360 Degree Self

We are heading to the home stretch of 2008 – day 331. For some of us, life is getting more hectic with the holidays approaching. This means traveling, visiting family and friends and holiday shopping. Personally speaking, the goals I set at the beginning of 2008 seem to be forgotten. Actually, sometime in the middle of the year, I realized that my goals were not really goals – they were aspirations. They described how I wanted to live my life on a daily basis not just short-term. They were not specific enough and not measurable like a goal should be. I’ve actually incorporated these into a personal manifesto. With 2009 quickly approaching, I realize we are nearing the time of the year when we look ahead toward New Year’s resolutions or goals. The new year is a natural time of reflection of where we have been and where we want to be. For some of us, we will resolve to hit the gym and start working out more. I see it every year at my YMCA when, in January, I practically have to fight to...

After a long day of running errands and shopping, the last thing I really felt like doing was cooking dinner. A few nights ago, I planned to make a pizza and picked up the dough from Trader Joe’s on my way home from work. Their dough, by the way, is awesome! I decided to make a meatball pizza and garnish it with a little mushroom and basil. First step: take out the pizza dough from the refrigerator and let it rise. Second step: make the meatballs. Yeah, I had a few meatballs frozen, but my “perfect meal” called for all fresh ingredients. I’m a stickler that way. With the meatballs in the oven, I sautéed the mushrooms and got the rolling pin and dough ready to roll. The first time I made pizza a few years ago, I did not have a rolling pin and trying to spread the dough on the pan was comical and took fifteen minutes. Last night, rolling the garlic and herb dough was simple. I took the meatballs out of the oven, let them cool for a few minutes and began slicing. Then I built the pizza: s...

I was at Starbuck's the other day and had a coffee with my favorite "The Way I See It" quote to this point from Keith Olberman.."The world bursts at the seams with people ready to tell you you're not good enough. On occasion, some may be correct. But do not do their work for them. Seek any job; ask anyone out; pursue any goal. Don't take it personally when they say "no" - they may not be smart enough to say "yes."

Visit your local bookstore or music retailer, and you’ll encounter the very small “spoken word” section somewhere near comedy. You’ll find anything from Martin Luther King’s greatest speeches to audio versions of some notable books to the non-musical performances of Henry Rollins. As a word geek, I’m usually on the lookout for something with great storytelling and eloquence. Most of the time, I am let down. If you were to ask me who my favorite storyteller is, I would say without hesitation-- Spalding Gray . It has been roughly ten years since I’ve witnessed his word mastery at the old Goodman Theater in Chicago. But his work has had a profound impact on me. Picture a solitary man sitting at a table with a glass of water and some notes. This, I’m sure, does not sound like an interesting scenario. But Spalding had a virtuosic ability to tell a story with equal parts comedy and tragedy. Whether he described the “perfect moment,” his relationship with his live-in girlfriend, or becoming a...

I feel fortunate to have taken my first real "vacation" in a couple years earlier this month with one of my best friends. It was our first trip to New York and we did the typical tourist things...we saw the Statue of Liberty, visited Ellis Island, visited the top of the Empire State Building, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, ate huge bagels in Times Square and enjoyed the Guggenheim. We spent a great deal of our time either rushing to get to various spots around Manhattan or waiting in line (for the Empire State Building and the ferry to the Statue of Liberty). Finally, on our last Morning in New York, we hopped a train to Brooklyn and Coney Island. For both of us, we felt instantly at home. While Manhattan is filled with a wide variety of people and interesting sights and cultural attractions, Brooklyn had a neighborhood feel to it. If I lived in New York, I don't think I could ever swing the high rents in Manhattan. But, I could picture myself living in Brooklyn. Earl...

I admit it – I am a professional procrastinator. I feel that I am probably better than most people at putting things off. Some of the things I’ve been putting off include taking a vacation (4 years), going to the dentist (4 years), getting my eyes checked (at least 5 years), getting in touch with old friends, flirting with that beautiful woman on the train, taking the cooking class I have been curious about, etc. You get the idea. Recently, a few of these things I have put off came to a head in my life. Last weekend, I went on vacation and visited New York City for the first time in my life. I had an incredible time with a great friend of mine. Before my trip, one of my molars cracked. I have set up an appointment to visit my dentist this Saturday. While I do not look forward to this, I know it is necessary to make an appointment. I came to the realization this evening that I am beginning to confront a couple things that I have been putting off (vacation, dentist). What I am hoping is...

This weekend, I had the privilege to watch my first silent movie in over a decade. The movie, "Speedy" starring Harold Lloyd took place at the restored Portage Theater and was first in a series of the Silent Film Festival. I was pleasantly surprised how good the movie was. My exposure to slapstick has been limited to The Three Stooges and a couple Abbott and Costello movies. I've seen bits and pieces of a few Harold Lloyd movies and have been intrigued - now I am convinced that Harold Lloyd is the master. I especially enjoyed scenes of Speedy (played by Lloyd) at the local amusement park with his girlfriend as they wreck havoc in the park. Accompanying the film was a live organ player who added additional life to the experience. I was surprised at how much I laughed at the movie and happy to see the Portage filled. To see a sample of Harold Lloyd's antics click on the scene below...

Today was the last day of the Tony Fitzpatrick exhibition at the Chicago Cultural Center. Earlier last week I stopped by to see Tony’s work in person for the first time. To be honest, I was probably more familiar with Tony from his brief stint as radio talk show host here in Chicago than his work as an artist. I remember winning a double live CD of the Police on his show as he invited listeners to give him the best reason why we should win the CD. I described the time I purchased a bootleg version of this concert and that someone must have sneezed on the vinyl because I heard a “pop” on a couple different songs every time I played it. My tale of woe gave Tony a brief laugh and I won the CD. I digress. I knew Tony’s art had won him critical acclaim and that his artwork has graced the last few Steve Earle album covers. For some reason, though, his work never connected with me. Until last week. The exhibition is a tribute to Chicago, the city he grew up in. As a lifelong Chicagoan, mysel...

The largest free blues festival in America (the 25th Chicago Blues Fest) took place in Chicago last weekend and as usual, it offered visitors a mighty good time. It has been a tradition for me to take a day off of work and head down to watch some of the greats perform. Deep down, I am a huge rock and roll fan, and I realize that without the blues, it might just be “Roll.” As a music fan, I have been around the block a few times, but I always discover “new” musicians that catch my attention at the Chicago Blues Festival. This year was no exception. Walking toward the Front Porch Stage, I heard a soulful voice beckoning me. As I got closer, I discovered one of the most expressive and gifted singers that I have heard in a while in Jo Jo Murray. He had the ability to sing an emotional, soulful ballad and follow that up with a down and dirty rockin’ blues tune. Why had I not heard of him? He was simply amazing. The evening, though, belonged to Eddie “The Chief” Clearwater, one of Chicago’s ...

It was one of the happiest, most satisfying moments I have had in my life – it was my college graduation day. I’ll never forget the feeling of accomplishment, growth, and hope as I looked forward to my future. I had arrived. Recently, I attended my cousin’s 8 th grade graduation, and while listening to the commencement address, I was once again transformed back to this time of hope in my life. Truth be told, I have always enjoyed listening to commencement addresses. Good ones can motivate, entertain, inspire and teach. I’ ve sat through commencement addresses of several friends and even though I was not graduating that day, I felt motivated by their messages. The addresses I sat through reminded me of my own big day. They remind me that I still need to dream big. Scouring YouTube , I ran across an excellent commencement speech by Steve Jobs. Regardless of whether we are graduating from school or graduating to a better place in life, I think all of us could learn from listening to so...

I recently finished watching an interesting segment from "Primetime: Live" about a dying teacher's last lecture. In the spirit of looking at life as one big learning experience, it is priceless wisdom... www.youtube.com/v/trplwjVwt7g&hl=en">

I must say that while I am surprised and confused that anyone would pay over $1,000 for a cornflake that is shaped like Illinois (see story here ), I am also encouraged. Why? People refer to the United States as the land of opportunity. But, entrenched in the grind of daily life, I sometimes forget about this. The fact that someone could sell (or auction) a cornflake for such a large amount of money reminds me that anything is possible. The fact that someone would buy a cornflake shaped like the state of Illinois for over $1,000 also reminds me that some people in this country have a lot of disposable income. If you have a product or service deemed useful to others, you can make some money. Yes, this is possible even in a tough economy. This realization hits me at a time when I need it. If you build a business based on strong ideas and services, your customers will come. If you sell a product that is compelling, your customers will buy. Every day, all of us have an opportunity to set o...

A couple years ago, I picked up a book that was getting a lot of buzz, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. I had already read a book on mindfulness by Jon Kabat-Zinn called Wherever You Go There You Are , which was an eye-opening and influential book for me. I absolutely feel that now is really the only moment you have. For some reason, I did not care for the book. Maybe it was the Question and Answer format that bothered me. I'm sure I could agree with some of the author's writing, but I could not get through the book. When I moved last year and got rid of some books to lighten my load, I sold my copy of The Power of Now to a used bookstore. In a practical sense, I found that Kabat-Zinn's book helped me really understand and appreciate what mindfulness (and the present moment) really is. So today I am giving Eckhart Tolle another chance...thanks to Oprah's recommendation, I purchased my copy of A New Earth: Awakening Your Life's Purpose . I'm not really sure wh...

The numbness that I feel from the shootings at NIU is starting to wear off. The tragedy is starting to sink in. I am learning about those who were killed or injured which makes it more sad. As an alum of Northern Illinois University, I spent my share of time in Cole Hall where the shootings took place. Most memorable was Coms 356 where we studied classic films such as Citizen Kane, Stagecoach and Annie Hall. This class opened my eyes to the different ways that film directors tell their story: lighting, sound, style and editing. Looking back, I feel fortunate that I took a class that helps me appreciate and understand the movies that I see today. However, the memories of the students who witnessed this tragedy and escaped with their lives will be different. Their memories are likely to haunt them for the rest of their lives. They won’t remember the times they sat in class and gained a greater understanding of what they were studying. They won’t remember the times spent laughing with the...