Being Love

This past New Years Eve I was invited to eat at one of my friend’s house with friends and family. I have eaten there many times and enjoyed her mother’s wonderful cooking abilities on numerous occasions, but in the spirit of the moment, this meal seemed to be the best ever. At the end of the meal everyone around the large table raved about the meal asking how she does it. She confidently replied, “ I cook with love”. I felt my soul light up as if it jumped up within me saying, “did hear that? Love! I know Love! WE KNOW LOVE!” It made the evening that much more special to me. The recognition of love and its contribution to adding that extra cup of awesomeness to everything we do.

Isn’t it amazing how much better we can do things when we love what we do? The final product carries more than the physical aspects. It’s deep and extremely attractive to our souls.

Today I am going to choose to love the things I do. This does not mean I will fake my way through things I don’t enjoy, but find the happiness in the things I do and conduct those tasks with love.

Being love,

-mikeyp

The Tattoo That Got Me

I was on my seven-month journey around the world. Everyone asked before I had left, “Are you going on this trip to find yourself” and I would often shrug it off as a cliché. None-the-less, it was in New Zealand when books began jumping off the shelf at me, grabbing my attention to explore their insides. I was never a big reader growing up. My brother on the other hand could rip through Lord of The Rings in a weekend.  I remember one summer when my parents made me read 5 books. I read those five books in a week so I could spend the rest of the summer in my make-believe world that was conveniently located at our family cottage. 

As I began to read the self-enlightening books that managed to find me in New Zealand, I began to see the world though a new vision... a vision that I feel we are born with that somehow gets fogged up as we subscribe to societies standards on how to live life. When I wasn’t working the all-night shift at a local hotel, I would spend part of the day relaxing in Queenstown NZ. I would often set up shop at a cafe or park, reading or just observing people and my surroundings. I had a lot of time to reflect on the person I had made myself out to be, as well as what I thought others had made me out to be. I though about the restrictions I had set on myself to “fit the role”. To “do this” so I don’t appear “like that”. 

I had always wanted to get a tattoo. When I was 19, I got an abstracted Pisces symbol on the back of my leg. Just in the perfect spot where I could cover it up in case I needed too… what that really meant was; I put something that made me happy in a spot that I could hide it, in fear that I would be judged. What kind of way is that to live YOUR life? A statement like that really reveals the physical and internal masks we wear to please others. 

Since that first tattoo I had an interest in getting another one. While in Airlie Beach Australia (my next stop after New Zealand), an opportunity stood up right in my face. I found a nice tattoo parlor on my exploration of the small town and took time to pop in and review the samples of work. At that point I had no plan on getting any ink done. It wasn’t until the next morning when I was enjoying the beach from a park bench that I looked over and saw the tattoo parlor open up for the day. To this day I can’t explain the power that walked me into the shop for a second look. One of the employees asked if I needed help. I discussed with him an idea that I had been playing with the past couple years but was too afraid to get it. “How would it look in 10 years? What will people think if they don’t know me?” were questions that raced through my head. After talking with the artist for a while I went back to my backpack at the hostel and grabbed the Hard Rock Café shirt which was my inspiration for the tattoo. Two hours later I left that parlor bearing 3 words on my left forearm: LIVE.LOVE.ROCK.

For the next few days I felt like I was going crazy. My internal dialogue said, “This is sweet!” one minute and “Holy shit, what have I done” the next. After the mental abuse I put myself through I came to the conclusion to call my parents and tell them of my arms new addition. Surprisingly my mom was pretty stoked about the concept. My Dad even showed appreciation for my new artwork. I felt a huge relief and had a strong moment of self-realization: If you are truly passionate about something, your loved ones will always support you.  People will even admire you for the chances you take. An for those who supply you with their negative input… learn from them… they are just your stepping stones... simply there to serve their purpose in your life and theirs. 

As for my tattoo… I joke with friends that it got me. I have been bearing it for 492 days now and feel that I am only now truly beginning to understand it’s meaning. It’s not about 3 words identifying my being - because they don't. It’s the process. It’s the freedom to choose and move in a direction simply because it feels good. To Be Me.

Never let the identity others place on you control the person that you know is you. LIVE your life, LOVE everything you do, and always, always - ROCK it out.

-mikeyp

(The writing in the bottom right corner of my tattoo reads “No Regrets” which is our family motto)

Here We Go!

When I decided to start this blog, it came inspired by people who I look up to. People who share ideas and insight on pretty much anything with one common theme, love, happiness and self-realization. The first blog I got hooked on was Jason Mraz’s Freshness Factor Five Thousand. A blog that began back in 2007, years before he received his worldwide recognition he receives today. I have enjoyed following his ideas, concepts and point-of-view articles he shares on a more consistent level these days.

 

So as I thought to myself, okay, here goes my blog, I hit a blank space, empty and absent of ideas from where to begin. I began scanning through some other blogs in search of more inspiration of where to begin. I quickly stopped myself. These are my ideas, my thoughts that I want to share. For some reason I have an internal drive to begin this blog that I am yet to discover. So here it goes. This is the start of my conversation. It’s a conversation sent out to the mysteriously large Internet and vast universe, in hopes to create inner and outer dialogue for both you and me.