Real Joe

Physical discomfort is important only when the mood is wrong. Then you fasten on to whatever thing is uncomfortable and call that the cause. But if the mood is right, then physical discomfort doesn’t mean much. - Robert Pirsig

Pirsig was referring to riding a motorcycle across the Dakotas in the middle of summer. I was thinking about this today as I drove to and from the Twin Cities in a friend’s car that had no air conditioning. It was around 100 degrees with high humidity. I just decided that I wasn’t going to be miserable, even though I was roasting. I was so hot that when I got to the hotel where I was on a panel, I took off my underpants which were soaked with sweat. I had to laugh at myself, as I walked around, Jesse Ventura/Navy Seal style.

I had a great day and the heat didn’t affect my mood one bit.

Your work is to discover your work, and then with all your heart to give yourself to it. - Buddha

I think I’ve discovered my work, my calling in Real Joe. I’m giving myself to it, if not wholeheartedly, then damn close… at least when I’m working on it. It’s satisfying. It helps create peace of mind.

You can’t be a winner and be afraid to lose. - Charles Lynch

Am I afraid that no matter what I do with Real Joe, it’ll go up in smoke/down in flames? I don’t seem to be. I’m not sure why I’m not afraid, as I’ve poured a lot of time, energy, and money into this venture. Maybe it’s just because it seems to be my mission in life — so I’m just “obeying.” My ego is in the background. I hope it stays there.

A professional is a person who can do his best at a time when he doesn’t particularly feel like it. - Alistair Cooke

When I’m really tired or sick, I really have a hard time doing my best… at anything. I really look for a way to put off what needs to be done till I’m better or rested. So maybe I’m really not a professional? I don’t know, but I’m not too bothered by this.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. - Leo Buscaglia

I’m terrible at this and always have been. It just doesn’t come naturally to me. I wonder what it would take to get better at it?

The vast majority of people have the deeply entrenched conviction that success promotes happiness. But it is not success that promotes happiness. When you genuinely enjoy your life, you are successful in the only real meaning of the term. – Tom Russell

It is wealth to be content. - Lao-tzu

This morning, I’m feeling pretty dang content as I seem to be genuinely enjoying my life this week. Therefore, I’m a successful, wealthy entrepreneur!

History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats. - B. C. Forbes.

Gee, I wonder if I’m due for a heartbreaking obstacle? Somebody asked me recently if I was certain that Real Joe was going to be successful someday. Believing in myself, persevering, or having a vision for Real Joe doesn’t guarantee anything. I think it’s goofy to act as if believing in something strongly enough will eventually make it come to pass. Life’s too full of uncertainties. If my wife’s medical problems worsened, I might need to chuck everything related to Real Joe for who knows how long. Maybe forever. And the world would go on just fine.

I do think, though, that most obstacles to making one’s vision into a reality become excuses for not persevering. Or they’re opportunities for learning something that are ignored. I hope to hell I can keep remembering this.

Draft 1.0 of the radio show demo is ready. Paul and I put the final touches on it on Sunday night.

I’ve been reminding myself that it doesn’t get much better than this: the fun that I’ve had with Paul, Phil, and David while we’ve put it together, the satisfaction of seeing something take shape that we’ve been working on for months, the delicious anxiety about how it’ll be received.

The quote from Larry Brilliant keeps coming back to me: “You’re entitled to the joy of work, you’re just not entitled to the results.” I’m not telling myself that this is going to fly. I’m telling myself that it could fly, so just keep persisting and paying attention to what clues life/God might be leaving for me as I go. I also noticed that I have a feeling of confidence and calm about it all. The criticisms and rejections that are likely to be coming don’t seem very threatening, in part because this continues to seem like what I’m supposed to be doing — my mission. It’s not my goofball ego that’s at stake. I could be wrong but it hasn’t seemed so for quite a while now.

I can imagine some of the interesting problems and challenges we’ll be facing if the show does get funded. I hope to hell I’ll remember to bring this state of mind that I’m in now along with me.

Newsblog: WNBA player considers appearing in Playboy

One of the positive consequences of Harrison appearing in Playboy could be to grab the WNBA some much needed support from the vaunted 18-to-35 year-old male demographic. Sting forward Allison Feaster “thinks that the ‘positive’ publicity generated by the Playboy.com poll could be used as a bait-and-switch tactic to entice ‘gentlemen’ to games, and then get them hooked on the real product.”

I hope somebody can convince this woman that this is not a tactic that will likely have overall positive results for her or the league.

Newsblog: Ewing testifies about sex at strip club

One of my sons went on a bachelor’s party bus tour of men’s clubs in the Twin Cities recently. And a friend of mine told me recently that it’s no longer fun for him to visit a men’s club since his daughters are now about the same ages as the women performers.

I’ve not been in a men’s club or strip joint for about 25 years. It’s not that haven’t been interested, though. So I guess it’s time to write a longer essay about this.