Luck in Newark

I lost my phone in the shuttle to the airport. I fell asleep, and when I woke up the driver was ushering us all out. In a rush, I grabbed my stuff and jumped out. I walked inside the airport and checked my pockets for my wallet and phone. Yes on the wallet, but the phone was nowhere to be found. Panic! I dropped my bags and rushed outside. It was just like in the movies: the shuttle speeds away just as I step outside.

Okay, so at this point, I have two options. I can chalk my phone up as a loss. It’s an iPhone, expensive and not easy to replace. Especially with my budget I would be out of a phone for probably six months. But, my plane is leaving soon so I don’t have much time to track it down.

Worst case, I have to reschedule my flight. Lets get my phone.
I stumble to the front desk and ask how I contact the shuttle bus. They point me downstairs. I wander aimlessly for a couple minutes looking for a help desk. I end up next to a group of cabbies. They all chirp,’
“Taxi? Taxi?”

I say no, but then respond in desperation

“I’m looking for the shuttlebus. I lost my phone.”

They cabbies all turn away, except for a gentleman with glasses and a red shirt.

“Well there are many shuttlebusses. Do you remember which company?”

“No….”

He smiles and leads me over to a phone. There listed are all the shuttles from Manhattan to the airport.
“Just call this one and give them your name. It’s the mot popular one.”

I call the phone number. A guy gruffly asks for my name and I explain that I’ve lost my phone. I give him my last name.
“Neil?” He asks.

“Yes!!!”

The man asks what terminal I’m in. I stammer cluelessly. The taxi driver who showed me the phone however, has been standing nearby the whole time. When he sees me stumble, he calls,

“You’re in Terminal C!”

I answer the man on the phone.

“He will be back in 2 minutes,” the guy on the phone says.
I hang up and approach the cabby. He’s a middle aged guy with dark skin and kind eyes. I shake his hand.

“Thank you. Thank you so much for your help.”

“My friend,” he answers. “I saw you were in distress and you needed help. In this world, this is how we must treat each other. I hope that one day, you will do the same for someone else.”

I eventually met up with the shuttle guy, got my phone, and now I’m sitting in the airport waiting for my flight. It probably wasn’t a big deal to the cabby to help me out. But he saved me heartache and stress, and kept my night from taking a bad turn.

It’s really not hard to help people sometimes, and often even the smallest gestures can make a huge difference.

Who says people on the East coast aren’t nice?

23. How To Be Successful (Wisdom from Steve Vai, pt. 1)

Steve Vai is easily the most influential artist in my life. He was a big reason why I started playing the guitar. Here is a beautiful video that recounts some of his biggest life lessons, and how they led to his success.

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1. ) Identify with what you really want. That’s what’s going to come out. The thing that you’re most comfortable with, you’ll do the best.

2.) Forget your weaknesses, focus on your strength

3.) The level of achievement we have at anything is a reflection of how well we were able to focus on it.

4.) Imagine and visualize your success. Visualize how it feels, imagine yourself doing it. Your thoughts become action, action is reality.

5.) Pick a time that’s yours. Where you shut off the cell phone, TV, and internet. Sit and focus on your goal.

6.) Whenever you get discouraged, go to the big picture. Go to that place of excitement, the vision of your success.

7.) There’s no work involved, because it’s all a joy. It’s a joy to work toward your goal. Yes, there will be challenges. But the “work” is a joy.

8.) Break it down piece by piece by piece. Small chunks are manageable. If you build brick by brick, pretty soon, you will have a wall. But lay each brick as perfectly as you can lay it.

9.) When you own your craft… you become it. You become the music.

10.) The only thing holding you back, is the way you are thinking.

22. It’s Not Always Glamorous

This article I enjoyed on Brainpickings spoke volumes about my own creative journey.

Creative talents are absolutely a gift from God. They are beautiful.

Experiencing true works of art can be life-changing. I remember the first time I heard this song.

“People get paid to do that?”

But it’s not always glorious.

Creativity takes a lot of work. A lot of tears and frustration. Sometimes there are days when the songs simply pour out, the words come easily, and everything seems to flow along.

And then there are the days when the well is dried up.

As put by both Tchaikovsky and Jack White… sometimes you just have to power through. Do it anyway. In fact, Tchaikovsky said,

A self-respecting artist must not fold his hands on the pretext that he is not in the mood.

You can’t just give up because you’re not in the mood. Not trying is failing.

True artists are professionals. They create whether it’s rain or shine, happy or sad. They create because they have to. Because they are pro.

It’s less about being some fanciful, esoteric version of a “creative,” someone who just dreams up ideas and when they put pen to paper, it’s a magnificent act of the divine.

It’s more about being a warrior.

Blood and tears.

21. Dark Side

Black is usually my favorite color. Some days it’s red. My favorite combination is always the two.

They have always been my favorite colors. I remember, because it seemed like every single teacher I had in grade school had to know what all of our favorite colors were.

Red is a color of power, passion, anger, desire. Black is a color of elegance, mystery, the obscure or occult.

I think these colors go together nicely.

Ever since I was young, I’ve been attracted to the darker side of culture. Batman was my favorite superhero. My favorite movie was Godzilla. On Halloween (my favorite holiday,) I always wanted to be the baddest, foulest, scariest ghoul on the street.

As I get older, my tastes become more refined. My favorite films are now The Godfather, Fight Club, Black Swan, and The Shining. In fact, I saw the The Shining for the first time when I was around 12 years old. It scared me so badly, I wouldn’t go into a hotel for a year.

I think it’s important to be afraid. I think it’s important to take a walk on the dark side.

I am, and always have been, a very positive and happy individual. I’m very physically affectionate, and I love having deep conversations. However, I also believe in balance. Too much happiness is fake.

You have to be willing to explore your darker nature in order to be truly honest with yourself. And I guess I became seduced with the dark side at a young age.

I think its fun. I love mystery, secrets, suspense and thrills. My favorite works of art are all uniquely dark. I love the night.

Night time, darkness… This is when the creatures come out. This is when magic happens. This is the time for lovers. Darkness gives a license to explore the more fantastical aspects of the mind and soul.

As my creative skills mature, I strive to one day make people feel the way my favorite artists make me feel.

Seduced, mystified, in love.

 

16. My Office Has To Be Cool

Wherever I work, I want the office space to be cool.

 Offices like these would make me really psyched to go to work each day.

The space I place myself in has a direct effect on how I feel, the work I do, and the way I relate to others. I always try to keep my room tidy,

and my house clean and smelling nice. When I go to work, I want to feel epic. I want to feel like I’ve entered a zone where anything is possible.