Emotional Awareness

Listen to "Emotional Awareness" on Spreaker. I heard one of the most incredible conversations yesterday. Howard Stern and Jerry Seinfeld openly speaking about being real with what we feel and how to deal. Jerry didn't have to bring up his daily conversations with a friend but he opened our hearts to the possibility of spring forward to a newer way to handle emotion. For an hour everyday he and his friend do nothing but speak with an open soul. Any subject and every emotion. It made me think about how the world is spinning these days. Instead of instantly running to FaceBook Twitter or Instagram to broadcast how it is we are feeling would we be in a better place if only one person was allowed into your process of growth. Writing that put a pain in my gut. The relationship between Jerry and his friend is a well shaped machine of forgiving energy with an ability to see beyond what's being said. Not everyone can handle that. Somewhere on the path of discovery we were given permission to belt out the emotions with no regrets until someone says "Ummm that was too far." But. But. But. So we revert to social media and come up with creative methods of oh my God. Emotions. We carry a lot of them. But how do you deal with bouts of doubt when what you are feeling is alone? The first step is to trust no one to be a great listener. Bruce Lee once taught martial artists to never reveal the book of survival. Locate a favorite place to walk. A quiet place to listen to the atmosphere. Allow it's energy to move through you. Not into you for future use. It has to move through you and the moment you were blessed to hold onto. The more you learn about how things are presented then stuffed into your soul. The better you'll be when you process all situations by not participating with the negative. Let it move through you so you can move on. It's a choice. One that people will never understand. But in reality who cares and why should they. It's your shoes those feet are stuffed into. Take care of the mind and body putting the weight on those heels.

Old Man Shoes

Listen to "Old Man Shoes" on Spreaker. For the longest time I've been convinced that we spend the majority of our lives living off the origin of an echo. All that we are today is nothing more than portions of a child's wish or want. That why we're here in the moment. All that you wanted at that age was it met and now you're wondering how to gain access to more? Google has turned us into monsters by way of demanding those around us to do as I say and give me many things to choose from. Ouch... The idea of living off the core of an echo doesn't fit into a description. We're too focused on how fast time is moving and invisibly we realize that today could be our final. Therefore we become stressed by the demands placed upon the points of interest and not on the process required to maintain quality. Then one day you realize how bad your body hurts. You're bent at the hips and the hair on your arms is somewhat gray. But that doesn't have an affect. Not until you look to the floor and take note of the beat up old man shoes you're wearing. And there's no way you're going to get back to being young again because you gave it all away.

The Strings And Threads Of Yesterday

Listen to "The Strings And Threads Of Yesterday" on Spreaker. I can't say I laugh at decision makers that rely on research to help them locate their corporate success. But I will chuckle over the idea of how most of them put their noses too deep in company growth and not enough in how they've personally reached out. Not as a business person or leader in the community. We all carry invisible weight. The masks are worn to glorify the presence of how we want people to accept us. But then the darn thing falls off at the wrong moment. What is a new beginning if what we keep are the strings and threads of everything we've done time and time again? Companies hire and fire to maintain their focus on success but the human chooses silence. Or if we do make noise it's because something has triggered an approach that doesn't sit well with a hurting self. Where on a map is the destination if the arrival of time meeting space argues with each other within the caves of self? Wait! Don't answer that! Research shows your business or company will profit if you rewrite this rule, terminate that area and rebuild the corners of identity. But nothing by way of research changes you. What research? Teach yourself to write everyday. Or face a life after 50 of silences you'll never locate sound for. It'll all be forgotten. Only to place blame on the company or business that required research to keep it above water.

Dylan Jones

Listen to "Dylan Jones David Bowie A Life" on Spreaker. Inspired by one of the most fascinating lives of our time, DYLAN JONES' engrossing, magisterial biography of David Bowie is unlike any story ever written. The book is a groundbreaking oral history of pop's greatest chameleon, drawn from hundreds of interviews with friends, rivals, lovers, and collaborators, some of whom have never before spoken about their relationship with Bowie. Jones's DAVID BOWIE: A LIFE (CROWN ARCHETYPE; ON SALE SEPTEMBER 12, 2017; $28.00; 978-0-451-49783-3) weaves a hypnotic spell as it unfolds a remarkable rise to stardom and an unparalleled artistic path. When David Bowie died in January 2016, not only were social media channels flooded with images of Ziggy Stardust, but national newspapers cleared their front pages to cover his life and death, broadcasts dedicated time, and every celebrity and citizen with an iPhone and a Bowie story shared memories and admiration. Headlines blared, tribute concerts were organized, and Bowie's colorful life was mourned. The titillating reportage and accounts that followed suggested a more complicated legacy than was perhaps understood, and yet they barely scratched the surface of a life that had yet to be done justice in print. Jones, editor of British GQ and author of When Ziggy Played Guitar: David Bowie and Four Minutes That Shook the World, has now delivered the definitive David Bowie biography. The first major collection and most comprehensive publication since his death, DAVID BOWIE: A Life is composed from over 180 conversations with those closest to the star. No Bowie bio has ever been this raw or intimate, or reached deeper into Bowie's vast web of connections in search of the man behind the persona. Containing contributions from those who knew him in all walks of life-from Bowie's landlady to Bono-this tour of a fascinating existence is guaranteed to thrill those just coming to Bowie's story while offering something new to even the most die-hard aficionados. Firsthand accounts draw readers behind closed doors and into studios and private conversations shared with Bowie. Jones documents accounts from people like John Lennon, Peter Frampton, Tommy Hilfiger, Paul McCartney, Mick Ronson, Boy George, Lou Reed, Luther Vandross, Iggy Pop, Moby, Courtney Love, Kate Moss, Martin Scorsese, and many more. Included are testimonies from: · George Underwood, on Bowie's first U.S. tour: "The audiences on the Ziggy tour of the US just couldn't believe their eyes. Every night was a sensation. . . . We went most places by Amtrak, which is a great way to see the country. He was high rolling on that tour. Every night was a party. . . . It was a rock and roll circus. . . . In the US he was treated as a star." · Ava Cherry, on recording in Philadelphia: "David was one of the first white artists they'd recorded in Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia. David was immediately accepted by the black community. . . . I heard there were some players who didn't want to be on the record because David was white, but I don't believe that. . . . We went in there and just played away. . . . He also did a show at the Tower Theater in Philly, and that was a huge thing for the city. That's where he recorded David Live. It was great singing with Luther Vandross, as he was such a great singer, such an accomplished arranger, and our voices melded together like magic and butter." · Kristina Amadeus, on growing up comfortably: "I don't remember him being worried about being lower middle class. His father was from a very affluent family. . . . He went to a good public school and inherited money when he came of age. . . . But David did, like Jagger, adopt an almost Cockney accent for a while because it was trendy." · Angie Bowie, on marriage: "Our marriage was a partnership to accomplish making David a worldwide star."

Siddhartha Khosla

Listen to "Siddhartha Khosla This Is Us" on Spreaker. Siddhartha Khosla is a film and television composer, and singer/songwriter/producer of the critically acclaimed band, Goldspot. Siddhartha is currently scoring NBC’s hit Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated drama series, “This Is Us,” starring Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, and Sterling K. Brown.  The show is television’s biggest breakout hit of the year, adored by both audiences and critics alike.  Within the series (Episode 16 “Memphis”), Khosla composed the hit song, “We Can Always Come Back To This,” which ranked #12 on iTunes Top 100 songs and #1 in the Billboard Blues Charts for 4 consecutive weeks. Upcoming for Khosla is Hulu’s newest original series, “Marvel’s Runaways,” premiering November 21st, and CBS’ comedy series “Me, Myself and I,” premiering September 25th and stars John Larroquette and Bobby Moynihan.  He also scored the upcoming film drama “The Sounding,” starring Teddy Sears and Frankie Faison, and musical film "Basmati Blues,” for which he composed original songs, starring Academy Award-winner Brie Larson and Golden Globe Award-winner Donald Sutherland.  Khosla’s other scores include Lionsgate TV drama “The Royals,” starring Elizabeth Hurley, and the feature film comedy “Fat Camp,” starring Chris Redd and Vivica A. Fox, which recently premiered on BET.   Khosla began scoring for television and film while fronting his acclaimed band, Goldspot, which was first discovered on KCRW’s  “Morning Becomes Eclectic.”  NPR described Goldspot as “An inventive sound and independent vision,” and the Sunday Times UK called it “the best band to come out of America in years.”  In 2013, the band’s album “Aerogramme” captured #1 Album of the Year on the Los Angeles Times’ pop music editor's year-end best albums list.  Goldspot released three studio albums, including one with Mercury UK/Universal Records, and had hit singles reach #10 in the UK radio charts, and #11 in the Alternative Charts.  Goldspot’s original songs have been featured on numerous TV shows, including  “How I Met Your Mother,” “The O.C.” and “The Neighbors,” as well as in major advertising campaigns for Google, Target and Apple.   Siddhartha’s Indian-born parents came to the US in the mid-seventies to make the American dream their own.  With only eight dollars in their pockets upon arrival, they were forced to take night jobs while they completed graduate school during the day.  They had no choice but to send their toddler son back to India, where Siddhartha  was raised by his grandparents.  During this time, when international phone calls were prohibitively expensive, music became central to Khosla’s life as he listened to his mother sing to him on cassette tapes she mailed from America.  Khosla’s song “Evergreen Cassette” is about this very experience, and was featured in the first season of  “This is Us.” Khosla’s love of music and connection to his Indian heritage were kept alive by his parents once he returned to the US, as they played old Indian movie soundtracks in their home. As a teenager, he embraced Western bands such as The Smiths, The Cure, The Beatles and Paul Simon.  Today, his childhood experiences and musical roots inform his scores and songs to convey a sound that is engagingly unique -- from vintage electric and acoustic guitars, and rare 1950s organs, to live orchestras and instruments from the Eastern hemisphere like the harmonium and the Greek bouzouki, to Flemish harpsichords and 80's analog synthesizers. In November 2013, Khosla was invited as the musical guest for First Lady Michelle Obama's Diwali celebration at the White House, where he delivered an emotional performance of several of his original songs. Khosla has a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, where he composed and sang for the university’s award-winning a cappella group, "Off the Beat."  He now resides in Los Angeles with his wife and children.

The Lyrics From Billy's Forest Chapter 81

Listen to "The Lyrics From Billys Forest Chapter 81" on Spreaker. I've spent a lot of time in mediation studying what it means to live in the presence of the present. There's a huge amount of energy waiting to be tapped into. But too often we allow the outside world to crack the code. Putting focus on being in the present allows the movement of all things to become part of your awareness. There are large amounts of natural songs being given birth while putting colors in the sky that no maker of paint can copy or erase. Growing within the shapes and shade of being present in the now isn't a healing task but it does open your heart to the availability of insight. You're able to patiently study the waters flooding your personal goals and ambitions while trying to put purpose in the dented wall you keep hitting. Put down the purpose and operate a better plan. Just because the Preacher up front is spouting that God told him this and that and yes and no should never put your heart in a state of wow I am alone because I never get to hear such things. Trust and Faith take on an entirely different appearance when the openness of the present is allowed to take up shop in the visions you keep setting aside. Locate a place of peace. Go there to only listen. Soon you'll start to write. Then you'll begin a journey of activation. It's a choice. One that requires time. I mean look how long it took you to get here.

Evolution Of Change

Listen to "The Evolution Of Change" on Spreaker. Change is something we do everyday. Most of us don't like it. We're comfortable the way we are. I remember when Apple's iPhone was went through it's first level of change people were complaining about no longer being able to do different things. Now we expect there to always be something new. Bosses endlessly tell their employees that changes need to be made. I grew tired of hearing "If you don't like it we'll show you the door." Where's the victory in that? But like the iPhone we evolve with the evolution of change. Until the day we hear something in our heart that invites you to step toward a spiritual change. This is where I get lost. All things that demand change pull us in and we change. But the moment God wants to show us new ways we don't want to break the bad things. It becomes a choice. Only to come face to face with an emptiness that seems endless. Man can make you change but the maker has to wait until you're weak. What if you met the decision maker with "I am willing with your way. Show me and I shall serve." Pretty heavy loyalty isn't it? The difference between the changes? One is demanded while the other is commanded. One says do your job while the other says "I'll be your leadership."

The Awareness of Change

Listen to "Awareness Of Change Part One" on Spreaker. A strong sentence began the morning's daily writing.  What are you supposed to write when the outside self has taken note of there being change?  It's not based on fear or doubt.  There was no shame.  Only the awareness of something taking place.  Because I listened to a second day of writing about change my heart steered me in the direction of listening to the physical playing out of other people's steps and the tone of their voices.  It allowed me to prepare.  Rather than face a mountain of uncertainty.  I gave my path blessed by Christ to the maker.  He would guide me through what was now my present storm.  My entire life I've always wondered if such situations are moments of awareness because we've lived this life before or that the habits of others keep us on 24 hour guard?  How can you be positive when you know the horizon has arrived?  

Google Me

Listen to "Google Me" on Spreaker. It's my problem. I not only admit it but I get it. We spend way too much time saying "So tell me about you." My reply is always, "Google me." Layered are the avenues of judgement. Sure work ethics and morals are constantly on display and people want to know how it became. Do your homework. There's no better way to silence a potential relationship then having someone talk about the process of their growth. They either come across as bragging or in the same moment the person receiving the information has already decided to judge their character. Inside this information driven society we've made it too easy to surround ourselves with only the people that make us happy in the moment. Leaders build up their empires by selecting the exactness of their being. Which is a pretty weird way to create unique. Everybody's not supposed to be the same. Texture is a source for endless amounts of success. Or all the strings on a guitar would be super thin or fat. But nothing in between.

The Lyrics From Billy's Forest Chapter 80

Listen to "The Lyrics From Billys Forest Chapter 80" on Spreaker. We keep hearing how there's too much noise in the world. So much so world leaders are building devices and shooting them off into space just so people can hear his voice. But what happens when chance and opportunity put you inside a forest. Not just any collection of trees but rather on this particular day everything within the limbs and leaves was completely silent. You were sent to sit in the forest not to listen to your heart or study the incredible art of a far out creator. Your mission that day was to do nothing more than understand what it means to be in the presence of the present. Not to use today. But to store away. To study. To return to during moments of furthered lessons. Staring at a blank wall is no different. But do you respect the silence or quickly try to fill it with whatever's passing by?

Sleepless Nights

Listen to "Sleepless Creative Energy" on Spreaker. Sleepless nights aren't an easy task to break free of. My entire life has been blessed with wide awake moments at 1 AM to 4 AM. I say blessed because it opens your visions to understanding who you are beneath the worlds we keep. I loved doing morning radio because it utilized the energy in the most positive way. Even today I'm in the studio producing by 5 AM. Learning to accept the sleepless self is a battle. We all love to sleep and we're completely worthless to the rest of the world when we are halfway checked in at the workplace. But not everybody plays the same game. So the choices are sleeping aids to which I've never leaned on. There are some pretty hefty packages of letting go out there and the wrong mix can put us in states of expression that steal from the truer self that you are. How I find peace is by locating it's place of existence. Being nice to the self you are even when you're being challenged by a lack of sleep. Giving yourself respect and being grateful opens your heart to a new layer of peace. Knowing who you are and why you lay awake is a smarter place to grow.

Cliche

Listen to "Cliche" on Spreaker. I'd love to the see the numbers on how many people were shaped by the words created by cliches. Blessed are the believers is the one that totally knocks me off balance. Those who truly walk and activate the path know that being on it means judgement ridicule and other sharp jagged stones tossed onto the fire still burning. Blessed is the opportunity to learn from the lessons not win the lottery. But how many blessed moments go unrecognized and or are set aside because the pain of having to deal with the storm was greater? Building the path requires the stones from multiple mountains. Rocks that are easily replaced and some heavier than the last. How do you keep pushing forward?

The 50 Fade

Listen to "The 50 Fade" on Spreaker. A friend and I were talking about what it's like to be walking through an incredible business day and from out of nowhere you forget where you are and why you were on the path. He called it the 50 Fade. Since that day that description gets it's fair share of bad raps. I blame everything on the 50 Fade. I did talk to my doctor about it. He laughed at me claiming that we've all been going through the 50 Fade in our twenties, teens and beyond. We do enjoy racing through a day and its completely natural for your mind body and soul to fade from the journey. Me being me... I look deeper into the experience believing God's tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me to step back onto his plan and purpose. So you'll hear me say things like, "Right Lord I was supposed to go this way. I'm grateful for the reminder."

Painting The Room

Listen to "Painting A Room" on Spreaker. I've always been accused of speaking my own language. Every program director I had in radio had to pull me back to the normal persons street because what I'd say on the air wasn't over people's heads it was just weird. I don't apologize. I'm a writer and find great joy in setting what I feel free and if you happened to catch me sharing it through conversation and it didn't sit to well with your present place... I'm ok with that. We weren't born to entertain anybody but the mind body and soul we were born with. Kind of harsh right? Hey how do you think I feel writing this. Now think about all the times you have been force to fake your way into a job, keep a job and or pull off a false smile, laugh or accepting of others near you. When you can't be you there's a problem with the system. You aren't just like someone else unless you let that person push you into that corner. Inspiration and motivation are great tools but it doesn't give you permission to look like the preacher. Be you and take great notes while you're being you. There is a beautiful story that you've written but when you fake it through the day its not fair to who you truly are.

The Lyrics From Billy's Forest Chapter 79

Listen to "The Lyrics From Billys Forest Chapter 79" on Spreaker. Science has gotten really good at predicting weather. Through man made technology we can spot a collection of swirling clouds days away from where we presently stand. So often I hear people talk about unexpected things always creating storms in their personal lives. It's followed with, "I never saw it coming." But we can predict the storms. The paths are laid out hours and sometimes days in advance. We choose not to listen to the signals. Being a daily writer I'm able to view word formations that point the writer in directions of decisions being made. Being aware of where you are is living in the moment. Mindfully we can hear the future arriving and can correct certain situations before they take shape. But it requires a lot of work. Especially in an age when most of us can't listen to a full song on the radio. Stop participating with the next thing and hear your journey as it's taking shape.

Remove The Walls

Listen to "Remove The Walls" on Spreaker. We're all guilty of using the term, "I feel like I'm surrounded by walls." Everywhere we go someone is putting up walls. To keep you free of them or you staying completely off the path of others. I've always wanted to know what other peoples walls look like. Are they decorated? What color are they? We don't get that opportunity to see because every wall we bring to life through challenges and changes is invisible. It doesn't matter how brilliant you are in business or creative you can be with music and art we all have walls that are keeping us from reaching our greater strength and ability. We're spending way too much time running away from the walls. My choice is to run toward the wall. I refuse to let assumption be my guide. I want to know how tall the wall is. How thick and how heavy. That wall is coming down!

Be Present Today

Listen to "Be Present Today" on Spreaker. I normally don't write then release. Let me explain. These daily features are physical words from my handwritten thoughts pasted to a page before the sun rises. But several months have gone by before they make it to this shape of broadcasting. I'm usually eighteen months behind our present moment. Not because there's so much to talk about but there's much more to learning about life when you experience events then let the chapters grow. How did we learn from the stumble? How did we heal from the challenge. What could've brought peace quicker to the changes and challenges? But today is different. What is shared today came from today. There are a lot of people in question. During these unexplained disasters unveiled every day we need to remain students. Our call to duty in life is to always be prepared to teach.

Drama

Listen to "Drama" on Spreaker. The mere mention of the word drama and we all prepare ourselves for a wild hurricane of changes and challenges. Because I find peace in living in the moment my drama is different than most. I will play out moments that haven't taken place. Then officially declare it as being prepared for what could go wrong. That's still very unhealthy. I planned for my departure from terrestrial radio years before the physical moment. I knew exactly what I'd do and say. And when it took place it played out exactly how I planned. But look into the deeper picture. I started preparing for that departure 9 years before the physical steps became reality. Drama kept me aware but it totally took out new paths and roads that could've led to bigger and better platforms of performance. I spent too much time planning out for the departure. I added the weight of drama to my every day. Which is no different than living in your past. You can't change it. And if you did then you wouldn't be the same person you are today. Can you imagine the state of the world of John Lennon or President Reagan could've gone back and rebuilt a bad moment. Pushing drama from your life is a very difficult journey. We use it as fuel to start the fire. I read your Facebook posts. And when I look at you in the eye I can't help but wonder if you're not telling me a lie.

The Lyrics From Billy's Forest Chapter 78

Listen to "The Lyrics From Billys Forest Chapter 78" on Spreaker. The things we are missing are the things we keep taking. What if we weren't supposed to have it? What if making such a comment was speaking to our over zealous behavior of always wanting something bigger and better than what we already have? It's extremely difficult to walk into any business and truly find a person with deep happiness. I can spot a fake within 15 seconds of making eye contact. It's almost as if the employee is screaming for help "Get me out of here." Call me crazy right? I accept that. But you didn't complete the presented thought. The goal was to make you aware of how possible it can be to reignite the juices that gave you hope in the positions you hold in the business world. Many jobs get filled with the wrong people? Or is there something in the deeper picture? The things we'r

Activating Your Call Of Duty

Listen to "Activating The Call Of Duty" on Spreaker. I refuse to believe that people are quitters. I feel in my heart it all feeds back to the activation of the call of duty. We are gifted with brilliant new ideas everyday. Then we step out to locate reasons to be influenced and inspired. Sometimes we get it. The majority of the time we sit in circles of judgement. Not just from family and friends but all those voices in your head and heart. Learning how to activate your call of duty is knowing what to expect. Get your attention off the destination. There's always going to be a process. It could take ten minutes to succeed or several years. If the only reason why you try new things is to glorify our presence the new goal should be to celebrate each test of strength. We totally forget that mistakes are gifts. Study the behavior of why the slip took place. Learn about the left turn and or twist. Document the behavior of your call of duty. We don't quit. We grow tired of trying. Only to decide to come back to it when we're in a better frame of mind or strength. Blah blah blah. How often do you get in the car and drive? To arrive requires a journey. Activate your call of duty and keep free of shying away from another reason to locate something easier to do. Suck it up and locate victory.

The Development Of A Blank

Listen to "The Development Of A Blank" on Spreaker. Short and simple. How would you finish this sentence? The development of a blank. The development of an idea? The development of success. The development of my new self. No day passes that we aren't invited back to those blank spots. To face them could mean change. Nobody likes that. Why should we? And yet we do a lot of complaining about how things are at work and home. We keep ourselves from growing forward by not facing those blank spaces. I once hung a sign above my studio door at the radio station that simply said, "Swish." It was a daily reminder of how my soul believed I had achieved the highest points and there would be no others. I used Michael Jordan's final NBA shot with the Chicago Bulls as a point of reference. That moment of victory was to be celebrated. But the heart needed to know that there would be no more. That was a total negative. But I needed a word for my blank space. Once I realized how incredibly bad that was for creative energy I switched the word to, "Delivery." The development of delivery. You were given a gift at birth. How are you delivering it? Are you delivering it? Have you filled your life with blank spaces and haven't the courage to reach beyond belief? That's not a negative. That's a choice.