No more changing the world, I'm bringin' Happy Back (and pink elephants)

For the past three weeks I spent a lot of time doing as little of the "usual business" as humanly possible. I did my damndest to minimize the online engagement and computer time. Not one lovely instagram in three whole weeks.  I have to admit, it wasn't as hard as I expected. The ocean view from my balcony, the tropical climate, and the laid back Mexican lifestyle probably helped a bit. 

The word on the street is... yes, you can probably do this too (and holy hot damn is it worthwhile). The results of my little experiment were actually a little surprising.

People started messaging me recently a little worried, "Are you OK?"  So, here goes my slightly absurd attempt to make sense of the findings, and assure you that, yes, I am still alive and kicking. Maybe this report back helps spark a little something for  you too.

And yes, we're bringin' Happy Back...  

Sing it... "I'm bringin' Happy Back" ;)

For the past few years I’ve focused on making “life-changing work,” and doing my bloody best to change the world while bringin' home enough bacon to get by. Operative word being work. Working my ass off to make it happen -- sometimes triumphantly, often miserably. Working hard for freedom. Working hard to build a business that can change the world. Working because I love to work, and it gives me a sense of accomplishment. Working, working, working...

My own darling mother, beautiful recovering workaholic that she is, was shocked at the amount of time I was spending in front of the computer. I stayed with her for a while this past winter. She's like, "umm...you're working a lot! I hope that you can have some more free time soon."

Wake up call! It's been fun, and it's been real, but that's all over now.

No more working my ass off to try and change the world.

The truth is, working hard was not working for me anymore. Life and work was NOT flowing. And when things fall apart, you kind of have to get real, and find a solution. So, this is what I found.

Yes, the world is f*cked, and yes, our children's children's children may not make it to the next century. But, seriously? Not my problem.

OK, maybe a little bit my problem. But the truth is, this whole change the world thing never really made that much sense anyway. If you want to change the world, change yourself. That's the bottom line. (You know that already right?)

I hate motivational writing and inspirational Bullsh*t. You don't need that. We don't need that. Nobody really needs that (except for the people who think they do).

If you want to be really productive, just get inspired. Nothing's more inspiring than a person who's genuinely inspired, and has that flicker of inspire-light sparkle you just want to eat and fling around and do the waltz with.

But, then, you're probably gonna have some trouble getting inspired if you don't deal with...the Pink Elephant.

There's no way around it. The Pink Elephant is there in the room, and in your office, and at your favorite restaurant, and it's following you wherever you go. That big old beautifully horrific animal...it's THE thing that's standing between you and the doorway to your happiness.

The Pink Elephant?!

Yep. No way around it, you've got to deal with the Pink Elephant. You've got to deal with whatever major headf*ck is stopping you from being inspired, and blocking you from the doorway. What is that? That's on you to figure out. Or, on us, if you want to hire me to do some sleuthing for you. But let's see if we can shed some light on this mystery once and for all...this one's on me. ;)

What does the Pink Elephant want from you?

The Pink Elephant wants nothing more than everything. He feeds off you, and he can't exist without you. He nags at you, and sucks the life out of you, even if you don't realize it. When you just can't beat the funk, no matter what you try, it's probably your friend Pink....

What kind of stuff are we talking about?

It could be a major clump of negative energy in various forms, or it could be that big project that's been bogging you down for years, or it could be a big fear ball about your finances. Whatever it is, it's something major, and it's going to stop you from feeling good, and being productive, and being happy until you deal with it. You gotta deal with the PINK.

How do you deal with the Pink?

There's only one way to get rid of Pink, and that's to melt him with your happiness. To see him for what he really is, and laugh with all your Soul at his great pink belly, and the ridiculous facade of ginormous false Pinkness blocking your way.

No more beatin' around the bush. You've got to look Pink square in the eyes, and melt him with your big old glowing heart o' happiness. Just douse him with it, like Dorothy with her bucket of water... "I'm aawful sorry, ma'am...how should I know that would happen?!"

(Why does water make the Wicked Witch melt?)  

So, maybe if you're smart, and you've actually been following me thus far, you're thinking, 'wait, we've got a circular logic problem here!'

"In order to get inspired, I've got to deal with the Pink Elephant. But the only way to deal with Pink, is to kill him with my happiness. So basically I'm f*cked...and anyway it's time for me to get back to work now, so whatever..."

Seems like we've got trouble.

There's only one thing left to try...

Something crazy. Something sexy. Something ridiculous, something ridiculously creative. Something...

What is it?!

That's exactly it. You've got to choose! You get to choose. Start with crazy, sexy, ridiculous, creative....  Listen, here's the thing, there's only one thing -- it's got to be different from anything you've ever tried.

It doesn't matter what it is, as long as it turns you on, gets your juices flowing, makes you forget about anything and everything else. And pushes your creative abilities to their limits.

And it's got to be different from anything you've ever done.

Can you dig it?

Can you figure out what that something is? It's something totally silly, something totally ridiculous, something you've maybe been thinking about for years and putting off, and this part is important:

Something tangible that you can share with other people. OR, that results in a tangible something you can share.   

If you don't share it, it's not gonna work. No matter how happy it makes you, PINK WILL COME BACK!

OK, I can't guarantee that last bit is a fact. But I CAN guarantee that whatever you make with your something, however you figure out to share that tangibly, it's going to bring 10,000 times more chances of happiness making to your life. 

Are you with me? Let's do it -- let's bring Happy Back!

How are you gonna do it? What something crazy sexy fun are you gonna do? 'Cause you may not even know why Pink is there, or what he really represents, but if you just acknowledge he's there, and then go about your business with a little gleam of that crazy happy sparkle in your eyes -- the kind of sparkle that comes from pursuing crazy fun and totally different creative pursuits you can share with others --  magic stuff happens. I guarantee it.

Let's do this. Start the juices flowing, start your brain going. Make some mental notes, then make some written notes, than take some small action, and let it carry you, and keep going... I dare you.

And whatever you do, don't throw it in Pink's face. He means the best. Just, like, love him up with your happiness, and watch what happens. Maybe he starts to laugh so hard with you, he forgets he even existed... I dunno. Something like that. Don't let him see this, or tell him I said that though, K?

OK. I think we're done for today! Maybe next time I can tell you a little more about what's actually happened these last few weeks in my little temporary corner of paradise in the Riviera Nayarit. Oh, this happened...

The Happy Ukulele Songbook!

It’s got 52 of my favorite songs with chordsheets -- timeless classics you can play for years with your friends, family and loved ones. All digital and portable so you can take it with you, and fully printable so you can throw it in your beach bag. 

Plus seven pages of instruction for beginners based on my ukulele workshop, with some of my crazy maverick secrets I’ve learned over the past couple years! 

And it's free. (Coming next week.)

I also created a new little ukulele resource page, with the first of many fully downloadable songsheets to come -- a crazy rad song by Tom Waits -- and I'm excited to keep growing that! 

Here's a little something from my welcome message:

It was on a recent boat trip to the Marieta Islands that the magic of this instrument was really brought home for me. I was strumming lightly on my uke when the dolphins started swimming around us... and then came two big gray whales, swimming next to us and blowing their great plumes of breath. The presence in that moment was rich with the ineffable spaciousness of Spirit, as dolphins and whales swam around us for what seemed like a moment stretching into eternity, sending some of their sparkling magic essence right through me and into all of us.

As I continued strumming gently, dropping deeper into the flow, I noticed the hard mental programming, belief systems and boundaries between us all -- humans and animals -- just melting away into the rich, sweet presence of the moment. The rest of our trip was filled with more music, magic and Soul, as we slowly made our way back home.

That’s the magic of this music, and this wonderful little instrument of peace and happiness from Hawaii called the ukulele.”

This is the kind of stuff I want to put in the world… Magical, useful, original, fun, maybe even life changing...? OK maybe just a little world changing, but not more than it needs to be, and definitely not crazy over-obsessively so. ;)

Whatever it is, it's way more fun than work, and somehow, it changes me... it opens me up into a space of Love and light and infinite universal possibility, where more good things can come through and to me in other magical, unexpected ways. 

Thanks for being awesome. I've got loads more crazy fun stuff cookin' too, so don't be a stranger.  

Now go and do something crazy cool and completely different! (And let me know how it goes.)

Love,

p.s. this whole dealing with Pink thing at all scary? No worries, "Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth." (Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart). Read more awesomeness from 13 brilliant minds on overcoming fear here. 

More fun for you?

I send a special newsletter from my journeys usually once every 1-2 weeks. You can sign up here. Your subscription includes access to my Soulfire Flow course and exclusive content to help with your creative flow, and learning to work with the elements better.

Keep playin', keep flowin' and most of all, keep ROCKIN'! ;)

~xo