(I knew Sweet Surrender was a song, but I had to look up who it was by. Obviously not a Sarah McLachlin fan. Live For Today is also a musical reference. Oh goodness, just looked that up as well. Not a 3 Doors Down reference. Not ever a 3 Doors Down reference. I’m referring to a lesser-known, no-longer-together, political punk band known as boysetsfire.)
I really enjoyed the discussion (both in comments and via e-mail) on Tuesday’s Stop Trying To Find Yourself article and it’s good to see you surrendering to today.
Not in a “on your knees, hands behind your head!” type of way. In a “you know what? Right now is awesome!” type of way.
Or maybe even in a “you know what? Right now could be better so I’m going to do something to make it better” type of way.
Or even in a “you know what? I haven’t showered in 3 days and maybe if I don’t have working water and a working toilet in this apartment today I’ll go out anyway since all the clubs are smoky and that shit smells worse than me” type of way.
But if you’re living that last one you’re probably me. And if you’re me then who am I? Am I you? Or maybe you live in this building? In which case, why haven’t you said hi? I’m the tall dude in apt 6. Is it because I haven’t showered? Oh, OK, I understand.
Somebody grab hold of this steering wheel because I’m riding off road …
A lot of my articles here are directed at one person. Not always the same person. Not even always a real person. It could be a person from a comment, a tweet, an e-mail, a dream, or an in-person meeting. I hope the person that article was written for has read it. (Is it you?)
Seek Danger is another great example of something that was written directly to one specific (and real) person.
Surrender yourself to these sweet links …
Free Paid To Exist Videos by Jonathan Mead
I’ve been reading Jonathan’s blog for almost 2 years now. He always has a unique perspective on things and it’s fun to stretch my mind thinking about life from a different angle.
He’s launching a program called Paid To Exist right now with a handful of videos that are worth the watch. It’s much better than TV and just as free. :)
How To Make Money With Your Blog (With Case Studies As Proof) by Yaro Starak
I like case studies for the simple fact that even if you don’t utilize what you learn directly, it’s beneficial to see how other people are doing things. There is almost never one single way to accomplish a task.
Art of Non-Conformity
by Chris Guillebeau
Congrats to Chris for releasing his first book with a bang! I’m not able to buy the Kindle version, so I’ll have to wait to read the preview copy I got when I get to Michigan. I think my Mom is currently reading it and getting ready for World Domination.
Note: although I got a free copy I’ll also be buying a copy (probably for Kindle) and giving away my print version either here or on Twitter. Not sure yet.
Note Part Two: I’ll be at Chris’s Unconventional Book Tour on Sept 30 in Ann Arbor, MI. Let me know if you’ll make it and we’ll after-party at Pinball Pete’s. ;) I may also make it to the Houston or Dallas events as I’ll be in Austin at the time. That’ll only happen if I hitch a ride with somebody from Austin though. :)
Nate Walks America by Nate Damm
Nate’s a smart guy and he has inspired at least a few of my ideas via his blog http://www.thewaythatyouwander.com. I can tell you about one right here: Travel Roulette.
Nate’s walking coast to coast in 2011. He expects it to take 8-9 months. That’s a lot of walking!
The Cracky Farm by Kellie Kowalski
While I have no idea what the name of this blog means (OK, it’s on the about page, now I know, haha), I like the design and the fact that Kellie looks like she put a lot of thought into the site. I don’t know Kellie, and I don’t know if she’ll keep blogging (just started, 2 posts) … proof that, sometimes, if you link to somebody without expecting anything (thanks for the link Kellie!) maybe they’ll give you a little publicity. :) (What I’m saying is, don’t ask/beg for links, they happen naturally.)
Bolivia. by Havi Brooks
Like Havi, I don’t want to move to Bolivia. When I was younger I thought I did, but only because it seemed like that’s what you do when you get older. You move to Bolivia. It’s not that I’m against Bolivia. I’m sure it’s a fine place. Maybe that will change some day? I don’t know. I’ve visited the outskirts of Bolivia a couple of times (physically and mentally) and it just never felt right. If you’re completely confused, read the article. And get ready to get your mind twisted by more metaphors than you’ve read all year. ;)
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Vegan Chef Needed ($$$)
I’m looking for a vegan amateur chef who wants to make some money. By amateur I mean you like to cook things on your own and you like how they taste. :) I don’t care if you’ve never had a job in a kitchen before. Interested? Send me a 5 sentence e-mail + recipe (which can be any length) + photo of finished dish: KarolGajda at gmail.
Have a great weekend!