Very Cool Life by Drew Rozell

Unsubscribe

Posted on May 20, 2013 · 1 Comment

It used to bother me when I'd see that someone unsubscribed to my e-mail list. Really bother me.

Especially when I knew the person…

I'd feel all tight, like, oh man, what did I do wrong?

You don't like me anymore? Oh shit! How do I get you to like me again?

Did I say something offensive?

Did what I write not make sense?

Do I know what I am doing anymore…?

(And certainly all of these thoughts feel bad because they are so misguided.)

But that was then…

Now, I just create what I want to create. And I share what I want to share.

If you like what I create, super! Welcome to the party. The keg's over by the picnic table. Cups are 2 bucks if you feel like contributing.

If you don't like what I create, oh well… I don't really, ummm, care. (This is doubly true for "helpful suggestions" I receive.)

Not caring feels too good, to free to ever go back. It's worth noting that I've not cared for a while now, and nothing has fallen apart. That's just a myth, albeit a powerful one.

So when I see someone unsubscribe now, there's none of that tightness. Quite the opposite, in fact. I feel the expansion of relief. The feeling reminds me of my old bartending days when I'd kick a drunk person out of the bar.

I hope you had fun, but it's time to go.

It's better for both of us. What I have to offer is not going to make you feel good, so give that stool up for the next person who's wanting to sit there.

Get home safe and be well.

Filed Under: Blog, Freedom ·

The 80/20 Rule for Drama

Posted on May 13, 2013 · 3 Comments

Had a thought talking to someone yesterday…

This woman was talking about drama in her life/business — emergencies, problems, an endless string of fires that need to be put out…

She was aware of it, she didn't like it, and she didn't seem to know what to do about it.

And in a flash, it occurred to me that a modified version of the 80/20 rule (80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes) can be applied to the amount of drama you experience in your life.

Here's how…

We all have stuff to do, right?

Well, a lot of drama seems to be borne out of unfinished business. Loose ends… Things completed 80% of the way before moving on to the next thing.

When you do something 80% of the way, of course, that leaves 20% unfinished.

And when you have lots of stuff 20% unfinished, not only is that going to occupy a lot of mind space, in some cases that unfinished 20% can come back to bite you in the ass (like paying your taxes, for example).

It's understandable why you move off a given task before finishing it completely. Again, we all have lots of stuff to do…

But there is no version of a very cool life that incorporates drama over an extended period of time.

Do complete work.

Tie up loose ends.

Do less, but do whatever you're doing completely, whether that's emptying the dishwasher or writing a book.

And see what you notice in terms of your level of ease in your daily life.

Filed Under: Blog, Ease ·

Come, Enjoy the View with Me…

Posted on May 7, 2013 · Leave a Comment

view from the hotel

I wanted to let you know that I am hosting my annual live event on June 21^st and 22^nd in beautiful Burlington Vermont.

Whenever I write Burlington, I reflexively preface it with “beautiful.”

I host my events there because I love visiting Burlington. Even though I am running an event, I always feel like I am on vacation when I’m there.

If you’ve never been, Burlington combines the relaxed, open Vermont vibe with the energy of a small city. Our hotel overlooks Lake Champlain, and the backdrop is the High Peaks of the Adirondack mountains. We’ll be there during the summer equinox (June 21^st-22^nd) so the days will be gloriously long with plenty of time for exploring this vibrant area.

My favorite time of day is the early evening, watching the sun set over the lake behind the mountains. It’s a magical view indeed, one I’d like to share with you. (If you can appreciate what I am saying, I posted more pictures on the website http://www.the4core.com/retreat/).

I will be hosting this year’s event with my wife Karin, and we’ll be showing people like us (small business owners and entrepreneurs who want a sweet business as a direct result of creating a very fun, attractive lifestyle) our view of how RELAX and attract what you most deeply desire. (Really, it’s supposed to be easy…)

Specifically, we’ll be sharing how to leverage the Law of Attraction to deliberately create more of what you want in what we call the 4 Core Relationships — Your Relationship with your Business, Your Relationship with Money, Your Relationship with Your Environments, and Your Relationship with Yourself. (You can see where you are currently in the regard by taking a quick assessment I created online here. )

We’ve been pioneering this work over the past several months with our clients, and I can tell you that what we love seeing really wonderful people creating the lives they really deserve. (I find few things more inspiring that transformations. It’s the same reason I love those renovation shows on TV!).

So we’d like to share some very cool ideas with you. With very cool people. In a very cool environment.

(You can read more about the specific description of what to expect on the registration page.)

The first step of leveraging the Law of Attraction is to follow what feels better to you. In other words, get out of your head, put aside all the reasons you “can’t” or “shouldn’t” join us and notice what your intuition is telling you…

If in reading any part of this (or seeing one of the photos), you find your energy expanding, then I hope you’ll allow yourself to follow that feeling and join us in beautiful Burlington. And if your energy contracts, then this is not for you.

If you're in the former group, I hope you'l allow yourself to make the time and space to say YES to yourself and let’s have an unforgettable experience together this summer.

Come take in the view with us.

You just might never see things the same way again.

(Book now, chill out, see you then. http://www.the4core.com/retreat/)

Filed Under: Blog, The Very Cool Life Code ·

Making Space for Fun

Posted on April 29, 2013 · 1 Comment

the boys from Syracuse on a hike. about to get a little lost shortly after this photo.

I hosted a gathering of friends from my grad school days this past weekend.

We met close to 20 years ago now…

Some drove many hours. Others flew.

But each of us showed up.

Everyone took time out of their busy lives, made arrangements with their wives and kids…

It would seem that the older you get (especially if you have children), the easier it is to get caught up in the never-ending commitment stream of being an adult.

There's always something to do. Something important, too. There's always a reason "not to…"

But as I sit here looking at this photo of me and my friends, and recall the amount of laughter in front of a campfire, shared over good food and many beers of varying quality, I hope you're in the habit of allowing yourself to say YES to potential fun in your life.

I am always surprised to hear that people don't always fare so well in making the space for fun in their lives. I've never really been wired that way, but it seems rather prevalent to me.

So here's a little reminder… FUN is the point of life.

Fun is not some reward that requires you to earn it.

Fun is the point of life.

You just have to make the space for it.

You have to say yes.

You have to show up to the party…

Filed Under: Blog, Connection, Ease, Freedom ·

Louis CK and Intuition.

Posted on April 25, 2013 · 2 Comments

Louis CK

Lately I've been letting go of the reins of my life more and more. Feels better and better.

The metaphor I often use is that I've lifted my paddle out of the water, and I'm just letting the current take me downstream. My job is to relax, enjoy, and occasionally drop paddle to navigate and avoid the rocks.

Most people think letting go is a passive process, but in my experience, it's far more active (just in a quieter, more mindful way), than all the bees buzzing around the hive, working and worrying in hopes of realizing their desires. When I look at what gets created around me, the very cool life that's materialized from this practice, I'm reminded that the "being" part of creating your desires is 95% of the formula, the "doing" is 5%.

Letting go requires you to pay fucking attention. Letting go requires you to go inward first, to notice what your intuition is telling you. Letting go requires you to make your decisions based on what feels better to you, right now. And that last part? Takes some balls, no doubt…

When you follow your intuition, one thought leads to the next thought. That's how it works. One thought at a time. Can't be rushed. Can't be figured out all at once. Just lift the paddle and float. See where you're led. And go from there.

Sure, there's uncertainty involved. You don't know exactly how you're going to get there. Or even what "there" looks like, exactly. In the face of this unknown (I like to think of it as adventure), most people cling to a plan they formulated to protect themselves against the feelings of uncertainty. Keeping with the metaphor, that's like being midstream in your kayak and hanging onto a big rock and trying to fight the current. Eventually, the current always wins. Save yourself the struggle and the burning arms. Let go.

So, this thought arose the other day…

"Why isn't there anyone like me doing a form of stand up, talking about the kind of practical stuff that makes your life better? I mean, sure, Wayne Dyer does those PBS specials, and they're nice and good… but there's no edge to them. He's speaking a different language to a different population.

Why am I not doing this? I could do this. I could make short stand up videos highlighting a concept I want to share. I think it could be fun to write some of these ideas out…"

My next thought was to study some stand up comics. Certainly that would be fun… Louis CK popped into my mind. I'd been loosely following him, admiring his groundbreaking business model. I thought maybe I'd look him up… And I moved on with my day.

An hour later I turned on the brilliant Howard Stern radio show. His guest?

Louis CK.

Even better, Louis was on promoting his new HBO stand up special. I set the DVR.

This is all falling into place, rather nicely, I thought.

I watched part of the show the other day (my wife wasn't into it, so we moved on), but I will finish it.

Watching him on stage, I thought, "I should get a microphone." More as a prop than anything else. But it would feel good in my hands and fit my vision. I went on Amazon, found a few, but bought nothing.

This morning I checked my e-mail and there was a message from a client I particularly love…

Subject: did anyone ever tell you…

…that you are a thin, handsome version of Louis CK?

…or even better, Louis CK is the heavier, not so handsome version of you?

that dude is hysterical on stand up.

I just revisited Amazon and bought the microphone.

Filed Under: Blog, Key #5: Act From Alignment, Key #6: Decide to Act "As If" ·