“The average man is a conformist, accepting miseries and disasters with the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain.”
― Colin Wilson

Don't be a cow in the rain

I do talk about following your ideas and passions at all costs. However, it might be that your passion is really what you're naturally good at in the first place.

If you're a young person (or even 37 like me) and wondering what you want to do in life -- a good place to start is: figuring out what you're really good at. When you do what comes naturally (and get paid for it) you can develop intense passion, pretty quickly.

This is your baseline. Your launch pad. You don't want work a job you dislike, while envisioning your dream job. Your starting point should compound your strengths, and be a valuable learning experience.

Whatever you do, do not work or tolerate a job that you do not not like. Older people -- even your peers might suggest that crappy jobs and bosses are "learning experiences" or "paying your dues". If you don''t suffer though it, you "lack commitment". You might even tell yourself the same nonsense.

Those are nothing more than deeply ingrained social conventions that people have suggested and repeated for so long -- that everybody actually believes them. There's an enormous marketplace out there and good people want you to work for, or with them. Life is about growth. Your baseline employment should allow you to grow.

“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.”
― Albert Einstein

If you plateau, do something else

If you find your true passion early on (as I did), and you intend to stick with it forever, you can begin to work on the different nuances of your job. In my case, it was: how can I present myself as the most attractive option for a guitar teacher?

Once I took care of the personal development aspects needed to become the best version of myself possible -- I later branched out into other revenue streams to compound my strengths with Intellimusica.

However, if you seek something beyond your baseline of natural talents -- you can turn on a dime and do something else. Most of the successful people I know had an alternate plan for their life. You wouldn't believe the amount of people who have a degree in one thing, yet what they're doing for a living 10 years later, is way off course from the original plan. You probably know a few yourself.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back, Rashard Mendenhall found himself in a quandary. While he loved football, and felt privileged to be in the NFL, he was at odds with the NFL experience. Although you're paid a few million dollars, you have no autonomy. Your every action, on and off the field, is scrutinized because you represent the city in which you play and the NFL shield.

So, at the age of 26, in the prime of his career, he retired. Upon his retirement, he posted this article on The Huffington Post. It's a mighty good read -- especially if you need inspiration for a total 180 degree career change.

Choosing to pursue writing as his new career choice, and just a few months after retirement, Rashard Mendenhall is now a writer on the upcoming HBO series, Ballers.

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How to play Cool Kids for classical guitar

I am astonished at Echosmith's sonic/pop mastery -- even at their obvious young age. I listened to the album, and it's clearly poised for multiple hits. As someone who teaches young people, I like the clean nature of the band too. The more talented you are, the less you have to rely on gimmicks and shock value to create signal through the noise.

Cool Kids was an opportunity to catch an R&B vibe on the nylon string guitar. I'm not comparing myself to John Mayer, but I sometimes use his performance at the Michael Jackson memorial as a guide when I attempt pop song arrangements. With Cool Kids I wanted to stay rhythmically "in the pocket" rather than my typical loose Santaolalla-esque performances.

Cool Kids (for classical guitar) is easy to play. While okay for beginners, intermediate guitar players should find quick success with this arrangement. The guitar tab is spread across only pages, and it's one of the better looking tabs I've ever drawn up. It may seem crazy, but I'm 100% obsessed with how my guitar tabs look. I seek samurai-level perfection.

Enjoy, the tab is available below: