For me to explain what makes a good neighbor, I will have to go back in time to my childhood. 1970’s and 1980’s where the years when I was a child. I remember my summers very clearly back then.

I grew up in a great neighborhood where everyone knew everyone. At any given day or night we all would be gathered on someone back porch or sitting around a kitchen table. Doors were always open, like an old movie, everyone was saying hello and waving to one another. Kids were out playing, parents were helping each other with yard work and projects or just sitting around having drinks or cookouts every weekend.

Good neighbors were present, friendly, helpful and and extension of your family.

Fast forward to today. My wife and I purchased a home in a neighborhood that I remember as a great place to live and a perfect example of community togetherness.

Times sure have changed! I have three very good neighbors. I feel like I am a great neighbor. I’m always around and I’m always keeping watch. If you want to hang on the porch for a bourbon and cigar I’m always there. I hold on to the past pipe dream that people today will one day again get back to the way it used to be. But a pipe dream is all it really is. I’d love to see my neighbors all be a part of each others lives. Block parties, gatherings and get togethers, help when needed, and checking in occasionally to make sure all is ok. That’s a vision of good neighbors I have.

Will this ever become a reality? I’m not sure, as people today are more private and closed off to others. Kids are sheltered and people tend to mind their own business more than they offer a helping hand.

A great community starts with the people in the neighborhoods. We can not be great if we are not great neighbors.

I believe was I was trying to say was this:

A good neighbor is someone who is considerate, respectful, and friendly. They communicate openly, respect boundaries, and are willing to help when needed. Good neighbors also maintain their property well and keep noise levels down during later hours. Being a good neighbor involves being a positive presence in the community and fostering a sense of community and trust.

I tend to go off the rails with my posts and lose sight of the main objective.

I say around and thought about this one pretty hard. I dove deep into some foods. I looked at some destinations, I even considered some extreme adventures. However, after my day at work today, I’ve decided for the first time I should try and relax. I should take the same attitude as everyone else at the company and put in the minimum amount of time and put myself first instead of the business. So for the first time I am going to try and put myself first.

It won’t be easy, I need to try though. For my sanity’s sake I will make an attempt to stop worrying about what isn’t done, what needs to be done and who isn’t doing their part to help. I will do my best this week to take a step back and do my part in self care.

For the first time in my life, I actually do not feel in control anymore. It’s like I’m in a flat spin with the engines stalled out. The question now is will I be able to pull up?

So I will try for the first time to put me before all else! Until next time, happy reading friends.

There are many principles that define how I live. I find it important to take ownership of my actions and obligations. This is my principle of RESPONSIBILITY.

My next high valued principle is KINDNESS. I do my best to treat others with respect, empathy and compassion.

My INTEGRITY is what separates me from the rest of the crowd. Along with GRATITUDE. I find it important to be thankful and show appreciation for the positives in my life.

These principles are what helped build the foundation of my life. I am sure there are some others I could strum up, but for now, I am living a fulfilling and meaningful life due to the principles and values I live by.

A time when I felt out of place? I don’t think there has actually been a time, but more like an always. I don’t ever really feel like I fit in. As a younger child and even in my young adult years, I never really felt like I belonged anywhere. Yes, I managed to be a part of things, but I never truly felt like I was fully in with anyone.

I was a floater, never had friends who were my age. I either hung out with kids a few years younger than me, or a few years older than me. You can see the problem here.

As I became an adult and got into my career, you’d think things would change or get better. They didn’t. When I tried to hang with co-workers, I was always on the outside. Never really in the know and just another fixture in the crowd. When I did find a place I was accepted and belonged, it was short lived.

Today, running my own company, a company I built, a company I designed and a company I dreamt up pretty much my whole life, I’m just another figure in the building. My voice is not heard, I seemingly have zero control over anything and again, I am an outsider in my own creation.

Maybe some of us were never meant to fit in. Maybe being out of place is a way to keep society at bay and not allowing everyone to be on the same page. Maybe? Who really knows, this is just my opinion and feelings on the matter.

I don’t need to fit in anymore, I’m content with being the outsider and being then floater amongst people in my life. I don’t have to like it, but I do accept it. So for me, a time when I felt out of place, that’s been every day since I can remember ever trying to be a part of something.

There are so many ways hard work will give you a sense of fulfillment. First, however, you have to be a hard worker and you have to be willing to do everything and anything that your job requires.

If you are these things, then hard work fulfillment will bring a sense of accomplishment. Allowing you to achieve your goals gives a deep sense of satisfaction and pride.

Next, you get a greater sense of self-worth. By overcoming challenges and pushing your limits, you gain personal growth, which will help in confidence and work performance.

Being recognized for your hard work helps with self esteem. Just make sure you are being recognized for your hard work and not for your lack of work!

Having purpose and meaning in what you do will assist in bringing a sense of fulfillment to your life. I’ve had many jobs in my life and not every job was what I wanted or where I saw myself in years to come. However, during all those jobs, I found purpose in them and made the best of my time there.

The resilience and determination required for hard work will make you feel empowered and capable. This is perseverance! Perseverance leads to success.

Knowing that your efforts make a difference, whether in your own life or for others, can be incredibly fulfilling. This is the impact you have in your job.

Ultimately, hard work can lead to a sense of accomplishment and purpose, which are key drivers of fulfillment. None of course matter if the only hard work you are doing is avoiding the job at hand!

Wow, it’s hard to image life without music. My life is super emotional and every little thing effects me. My mood, my feelings, my attitude they’re all different based on the music I’m listening to.

Music finds a way to remind us of the past and the present… it’s a way to reconnect with a thought a way to reconnect with the good and the bad.

Music can slow life down and help relax, but in the same sense it can hype me up and get me ready for the worse scenario life can throw at me.

A smile, a tear, a tingle up the spine, they’re all feelings we get through music. Without music, I’d cease to exist, music keeps me real and never lets me forget how there’s a lyric for everything I’ve been through.