So last night I’m out for sushi at one of my regular places. I have about 4 that I like, but last night I was at Dragons Gate. Moto was the sushi chef there last night. I have talked to him so many times before.br /I’ve been there many times before and Moto has taken a special interest in my ‘62 T-bird convertible that I brought there once many months ago. He always asks about it and generally, this is what we talk about. Last night he asks me if I know Steve, from the Continental Club. I have met Steve and happen to know that he is a classic car/hot rod guy. Foolishly, I assume that Steve is a sushi regular there and ask Moto if Steve comes in here for sushi.br /Moto tells me that he doesn’t come in here and that he knows him from a regular gig at the Continental Club. I’m floored. For those of you that don’t know Austin, there are just a handful of very legeondary clubs in town that Stevie Ray, Janis Joplin the fab t-birds etc… have played and one of those places is the Continental Club. Absoultely, classic Austin. So we talk further and it turns out he has been playing a weekly gig there for the past year. I’m still perplexed. I asked what he played.br /Blues Guitar? No damn way…. especially in Austin what many musicians refer to as the grad school of music. We start talking more. He in fact does play blues guitar and plays with a couple bands… I give him a hard time and ask “How can a sushi chef have the blues…. impossible… you need to be from Mississippi and be poor…”br /So I am going to see Moto play the blues very soon and I’m ashamed of myself. He’s been here something like 16 years and very deep into the music scene. I shouldn’t have stereotyped and assumed that sushi was his whole world. I’m an idiot. I’m also angry with myself for only talking about my car and sushi. I should be more inquisitive and learn more about those around me. I’ve been selfish. Shame on me.

So last night I’m out for sushi at one of my regular places. I have about 4 that I like, but last night I was at Dragons Gate. Moto was the sushi chef there last night. I have talked to him so many times before.
I’ve been there many times before and Moto has taken a special interest in my ‘62 T-bird convertible that I brought there once many months ago. He always asks about it and generally, this is what we talk about. Last night he asks me if I know Steve, from the Continental Club. I have met Steve and happen to know that he is a classic car/hot rod guy. Foolishly, I assume that Steve is a sushi regular there and ask Moto if Steve comes in here for sushi.
Moto tells me that he doesn’t come in here and that he knows him from a regular gig at the Continental Club. I’m floored. For those of you that don’t know Austin, there are just a handful of very legeondary clubs in town that Stevie Ray, Janis Joplin the fab t-birds etc… have played and one of those places is the Continental Club. Absoultely, classic Austin. So we talk further and it turns out he has been playing a weekly gig there for the past year. I’m still perplexed. I asked what he played.
Blues Guitar? No damn way…. especially in Austin what many musicians refer to as the grad school of music. We start talking more. He in fact does play blues guitar and plays with a couple bands… I give him a hard time and ask “How can a sushi chef have the blues…. impossible… you need to be from Mississippi and be poor…”
So I am going to see Moto play the blues very soon and I’m ashamed of myself. He’s been here something like 16 years and very deep into the music scene. I shouldn’t have stereotyped and assumed that sushi was his whole world. I’m an idiot. I’m also angry with myself for only talking about my car and sushi. I should be more inquisitive and learn more about those around me. I’ve been selfish. Shame on me.

a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://bp3.blogger.com/_dHmav2z1o1o/Rdu3dLzCLGI/AAAAAAAAAZg/-24-Bo-4UAk/s1600-h/michael-dell.jpg”img id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5033818720527592546″ style=”FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer” alt=”" src=”http://bp3.blogger.com/_dHmav2z1o1o/Rdu3dLzCLGI/AAAAAAAAAZg/-24-Bo-4UAk/s200/michael-dell.jpg” border=”0″ //abr /p class=”MsoNormal”span lang=”DE”Attention Michael Dell. /spanYou are one smart Mo Fo!/pp class=”MsoNormal”Glad to see you are back behind the reigns at Dell… this is a good thing. I just read your 10 Questions article from the Jan, Time Magazine./pp class=”MsoNormal”For those of you that haven’t seen it, Michael is explaining what they call their “Carbon Neutral” option when you buy a Dell PC.span style=”font-size:0;” /spanBasically, a big part of the environmental, global warming problem is the excess of carbon sent into the atmosphere. With the purchase of a Dell, you will be able to opt to be Carbon Neutral for a couple dollars on a laptop or about six bucks on a desktop. No, your pc is not going to suck carbon out of the air, but that dollar amount will be put towards a percentage of a tree needed to offset the amount of carbon your pc will put out during it’s lifetime. Thus, canceling each other out. Not only that, Dell has energy calculators online, so you can see what it will take to run it and opt for something more energy efficient. I love this. /pp class=”MsoNormal”This is acknowledging that you are part of the problem, difficult to change that and instead of changing the technology, just contributing to the offset.span style=”font-size:0;” /spanBrilliant again, Mr. Dell./pp class=”MsoNormal”Here’s what I really, really love about this. I’m quite tired of everyone pointing the finger and blaming the government for our environmental issues. This tells me that there is a trend toward the private sector realizing there is a market for green living. Could private enterprise be the answer to our environmental issues? This is the dawning of a new era. All you have to do is look at Whole Foods to see that people are willing to pay more for the story that goes with it. Pick up any product in Whole Foods and read this story about how it is a better choice for Earth. This makes us all feel better about our consumption. I think the Toyota Prius may have been the tipping point on this. Prius owners drive them as a badge of honor. It’s one ugly ass car, small and silly but the owners love the feeling they get when other greenies see them and look at them with approval./pp class=”MsoNormal”So, taking this a couple steps further, here’s a thought Mr. Dell. This one is free of charge because you have done so much for this great city and you employ many of my family members. Could we possibly one day see a green pc? Literally, green in color. Here’s a kicker, every piece of software that goes on a green pc, gets on there only by making a similar contribution to your carbon neutral program. How simple would it be to load a google reader type software with each green pc that automatically updates the user on all environmental issues locally, nationally and globally…automatically./pp class=”MsoNormal”Here’s one more for you because I get irritated with the sheeple with their white headphones. I know you took a shot at the music industry with your Dell DJ. I used mine today in fact, much easier to use than my Ipod and Itunes. Man I hate Itunes, way too expensive for a digital download, too little $$$ to the artists and hard as hell to use. Would you take another shot with a green mp3 player, with green headphones? Partner with a music download service that doesn’t take as big of a cut as itunes, takes better care of the artists and portions of the proceeds go to environmental issues?/pp class=”MsoNormal”Apple just proved that there’s always room to jump into an existing market and do it better, look at the iphone hype.span style=”font-size:0;” /spanIt can be done./pp class=”MsoNormal”As Sandy and I say on the show, “I’m sure you have had a meeting about this”, but just in case you haven’t…./pp class=”MsoNormal”span style=”font-size:0;”/span/p

Attention Michael Dell. You are one smart Mo Fo!

Glad to see you are back behind the reigns at Dell… this is a good thing. I just read your 10 Questions article from the Jan, Time Magazine.

For those of you that haven’t seen it, Michael is explaining what they call their “Carbon Neutral” option when you buy a Dell PC. Basically, a big part of the environmental, global warming problem is the excess of carbon sent into the atmosphere. With the purchase of a Dell, you will be able to opt to be Carbon Neutral for a couple dollars on a laptop or about six bucks on a desktop. No, your pc is not going to suck carbon out of the air, but that dollar amount will be put towards a percentage of a tree needed to offset the amount of carbon your pc will put out during it’s lifetime. Thus, canceling each other out. Not only that, Dell has energy calculators online, so you can see what it will take to run it and opt for something more energy efficient. I love this.

This is acknowledging that you are part of the problem, difficult to change that and instead of changing the technology, just contributing to the offset. Brilliant again, Mr. Dell.

Here’s what I really, really love about this. I’m quite tired of everyone pointing the finger and blaming the government for our environmental issues. This tells me that there is a trend toward the private sector realizing there is a market for green living. Could private enterprise be the answer to our environmental issues? This is the dawning of a new era. All you have to do is look at Whole Foods to see that people are willing to pay more for the story that goes with it. Pick up any product in Whole Foods and read this story about how it is a better choice for Earth. This makes us all feel better about our consumption. I think the Toyota Prius may have been the tipping point on this. Prius owners drive them as a badge of honor. It’s one ugly ass car, small and silly but the owners love the feeling they get when other greenies see them and look at them with approval.

So, taking this a couple steps further, here’s a thought Mr. Dell. This one is free of charge because you have done so much for this great city and you employ many of my family members. Could we possibly one day see a green pc? Literally, green in color. Here’s a kicker, every piece of software that goes on a green pc, gets on there only by making a similar contribution to your carbon neutral program. How simple would it be to load a google reader type software with each green pc that automatically updates the user on all environmental issues locally, nationally and globally…automatically.

Here’s one more for you because I get irritated with the sheeple with their white headphones. I know you took a shot at the music industry with your Dell DJ. I used mine today in fact, much easier to use than my Ipod and Itunes. Man I hate Itunes, way too expensive for a digital download, too little $$$ to the artists and hard as hell to use. Would you take another shot with a green mp3 player, with green headphones? Partner with a music download service that doesn’t take as big of a cut as itunes, takes better care of the artists and portions of the proceeds go to environmental issues?

Apple just proved that there’s always room to jump into an existing market and do it better, look at the iphone hype. It can be done.

As Sandy and I say on the show, “I’m sure you have had a meeting about this”, but just in case you haven’t….

a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://www.thesecret.tv/”img style=”margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;” src=”http://bp1.blogger.com/_dHmav2z1o1o/Rdpm-7zCLFI/AAAAAAAAAZU/ZEKSgKPfkBc/s200/DVDMOVIE2.jpg” alt=”" id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5033448764929616978″ border=”0″ //abr /a href=”http://www.thesecret.tv/”img id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_” style=”clear: both; float: left;” alt=”" src=”http://localhost:4587/39bc1a764889f0d779e98a30e1a6ef62/image3791.jpg?size=160″ border=”0″ //a Damnit. Oprah got me again. She’s really jamming it to me this month. I’ve subscribed to her magazine and her home edition, joined her online club, donated to her school in Africa and she got me again!br /We had that horrible cold wet weather last week so I was at home riding the spin bike and looking for something interesting on tv. I ended up tuning in Oprah and she had on all the contributors to this book called the Secret. They were being very vague about what the book was about but I like what all of them had to say. They came from different backgrounds; philosophy, fitness, metaphysics, quantum physics, spiritual counselors, etc… they all have been assembled by a woman to share their beliefs in The Secret.br /I’m not going to be like they were and not share very much about the book. In fact, more so than the book, they were pushing the DVD they just made about The Secret. Not sure which works better for you, but the book is pretty easy to bang out in a weekend.br /I would have never given a book like this a chance if Oprah wasn’t selling it to me. She went on and on how all of her friends were calling her telling her she had to know about it, read the book or watch the dvd. She really seems to believe it in. I don’t think she would have had them all on if the book didn’t affect her.br /br /So, this is an amazing spiritual self-help book. You kind of have to get in the right frame of mind before you read it. It’s going to change your perception of how the world works, only if you will buy into it. If you are not willing to change your perceptions, don’t read it.br /br /The Secret suggests that we can minipulate the universe to give us everything we want through the “Law of Attraction”. This means that there is an energy and wavelengths that minipulate our world to line up for what we ask of it. It questions that one percent of the world has all the wealth in the world and seems to be able to do it with ease. What don’t the rest of the world have? They don’t believe they can achieve anything, it’s not for them and they don’t ask for it.br /With the Law of Attraction, like minded things and people will be drawn automatically to you and things will change to suit you. You make a REQUEST to the universe, you BELIEVE that it will happen and you focus on the FEELING it has and will bring you. The other thing is to show daily gratitude for the things the universe has already provided you.br /br /Like I said, you have to approach this with an open mind. Have you ever noticed that extremely successful people always say in interviews that they always new this would all happen to them. They don’t go through life as doubters.br /br /I’m sure a lot of you are gagging at what this book suggests. I’m trying not to tell you too much so you can have your own interpretation of it.br /br /If Oprah believes it, I believe it. There are few better role models than her on the path to great success. Please let me know if you read this and what you think. I think this book and dvd are about to explode. I bought into it and it’s got me thinking about the life I live… would love it if it helps you too. jb

Damnit. Oprah got me again. She’s really jamming it to me this month. I’ve subscribed to her magazine and her home edition, joined her online club, donated to her school in Africa and she got me again!
We had that horrible cold wet weather last week so I was at home riding the spin bike and looking for something interesting on tv. I ended up tuning in Oprah and she had on all the contributors to this book called the Secret. They were being very vague about what the book was about but I like what all of them had to say. They came from different backgrounds; philosophy, fitness, metaphysics, quantum physics, spiritual counselors, etc… they all have been assembled by a woman to share their beliefs in The Secret.
I’m not going to be like they were and not share very much about the book. In fact, more so than the book, they were pushing the DVD they just made about The Secret. Not sure which works better for you, but the book is pretty easy to bang out in a weekend.
I would have never given a book like this a chance if Oprah wasn’t selling it to me. She went on and on how all of her friends were calling her telling her she had to know about it, read the book or watch the dvd. She really seems to believe it in. I don’t think she would have had them all on if the book didn’t affect her.

So, this is an amazing spiritual self-help book. You kind of have to get in the right frame of mind before you read it. It’s going to change your perception of how the world works, only if you will buy into it. If you are not willing to change your perceptions, don’t read it.

The Secret suggests that we can minipulate the universe to give us everything we want through the “Law of Attraction”. This means that there is an energy and wavelengths that minipulate our world to line up for what we ask of it. It questions that one percent of the world has all the wealth in the world and seems to be able to do it with ease. What don’t the rest of the world have? They don’t believe they can achieve anything, it’s not for them and they don’t ask for it.
With the Law of Attraction, like minded things and people will be drawn automatically to you and things will change to suit you. You make a REQUEST to the universe, you BELIEVE that it will happen and you focus on the FEELING it has and will bring you. The other thing is to show daily gratitude for the things the universe has already provided you.

Like I said, you have to approach this with an open mind. Have you ever noticed that extremely successful people always say in interviews that they always new this would all happen to them. They don’t go through life as doubters.

I’m sure a lot of you are gagging at what this book suggests. I’m trying not to tell you too much so you can have your own interpretation of it.

If Oprah believes it, I believe it. There are few better role models than her on the path to great success. Please let me know if you read this and what you think. I think this book and dvd are about to explode. I bought into it and it’s got me thinking about the life I live… would love it if it helps you too. jb

a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://bp0.blogger.com/_dHmav2z1o1o/Rdknj7zCLEI/AAAAAAAAAZI/BOPYJzrSKuw/s1600-h/IMGP0641.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;” src=”http://bp0.blogger.com/_dHmav2z1o1o/Rdknj7zCLEI/AAAAAAAAAZI/BOPYJzrSKuw/s200/IMGP0641.JPG” alt=”" id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5033097556863888450″ border=”0″ //abr /p class=”MsoNormal”What an incredible day. I am going to have to keep this brief, because I just don’t have the emotion left in me to put this in any sort of long form.span style=”" /spanbr /I spent the weekend in st1:state st=”on”st1:place st=”on”Kansas/st1:place/st1:state, visiting my grandmother for her 94supth/sup birthday.span style=”" /spanShe took a spill a few weeks ago and was badly bruised and had to stay in the hospital for a week and then a rehab center for the past two weeks.span style=”" /spanIt was so hard to see her there, the place was somewhat depressing.span style=”" /spanI kept looking around and most of the patients where very elderly, but didn’t seem like they were going to be rehabilitated.span style=”" /spanMy grandmother didn’t belong there and that made me very sad.span style=”" /spanShe is and has always been so full of life and positive; I was concerned that this place would bring her down./p p class=”MsoNormal”The good news is that she gets to go home on Tuesday; she worked very hard in therapy and wants to go home.span style=”" /spanAside from her poor hearing, she was the same person I have always known.span style=”" /spanVery sweet, giving, loving and full of life.span style=”" /spanI don’t know where she has found the energy, having lost her husband about 25 years ago./p p class=”MsoNormal”She’s lived a perfect life and everyone that meets her loves her and feeds off of her energy and sense of well being.span style=”" /spanWhat at wonderful place to be in your life.span style=”" /spanI’m so envious of her./p p class=”MsoNormal”We got to celebrate her birthday around tons of extended family.span style=”" /spanHer kids (my aunts and uncles) are all amazing and so appreciative of her.span style=”" /spanThere was such a great moment where she was sitting there, we had just divided up the birthday cake and one of her great, great grandchildren came up to her to get a bite of cake.span style=”" /spanHere you have a 94 year old giving a one year old a bite of cake and 5 generations passing from had to hand.span style=”" /spanIt brought me to tears.span style=”" /spanIt was a very emotional weekend.span style=”" /spanbr /I have been emotional every time I have left her for the last 10 years or so.span style=”" /spanI’m afraid to say goodbye and I’m afraid it’s the last time I’m going to see her./p p class=”MsoNormal”I spent most of yesterday and a couple hrs today just sitting next to her with my arm around her and holding her hand. She’s so sweet.span style=”" /spanToday, she kept asking if I was tired of holding her hand, I repeatedly said no.span style=”" /spanShe pointed out that my leg must be tired from holding up her hand.span style=”" /spanI denied it and she pointed out that I was on my tip toes with my foot for over an hour. She was right.span style=”" /spanI was doing that so her hand wouldn’t have to hang down too far and be uncomfortable. So my leg was tired and shaking a little, but I just wanted to sit with her./p p class=”MsoNormal”So finally the time came to say goodbye.span style=”" /spanI dread this as I have for the last 10+ years.span style=”" /spanI’m saying goodbye, looking into her eyes, giving her as strong of a hug as I can without hurting her frail body and she asks me “Will you please be a pall bearer for me?”span style=”" /spanI lost it.span style=”" /spanI couldn’t believe what I was hearing.span style=”" /spanIt was sad and wonderful all at the same time.span style=”" /spanShe is doing so well but she’s also so at peace with herself, her life and her future.span style=”" /spanWhat an amazing woman.span style=”" /span/p p class=”MsoNormal”Of course I had a good cry all the way to the airport, but everything felt very peaceful.span style=”" /spanIt was a pleasure to drive out of there and look at the snow covered hills.span style=”" /spanI love this place; I love my grandmother and family.span style=”" /spanI have this feeling she’s ready to let go… and she deserves it.span style=”" /spanWhat a wonderful life. /p

What an incredible day. I am going to have to keep this brief, because I just don’t have the emotion left in me to put this in any sort of long form.
I spent the weekend in Kansas, visiting my grandmother for her 94^th birthday. She took a spill a few weeks ago and was badly bruised and had to stay in the hospital for a week and then a rehab center for the past two weeks. It was so hard to see her there, the place was somewhat depressing. I kept looking around and most of the patients where very elderly, but didn’t seem like they were going to be rehabilitated. My grandmother didn’t belong there and that made me very sad. She is and has always been so full of life and positive; I was concerned that this place would bring her down.

The good news is that she gets to go home on Tuesday; she worked very hard in therapy and wants to go home. Aside from her poor hearing, she was the same person I have always known. Very sweet, giving, loving and full of life. I don’t know where she has found the energy, having lost her husband about 25 years ago.

She’s lived a perfect life and everyone that meets her loves her and feeds off of her energy and sense of well being. What at wonderful place to be in your life. I’m so envious of her.

We got to celebrate her birthday around tons of extended family. Her kids (my aunts and uncles) are all amazing and so appreciative of her. There was such a great moment where she was sitting there, we had just divided up the birthday cake and one of her great, great grandchildren came up to her to get a bite of cake. Here you have a 94 year old giving a one year old a bite of cake and 5 generations passing from had to hand. It brought me to tears. It was a very emotional weekend.
I have been emotional every time I have left her for the last 10 years or so. I’m afraid to say goodbye and I’m afraid it’s the last time I’m going to see her.

I spent most of yesterday and a couple hrs today just sitting next to her with my arm around her and holding her hand. She’s so sweet. Today, she kept asking if I was tired of holding her hand, I repeatedly said no. She pointed out that my leg must be tired from holding up her hand. I denied it and she pointed out that I was on my tip toes with my foot for over an hour. She was right. I was doing that so her hand wouldn’t have to hang down too far and be uncomfortable. So my leg was tired and shaking a little, but I just wanted to sit with her.

So finally the time came to say goodbye. I dread this as I have for the last 10+ years. I’m saying goodbye, looking into her eyes, giving her as strong of a hug as I can without hurting her frail body and she asks me “Will you please be a pall bearer for me?” I lost it. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It was sad and wonderful all at the same time. She is doing so well but she’s also so at peace with herself, her life and her future. What an amazing woman.

Of course I had a good cry all the way to the airport, but everything felt very peaceful. It was a pleasure to drive out of there and look at the snow covered hills. I love this place; I love my grandmother and family. I have this feeling she’s ready to let go… and she deserves it. What a wonderful life.

a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://www.amazon.com/As-You-Think-James-Allen/dp/1577310748/sr=1-1/qid=1171490184/ref=pd_bbs_1/105-1762985-4065249?ie=UTF8s=books”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;” src=”http://bp0.blogger.com/_dHmav2z1o1o/RdOF8bzCLDI/AAAAAAAAAY8/gXcQeAZX1BY/s200/1577310748.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg” alt=”" id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5031512482003430450″ border=”0″ //abr /So my mother in law recommended this book to me called a href=”http://www.amazon.com/As-You-Think-James-Allen/dp/1577310748/sr=1-1/qid=1171490184/ref=pd_bbs_1/105-1762985-4065249?ie=UTF8s=books”As You Think/a. It was written in the early 1900’s by a man who quit going to school at the age of 15 to help his family. It’s a psychology and spiritual book. It’s been a bestselling self help book for many, many years. I’m facinated that it’s so powerful. If it were written today, this guy would have never been published without any sort of credibility from his education. Fortunately for us, that was a different time and place and the book has survived.br /I don’t really want to share all of it with you, it’s an easy read that you can bang out on the weekend, but I particularly loved the last chapter. It’s short enough that I can share with you most of it. Not sure what the copyright laws are on that, but he’s been dead for a long time and fortunately his lawyer is probably dead too. Besides, I want you buy this book.br /br /I loved the last chapter because I could really relate to it. I like being around calm people that make you feel good about yourself. I am often given a hard time because I’m not easily exciteable. This chapter made me feel better about myself and what I would like to strive for. I don’t want to come off as arrogant as most of what I read was good motivation for who I would like to be. So, here is most of the last chapter of a href=”http://www.amazon.com/As-You-Think-James-Allen/dp/1577310748/sr=1-1/qid=1171490184/ref=pd_bbs_1/105-1762985-4065249?ie=UTF8amp;s=books”As You Think:/abr /br /span style=”font-style: italic;”The more tranquil we become, the greater is our success, our influence, our power for good.br /br /span style=”font-style: italic;”/span/spanCalmness of mind is one of the beatuful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of long and patient effort in self-control. Its presence is an indication of ripened experience, and of a more than ordinary knowledge of the laws and operations of thought.br / We become calm in the measure that we understand ourselves as thought-evolved beings, for such knowledge necissitates the understanding of others as the result of thought, and as we develop a right understanding, and see more and more clearly the internal relations of things by the action of cause and effect, we cease to fuss and fume and worry and grieve, and remain poised, steadfast and serene.br / People who are calm, having learned how to govern themselves, know how to adapt themselves to others; and these others, in turn, revere the calm people’s spiritual strength, and feel that they can learn from them and rely upon them.br / The more tranquil we become, the greater is our success, our influence, our power for good. Even the most ordinary salespeople, for example, will find their business prosperity increase s they develop a greater self-control and equanimity, for people will always prefer to deal with people whose manner is pleasand and steady.br / Strong, calm people are always loved and revered. They are like shade-giving trees in a thirsty land, or a sheltering rock in a storm.br /br /Who does not love a tranquil heart, a sweet-tempered, balanced life? It does not matter whether it rains or shines, or what changes come to those possessing these blessings, for they are always sweet, serene, and calm. That exquisite poise of character that we call serenity is the last lesson of our culture; it is the flowering of life, the fruitage of the soul. It is precious as wisdom, and more to be disired than gold – yes, than even fine gold. How insignificant mere money seeking looks in comparison with a serene life – a life that dwells in the ocean of truth, beneath the waves, beyond the reach of the tempests, in the eternal calm!br / How many people do we know who sour their lives, who ruin all that is sweet and beautiful by explosive tempers, who destroy their poise of character, and make bad blood! It is a question whether the great majority of people do not ruin their lives and mar their happiness by lack of understanding and self-control. How few pople we meet in life who are well-balanced, who have that exquisite poise that is characteristic of the finished character!br /Yes, humanity surges with uncontrolled anger, is tumultuious with ungoverned grief, is blowin about by anxiety and doubt. Only the truly wise, whose thoughts are controlled and purified, make the winds and the storms of the soul obey them.br / Self-control is strength; right thought is mastery; calmness is power.br / Say to your heart, “Peace, be still!”

So my mother in law recommended this book to me called As You Think. It was written in the early 1900’s by a man who quit going to school at the age of 15 to help his family. It’s a psychology and spiritual book. It’s been a bestselling self help book for many, many years. I’m facinated that it’s so powerful. If it were written today, this guy would have never been published without any sort of credibility from his education. Fortunately for us, that was a different time and place and the book has survived.
I don’t really want to share all of it with you, it’s an easy read that you can bang out on the weekend, but I particularly loved the last chapter. It’s short enough that I can share with you most of it. Not sure what the copyright laws are on that, but he’s been dead for a long time and fortunately his lawyer is probably dead too. Besides, I want you buy this book.

I loved the last chapter because I could really relate to it. I like being around calm people that make you feel good about yourself. I am often given a hard time because I’m not easily exciteable. This chapter made me feel better about myself and what I would like to strive for. I don’t want to come off as arrogant as most of what I read was good motivation for who I would like to be. So, here is most of the last chapter of As You Think:

The more tranquil we become, the greater is our success, our influence, our power for good.

Calmness of mind is one of the beatuful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of long and patient effort in self-control. Its presence is an indication of ripened experience, and of a more than ordinary knowledge of the laws and operations of thought.
We become calm in the measure that we understand ourselves as thought-evolved beings, for such knowledge necissitates the understanding of others as the result of thought, and as we develop a right understanding, and see more and more clearly the internal relations of things by the action of cause and effect, we cease to fuss and fume and worry and grieve, and remain poised, steadfast and serene.
People who are calm, having learned how to govern themselves, know how to adapt themselves to others; and these others, in turn, revere the calm people’s spiritual strength, and feel that they can learn from them and rely upon them.
The more tranquil we become, the greater is our success, our influence, our power for good. Even the most ordinary salespeople, for example, will find their business prosperity increase s they develop a greater self-control and equanimity, for people will always prefer to deal with people whose manner is pleasand and steady.
Strong, calm people are always loved and revered. They are like shade-giving trees in a thirsty land, or a sheltering rock in a storm.

Who does not love a tranquil heart, a sweet-tempered, balanced life? It does not matter whether it rains or shines, or what changes come to those possessing these blessings, for they are always sweet, serene, and calm. That exquisite poise of character that we call serenity is the last lesson of our culture; it is the flowering of life, the fruitage of the soul. It is precious as wisdom, and more to be disired than gold – yes, than even fine gold. How insignificant mere money seeking looks in comparison with a serene life – a life that dwells in the ocean of truth, beneath the waves, beyond the reach of the tempests, in the eternal calm!
How many people do we know who sour their lives, who ruin all that is sweet and beautiful by explosive tempers, who destroy their poise of character, and make bad blood! It is a question whether the great majority of people do not ruin their lives and mar their happiness by lack of understanding and self-control. How few pople we meet in life who are well-balanced, who have that exquisite poise that is characteristic of the finished character!
Yes, humanity surges with uncontrolled anger, is tumultuious with ungoverned grief, is blowin about by anxiety and doubt. Only the truly wise, whose thoughts are controlled and purified, make the winds and the storms of the soul obey them.
Self-control is strength; right thought is mastery; calmness is power.
Say to your heart, “Peace, be still!”