After multiple requests over on Facebook, I wrote a list of 25 things about me.
Here it is:
1. I shutter to think where I’d be were it not for my captivatingly
beautiful and righteous babe of a wife Jill. Likely dead. I’m not
kidding.
2. I’m on career number 2 and will likely have at least one more if things go as I hope. Don’t even ask how many jobs I’ve held.
3. I LOVE skiing. I’ve gone once in the last 20+ years. Hope I can change that someday. Soon if possible.
4. My kids amaze me though I wish I could engage with them more. It’s one of several goals for this year.
5. Other goals? Get around friends more – individually and as a family.
Date my wife regularly. Write consistently, finish my book and start at
least one more.
6. Yes, I’m writing a book that’s taken me way too long to finish.
Entitled “Why I Failed in the Music Business (and how to NOT follow in
my footsteps), it’s about the business things I’ve learned since
leaving the music industry. Specifically, the critical skills and
concepts that are NEVER taught to artists, musicians, dancers and
actors. Which explains why most of them will starve.
7. I became a Christian at the age of 22 through playing in a bar band
and basically living with a girl – as you can guess, it’s a rather long
story.
8. The short version is I ended up in church on Easter Sunday and my
life changed – inside. I’m still working on the outside, just like
everyone else.
9. Anyone that tells you Christianity is about perfection and not sinning is lying.
10. Same thing if they tell you it’s boring and only for weak, stupid people.
11. I’ve found following Christ to be an unending adventure full of
battles, defeats, joys and victories. It’s about war. Literally.
12. You may now think I’m nuts. Read the book Wild At Heart.
13. Wild At Heart, by John Eldredge, changed my life as a man. Better
said, it revealed my deepest, groaning desires to live as a man by
validating those desires. Up until that point, I had said they were
wrong and/or I was unable to live them. They are not wrong. I work
everyday to live them.
14. I find the more I live these desires – specifically to live as a
man full of strength, passion and faith (not just “lofty” spiritual
faith, but tangible “life is about changing things for the better”
faith) – the more I move mountains. Imagine that.
15. I also find that living this way frees my wife and kids to live fully alive too.
16. My favorite quote is: “The glory of God is man fully alive” written by St. Irenaeus nearly 2000 years ago.
17. There isn’t a finer explanation of the reason I’m here. Or you. God
requires something of us and it’s the biggest most exciting challenge
ever made. See #11 for more.
18. My second favorite quote is from Howard Thurman: “Don’t ask what
the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do that because
what the world needs is people who have come alive.” That’s why I
believe I’ll have yet another career.
19. Career number three? It took me about 40 years to realize that I am
an encourager and teacher. I thought I was a drummer. I thought I was
provider for my family. A number of other things. Leaving the music
business and entering the workforce put me on the fast track of
personal and professional development and in the process uncovered a
passion for seeing people succeed. Over time I’ve realized that this is
what I want to do. All I have to do now is believe I can, and believe I
can while providing for my family.
20. I realized two weeks ago that even as a drummer, my passion was
always to encourage. Anyone who’s played with me knows how I inevitably
throw something in to say “you’re not having enough fun yet!”
21. My wife and I almost divorced around the 7 year mark. For a couple
that refused to even speak that word it was a devastating blow. We’ll
celebrate 23 years together in 11 days. I never criticize those that
are divorced. Never. However, to those considering it I say in no
uncertain terms, fight your guts out to fix your marriage.
Marriage is the most difficult work on earth and we shouldn’t be
surprised that it is. All life and stability comes out of marriages. Is
it right of us to think their supposed to just “be” happy and secure?
And that doesn’t even take into account the fact that it involves two
people actually living together everyday.
In the same place.
Sharing stuff!
My advice? Get married. Work your guts out to make it a passionate,
deeply engaged, “we’ll work through everything and anything in this
adventure called life together” relationship. Amaze your friends and
family. Give God the glory.
22. If you haven’t guessed by now, I think men should be men and we don’t have nearly enough.
23. Conversely, I think women should be women. Which brings up the fact
that I am borderline hopelessly captivated by women. Fortunately the
leading person in this category is the aforementioned live saving,
captivatingly beautiful and righteous babe of a wife Jill. That
doesn’t, however, mean that I am immune to all the other babes. I wish
it did. Thus the borderline. I’m committed to living on the correct
side of the border.
24. I have a Grammy, an Academy of Country Music award and the Highest
Achievement Award from the Dale Carnegie course. Of the three, the
Carnegie award means the most ’cause I use what I learned every day. I
became a Carnegie Facilitator last year.
25. It deeply hurts me to see people living despondent, “it’s okay”, “I guess this is all there is”, miserable lives.
There’s more!
Easily attained? No. Requiring work? Yes. Hard, personal,
sometimes frustratingly discouraging work? Yes again. Guaranteed
success work? No, though my experiences would suggest that you’ll gain
more than you thought anyway.
So, as an encourager (see #19), I leave you with this. Live fully alive, we need you.
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