So then I am in Flint, with no bag tag number at all, and of course my bag did NOT show up.  Then it was time to go over to the desk where he who has lost his bag should go.  Since I could not present them a bag tag number (which was taken from me in Atlanta) they quickly explained to me that my back was somewhere in "bag limbo" .  Somewhere in a place far far away where no one could find it. GONE for the time being.

So here I am three days later, and no sign of my bag at all, nobody can seem to tell me anything.  On a direct flight from Atlanta to Flint, and Delta cannot seem to get my bag here that easily.  The flight is only one hour and fifteen minutes,  no stops, no nothing, the easiest flight in the world and they can not handle getting my fucking bag here.  It is tough, I had a lot of valuable shit in my bag.  Both money value and personal value, All my bestest expensive holiday clothes gone for now and my songwriting book lies in my missing bag that may or may not be returned someday.  Tons of lyrics and melodies that may be lost forever.  Boohoooohooo.  Delta, Help Me Out Here.

But I really think at some point my bag will come back to me.  I am going to try to force it back through positive thoughts and actions.  It is really hard because it seems like my worst nightmare, of losing my bag FOREVER is unfolding in front of my face, but I have to stay PoSITIVE, "it is out there somewhere, somewhere among people who may find it and call me and deliver it to me someday.  That will be a great day.  Until then I am going to stay positive, I am going to think of my bag returning, try to keep the negative from entering my brain.  It is not easy, this has never happened to me, nothing close to this in the travel department.  I will do my best to be Positively Patient.  A challenge not for the weak of heart.  Lets do this.  Let's bring that bag back! 

Good Song Attached, John Mayer-War of My Life.  Goes good, with the Mental war I am entering to get my lyrics and Jeans back!!! 

One Love, Tim  

This is a short video of a young child singing I'm Yours by Jason Mraz and doing a fine job of it, despite being like 3 years old.  He mumbles, but keep a good melody, despite the itch near his nose.    So check it outttttt.  Get ready to trip when you see this.

First off, don't be afraid or put off alone time.  Honestly, I had never been alone in my apartment so much in my life until now.  My fiance has a busy ass school schedule, which is great, she is pursuing and working hard at her own dreams as I am mine, However it takes up a lot of her time, therefore I get a chance for a lot of alone time, considering I am currently unemployed ;).  At first, being alone for long periods of time literally scared the shit out of me, like I had to wipe up and everything.  No not really, just a little humor for you.  I didn't really enjoy my time alone when she was gone at first, my whole life it seemed like I was always surrounded by someone else.  It was scary to me, I could hear the dead silence of the room, I could have turned the TV, but I don't watch the crap on that anymore.  As time passed, I read up on Jason Mraz's daily journal, and came across a few interesting "Secrets" that really made me feel I have to cherish the time I have alone, it is a great time to go deep in your own mind, and really find yourself and who you are. 

This is no lie, I can sit in my apartment for 15 minutes at a time or however long I feel appropriate in the dead silent and close my eyes trying to really relax and dig deep into my mind.  I try to just take in everything and be thankful for all that is around me.  The funny thing about it is it is entertaining, I really enjoy it, I find myself looking forward to times where I will be alone and get to experience this mental bliss again.  Now this does not mean I don't like spending time with my fiance, or I want more alone time, I just think it is important to be happy inside yourself first, this will lead to happiness for those around you.

Self happiness can go so far it is crazy.  With the wild world we live in, there is so much going on and so much to do that a lot of us don't find the time to sit down and really find ourselves, who we are, what we love, or even what we do not love.  A lot of us get caught up trying to be someone else, or imitate others, trust me I have been there.  There is a "Secret" I read that said, "Your body is a result of all your thoughts and feelings"  thinking about that it really makes sense.  My mind is closest to the most positive it has ever been, there is still tons of room for more but I feel really good about where I am at, family, friends, music.  At the same time, my body is in some of the best shape it has ever been too.  I honestly think, my body is a result of the good positive vibes that I'm catching.  It somehow helps me drag my ass to the gym every day and really take care of my self, this is who I am, this is my body, it deserves to look as good as it can.

So find time for yourself, discover yourself, find out who the real you is.  Also take care of your body, exercise, eat healthy, keep yourself looking good.  Two simple things that can lead to loads of awesomnessssnessnesss. I promise.  It is not easy however, I made it sound easy in the above paragraphs, you have to be dedicated, and stick with it, or else like anything else, it won't be as good as it can be, but once your there, you'll know, trust me, you'll know.   

chao, Tim

P.S. attached is the perfect song to play by an amazing artist.  It is live, if you really sit and listen to this song, and get into it, become part of the song, absorb the lyrics, watch your body fill with tingles.  Cool shit.

Ok ok, I Got a bit side tracked there.  The main point I am making today is how music can instantly fill a still, silent room with tones of structured noise, that is so pleasing to your ear.  In, my opinion we are all ingrained to be please by a simple tune and melodies.  I have seen babies dancing around when a song comes on.  It starts early, music is a crucial part of everyones life.  So I sat there in silence doing my breathing exercises and seconds I was strumming away and belting out a tune I had just written called All I Need, and I was so in the zone singing my song I realized, I myself just transformed this room with no noise, to the complete opposite really.  The best part about it is that is was not the TV and a cell phone or anything crap like that, it was me, breaking the silence. 

We all get so caught up in this world of technology that we really forget who we are.  Don't forget about yourself, love yourself, take care of yourself, make yourself feel the best you can at all times.  Why not, life is so short.  It really is.  Find out who you really are and what makes you "tick".  Don't spend your life doing something that you do not love.  I have seen friends go through this and it changes them to a completely different person.  They were caught up in a life they did not want to be living I could tell it was eating at the inside of them.  There are millions out there going through this same thing.  Sometimes, however you have to sacrifice what you love to do to make money in order to support a family, but always find time for YOURSELF, there is nothing wrong with that.  It's your life, so live it how you want to.

One Love, Tim

I do love the simplicity of sundays however, it never feels like there is anything important to get done on this day.  You can kind of float around with your mind at ease picking up random activities throughout the day.  It is nice, it is a nice day for sure.  Sunday can also be a day to catch up on any lost work.  I find it a good day to catch up on things that may have slipped your mind throughout the wildness that weekdays can bring.  I like to use sundays as a day to really go at my guitar and piano, maybe throw some vocal exercises in the mix too.  I always seem to have good practice days on sunday, most likely, because there is nothing else to do.  I used to watch the Detroit Lions, but they stink, I am in Atlanta now, and I sure am not going to be watch the Atlanta Falcons, cmon now.  I just relax and try to be productive!

My "secret" that I read today is perfect for a sunday.  It was a quote from BUDDHA himself that read "If a man's mind becomes pure, his surrounding will also become pure."  Perfect.  Sunday's seem simple and very pure.  Keeping a pure mind, is something that I have been practicing for a while now, and has really helped bring loads of positivity to my life.  I have never tried meditation, but it seems like something that could be very interesting, something that would be the ultimate mind clearing mechanism, maybe someday I will get around too it, maybe soon.  Meditation seems like it is a bit intimidating however, like it is one of those things you really have to go at and be very serious about, for sure a large commitment.  Try it.  Let's become meditators. 

Well the simplicity of my state of mind is making it more difficult to write this blog.  Have a simple sunday, but keep your mind fresh.  Stay lively, stay sharp, stay aware, and enjoy life.

One love, Tim

p.s.  This is the perfect sunday song that I attached, check it out.  Sure to bring you to some of your best childhood memories, back when we were untouchable.

-me

The reason of my rant today, is mostly how, also in my opinion, professional athletes have become somewhat of a joke. In the past year we have seen such stories as one athlete who electroshocked and killed many dogs, or another who shot himself in the leg at a night club.  Recently, we have encountered Tiger Woods' incident, the number 1 golfer in the world, where he crashed head-on into a tree practically in his front yard, causing $8000 in damage to his car, and is now being accused of having affairs with every girl in L.A.  Now I have hung out with some wild dudes in my day, but none managed do accomplish that one.  Smooth Tiger.  All these people I just talked about are world known athletes looked up to my millions all over the world, including many children.  Hmm.  Now I from a small town, but the married guy who is screwing every gal in town, is a bad guy, but we still seems to love all these guys I listed above, doesn't make sense.  It's like they go to jail for 2 years and are praised more when they are allowed back into the NFL, which is a whole other rant. ha

Then there is the steroids in baseball.  This one really pisses me off, not so much that certain players have been caught using them because I believe at one time steroids were in every clubhouse around the MLB.  The thing that really gets me is how they sit and lie about it until the grave when the whole world knows that they did.  A-rod, in my mind is not someone to be idolized, I want to get that off my chest.  He is a liar, a cheater, just a all around bad dude in my mind.  But we idolize him for some reasons I don't know, oh I guess he's a really good baseball player, and some gals think he has a cute butt.  So forget that he has used steroids damn near his whole career and then lied about it on national television to our faces, or that he was accused of tipping pitches to opponents.  For those who don't know, that means he was standing on second base letting the other teams hitter know what pitches were coming.  He wanted the other teams to catch up so he could have another chance to get up and hit a home run.  Who cares right?  He's a Yankee.

I think we as people have to really look at who we are choosing to be our role models before just putting them on a pedistal.  It is not just athletes, there is a lot of wierdness going on right now in the world of fame.  It is hard to write about, because I want to just go into every single story and pound my point in that some of these people should not be looked up to like they are, but it would take forever.  I don't want to trash all athletes or anything like that, most of them are in fact good people, who are proud to be an elite like they are, and they act like it.  But a few bad apples give a lot of them a bad name.

I understand shit happens, there are so many times I can recall doing something stupid that I should not have.  Who hasn't ?  But I do believe if you are man enough to make it to the spotlight and get yourself into a bad position by acting childish, you better be a man and admit it.  It makes me respect them so much less when they lie, and it comes out two weeks later that they were guilty.  Really, A-roid, you cousin' in the Dominican Republic was your source of steroids, I think that was Sammy Sosa's excuse too buddy.

My advice would be to be cautious when choosing role models, or someone to look up to.  Look beyond those who can just shoot a nice jumper.  Look for those who are really doing something good for the world and are legit, honest people.  Those are the ones we should praise.

One Love, Tim

Songwriting is one of those things that still amazes me on a daily basis.  Take yesterday for example, I wrote a song on the air plane on my way back to Atlanta from Michigan.  I sat there and stared and the blank page that my words would soon fill.  Then my imagination kicked in, the pen started moving at a rapid, sloppy pace, and the words started flowing out like the faucet you forgot to turn off.  Then I snaped out of the small zone that my mind is in and the page is full of words that I have created to make this song that I was writing.  It seems to be just seconds or minutes and the page is so busy compared to a short time before.

Songwriting is fun, its like having a small conversation with the paper you are writing on.  Another way I could put it is your making up a crazy, sweet story in your head, and kind of telling it to the paper, so you are very into it when you are writing because it is almost like interacting.  The best way for me to write a song is to go completely off the top of my head.  If I try to think things out too complexly, my mind will stall and I shall be just another victim of writers block.  Writers block is another crazy story, it just feels like everything that you put down on the paper is crap. Happens to everyone at some point. 

The best way to cure writers block is to do something that really inspires you.  A lot of times I will try to find the most beautiful place I can around me and just sit and really try to be thankful for everything I see.  This usually gets positive thoughts into my head, which is when I write my best stuff.  I have even wrote some sad ass songs when my mind is completely positive, crazy huh?  So if I could share any advice to writing a song, or writing anything really.  It would be to write of the top of your head, and try to to have your head in a good spot, by doing something inspiring.  Last but not least, write allllll the time!  Keeping the creative juices flowing and ready to use whenever you need them.  Those creative juices are very important!!! 

One Love, Tim

I have always been one to have a "role model" that I look up to.  I have went through a few different ones throughout my life depending on the situation or what I am really interested in at that time.  It started out when I was three years old, my first role model was John Elway, who was one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game of football, complete with the Denver Broncos full uniform with Elway's number seven.  I think every picture when I was three shows me in that uniform, I may have even slept in it. (no not really) Well maybe, I was only three.  Though I was young, there was a reason that I looked up to John Elway.  I liked his style of play, he was a true competitor, one who showed great respect for the game, while being a superstar at the same time.  That is hard to come by anymore  Plus he was a quarterback, the true athlete on the field.

No matter what the current situation of the looks of outside, it is great to be back in the comfort of close family members.  Family comes number 1 in my life, I think family time should be cherished, it is the people that you will know the best in your life.  People that will have your back no matter what the situation brings.  A families who stay close can get through anything together.  Trust me on that one.

If I had one good piece of advice I could give spread right now that deals with family and my personal experience, it would be to have FAMILY DINNERS as much as possible.  Dinner time seems to be a time that people can open up to each other and a lot can be learned about your fellow family members when your taking down some steak.  Another benefit of some dinner time shinannigans is that very important life lessons can be learned at the table or whatever your place of eats.  Take for example manners, you NEED to know good manners in life!  When your out on a date or eating a very important meal at some point, you don't want to look like Fred Flintstone right?  You should want to impress and make yourself look good.  Small things that people WILL notice.  My philosophy is to be nice and courteous to others as much as possible, while practicing good manners.  Feels good!

Ok so I guess I have one more tip or more like suggestion, since we are on the subject of being nice and courteous to others.  The things that I am telling you, I am not trying to be preachy or MAKE you do different things, I am just sharing experiences I have had and things that I do, that bring a lot of positive energy to my life, which is important.  So maybe you have heard the term of GRATITUDE, which is the quality of being grateful and thankful.  Since I really got into exploring this term about two or three months ago, I have really felt a change in my attitude.  I have been wondering around showing small acts of gratitude as much as I can.  My most practiced form of showing gratitude is to do something nice for someone, or lend someone a helping hand. For no reason really, just to make their life easier or their day better.  There are so many other forms of gratitude one can practice.

Jason Mraz is how I started to get into practicing gratitude.  His current tour is called the "Gratitude Cafe" tour.  He is a firm believer in the practice and how if can bring positive energy to yourself, and yes of course, to many people around you too.  So give it a whirl, see if you notice any changes.  It could be something that you really get into.  Who knows.

One Love , Tim

 p.s.  I have a few reggae feel tunes in the mix right now that I am writing, give me a few days and I'll show some samples.  Latttaaaaaa

  

Airports absolutely amaze me.  Everyone there running around frantically, all going somewhere.  Airports just keep going like the bunny, flights coming in and flights going out everyday of the year.  Who ever the magician is that coordinates planes and their routes, must have their head on straight if you know what I mean.  

It is so wild how you can jump on a plane in GA, where the weather in nice, and a hour and half later be in the North Pole, also knows as MI. ha I ran into a very nice lady while waiting for my delayed plane.  Had a very nice conversation with her.  It is so crazy how far I have come in the social world since a few years ago.  I never used to chat with anyone I did not know, now I am eager to find someone new to talk to and learn new things they may have bless me with.  Something that I dreaded, now I look forward too.  Crazy how things can change huh?  

So many people are afraid of change, but it is something that must be embraced.  In my opinion change is something very healthy for you mind.  I am always trying to do things different, or learn new things to keep my big ol' brain guessing, and most importantly, keeping my brain sharp.  So try this, tonight or tomorrow when you wake up, do something that you have never done before, or learn something you have never learned.  It can be something as simple as listing to a new genre of music, or saying hi to everyone you see.  However, I would recommend you to   CHALLENGE yourself, pickup guitar, or a new language, trust me you wont regret it.  Number one, your learning something that will benefit you in the future, and number two, you are increasing the amount of knowledge that will be yours forever.  No one can take that away from you.  Try something out, see what happens. (Captain says we are descending)...It makes you feel good about yourself to accomplish new things and to be able to further your ability, well does for me anyway.  

My guitar teacher, Peter Vogl, puts out videos on the internet, which are outstanding for those who are beginning to play guitar if it was something you were thinking about.  

Just click HERE and look for Peter Vogl on the home page, good stuff.

I have been instructed to turn off all electronics, including this applemachineism.

One Love, Tim

Here is a song called Fugitive from David Gray.  This dude does not get the props he deserves, he's got mad talent.

To learn more about Mraz and his eco-friendly lifestyle, including a daily journal(that I read), CLICK HERE 

Luckily, over the past two years I have learned some simple but valuable ways of distressing, to help me get through my day smoothly.  I feel it is an important issue to address, especially with the economy being in the pooper, it is hard to find people who are not stressed out these days.  Stress can do many negative things to the body if built up over periods of time.  So it needs to be relieved, and it can be, easily.  Different people have their different ways of distressing, some like yoga, or meditation.  Some people take a herbal approach, which would include the use of marijuana.  There are tons of different ways, ALL which should be explored in my mind.  I shall share my top distressors with you now............

 

Get your workout on. 

I fee this is the most beneficial way to relieve stress.  Somehow or someway it puts your mind in a different spot when finished.  It does not have to be anything rigorous, a nice jog, or walk through the park could be all it takes.  I have been working out once a day for a two and half years now, along with my mother who is a great partner.  I feel like I have to work out to get my day really started and keep my mind sharp.  My mother mentions to me often how a workout really helped her turn her head around on a stressful day.  So if you got some stresses, try to start a daily workout routine, and let the stress be gone!

Another important device for stress-be-gone like activity is a small book of of daily life tips, called "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne.  I received this as a going away present from my mom, and have kept up on it every day.  This is a small book, but powerful.  Daily pages that give words of encouragement and different ways to show gratitude.  Ultimately, keeping your head positive, and keeping the stresses out.  Try this out, perfect way to live positively, always practicing gratitude.

The final anti-stress mechanism I will share is to find a song with a super positive message.  Just sit and listen to the words and let them absorb into you as if you were a sponge.  This is one Natalie and I practice often.  I feel music can be so powerful in really effecting peoples lives in many ways. Growing up I had certain songs that really did good things for my mind no matter what the situation was.  Here, Bob Marley finds his way back into the conversation.  "Three Little Birds" is such a perfect song in so many ways, and can really put a positive spin on any negative situation.  So explore music past just the junk on the radio, it can really change the way one looks at life.

Now in no way am I trying to be a doctor of stress.  I am just sharing small "Secrets" that really have made positive impacts on my life, and I am sure can do the same for anyone.  So give 'em a whirl, let the positive in, keep the negative out!

One Love, Tim

So about two weeks ago my fiance turned to me and said, "You need to start a daily blog to keep your creative juices flowing all the time, and possibly attract some fans while your at it."  So I thought about it, almost got to actually doing it and then forgot about it.