What is your Truth?

“We both have truths… Are mine the same as Yours?”

Pilot sings this to Jesus in the song, ‘Trial before Pilot‘ in the smash Broadway show from the early 70’s,  Jesus Christ Superstar (I’ve linked the Original London cast from 1970. I consider this to be the best version. Especially because Ian Gillian from Deep Purple is Jesus). I remember hearing those words many years ago and it has always been a statement that I’ve gravitated towards. I’ve heard it in many forms since, but all in all it means the same thing… we all have beliefs and whatever those beliefs are, and if they work for us, then we stick with them. I posted this on my facebook page the other day, “Here’s a rule of thumb that will help you: If you believe that something is good, and you do it, it benefits you. If you believe that something is bad, and you do it, it is a very detrimental experience.” That was written by Abraham, and I don’t think it went over too well, that is if you measure a post upon ‘like’s. I personally don’t but I know many that do. Again… my truth is not the same as yours, nor should it be… unless it is. (Now that’s Deep!)

Why is this concept so difficult to accept? Because we think that there is a general right or wrong and once somebody states that ‘this is right’ or ‘this is wrong’ it should follow suit for everybody. But what if I believe what the Buddhist’s believe? Would I be wrong? Or take some of my gay friends… are they wrong? The problem with ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ is that they are too grey an area to define. That’s why Pilot said to Jesus when he said that his truth was different. What he believed was different. Right now in our country I see a divide, a deep divide. People fighting over ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. So do we eliminate ‘right’ and ‘wrong’? It’s kind of a Pollyanna concept in this stage of our human development. I mean, it’s a great ‘concept’ and like all great concepts we strive to move towards it. Maybe someday we will let people live their lives the way they want to. But for now we need it to keep from creating societal chaos. That being said, on an individual level we can move forward with this concept of ‘right and ‘wrong’ and understand that by eliminating it, or at least trying to eliminate it from within ourselves we can be more tolerant of others. You see, everybody is living their own dream here. We are born, we live, then we die. Each and every one of us. So what is it that we want to leave behind when we go? Do we want to live the way we want to live or the way everybody thinks we should live?

And this brings me to what I’m actually writing this blog about today.

I’ve been approached by several people this past month who want to change their lives; be it, their career, their weight, their lifestyle, or their geographical location. I’ve told each of these people the same thing…

Go for it!

I’ve told each of them to go for it because their energy is already focused in that direction… so why stop the flow? What do I mean by ‘our energy is already focused in that direction’? If you are thinking about changing your life, you are already focused on it. Your mind has already decided that it is time for a change and once you are focused on that it is very difficult to stop the focus of what you want. But unfortunately, most do. They squash their dreams. They do this because the are afraid of the change. You’ve heard me mention several times that fear is; False Evidence Appearing Real. It’s all made up. Our fear is made up in our heads because of past failures or failures of someone that we know. Society frowns upon change, but change is the only constant.

I’ll use myself as an example. When I decided that I would label myself as a ‘singer’ and not a ‘graphic designer’, it was difficult. It was difficult because I was afraid of what everyone would think. That they would laugh at me, that they would ridicule me and tell me to stick with my day job. When I shrouded myself with the label of ‘graphic designer’ it was comforting because that is what society expected of me. I was being ‘responsible’. But was I? No… I was lying to the true nature of who I am, trying to convince myself that labeling myself as a ‘singer’ was just a silly dream. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to support myself and I would end up on the street. I was afraid of what my family would think. Blah, Blah, Blah.

We’ve all been conditioned to conform to the old paradigm; Grow up, get a good job, save your pennies for a rainy day, retire and live out the rest of your days in bliss. But we know deep down inside that this is bullshit. You want proof that it’s bullshit? Talk to an 80 year old. Ask them what is important. Nine times out of ten they will tell you if they had a chance to start all over they would have become that dancer, or that guitarist, painter, etc. They would have lived their lives to the fullest. They would tell you that family is the most important thing. Their grandchildren, and that they hope their grandchildren are happy doing what they love. I want a life of no regrets and I want to go out with a bang. I want my last breath to say, “Wow! What a ride!”

So… what is your dream? What makes you happy? Why aren’t you doing it? What is stopping you?

What is your truth?

Here are a list of a few books that have helped me along my path, and by no means is this it… the list could go on for days, but these are a good starting point to help you along in your dream. Yes, I said ‘in your dream’ and not ‘towards your dream’ because you are already living it. You just haven’t accepted that yet.

“You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” – Morpheus in The Matrix

The Law of Attraction – Jerry and Esther Hicks

The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz

Conversations with God – Neale Donald Walsch

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

The Power of NOW by Eckhart Tolle

The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck, M.D.

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson

Crooked Cucumber – The Life and Zen Teaching of Shunryu Suzuki

Man’s Search for Meaning – Victor Frankl

Peace, Love and Light
David Reed Watson

This article can be read on Sin City Presents or the link below.

https://www.joomag.com/mag/0070656001465185858?page=38

What is your Truth?

“We both have truths… Are mine the same as Yours?”

Pilot sings this to Jesus in the song, ‘Trial before Pilot‘ in the smash Broadway show from the early 70’s,  Jesus Christ Superstar (I’ve linked the Original London cast from 1970. I consider this to be the best version. Especially because Ian Gillian from Deep Purple is Jesus). I remember hearing those words many years ago and it has always been a statement that I’ve gravitated towards. I’ve heard it in many forms since, but all in all it means the same thing… we all have beliefs and whatever those beliefs are, and if they work for us, then we stick with them. I posted this on my facebook page the other day, “Here’s a rule of thumb that will help you: If you believe that something is good, and you do it, it benefits you. If you believe that something is bad, and you do it, it is a very detrimental experience.” That was written by Abraham, and I don’t think it went over too well, that is if you measure a post upon ‘like’s. I personally don’t but I know many that do. Again… my truth is not the same as yours, nor should it be… unless it is. (Now that’s Deep!)

Why is this concept so difficult to accept? Because we think that there is a general right or wrong and once somebody states that ‘this is right’ or ‘this is wrong’ it should follow suit for everybody. But what if I believe what the Buddhist’s believe? Would I be wrong? Or take some of my gay friends… are they wrong? The problem with ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ is that they are too grey an area to define. That’s why Pilot said to Jesus when he said that his truth was different. What he believed was different. Right now in our country I see a divide, a deep divide. People fighting over ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. So do we eliminate ‘right’ and ‘wrong’? It’s kind of a Pollyanna concept in this stage of our human development. I mean, it’s a great ‘concept’ and like all great concepts we strive to move towards it. Maybe someday we will let people live their lives the way they want to. But for now we need it to keep from creating societal chaos. That being said, on an individual level we can move forward with this concept of ‘right and ‘wrong’ and understand that by eliminating it, or at least trying to eliminate it from within ourselves we can be more tolerant of others. You see, everybody is living their own dream here. We are born, we live, then we die. Each and every one of us. So what is it that we want to leave behind when we go? Do we want to live the way we want to live or the way everybody thinks we should live?

And this brings me to what I’m actually writing this blog about today.

I’ve been approached by several people this past month who want to change their lives; be it, their career, their weight, their lifestyle, or their geographical location. I’ve told each of these people the same thing…

Go for it!

I’ve told each of them to go for it because their energy is already focused in that direction… so why stop the flow? What do I mean by ‘our energy is already focused in that direction’? If you are thinking about changing your life, you are already focused on it. Your mind has already decided that it is time for a change and once you are focused on that it is very difficult to stop the focus of what you want. But unfortunately, most do. They squash their dreams. They do this because the are afraid of the change. You’ve heard me mention several times that fear is; False Evidence Appearing Real. It’s all made up. Our fear is made up in our heads because of past failures or failures of someone that we know. Society frowns upon change, but change is the only constant.

I’ll use myself as an example. When I decided that I would label myself as a ‘singer’ and not a ‘graphic designer’, it was difficult. It was difficult because I was afraid of what everyone would think. That they would laugh at me, that they would ridicule me and tell me to stick with my day job. When I shrouded myself with the label of ‘graphic designer’ it was comforting because that is what society expected of me. I was being ‘responsible’. But was I? No… I was lying to the true nature of who I am, trying to convince myself that labeling myself as a ‘singer’ was just a silly dream. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to support myself and I would end up on the street. I was afraid of what my family would think. Blah, Blah, Blah.

We’ve all been conditioned to conform to the old paradigm; Grow up, get a good job, save your pennies for a rainy day, retire and live out the rest of your days in bliss. But we know deep down inside that this is bullshit. You want proof that it’s bullshit? Talk to an 80 year old. Ask them what is important. Nine times out of ten they will tell you if they had a chance to start all over they would have become that dancer, or that guitarist, painter, etc. They would have lived their lives to the fullest. They would tell you that family is the most important thing. Their grandchildren, and that they hope their grandchildren are happy doing what they love. I want a life of no regrets and I want to go out with a bang. I want my last breath to say, “Wow! What a ride!”

So… what is your dream? What makes you happy? Why aren’t you doing it? What is stopping you?

What is your truth?

Here are a list of a few books that have helped me along my path, and by no means is this it… the list could go on for days, but these are a good starting point to help you along in your dream. Yes, I said ‘in your dream’ and not ‘towards your dream’ because you are already living it. You just haven’t accepted that yet.

“You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” – Morpheus in The Matrix

The Law of Attraction – Jerry and Esther Hicks

The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz

Conversations with God – Neale Donald Walsch

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

The Power of NOW by Eckhart Tolle

The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck, M.D.

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson

Crooked Cucumber – The Life and Zen Teaching of Shunryu Suzuki

Man’s Search for Meaning – Victor Frankl

Peace, Love and Light
David Reed Watson

This article can be read on Sin City Presents or the link below.

https://www.joomag.com/mag/0070656001465185858?page=38

I started out this blog by writing the title and then leaving the room. Gotta make coffee… oh, look… a spot on the floor… how is the compost doing? You get the point.

What is it about procrastination? The definition of Procrastination is; the avoidance of doing a task which needs to be accomplished. It is the practice of doing more pleasurable things in place of less pleasurable ones, or carrying out less urgent tasks instead of more urgent ones, thus putting off impending tasks to a later time. We, as a society, seem to get tasks done when someone is making us do it. We seem to lack the motivation to get it done ourselves. I mean, it’s proven that we will do it, it does get done… but why do we have to be pushed to get it done? When I was in the Marines it was drilled into my head, D.I.S.C.I.P.L.I.N.E., hyper-focusing on the task at hand. Of course, in the Marines I had somebody drilling this into me… today it’s just me doing it. When I quit my day J.O.B. (Just Over Broke) to do music full-time I had to acquire that old Marine discipline again… something that I haven’t trained myself to do for a very long time. I had gotten so used to being told what to do. I would work endless hours at the Ad Agency to get the task done, but found that on my own I could easily get distracted.

Living here in Las Vegas makes it even harder. This is the first place in my life that I’ve lived that something is ALWAYS going on. Every day, every night. It never ends. And I’m the type of person (Leo) that wants to be out doing everything all the time. When I lived in Marina del Rey I had a routine. Get up, exercise, go to work, come home, meditate, record… I know what you are probably thinking,”Poor David! You have such a full life. I’m so sorry!” Don’t get me wrong, I am blessed. Beyond blessed. I’m just saying that with so much going on it’s hard to keep a routine going. And I believe we all need a routine to keep that balance in our lives. We need to get the task at hand done first, then we can play. And sometimes that just plain sucks!

So how do we do both? How do we maintain a routine AND have a full life AND get the proper amount of rest?

Exercise: I’ve found that I have unlimited amounts of energy if I get up and exercise before I even have time to think. For years I would get up before sunrise, get on my bicycle and ride 20 miles. I did this every morning. Eventually it became a game. I would try to work up a sweat before I saw the sun peeking over the ocean. Don’t make excuses saying that you’ve got too much to do. Believe me, it will get done and it will get done more efficiently when you exercise first. Don’t blow it off. Start small. Walk for 10 minutes a day. Get into the routine of putting on your running shoes, or cycling shoes, even if it’s for a few minutes, at least you’ve done it. Eventually you’ll be doing it longer and the routine will set in. I have a friend who runs every morning. I’m talking a touring musician. Someone who flies to another state to do a gig, going to bed at 2am sometimes. It doesn’t matter, he has made it a mandatory routine. So if he can do you, so can you. No excuses. If you can, get a work out partner. Somebody that will call you up and keep you accountable, and vise-versa.

Eating: I would eat a light breakfast, go to work, have a snack at work to keep up my energy, all in all just grazing all day long. Not eating more than a fist full of food. Most nutritionists will tell you that eating 5 or more times a day is much healthier than eating 3 big meals a day. Think of your body as a locomotive, and food, coal. With a train you are always feeding that fire to keep the train running fast and strong. When you eat 3 big meals a day you’re body goes into overtime trying to digest the food. That’s why we get sleepy after a meal.

Meditation: Meditation is not just sitting in the lotus position and saying ‘Om’. Yes, that is one form, but there are many forms of meditation. Meditation is just focusing on one task. I use my cycling as a form of meditation. For me I concentrate on my breathing while I’m riding. Maintaining a rhythm. This is a good way to look at meditation… When you clear your mind you are allowing a flow of energy, source, God, whatever you want to label it, into your body. When that energy flows through you it hits each of the Chakra’s to create an even balance. A harmony if you will. When your head is all cluttered, energy has a hard time flowing. Think of it as a Dam. When you put up a dam it blocks the water from flowing down the river.

Community: We are always getting together with friends, either here at the house, or out to dinner. Conversation is very important in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Being with people who you can actually talk to. Be vulnerable with. It makes you feel good and you actually get more accomplished when you share it with others. I’m not saying blabbing it all over Facebook. This isn’t to brag on what you are doing… it’s just being real with people who you are comfortable being real with. You’ll find that you can bounce ideas off of friends and they can do the same. Sometimes you have that ‘ah ha’ moment that will motivate you to try something different that you never thought of yourself.

Journaling: Before you go to bed at night take a pen and paper and write three pages. Three pages of anything, it doesn’t matter. It’s more the routine of just free-form writing to get your juices flowing.

Make a list. Start your list with Exercise, and then the tasks that you need to get done, and by when. Go through the list one by one, only checking them off when they are done. Do your best not to bounce around the list. And most importantly, reward yourself when the tasks are done. Allow yourself to go to that concert, or dinner and drinks, when the tasks are done. I’ve found it easier to accomplish if I’ve got a pay off.

If you have a hard time with this, share it will your partner or friend and have them do the same. It will help keep you accountable.

And last but not least… don’t beat yourself up if you are having a hard time doing it. It’s human nature. I was told years ago that even Tiger Woods had a golf coach. You can do the same, it helps having someone who will hold you accountable. I do life coaching and have been coached myself. It works. Contact me and we can set up a plan for you that works.

Namaste,
David

P.S.
You can also read my blog every month in Sin City Presents Magazine.
https://www.joomag.com/mag/0120469001463355793?page=32