Planning is key to success, and it’s an idea that rewards regular revisiting because so many things about our context change on a daily basis. Defining success is key to achieving it. We find ourselves in the middle of multiple critical junctures at home and abroad. If ever there was a time when the fate of the human species would be determined, this is it. The stakes are high and with their elevation comes an increase in excitement and anxiety. We all know that change is both needed and inevitable and yet the vision of how this change will be produced is not entirely clear.
What does success look like in this day and age? Who do we consider to be successful and why? How can we transform the idea of success to suit it better to our present situation?
I think that the title has the keys to our future. The concept of You Only Live Once has become a license for reckless behavior, which is good for some people and bad for others, but there’s definitely merit in the idea of living with commitment. The more important concept is balance, though. The outgrowths from YOLO include: Zero Fucks Given, No Chill, and the Turn Up movement. This blooming of Dionysian energy is core and the need to celebrate life in a primal and raw way will likely endure. Some ways of expressing the lust for life are more effective and productive than others, though. If you really want to seize the day, you have to make something new; you have to contribute. If this is your only chance to experience life, why not make a positive impact?
Blues musicians turn pain into something that is full of good feelings. They are the ultimate alchemists of the soul. Turning heart break into art is a form of emotional intelligence that is cathartic and teaches you how to be with grief. Working with the Blues artists at Aptos St BBQ and Mission St has deepened my appreciation for this art form. I admire and respect all of the artists that perform there, but last night listening to Paul Oscher was something special. The guy was cool as they come, a living legend, a direct link to the roots of American Blues music and I’ve never felt more American and happy about it. Listening to his stories of getting started and working with Muddy Waters was classic to say the least. A huge thanks to Larry Ingram for bringing this amazing artist to Aptos. Truly, that was a success!
Living well means more than feeding your desires. Finding ways to live that make you feel good about the impact you are having on your environment and on the people in your life are building blocks of positive change.
