On A Voyage of Discovery
Honor the Flag – Jim Brossard Does
Aug 7th
A little over a week ago, I posted Rules For Kickin’ Ass. While the title may sound crass, it is a light-hearted guide to honoring something I’m pretty passionate about: our flag, what it stands for and the history behind the American flag.
It’s true that almost everyone living in America today either came from somewhere else or their ancestors did. There are many reasons for Americans and anyone else who chooses to live in this country to respect and honor the flag.
This land of opportunity and freedom was quite literally born out of the blood, sweat and tears of tens of thousands of men and women who made personal sacrifices. The flag is a symbol of all that they gave and a solemn reminder of the ideals of America and her patriots.
United States Code, Title 4, Chapter 1 defends and protects how the American flag is used and displayed. It states, “No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America…The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing.” More >
Even Tide
Aug 2nd
Even Tide is a song I’m pretty pleased with so far, though it needs a little help on the final mixdown. I began this one a long time ago and have been trying to finalize it lately.
It feel that it has a good sound overall, but there is something that keeps it from being “finished”…and I’m not sure what that something is yet.
Let me know what you think…
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G3 Concept Clip
Aug 2nd
An experiment using different guitar effects on my Fender American Stratocaster along with some basic KARMA sequencing. It is probably too busy & sounds “muddy” at the moment, so it needs to be cleaned up.
When I started recording I had something totally different in mind, which I hope to get hammered out in the next couple of days. Never enough time…
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EDIT :: This sounded a lot different with headphones on – now that it’s on here, I listened through the monitors & heard a lot of what I was missing. I can barely believe how much excess echo there is in this. The second guitar track needs to go bye-bye altogether. Anyway, I was entertained for an hour or so.
Thank You!
If you’re reading this, please accept my thanks to you for your awesome support! I haven’t been able to personally respond to every email, tweet & direct message that I’ve received this week. All I can say is, “WOW!”
Over the past few days, when I have done the least to promote any of my writing & work due to some personal things, you have been an integral part of spreading the word in way that I am blown away by. Your forwards, retweets, likes & recommendations have pushed the reach of ColeRuddick.com to nearly 400,000 individual people per day!
I appreciate your continued support and the only thing I can ask right now is that when you comment or respond to any of the articles here, please leave a comment at the end of the article or on Facebook rather than by email or direct message. That way, I can respond to you more efficiently. Because my inbox has been totally flooded lately, I’m having to reorganize how I get back to everyone. More great things are on the way, so stay tuned to ColeRuddick.com. Again – thank you so much!
The Relationship Breakup Survival Guide
Jul 31st
Next to the death of a loved one, the breakup of a relationship can be one of the hardest things a person will ever go through, emotionally. Confusion, anger and pain can seem overwhelming but a breakup can also be seen as an opportunity for great personal growth. Taking things one day at a time and following a few helpful tips will make the journey easier. These tips come from numerous expert sources, as well as real-life experience. More >
The Emotional Vampire Survival Guide – Emotional Freedom in Action
Jul 31st
By Dr. Judith Orloff
To be emotionally free you can’t remain naïve about relationships. Some people are positive and mood elevating. Others can suck optimism and serenity right out of you. Vampires do more than drain your physical energy. The super-malignant ones can make you believe you’re an unworthy, unlovable wretch who doesn’t deserve better. The subtler species inflict damage by making smaller digs which can make you feel bad about yourself-for instance, “Dear, I see you’ve put on a few pounds” or “You’re overly sensitive!”
Suddenly they’ve thrown you emotionally off-center by prodding your areas of shaky self-worth. To protect your sensitivity, it’s important to name and combat these vampires. The concept struck such a collective chord in my second book that in my latest one I illustrate how it applies to protecting your emotions and not absorbing other people’s negativity. In it I discuss these vampires to watch for and ways to deal with them. More >
Still Me…
Jul 29th
Maybe I should feel flattered that my ex-girlfriend, who wants absolutely nothing to do with me now, visits my site a few times a day. Maybe it should strike me as humorous. Maybe I should be nervous. But actually, I just think it’s sad. Sad that some people are so scared to be real, drop their stubborn pride and TALK constructively, apparently unable to act like they care when dealing with issues together – but after it’s all said & done, down inside, they still know that something very special was always there.
Yeah, I’m still me. Still a man. Still human. I still care. I still get frustrated. I still smile. I still get upset. I still joke around. I still work to understand. I still swear sometimes…especially when I get pissed off. I still cherish precious moments. I still value what’s real. I still don’t like being treated without care or concern – like a “tool” simply because I have a penis. I still desire to be loved and share my life with someone who will walk hand in hand with me as an equal.
I still know that not all women are bitter man-haters with nothing good to say about a male unless they’re talking about sex. There are wonderful women who see men as more than a means of temporary satisfaction when they want it – or someone to do the chores that need doing. You weren’t always that way, either. It’s a choice you make every day. It’s how you keep that defensive wall up.
No, I’m not in any hurry. It may be years before I have the chance to share my life with the right person. You were that person. You chose to give up and allow fear, conceit, anger & pride to rule over you, instead of allowing yourself to love & be loved, to feel what was there & so beautiful, to have true joy – freely from the heart. That’s so sad.
Rules for Kickin’ Ass
Jul 29th
This is something that my friend, Gapper, shared with me and it’s worthy of passing along to everyone else. While this applies to non-military people, those in any branch of service will probably appreciate it.
Dear Civilians, We know that the current state of affairs in our great nation has many civilians up in arms and excited to join the military. For those of you who can’t join, you can still lend a hand. Here are 12 of the areas where we would like your assistance:
1. The next time you see any adults talking (or wearing a hat) during the playing of the National Anthem – kick their ass.
2. When you witness, firsthand, someone burning the American Flag in protest – kick their ass.
3. Regardless of the rank they held while they served, pay the highest amount of respect to all veterans. If you see anyone doing otherwise, quietly pull them aside and explain how these veterans fought for the very freedom they bask in every second. Enlighten them on the many sacrifices these veterans made to make this Nation great. Then hold them down while a disabled veteran kicks their ass. More >
Never Give Up
Never, never, never give up.
The solid, sage words of Winston Churchill. Simple concept, yet so very difficult to remember when things are difficult. If we all lived by these words, patience would be a common virtue and so many successes would have a chance to blossom in every area of our lives.
To persevere is a choice and so is throwing it all away. Which choice do you want to define your character and be the reason for what happens or doesn’t in your future? Never give up.
The “Reset Button”
Jul 25th
I came across this video this evening after I had been thinking a lot about pride, forgiveness and apologies. There are a lot of occasions when I truly regret something I’ve said or done – and it’s often hard to say “I’m sorry”.
Pride makes forgiveness and admitting it when we’re wrong nearly impossible. In the end, that pride and arrogance are so very destructive and hurtful – for you and the other person, too. Pride can ruin so much. Be humble just long enough to press that “reset button”. More >
Feeling Critical?
Jul 9th
Usually, I write about proactive living, abiding by timeless principles and how positive thinking makes a difference in our lives. But what about the times when all of that just seems to be a bunch of hooplah or big talk? You know – the times when no matter how much you’d like a change or a positive difference in your life, it just seems way out of reach? When the job you go to every single day just gets you down and stresses you out to the max, when finances seem beyond repair… when your relationship status is at an all-time low?
Like everyone who eats and breathes, I have bad days. There are times when it seems like no matter what I do, it doesn’t make a positive difference. I can get very critical – of myself, of others and about situations.
The last thing that anyone needs when they are dealing with that, is getting kicked when they are down by someone who can’t manage their own life. Ever been through that? More >
