Top 5 Ways to Identify What You Should Do With Your Life

1. What are your passions?
Everybody is passionate about something. Some of us blurt out our passions to everyone. Some of us are passionate about one thing and make it their life work without thinking about why. Others are so wrapped up chasing the dollar that they bury their passions deep in hole. I suffer from having perhaps too many passions. I love music, writing, building decks, designing houses and the list goes on. I finally forced myself to choose one primary passion. Therefore, I am now primarily a writer. Do I still chase the others? Yes, but I consider the other passions deep hobbies instead of my purpose in life.

2. What are you good at?
Make a list of the top 5 things your good at. Think it out a bit before you move on. I know I'm good at writing, playing the guitar, songwriting, diagnosing problems and being a good father. What are you good at? Make a list right now. 3. What are you afraid of? This is a tough one. I'm afraid of rejection. My fear probably comes in part because I am a child of an alcoholic. That is one of the legacies of the disease. However, even though I am not great at dealing with rejection, I've had to face it and I've screwed up my courage and faced it. By recognizing what I'm afraid of I can be more careful about what I choose to do in life. Several of my jobs in life have been in sales and I used to avoid making sales calls in order to avoid the rejection.
Now you say, "but Johnny, who gets rejected more than a writer?" and you would be 100% correct. However, I am ok with a writer's rejection. In fact I collect rejection slips because I believe that there is a magic ratio of No to Yes. It might not be real magic but it is true that after a certain number of rejections, I do get an acceptance. I've turned it to my favor because it is about something I am good at and something I love. What are you afraid of? Write it down, recognize it, beat it down a bit and face it. It might not turn out to be your friend, but it could be an ally.

I'm afraid of: _____________________________________________

4. If you had an hour to yourself, what would you do with it?
A long time ago someone asked me what I would do if I had an hour free to myself. My answer was "play my guitar". Writing and performing music became my passion for 20 years. I still love the guitar but I gave myself the right to change my passion to writing. In fact, I had an hour free tonight so I drove myself to my local Starbucks, bought a Grande, sat down and hammered out this post. I feel great. When I focus on my writing, my muse visits and the real magic starts. Trust me on this, if you identify your passion and focus on it your muse will visit regularly. It's some type of magic that happens. What would you do if you had an hour to focus on your passion?

5. How to make money at it?
Now the part that causes so much trouble. If you don't need the money, then rock on, pursue your passion and let it roll. However, if you me want to spend your working life focusing on your passion, then work with me here. Brainstorm five ways you can make money with your passion. Understand that not all will actually produce any money, but one or two will have great potential.

One of my fatal flaws for a long time was that I believed that my skill and passion were not worth much in terms of money. How untrue. One of my closest friends finally broke me of that idea and booked me for music gigs in a nursing home where I got paid good money for doing what I love to do. Was it Carnegie Hall? No, but they paid quickly and the checks were good. I found I enjoy playing music for any group. Another friend showed me how my writing was really valuable to people and convinced me to push myself harder to get it out. I'm making money now doing what I want to do. Am I the best writer to ever come along? Probably not, but I'm pretty darn good and I am proud of my work. I can live with the rejection, I like the money and I love the feeling I get when I finish a piece.

Brainstorm (hard) and write down five ways you can make money at your passion. Do it now.

Now, pick one of these money makers and pursue it. Write out a paragraph about how you would do it. Make a brochure. Ask your friends for help. Trust yourself, trust your talent and trust your passion. Your muse will visit and you will find a way. What have you got to lose?

Top 5 Most Amazing Scenes in Movies

I love movies that inspire, challenge and motivate. I have a strong memhory for the scenes that really knocked me out. Here is a list of my favorites.

1. The Abyss - Ed Harris purposely allows Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio to drown then revives her on the other side of the water. I have never been able to forget how I felt when I watched that for the first time. What an idea, What a concept! What great actors!

2. Rocky - Running through Philly to the top of the court steps. This is a movie that has defined my life. I have always felt connected to Rocky and his underdog challenge. I run 3 times a week and always finish my run with Gonna Fly Now!

3. Matrix - Taking the red pill and busting out of the hive. A life changing scene to which my lovely ex-wife responded “it’s kinda stupid!” ?????? I’ve come to believe that the only sense in this world is that we indeed are living in a computer simulation.

4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: When Hagrid busts Harry out of the house on the island. This was my introduction to the series. I turned on the TV one night somewhere in the early 2000’s and found myself watching the first HP movie. Within a few minutes I realized that I was very interested and then Hagrid knocked down the door. Don’t ever doubt that Harry Potter holds the answers to most of life’s questions.

5. Shawshank Redemption - When Warden Norton figures out how Andy escaped. What can I say? Every human being is required to watch this movie before they die. Watching the Warden lose his shit as he realizes he has been outwitted by Andy is just too much. But don’t short change yourself. Watch the movie from A to Z. You will see why it is the most popular movie ever. (See IMDB).

Live Free or Die. . . . . and watch these movies if you missed them. JohnnyOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Top 5 Live Albums of All Time

Music is a huge part of my life and live music is one of my favorite pastimes. I was the youngest of four kids and I was lucky to have two older sisters and an older brother who possessed huge record collections. Luckily, my siblings liked great bands like The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Carole King and the list could go on for pages. However, I can still remember the first live album I really got the bug for: ZZTop Fandango. Side two of the LP was studio recordings, but side one opened up with ZZTop playing three songs live. The album doesn’t make my top 5 list because the recording wasn’t very good and you can’t hear the interaction between the crowd and the band. But it lit a fire for my love of live music.

The best part of writing my top5 lists is that I know well that my choices are never the final word. Music is art and a love, not a competition or a science. Send me your favorite lists and I’ll listen up. Who knows, maybe I’ll be switching up my list.

1. Frampton Comes Alive - Recorded while the man was still a relative unknown, Frampton interacts with the audience and does the best job of capturing the feel of a live show. If these songs were not overplayed on radio, they’d all be eternal classics. Best moment: when the fireworks go off during the acoustic set and Peter doesn’t miss a beat.

2. Harry Chapin: Live - Nobody did a story song like Harry and he had the good sense to hire 100% top notch musicians who knew when to let loose and when to let the man be a star. Best moment: “Watertown NY, I spent a week there one afternoon”

3. Deep Purple: Made In Japan - IMO hands down the greatest and most technically awesome Blues-Rock band. These guys obviously saved the drinking and entertainment for after the work was finished. Ian Gillian is arguably the greatest true singer/howler ever to sing in rock. Ian Paice and Glover were absolutely rock solid, Blackmore freakily moody and Lord defined an organ sound that lives on today in every $200.00 keyboard. Best Moment: Gillian’s higher and higher scream/howls just before Lazy. Each note delivered in perfect pitch.

4. Johnny Cash Live at Folsum Prison. Perhaps the most amazing live record ever recorded. Johnny is funny, eloquent, a little sad and really enjoys playing for these convicts. Check out the spare stage and minimal amplifiers. It’s so amazingly cool and old school. Best moment: When Johnny plays Folsum Prison Blues. You just got to hear it.

5. Allman Brothers at the Fillmore East. A masterpiece of 70’s blues and rock mixed with a lot of weed and who knows what else. The Allman Brothers look like a bunch of bank robbing hoodlums and sound like a blues band made in heaven. This album was recorded before Duane died and before Gregg fell into the bottle of pills. Best moment: the last two chorus’s of Whipping Post. Makes you remember that Duane really was a genius, Butch was the most solid bassist ever and Gregg knew what he was talking about.

Rock On and Live Free or Die my friends. . . and send me your favorite live album list.