360 Degree Self

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...