more fulfilled.

Yes, there may be something better out there waiting for you. There may be something that sets your soul on fire. There may be something that makes you want to jump out of bed each morning and attack the day. There may be something better, or there may not. We don't know. That's the scary part. Do we constantly chase this unknown? Do we continue to give up what we have, thinking there may be something better, without really knowing? It's the Let's Make A Deal decision with life. "You have $5,000 but do you want to risk it for what is behind door number 2?" You have a job and a life that does bring happiness (more if you would let it), but do you want to risk it for what is hidden out there?

After reading that, you may think you have an answer, but what if I asked the questions in a different tone? Do you want to settle with what you have, thinking you are not as happy as you could be? Can you continue to do what you do, all while believing there is something more out there? Can you give up searching with the knowledge that you aren't as passionate as you want? Do you risk the hum drum existence you have for the chance of finding the greatness hidden out there?

You see, there are always two ways to look at things. I believe we need to find the happiness in what we have and what we do, while constantly searching for more. Searching doesn't always mean you have to quit your job and go looking for something different. In some cases it will mean this, but in others it won't. Your choices have to be your choices and your path will be different than every other path. You have to do things in your own way. You can't make all the choices someone else made because what works for them may not work for you. You have to solve these dilemmas based on your life, not based on someone else's life. How you decide to answer the questions above is personal. How you decide to proceed is up to you.

There is never going to be any "one size fits all" answer to finding our passion and happiness. Some people will find this search to be incredible easy, but others will struggle their entire lives. This doesn't make anyone right or wrong, it is just their path. The way you go about achieving everything you want probably won't work for many other people. We are all going to look at the issue differently, so there can't be a perfect solution. You can read as many books and blogs as you want. You can listen to all the experts, but in the end you are going to realize two things:

1) Different people will have different ways to "achieve" finding passion and happiness and many of these ways will contradict each other.
2) The vast majority of us are in the same place. Even the people who seem to have it all figured out will often have doubts about their purpose.

The answers to the big questions will never be one size fits all. These answers won't be found in books and they won't be found on blogs. No one can tell you what is going to work for you. You have to find it for yourself. You have to decide what is going to work for you. You have to get our there and explore and dream and work and hurt and love and fail and succeed and live. Asking the question is fine. Wondering if there is more out there is normal. You aren't in this by yourself, but you have to find your own answers. The real question is: Are you going to look for them?

The Choice is Yours

How many people do you know who truly love the work they do? How many of us jump out of bed each morning excited to get to work? When you think about it, what do you want to do, but are terrified to try?

The truth is, most people stumble through their lives doing work they can tolerate, but don't really enjoy. They can come up with tons of other things they would rather be doing, but convince themselves they can't actually do what they really want to do. They don't think it is possible or they don't see a way to partner their "passion" with work. It's not because it is impossible...sometimes they just have to be creative. They feel stuck, but are doing nothing to get unstuck. These folks have tons of excuses for why they aren't doing something else, but the real reason is they won't try.

Many other people are doing work they could be passionate about and love, but they won't let themselves. They convince themselves there is something better out there and don't put everything they can into the work they are doing. They fail to see the amazing things they do or could do. They have the "grass is always greener" view and don't realize what they have in front of them. I know these people are out there because I have been one through most of my life. I always think there is something else out there that would bring the happiness I so desire, but don't do everything in my power to make what I am doing into this.

It's all about how you look at things and how you classify the work you do. Don't dwell on the negative aspects of the work...there are negatives in every job. Think instead about the great things you do. Focus on how you help people or create new things or do things others don't. Focus on the good aspects of the job. If you can't find any good aspects, then do something else. You don't have to be stuck if you don't allow yourself to be.

The secret about happiness most people don't realize is that our level of happiness is decided by us. You choose how happy or unhappy you are. You can focus on the negative aspects of anything and this will lead to a more negative life. Instead, if you look for the positives, you will feel better. If you continue to trudge through life thinking about how things could be better if, you are never going to be happy with what you do. Instead, if you focus on the good in what you have, you are going to be happier and able to achieve more. It's all in how you look at the things you have.

It's up to you. That's the good and the bad with being enthusiastic, passionate and happy. You can make things better, but if you don't, the only person you have to blame is you. Would you rather focus on what you have or what you don't have? When you go to bed tomorrow, would you rather think about all you did to make the day great or think about all the things you hate about what you do? You are the only one who can control the way you think about your life. Which choice will you make?

35 at 35

In honor of my 35th birthday, I give you a list of 35 things I have learned during those 35 years:


1) The more you care what other people think, the less you live your life the way you should.
2) Happiness comes from within. You can read all you want about how to be more happy, but ultimately, the ball is in your court.
3) Cynics make great characters (Dr. House), but being one leads to a lot of sadness and loneliness.
4) "Is there a god?" is not an important question.
5) College is overrated.
6) Our education system is broken. There are a lot of people with really great ideas on how to fix it, but very few of these ideas are being put in to practice.
7) Every day, we should strive to learn something new.
8) We all need to read more.
9) Failing is not a bad thing. We will all fail many, many times in our life. Failure is the best teacher.
10) Learn from other people, but don't compare yourself to them. We are all different.
11) Learn to listen to your fear...the more something scares you, the more you should probably do it.
12) As much as they make things more difficult at times, animals have added a lot of good to my life.
13) Admit when you are wrong.
14) Love freely. Do not hold back for fear of getting hurt.
15) Watch less television.
16) Slow down and enjoy the moment right now. Don't spend your whole life looking ahead.
17) Travel---spend time outside of your comfort zone.
18) Do not go into credit card debt. I can tell you from experience, it is not worth it.
19) Live within your means.
20) There are always going to be people who like you and people who don't. Embrace the first and ignore the second.
21) If you can imagine it, you can do it. Do not limit yourself.
22) Do not let other people put limits on you.
23) Don't conform to the masses unless you truly believe what they believe.
24) Everyone deserves to be treated with respect.
25) Don't fill your life with stuff. Fill it with experiences.
26) You are going to do stupid things. Learn from them and move on. Don't let the past haunt you.
27) Speak up in the face of injustice.
28) Stand up for your beliefs.
29) Seek out and listen to differing opinions.
30) Everyone changes over time, including you.
31) We need to evolve with the times.
32) It's okay to not have all the answers. It is not okay to not have the answers and not care.
33) Time really does seem to go by more quickly the older you get.
34) Don't take things so personally. Most of the time people are not out to get you.
35) Cut yourself some slack. There is no reason to get frustrated with who you are. If you don't like something, change it.

Everyone Dies

Why do people who are told they have a terminal illness suddenly realize they haven't done the things they really want to do and change the way they live their life to do them? What are we planning for that doesn't allow us to live this life now?

Surprise, we are all going to die. You have now been warned. At some unknown point in the future, your life will end. Go out and live the life you really want. Don's save up all your happiness and fun for later. Have them now. Do something crazy. Do something you want to do. Quit putting it off for tomorrow because tomorrow may never come.

Today, have more fun, laugh a little more, do something interesting you have been putting off, tell the people who matter that they matter, take less personally, give someone a break, smile more, spend less time worrying about stupid shit and just live. We have a limited number of todays left...make sure you aren't wasting them.

Lovers vs. Haters vs. Undecided

No matter your industry, you are going to have people who love you and people who hate you, but the vast majority of people won't have an opinion about you.

Too many times, we listen to the people who hate us. We respond to all their negative comments and they come right back with even more negative comments. We continue to respond and soon become frustrated because we can't change their misguided (or at least what we believe to be misguided) opinion and we fear their comments will damage our reputation.

Responding to them is fine, but don't get lost in an argument with haters. Explain why they are wrong (if they are) and move on. The back and forth helps no one and actually fuels the hater because someone is listening to them. It is much more important to communicate back and for with the people who love you and the people who don't yet have an opinion. You will never get the haters to like you, so don't waste your time. Use your time to build a relationship with people who will like you. Build a big enough group of people who love you and soon they will respond to the haters.

Most people recognize a troll as a troll. Responding to all of their hate gives them credibility. Spend your time engaging and developing fans and the trolls will move on.

Giving Thanks Part 2

What would happen if we, as a world society, expressed our gratitude every day instead of at random times selected by the calendar? Would there be more peace and less war? Would people be able to get along a little better, no matter their race, religion, color or nationality? Would we be more willing to work together to solve some of the major problems plaguing the world? Would we be more likely to care about HIV epidemics in Africa or starving children throughout the world or the homeless in our own cities and towns? Would the world be any different? Would you be any different?

A Relaxing Evening

Spent a wonderful evening last night at The Living Room in Kansas City listening to the musical stylings of Victor & Penny and Danielle Ate The Sandwich. The venue was great, the music amazing and fun was had by all. If you haven't heard of either, check them out below. All in all, it was a wonderful evening with a wonderful woman.







While we rush through this thing called life and are constantly stressed out by everything happening, sometimes the most important thing we can do is slow down, relax, laugh and just have fun. This was the perfect release for what has been a crazy week.

Life Is Too Short

Life is too short to work a job you hate (or despise or dislike or even just tolerate). Either love what you do or love what it pays (which will allow you to do what you love in your off time). Always remember that your job is what you do, not who you are.

Life is too short to do what you think other people expect you to do. Do what you want. If you want to sit back and watch TV, then do it. If you want to read a book, then read. If you want to leave work early on a Thursday to go to a movie, then get your work done and leave. You control your life and your happiness.

Life is too short to spend all of your time worried about the future.

Life is too short to be angry all the time.

Life is too damn short to be stressed out all the time.

Life is too short to let people push you around. Stand up for yourself or no one else will.

Life is too short to spend time on BS. Figure out what matters to you and focus on that. Will some BS creep in? Of course, but get it done and move on to the things that matter. Don’t focus your energy on the bullshit. The best minds know what needs to be perfect and what just needs to be accomplished.

Life is too short to live without passion. Put your all in to everything you do.

Life is too short to let people bother you. People will hurt you, but move on and forget about them. Those who hurt you are usually not worthy of your time. Spend time with people who enjoy being around you and want to see you succeed.

Life is too short to not share. Share experiences, things, time, love, songs, stories, hopes, dreams, anything and everything you can share. Life is a much better time when someone is experiencing it with you. The selfish will die sad and lonely.

Life is way too short to not have fun. Live each and every day as if it were your last.

Live Life With Passion

Live the way you want others to live. Lead by example. Honestly answer any question asked. Don't sugarcoat things. Treat people like you want to be treated. Shit happens, people make mistakes, people are sometimes cruel, people don't always want to open their minds. Let them work it out in their own way and in their own time. This doesn't mean that you can't nudge, but being yourself and doing what you feel is right and doing it unabashedly is what will truly change people's minds. Talk about why you are what you are without degrading them for being different. Let them know that you have also done stupid things, that you used to lash out and treat people like shit, that you used to suffer from road rage, that you used to be a big jackass about all kinds of things. None of us are perfect and we will never be perfect. The best that we can do is to live life causing the least amount of harm and suffering to EVERY living creature, including humans.

Question everything. Question authority. Question what you are being force fed. Question everything you see or hear. Question everything you think. Question the beliefs you hold the most dear. Question your parents, your friends, your spouses, the rules, the norms, the laws, the beliefs, the Deities, the philosophies, the great thinkers, the insane, the politicians, the holy men and women, the roots of everything, the basis of your life, the things you do every day. Question everything. This is the only way that we will reach a point where we can feel that we have really made a difference and are living the life we are supposed to live. If you meet someone you think has it figured out and is a great teacher, question what they have figured out, why you think that and what they teach. Their truth may not be your truth. Figure it out for yourself.

Live life. Do what you can to make this place a little bit better. Help other people and animals out. Do something nice each day. Help your neighbors, especially the ones you despise. Do something out of the ordinary. Smile. Speak nicely to people, especially when they have done something so colossally stupid you are unsure how they could even do it. Lend a helping hand, especially when you do not have the time or the energy to do it. Go above and beyond but do it because it is the right thing to do, not because it will make you look better or will make you feel better about yourself. Be humble but confident. Be original. Be unapologetic because you are doing what is right. Be yourself and let your true self shine through. Don't hide behind the false faces and façades that you have become so good at putting up. If you march to the beat of your own drummer, then continue to march that way. We all have our own drummers anxiously awaiting the opportunity to beat the drum how we want and not how society has said it should be beat. Most of us will never experience what we are capable of because we are so damn busy trying to conform to the norms of our jobs, our friends, out political affiliations, our labels, our groups or our society. We may have some of the same beliefs, but we are not the same and we should not be clones of each other. Don't drink the Kool-Aid and buy into everything hook, line and sinker. If you are a follower, then know that you don't think for yourself and you are nothing more than an automaton.

Just do something today. Help another creature, decide to question what you are doing, feel something different or do something in a way you have never done it before. Read a book and then question everything you have read. Take a walk and just soak it all in. Lay around with your dogs or cats and just feel the love they have for you. Meet a friend at the bar and have deep conversations about life over pints. Sit around by yourself and wonder why we are here and what you should do next. Figure out the solution to something that has been bothering you. Do something, anything and leave the zombie world behind. Help make this world a better place for all the creatures we share it with. Question all you just read. Question everything.