Michael

Just a quick note. I’m having a great time in Warsaw. (I’m even getting a lot of work done!)

Two more great restaurants. Kom, a fusion place and The Boathouse. Both very nice. Food was wonderful, service was fantastic, wine was quite good and the atmosphere was relaxing.

Nothing like a nice dinner with friends. Good conversation, laughter, discussions and just enjoying the entire time. I have a co-worker that says he can never find a good restaurant here in Warsaw. He says the food is terrible. I just smile because I continue to find really nice restaurants with great food. Hmmmm. I wonder if that has anything to do with my attitude?

It’s my second day in Warsaw and my jet lag has abated. It always takes me at least a full day after I arrive to get through jet lag. I can rarely sleep on the plane, so I’m usually low-keyed by the time I arrive at my destination, but, my attitude is up. I almost always view each day as an adventure when I’m traveling. I am working on making that feeling common everyday whether I’m traveling or not. I’m getting close.

I was able to experience some real Polish food last night at a lovely restaurant. I believe it was called Dom Polski Restauracja. I may have mis-spelled. We all tried different dishes. The “atmosphere” and food were quite lovely. A nice bottle or two of Spanish red wine complemented the meal and the conversation. The service was some of the best I have experienced in Warsaw.

Have a great adventure today!

Quote for the day:

Freedom is not worth having it if does not include the freedom to make mistakes. - Mahatma Gandhi

The idea for this post came in an email comment from my business partner and close friend Nat. So, thanks a lot Nat!

Here are some questions to ponder:

• Do you feel comfortable being who you are at all times and with all people?
• Are you comfortable with who you are when you are alone?
• Do you feel anxious or nervous when you expose (not physically!) yourself to others; e.g. thoughts, beliefs, opinions, etc.
• Can you laugh at yourself?

We all seem to have differing levels of how comfortable we are sharing our innermost self. Some people are comfortable writing their thoughts while others find it easier to speak them. Many people are very uncomfortable meeting new people while others jump at the chance.

For me, it was all about people judging and criticizing me. But really, it was about me passing judgment and criticism on my self. That took a number of years to overcome. Actually about 40! I was someone that was generally uncomfortable all the time. I was not generally a happy person. Too many fears, criticisms, judgments, and negative thoughts.

One day an amazing realization enveloped me. It was like waking up from being asleep for many years. I realized that I liked where I was and who I was at that point in time. All of sudden all of the choices I had made in my life didn’t matter anymore regardless of whether they had been judged as good or bad. Because if I like where I am and who I am right now, all of my life’s experiences and choices contributed to the person standing within me, who I now accepted. It was like a great weight lifted off my shoulders.

So, I’m now a generally up person the majority of the time. I sit well with who I am. I judge myself less. Yes, I still do it sometimes. And yes, I still have negative thoughts. But, the difference is that I don’t dwell on them anymore. I look at the thought and “pivot” them and make them every so slightly better. Which of course gives me a different perspective at that point and I can then make the thought one step better again. I do this until I feel happy again. It takes practice, but it is really worth it.

I’ll end with two of my favorite quotes:

Life is supposed to be fun. - Abraham

You can’t get it wrong. – Abraham

I absolutely love to travel. I find it intensely satisfying, rewarding and it just makes me happy! I don’t care if it is a 30 minute drive to have a nice hike in the woods or something much longer like flying to Australia.

I am always thinking about who I might meet, what adventures will I have, what new things will I see, what new foods I can try and etc. I have been fortunate that my current career has given me the opportunity to travel a lot. It was my primary reason for taking that position. I have been able to travel to six countries (2 more next week!) and 43 states.

Each trip has had its own “flavor.” No two have been the same. I met one of my best friends on a flight from London to Boston after we both got upgraded and then sat next to each other. From that one “chance” (I don’t believe in chance, by the way) meeting, I have experienced things and met people that have fundamentally changed my life for the better. It’s part of why I’m the way I am today. In other words, I’m just happier overall.

Traveling has also allowed and helped me overcome a number of basic fears I use to have. One of them was a serious fear of flying. In the past, I actually needed help to walk to the gate from the car. But no more. I overcame that fear one trip and one flight at a time. Now, several years later, I fly 50K – 100K miles per year.

I think it is a good think to get out of your “town.” See some new places, talk to some new people, get some different perspectives, shake up your comfort zone. All this helps to keep one centered and not affected by the changing world around us. Change and newness become the norm. Comfort and freedom are the outcomes.

Is this for everyone? No, but you can at least take a trip to a neighboring state or city. See something new. Eat a local food or delicacy. Find out about the local history. Take a walk in a local park. Visit an art gallery. Go fishing. Take some photos. Anyway, you get my point.

I’m in Warsaw, Poland this week and I’m looking forward to meeting my adventure whatever that becomes.

Have a great day!

I just finished watching the classic romantic comedy, When Harry Met Sally. This is a great movie, but tonight my perspective was different than the other times I’ve watched it. I saw two really big themes:

1. Anything can happen at anytime – In other words, you never know what is just around the corner waiting for you. When your attitude is up, the potential for things to change and come your way increases exponentially.

2. Many times great things are right next to you, but you’re not aware - Again this relates to your attitude. When you are down or depressed it makes you blind. As you increase your emotional state to a more positive one, regardless of how much, your perspective and your “sight” begins to open up and increase. Each emotional step up dramatically increases your ability to allow more good things to be “seen” by you.

I’m sure you have experienced this yourself. Haven’t you found more fault with others when you are down as opposed to having a broader perspective when you are feeling better? Don’t you know someone that is down and/or negative and lots of negative things seem to happen to them? And on the contrary, don’t you know people who are generally up most of the time and their lives seem to have endless little miracles that continually happen.

Some call it luck or coincidence. I don’t really believe in those concepts anymore. I believe that we can make our own luck by simply and sincerely changing our state of mind. It takes some practice because we have been trained to react to the world around us which tends to create a dependent relationship. In other words, we are taught that our mood is determined by our environment not by our choice. Can you also see that we can gain a true sense of freedom by not being affected by what is happening around us?

The following quote relates to what I have been talking about tonight:

There is no reality except the one contained within us. That is why so many people live such an unreal life. They take the images outside of them for reality and never allow the world within to assert itself. – Hermann Hesse

Hmmmm. I was up most of the night with a project. So, I’m quite low-keyed and sleepy eyed tonight. Kan’nal is playing in the background. Excellent group by the way. They have nice rythms that can get fairly primal. Check them out.

I remember years ago when I was tired or run down, it made me feel emotionally down also. Over the last several years, I’ve been able to maintain my level of happiness (for lack of a better phrase) regardless of my physical state of being; whether I’m tired, run-down, sick, cold, hot, etc. I’ll find something to do to fit my physical state but keep my emotional state high. It could be reading a book, watching a movie, talking with a friend, listening to music, surfing the net, and etc. Really anything that keeps me occupied and not focused on being physically down. I’ve found that I get well and/or recover quicker plus the time goes by much faster.

Anyone can do this practice. It really is only a choice. For some it will be difficult at first since you are breaking some old habits. But it comes down to making any situation the best it can be. Once you reach that state all of a sudden more possibilities and potentials present themselves.

I’m sure you’ve met people that endure great pain day in and day out. Some of these people are quite grumpy, others down right mean and angry at the world. But, I’m sure you have met those who you would be hard pressed to tell if they were having any difficulties at all. It really is simply a choice. Try it sometime. Just a little change. Don’t try to make a big leap. Feel a little bit better first. Once you are there, try feeling a little bit better and on and on. In no time you can go from angry to happy and feel a whole lot better because of it.

My quote for the evening is from Howard Cutler.

Right now, at this very moment, we have a mind, which is all the basic equipment we need to achieve complete happiness. – Howard Cutler

Wow! I just finished listening to Bob Dylan’s new album called Modern Times. I have to agree with the critics. This is a masterful work of art and probably his best ever. The songs have such a depth of soul, they just reach way down inside. Talk about putting you in a good mood. Fantastic.

I heard that he produced this CD. The producer is listed as Jack Frost but this is supposed to be him.

My favorite tracks are:

• Thunder on the Mountain – Lots of soul.
• Rollin and Tumblin’ – Upbeat. Makes you want to move.
• Someday Baby – The melody just makes you want to get up and do some good old two stepping.
• The Levee’s Gonna Break - Fast paced blues number.
• Ain’t Talkin’ – Another great soulful ballad.

I also like:

• Spirit on the Water – Love the melody and the writing on this one.
• Nettie Moore – Melodic and great writing.

I’ll be listening to this album for quite sometime. So, to summarize: Go buy it now. Even if you don’t like Dylan, try it anyway. You might be surprised.

Enjoy.

Today marks the beginning of my foray into the world of blogging. My business partner and I have discussed this in great detail over the last several months. In fact, the website and associated blogs for our new business Cloud900, Inc. will be launched in December 2006. More on that later.

My primary purpose of this blog is to share everything that makes me happy. A fundamental belief of mine is that the only thing that you can change or control is your attitude. So, choosing a happier state at all times, changes the way you exist in the world. Endless possibilities became evident when your mood is positive. Don’t get me wrong, I have not always been this way. In fact, I was the opposite. In the past, I let the world affect me as opposed to chosing my state of being regardless of the chaos around me. Most people can relate to how the negative news and certain people can just simply make one feel “down.” No more for me! I’ll be talking a lot about these beliefs and principles in the future.

I have been in a fantastic mood all day today. The weather here in Rhode Island was just about perfect for me. Mid 60’s for temp, beautiful blue skies, a few clouds and a nice breeze. You can definitely feel that autumn is very close now. But, I like all kinds of weather. My mood is not negatively affected by the weather. In fact, I love to see the never ending changes that defines the fundamental nature of weather.

While writing this first blog, I have some great classic Rock & Roll playing; specifically The Grateful Dead, Working Man’s Dead. It just seemed to fit the mood. Don’t you love that about music. It is a great way to uplift you, particularly if you pick a selection that makes you feel good or brings up a wonderful memory. I have a wide variety of tastes when it comes to music, but classic Rock & Roll definitely has a special place.

That’s all for now. I’ll end with a nice quote for you to ponder.

Begin at once to live. – Seneca