General Stuff

By John Jones 2010

Before we jump into getting our guitar in tune, let’s take a couple minutes and look at some interesting points behind the music. For instance, what is a sound? What makes it pleasurable or harsh to our ears?

For our purposes today, we’ll define sound as “the sensation produced by stimulation of the organs of hearing by vibrations transmitted through the air.”

Why is sound important? Because it’s one way we perceive the world we live in, right? It’s one way of transferring energy from one medium to another, it’s a way to exchange ideas, thoughts, forms, communication, and create something within us that we wouldn’t perceive any other way. It’s the only way we hear beauty and truth. It makes us feel SOMETHING. Good or bad, it moves us to a different level of understanding and meaning.

That brings us to the next phase of getting in tune; the difference between resonance and dissonance. Resonance is defined as “a sympathetic vibration.” Plucking the string of the guitar causes the string to vibrate at a particular frequency which in turn causes the wood to vibrate which amplifies the sound so that you hear it in your ears. On the other hand, dissonance is defined as “a discordant combination of sounds” or a “lack of agreement and consistency.”

So, for our purposes, musically, we think of resonant sounds as pleasing and dissonant sounds as not pleasing, or wanting to resolve. One makes us feel good, the other makes us feel uneasy. Another way to think about it is this: one makes us feel “in tune,” the other makes us feel “out of tune.” Physiologically one sound releases serotonin in our brain and makes us feel good, another sound simply “feels” wrong.

Creating a resonant tone on a crystal bowl provides an example of a resonant tone. My crystal bowl has been tuned to a frequency of 220 Hz. Studies have shown this frequency, above others, can be directly responsible for entraining your cells to a homeostatic state. In other words, this frequency is believed to allow your cells to repair themselves to their natural state of well-being. That’s part of the reason that most people will find that they like this sound, they’re attracted to it in an almost un-canny way. It’s because our bodies know what’s good for us and it lets us know by feeling good. It’s stating, “Hey, I like that, give me more of that!”

On the other hand, a dissonant sound created by two disharmonious tones will make you feel uneasy and restless. Sirens and attention signals are purposefully tuned to dissonant pitches to get our attention and make us feel uneasy. Think of the Emergency Broadcast System on your TV.

So that’s the why. Here’s the how:

Each note of a musical scale corresponds to a particular frequency. For our purposes, we’ll start with the frequency which corresponds to the second string on the guitar, the “A” string. It has a frequency of approximately 110 Hz, or 110 beats per second. Today, the standard of tuning several instruments to be in tune with each other is to calibrate each of them to the standard pitch of 440 Hz. This is the “A” above middle “C” in a standard chromatic scale. Two octaves below that pitch or one half of one half of that frequency is 110 Hz, our “A” string here on this guitar. So that’s where we’ll start. In order to calibrate this string you can use one or several methods such as a tuning fork or a pitch pipe. In the interest of time, I’ve pre-tuned this string so we’ll say that this is pretty close to our mark.

Once that string is tuned to the proper frequency, it’s simply a matter of recognizing the relationships of the frequencies of the other strings. Like this:

By stopping the previous string against the fret at the proper frequency, you can hear when the two tones coincide with each other. By matching the beats, you put the next string in tune with the previous one. So on and so forth up the strings.

I hope this presentation will allow you to keep your guitars in tune. If not, you can always download a free guitar tuner at the app store.

By John Jones 2010

Our planet is experiencing an increasing number of alarming and distressing calamities. Although all are deserving of international attention, I would like to bring one in particular to our consideration today. I feel that we, as public speakers and leaders right here in Arkansas, can contribute and make a difference in how it ultimately affects our world for generations to come.

It’s been estimated that in our country alone, we use 2.5 million plastic water bottles every single hour; 25 Billion in a year. In one year we use enough plastic water bottles to encircle the earth not once or twice or even a dozen times, but 190 times! Even with the best intentions, consumers end up throwing away seven out of ten plastic water bottles into the trash. That means only three out of ten get recycled.

And what’s the ultimate outcome? You’re probably aware of what’s become known as “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” This floating pile of plastic sludge and debris, which some have estimated in size as “larger than the state of Texas” to “larger than the continental United States” sits roughly between Hawaii and California. And now, a second accumulation of debris has recently been discovered on the Atlantic side. Dubbed “The North Atlantic Garbage Patch” it’s of similar size and stature. The Pacific and North Atlantic patches sit in areas of the oceans called gyres, which are areas of relatively little movement surrounded by strong ocean currents. The currents create spinning vortexes and once plastic floats into the area it cannot escape and accumulates over time. There are now thought to be five major oceanic gyres on our planet and it’s believed that all are likely to form large plastic garbage patches.

Plastic in sea water breaks down over a period of time forming smaller and smaller bits of plastic and polymers. The effects spell a fate which is nothing short of heart-wrenching at the least and extinction for many species of sea life at the most. Specifically, the Albatross is a sea-dwelling bird who inhabits the atolls and islands of these gyres. Normally feeding on small fish below the surface of the water, the birds are mistaking the small shiny plastic pieces for their food and what’s more, they’re absentmindedly feeding it to their young. Alarmingly, young birds are increasingly found perished due to malnutrition with items such as bottle caps, plastic lighters, and pieces of plastic bottles and cutlery in their stomachs.

Now ask yourselves two questions. Is this how you want to leave your planet to your children and your grandchildren and what can we do about it?

I’m thinking the answer to the first question would be a resounding “NO!” and the answer to the second, perhaps a bit more complex.

According to sources, even if a world power country such as the United States were to consider such a task, to remove the trash from the areas would prove beyond our resources and means and it’s WAY beyond the point of no return to actually clean the water. So what’s done is done and we have to accept that we’ll not save many species from the peril. However, there is a way to reduce the piles of plastic.

1. We could ALL be better recyclers. There are several recycling resources right here in Arkansas. They’re convenient, and efficient.

2. Buy a refillable water bottle and a water filtration system. Popular models are affordable and easy to use such as a Brita (brand) Filter. One Brita filter can replace up to 300 16 ounce water bottles.

3. Most importantly, teach this information to your kids so that they will become better stewards of the planet. Talk about it to your civic and social groups. If every American household switched to a filtered, re-usable water source, we’d keep more than 200 million pounds of plastic out of our landfills and away from our oceans each year.

Right now, each one of you can make a pledge, if you’re not already doing so, to buy a filter and a re-usable water bottle today. Buy one as a gift for your spouses and families. They’ll love you more for the thoughtfulness and your concern for the environment.

Imagine living in a world where we re-imagine, re-use, & re-cycle our most precious resources. A world in which we leave it a little better than when we got here. It’s got to start somewhere. Why not right here? Right now.

By John Jones  September 2009

My father was a contractor. He installed plumbing into the foundations of new homes. I remember every single time he would take me with him to a job site. He drove a 1966 Chevy Panel Wagon, the precursor to today’s big Suburban SUV. The big bench seat was well worn from years of use with a tear here and there; the whole truck smelled of his pipe tobacco. Anyone who’s father smoked a pipe while you were young may have fond memories of that delicious aroma. And, it seems to me, that it was always muddy wherever we went. My dad had those big boots that construction workers wear. You know the ones I mean? They’re kind of buckskin colored and they come up high over your ankles. I think my mother took a picture or two of me trying wear dad’s big construction boots on more than one occasion. I can still remember thinking what it was going to be like to wear boots like those one day when I got bigger. I was going to be a contractor and wear those big tan boots, just like my dad.

When I turned seven years old, like most fellows, I started playing Little League Baseball. It was well organized and our district had a good number of more-than adequate players. By the time I was nine, it’s safe to say that I had acquired some skill on the diamond. My father would come home from a long day’s work on a site and we’d play a little catch in the yard. I’d say, “Dad, you can’t play baseball in those big boots!” and he’d tell me, “Son, it doesn’t matter what shoes you wear if you can hit one over the fence.”

The next baseball season rolled around and as fast as kids grow, wouldn’t you know it was time for a new pair of shoes. All the other kids on my team were wearing sneakers; some kids even had wealthy parents who could afford to buy the real baseball shoes with cleats. Wow! But what do you think I wanted to wear? You guessed it; buckskin construction boots, just like my old man! Big thick soles, tops come way up over the ankles. They even smelled like my pop’s leather boots, I was so proud of those shoes. What I failed to take into consideration, however, at the tender age of nine was the fact that I was severely handicapping my ability to sprint from base to base. So practice comes around and there’s my team in their brand new, shiny Converse All-Stars, there’s Timmy Bennett in his fancy cleats, and then there’s me; in my brand new Little Hank brand buckskin leather construction boots. Let me tell you, I felt like a million bucks!

Now the tormenting begins. There’s Timmy Bennett, “You’re never going to be able to field the ball in those boots!” On and on it went from practice to practice. Even my coach took me aside, “John, don’t you think it would be better to wear a pair of honest athletic shoes?” Every time someone had something to say, I’d just repeat what my father had told me, “It doesn’t matter what shoes you wear if you can hit one over the fence.”

That season I played second base and shortstop, mostly. I never had to move too far to snatch the ball and once a big kid from another team hit one right at me so hard that had I not reacted in that split second and caught it in my glove, the coach said later that the ball would have probably landed me in the hospital with some broken bones and a concussion if it didn’t kill me. But I stood tall and strong in my boots, they gave me plenty of support.

Another time, I assisted a triple play and right after that, I noticed that the rest of the team started to lighten up about my choice of footwear. I kept to my guns, repeating what my father had said, “It doesn’t matter what shoes you wear if you can hit one over the fence.” I was determined to do exactly that. Sure, I had popped off a string of base hits in a few games, but I knew my time was coming.

That year we made it to the finals and we were tied for first place with our arch-enemy, the Blue Jays. They had a bunch of big kids on their team. We got new uniforms, Timmy Bennett got new cleats and Jeff Thompson’s father was going to treat us all to Pizza Hut after the game, whether we won or not! So, you could say we were pretty pumped up about the whole thing. The game got underway and everything seemed pretty even for the first three or four innings. The Jays scored a run or two, then we would; just like a regular season game. All of a sudden, our pitcher loses his arm and has to be replaced. Our relief was out sick so the coach puts me in to pitch. Now the heckling really begins, “Hey, where’d you get the boots?” “Hey, Paul Bunyan, where’s your Sky-Blue Ox?” Now, for a second baseman, I was okay on the mound. I mean, I could put ‘em over the plate. The problem was that my pitches were pretty easy for the Jays’ batters to pick off so we take a few lumps and they score a few extra runs on us. Thank to Timmy Bennett and those nifty cleats, though, we pull a double play and go up to bat for the second half of the final inning. We need three runs to win and their pitcher, Billy Robinson; we call him “stinky” because of an incident at camp a few years prior, walks the first and third batters. Then it’s my turn. I step up to the plate. “Stinky” looks me over and then a quick throw to first to try and tag the runner there; nope, safe on the bag. The ball is tossed back to Billy and he gets the signal from the catcher. He thinks for a moment and then goes into his wind-up. “Steeeee-riiiiii-kkkkeeeee!” yells the ump. The catcher takes the opportunity to try and get in one last jab, “Hey, nice shoes, I’ll bet you get real far in those!” You know what I’m thinking.

Billy winds up and gives me a fastball over the outside edge. I take a swing, catch a piece of it and it rolls off the first base line, foul ball; strike two. I look around the stands. There’s my folks, standing up, my dad’s giving me the “thumbs up.” I decide it’s time. “Stinky” gets a new ball, looks me up and down, picks his pitch and winds up. It’s a straight, fast pitch coming in right over the plate.

Did you ever have one of those moments where time seems to slow down? It looked like a scene from the movies; the ball looked like it slowed down to about five miles per hour and I can pick the fence that I want to send it over. A swing with everything I’ve got, the bat connects at the sweet spot and launches the ball toward outer space. I start running towards first base, okay, not so much a “run’ as it is a “lumber” but you get the idea.

This was it; my shining moment. I was finally going to get to tell “Stinky” where he could stuff it. The ball sails over the right fence with a couple of feet to spare. We win the game by one point; I’m thinking this is going to change the game of baseball as we know it. Endorsement deals, commercials… I expect we’ll ALL be wearing Little Hank construction boots next year. Well, maybe not, but when coach handed me the game-winning ball at Pizza Hut, my heart was pretty proud. And there’s my old man, “Hey Dad, nice shoes!”

Governor Declares October 2009 as Toastmaster’s Month in Arkansas

By John Jones     November 13, 2009

Little Rock’s Hi-Noon Club 2217 is creating quite a buzz in Central Arkansas these days. Due to a recent public relations campaign fueled by several members of the prevalent club, Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe recently proclaimed October as Toastmaster’s Month in the Natural State and the blitz isn’t stopping there. In fact, it seems to be picking up steam. Mayors Rick Holland of Benton, AR, Gary Fletcher of Jacksonville, AR, and Patrick Hayes of North Little Rock, AR have all committed November as Toastmasters Month in their respective cities. I guess you could say Hi-Noon knows how to get the word out.

Additional Hi-Noon PR includes a special unit task force designed specifically to bring awareness to the community. Assembled teams of speakers make presentations at local civic and metropolitan organizations in order to promote and raise awareness of Toastmasters in general and to attract prospective members to the Hi-Noon Club specifically. It’s a win-win; the campaign is creating a deeper understanding of Toastmasters as an emblem of excellence in the community and it’s attracting quality members to the club.

It all begins with intention. According to long-standing member John Jacob, DTM, who joined the Hi-Noon Club in 1968, the club’s success is due to a lineage, perhaps a dynasty, of strong members. “Start with a strong group, you attract strong numbers,” states the affable Jacob. It seems the other members would agree, in fact this club is focused on attracting quality associates boasting an ever-increasing active roster of more than fifty speakers and leaders. Impressive numbers, indeed, include no less than seven additional Distinguished Toastmasters and thirteen Advanced Communicators within the ranks.

Visiting a Hi-Noon Club Meeting on any particular Friday yields congruent results. It’s guaranteed that the atmosphere is charged with enthusiasm and distinction. The accolades are numerous; four Presidents Distinguished Awards since 2003, two Select Distinguished Awards since 2005, two Smedley Awards from 2004 to 2006, a Talk Up Toastmasters Award, and a Beat The Clock Award give credibility to what Hi-Noon represents: a firm commitment to the excellence of it’s members and the commission of the Toastmasters organization.

The following is an article which ran in the August 2009 issue of Natural Awakenings magazine in Central Arkansas.

Click here for the online edition:  Natural Awakenings Online

Adults and Kids: Gain Confidence Using Easy Self-Talk Technique

By John Jones

Most of us have an average of about 20,000 individual thoughts per day. That’s about one new thought every four and a half seconds. Some thoughts enter our conscious awareness, others go straight to our subconscious; we may not even know they’re happening. The ones we consciously hear, we listen to like random chattering the same way as if we were listening to a conversation. Sometimes we even say things out loud just like we’d be talking to someone else, but we’re talking to ourselves. We call this self-talk.

When Self-Talk Becomes Negative

Quite often what happens is that over time our self talk becomes self talk abuse where we criticize or berate ourselves, usually after we’ve made even the smallest mistake. If we accidentally drop the milk carton as we’re pulling it out of the fridge and it spills on the floor, we get upset and say to ourselves, “You so-and-so, can’t you do anything right?” Oftentimes we call ourselves names and ridicule ourselves for no reason at all. Sometimes the things that we say to ourselves become abusive, tearing down our self esteem and we make ourselves feel bad. We don’t even realize we’re doing it, and what’s worse, subconsciously, we’re doing it on purpose!

Simple Technique to Reprogram our Thoughts and Patterns

Here’s an easy way to change the negative self talk and give ourselves a big boost of confidence. Parents, you can do this for yourselves and help your children bolster their self esteem by teaching it to them early on. Make it a game… Start to listen to what you say to yourself; become aware of when you start to say something negative. If a mistake happens catch yourself in the middle of one of those dialogs. Picture a tape recorder in your mind, and every time you make one of those negative statements, picture yourself pressing the STOP button and at the same time say “Stop!” Picture yourself pressing the REWIND button and say “Rewind.” Picture yourself pressing the RECORD button and say “Record.” Now boldly replace the abusive or negative statement with something positive; “I forgive myself; I was only doing the best I could with what I had to work with at the time.” Part of the game could be to invent a new phrase that you can say to yourself with confidence. Here are some great examples.

• “That was an accident. It wasn’t something to make myself feel bad about.”
• “Well, that wasn’t worth getting myself fired up, was it?”
• “That was brilliant! I hope I get to do it again someday!”

Pretty soon, you’ll be verbally beating yourself up less, and holding yourself up more. All it takes is some affirmative repetition. Healthy and confident self-love creates more self-respect, more self-assurance, and more self-esteem. It’s good for you, and great for your family!

John Jones is a creative life and energy coach helping clients increase awareness, confidence, and productivity. He and his family recently relocated to Little Rock from Las Vegas, NV and love it here. For more information, contact jonesmediapro.com or 501-613-9223 or see ad page 26.

My first television appearance.

I was born in Des Moines, Iowa. We had a neighbor who would set me on her lap as a toddler and she’d play the piano. I could only flail my arms and poke at the keyboard but that was the start. I started lessons at five and I played in my first band by eleven. My first paid gig was at fourteen playing for the local church. I studied piano and theory in high school and I played bass guitar for the jazz ensemble.

In college I played piano for the jazz department and sang in several choir ensembles. After college I spent several years on the road with a number of bands until I found a niche as a “dueling” pianist.

A talented pianist and singer can make a comfortable living in the saloon business so I’ve stuck with it since 1992 and I’m fortunate because the piano has taken me literally around the world. I’ve performed in Mexico and Canada as well as Great Britain and Germany. In 1997 I moved to Las Vegas. I spent eleven years there, performing in every casino on the strip. I created and ran two entities in Vegas; Nevada Music Services and “The Rockits Piano Show!” which ran for three years at the SouthPoint Hotel & Casino. NMS provided music for wedding events and receptions at two of Las Vegas’ premier wedding locations: Caesar’s Palace and The Paris Hotel & Casino. The wedding business in Vegas is huge; we performed an average of 1000 services each year.

Currently I am the Show Manager for “Ernie Biggs Dueling Piano Bar” in Little Rock, Arkansas. It’s a fast-paced, audience interactive, sing-a-long show that features piano players from around the country. It’s a clap-your-hands, stomp-your-feet good time. Ernie Biggs is a chain with locations currently in Little Rock, Springfield, Kansas City, and Branson, MO. With new clubs coming on line soon, I’m excited to be part of a thriving and progressive company!

Birthday Fun!

The party's at Ernie Biggs!

How many of you believe that we each have a purpose in our lives, something we are meant to do or something we’re meant to be while we’re here on the earth?

How many of you know exactly what it is, how you got it and you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are living in alignment with it at least most of the time?

How many of you think you may have a purpose or a reason to be here, you’re just not sure what it is yet? Perhaps you feel a shift in the fabric of time and space and you’re not quite sure what your role is yet or even what that means…

People that know their purpose know where they’re going, they know what they’re doing, and more importantly, they know why they’re doing it.

Allow yourself to imagine for a few minutes that we all have, in reality, an assigned purpose to our individual lives; a reason for being incarnated onto this planet, at this particular time, and in this particular place that is as unique and individual as we are.

Now imagine that we can apply this purpose not only to our personal lives, but we apply it to our businesses as well. It creates within us a sense of balance; that we’re on track, that we’re doing what it is we’re supposed to do, that life just feels right. I believe my purpose is to help others find theirs.

What if there was a sure-fire way to discover your purpose and alignment in the grand scheme of things and that by doing so, you’d allow yourself to become more abundant and more balanced not only in your day-to-day routines but in every area and every aspect of your life? If you discovered your true purpose, wouldn’t that increase the way you feel physically? Wouldn’t that make you feel better about yourself on an emotional level and create a deeper sense of self-esteem and self-regard? And lastly, wouldn’t that create a genuinely profound sense that your life and even your business is on track with the universe?

You see, by discovering and tapping into your true purpose, you affect every aspect of who you are at the deepest levels, physically, emotionally, & spiritually.

Why now? You’re probably aware of a shift in the planet these days. On the physical side, scientific experiments are reporting worldwide changes in our geologic and atmospheric conditions. The earth emits an electrical pulse or a wave at a regular interval and indications are that that pulse is actually slowing by minute increments. That wouldn’t mean much except for the fact that we, as a living organism on the planet, are tied into that pulse so although you may not even feel it, when it changes, something just feels different. In conjunction with that, research is showing that the magnetic field of the planet is weakening. Measured first in 1845, today it’s ten percent weaker and indicators are telling us that it’s possible that it could even flip or reverse in the future. It’s happened many times in the past and some scientists think we may actually be overdue. Changes of that nature are collectively responsible, in my opinion, for a global shift in the collective conscious awareness of everyone on the planet. In other words, it’s part of the reason why this is happening now; why we’re searching for these types of answers.

So how do you discover your purpose? The answer may surprise you. You may want to write this down… You ask for it. More specifically, you ask your soul for it. At least that’s the direct method which is more definitive than the indirect method in which you use available evidence to construct a picture of your purpose and then fill in the gaps. These methods are outlined brilliantly in one of today’s most sought after coaches, Tim Kelley’s book “True Purpose.” According to him, most people opt for the latter method.

So, if you’re not on a regular communication basis with your soul, you may want to explore that in more depth. There are numerous effective ways to get in touch with yourself on a deeper level; yoga, meditation, I hear fishing is popular here in Arkansas, what better time to get into a meaningful conversation with yourself. Fish don’t care if you talk to yourself.

Nathaniel Hawthorne stated “Every individual has a place to fill in the world, and is important, in some respect, whether he chooses to be so or not.”

So, ask. And be patient for the response.

Point number two; what will this information do for you and why is it so necessary?

Do you ever feel like you’re simply trudging through life from one day to the next without a direction? Knowing your specific purpose gives you an anchor to put the mundane tasks in perspective and to start to create the roadmap that will give your life meaning. It doesn’t mean the things in your life will change immediately, but you can immediately change how you see the things in your life.

Knowing your specific purpose ultimately frees you from questions such as, “What if I’m wrong?” There’s nothing wrong with being wrong if it’s acted from a point of purposeful living. Knowing your purpose allows you to respond to life as the ultimate student. It’s all lessons to be learned as we progress from this life to the next. There’s a saying, “Before enlightenment, chopping wood and carrying water. After enlightenment, chopping wood and carrying water.”

How would it make you feel to know that the business deal you’re making is in alignment with your purpose? Like it was meant to be? When you calibrate your purpose into how you conduct your business, it takes on a whole new meaning. It flows naturally, like water. Sometimes it’s a creek and sometimes it’s a torrential river. That’s not to say there won’t be rapids or a dam from time to time but what a liberating blessing to know that you’re acting out of purpose instead of ego.

Okay, now that you’ve got this treasure chest of valuable resources, what do you do with it? Why, you give it away as fast as you can! You give it to everyone you come across. The purpose of your purpose is to be shared with all.

And just like you asked your soul to divulge your purpose, you can ask your soul for the vehicle you will use to share it. What is it that brings you the most joy in your life? When you do that, when you lose track of time, when you are magically inspired, that’s when you know you’re aligned with your purpose. Many of you have a mission statement. Have you considered creating a purpose statement?  Discover your purpose, apply it to all aspects of your life, and share it with the universe. Repeat as necessary. It need not be any more difficult than that.

My mother taught me to be a free-thinker; she instilled in me and my siblings a vision of free will. I simply took the ball and ran with it. This won’t be so much a list of things I’ve done or places I’ve been as much as it will be a reflection of what I’ve picked up along the way. I’ve entitled this piece “My Unremarkable Life as a Rock & Roll Musician.” I use the word “unremarkable” because my mother impressed me with many redeeming values, not the least of which is humility, and even though I’ve developed a healthy sense of self-esteem, it’s very difficult for me to think that my life has been especially important in the big picture when compared to the people who have shaped our world and our collective history so very much. I’m using the phrase “rock & roll” because that’s the way I look at my life, much like a rock & roll song. I’ve been influenced and empowered by rock n’ roll music ever since I watched Elvis and the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show.

As a child, I learned that playing a musical instrument made me likable and popular with the girls and I’ve always stated that that was the reason I got into the music business. Looking back, I now know that my life would not have unfolded any other way. I was the youngest child of four, my siblings are females, and my mother was the matriarch of the family. My father was a good, honest, hard-working man, but my mother was the dominant parent and raised us with her values and skills, state of the art as they were at the time. I was the baby of the family, let me rephrase that, I AM the baby of the family, and I learned early on how to take full advantage of that and it remains a finely honed skill to this day.

I started taking piano lessons at the age of five and it soon became apparent that I would use my talent to impress my siblings and my family, then my clan, and on and on from there. My anthem for that era was Simon & Garfunkle’s “Feeling Groovy.”  I felt very groovy. I still do.

The seventies were filled with adventure and free spirit. I took liberties at every opportunity. My musical skill was increasing and I started to perform at night-clubs and festivals much to the adoration of my friends. I was starting to express myself as an artist. In 1975 I enjoyed my first glass of wine. In 1976 I joyfully got high with my friends, and by 1979 I was doing both on an almost daily basis; I was 18 years old. The anthem for me then was Crosby, Stills, & Nash’s “If You Can’t Be with the One You Love, Love the One Your With.” I couldn’t and I quite often did.

The eighties weren’t much different. I skated through a couple years of music and general education classes at a local college before I decided that school really wasn’t for me and I wouldn’t need it to be a rock n’ roll star, remarkable or not. My musical skill was such that I could keep an income… and I hit the road with a band. We traveled the circuit and performed at some of the best rock n’ roll cities in the country; Joplin, Missouri, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Elkhart, Indiana to name a few. Anyone who stayed in on a Saturday night in Camden,AR in June of 1984 simply has no idea of what they missed. Looking back, perhaps they were better off for doing so. In the 80s, I thought that happiness was found in spandex, long hair, and the freedom of the road. Those were my lost child years, my walkabout. My song was Billy Joel’s “My Life” which basically stated “leave me alone and let me do it my own way.”

The 90s were a total blur and I don’t really remember much about it to be honest. There wasn’t much excitement on the music scene and I ended up in Las Vegas pursuing the glitter and glamour that only that city could provide. Still the free-spirit, I allowed myself the justification of all that I could take advantage of. It wasn’t until the end of the decade that I started to ponder the two questions that beg to us all at some point; “Why am I doing this?” and “What’s it all for?” My song had been “(Party Like It’s) 1999” by Prince because up until that point, that was what I’d been doing.

On September 9^th, 2002, two days before the 1^st anniversary of the World Trade Center bombings, I changed my tune. I awoke with a conscious decision that I would no longer allow the influences of my addictive behaviors to decide my fate and run my life. Twenty-four months after that I had gained enough clarity for the first time in 30 years to look back at my Rock n’ Roll life and see what I’d received throughout. Would I have done it differently, knowing what I know now? Perhaps, but we all have to go through the lessons to become what we are. The proof is that we have, each of us in our own, unique way, and maybe, just maybe it’s not so unremarkable after all.

I’d like to share some of my thoughts with you about the communication of energy and love and what that could mean to us. I’m not speaking about the energy that powers your computer, or the energy that powers your car, I’m speaking about the energy you feel when you connect yourself to something of great value. It’s the energy of relationship. It’s the feeling in your heart-center when you accomplish a powerful goal. It’s the goodness you feel when you help another individual, not for pride or for selfish gain, but just because they needed help and you have the resources to give them exactly what they need at the perfect time… energy. Imagine, for a moment, how you feel when someone you admire and respect walks into the room. The excitement you feel and the charisma they convey to you is a verifiable exchange of energy. It’s the type of energy that can make a difference in your soul and that can make a difference in the world.

Now, the world may not care if you have self-esteem, in fact the “world,” especially as it’s portrayed in mainstream media, would like nothing more than for all of us to become self-serving, self-righteous little androids with no sense of esteem at all. You want some great advice? When the TV news comes on, turn the channel to PBS or the History or Science channel. Or better still, turn it off completely. If something you need to know happens, someone will let you know about it. If the weather is inclement, keep your eye on the weather channel.

In order to create that within ourselves which will allow us to communicate with higher energy and become examples of self-assurance, self-regard, and self-esteem for our children and students, we need to develop a practice of selfless love in its truest form. I would venture to say that many of you already do this. Love is the highest form of communication in the universe. It’s the one thing that every ancient and modern spiritual tradition agrees on. God is love. All you need is love. Jesus said, “Love your neighbor, as you love yourself.” I think we’ve touched on a key point here.

Teachers and sages will all tell you that you must love yourself before you can truly love another. Self-esteem, self-assurance, and self-confidence are all derivatives of healthy self-love. So why is it so elusive for so many? As a Life Coach, I see this time and again with my clients. They’re searching for something missing in their lives. They’re looking for meaning, purpose, reasons…They’re looking for energy. I say love yourself, love your family and friends, love all fellow human beings unconditionally and give your self in service to what needs to be done. Honor the wounds of your past, then put them behind you and move forward with self-love and self-respect. Come to know the practices of Acceptance, Releasing, Forgiveness, and Healing… Energy.

Here’s a valuable tool which will increase your self-esteem on a daily basis. It’s not difficult but it takes a little practice to make a positive change. To change your thoughts you need to reprogram your mind and the only way to do that is through repetition. One of the things that we do as human beings as a result of our programming is to develop and hold dialogs with ourselves. We call this self-talk. More often than not, this self-talk really takes place when we feel it’s time to berate or belittle ourselves. Has anyone ever had this experience? You’ve missed the exit on the freeway and what do you say to yourself? “Oh John, you bumbling idiot!” or worse… right? Or you’ve gotten yourself worked up about a project or an idea and you say to yourself, “Now, what makes you think you can do that? You can’t do that!”

Here’s a way to fix that: catch yourself in the middle one of those dialogs. Picture a tape recorder in your mind, every time you make one of those statements to yourself, picture yourself pressing the STOP button and at the same time say “Stop!” Picture yourself pressing the REWIND button and say “Rewind.” Picture yourself pressing the RECORD button and say “Record.” Now boldly state to yourself, “I forgive myself; I was only doing the best I could with what I had to work with at the time.” Pretty soon, you’ll be verbally beating yourself up less, and holding yourself up more. More self-love; creating more self-respect, more self-assurance, and more self-esteem.