This coming weekend, we will be hosting another gathering of the extraordinary and incredible. These people have been active together, in many different business and social aspects, for the last three to six months.
This morning, as I was looking forward to this gathering and reflecting on the 4th of July celebration — which celebrates our country’s independence — I realized almost every person on the guest list has claimed their own personal independence from the system in one way or another.
When I say “claimed independence,” it means they are free. Free to do what they feel is important and incredible. This feeling of freedom is as exhilarating as the fireworks finale on the 4th of July, except that it happens everyday. It is an adventure that has its own spontaneous combustion, everyday! No one knows how it is going to occur, or where it is going to come from, but what everyone does know, is that there are a few very important rules of the road.
For now, we call these rules the Extraordinary And Incredible Individuals Code:
1. Never follow the herd, because all you will do is step in someone else’s shit.
2. Claim your personal independence from any system or structure that does not serve you.
3. Do something everyday —sing, dance, write, paint, call a friend, the president, or the pope, and share something to reinforce your extraordinary and incredible self.
4. Show up today, everywhere, with a smile and compassion, for everyone in your path.
5. Share your thoughts and ideas with everyone, always, and frequently.
This Code will make a big difference for you. And as you can see, it is perfectly consistent with all of the principals of Chop Wood and Carry Water, just said in a different way.
So, as I was reflecting on both the Extraordinary And Incredible gathering and also on the 4th of July celebration, I was drawn to the beach where we where celebrating the holiday. I was watching all the young children —digging holes in the sand, surfing, skim boarding, just having so much fun, and I just couldn’t help but think about how important they are to humanity’s future. I thought, if I could tell them something what would that be? And then, with all of the warmth of a big hug, I realized that all we need to do is let them continue to play. Let them be their incredible and extraordinary selves, whoever and whatever that might be.
The systems and structures that we have in place today are legacy systems that need to be totally overhauled, so I asked myself again, what I would tell those children? I pondered for a second and realized that the code is the same whether you are 3 years old or 94 years old.
1. Never follow the herd, because all you will do is step in someone else’s shit.
2. Claim your personal independence from any system or structure that does not serve you.
3. Do something everyday —sing, dance, write, paint, call a friend, the president, or the pope, and share something to reinforce your extraordinary and incredible self.
4. Show up today, everywhere, with a smile and compassion, for everyone in your path.
5. Share your thoughts and ideas with everyone, always, and frequently.
I’m really looking forward to this weekend with a collection of individuals who are incredible and extraordinary. Watching the sparks fly, the artist sing, and the swirl of positive energy —that will be exhilarating. Really going to relish the fact that I am blessed to be able to watch those children at the beach grow up, and maybe even have the chance to share the code with them. I think they will get the idea of never following the herd (even the youngest ones!) because they won’t want to step in someone else’s shit.
Onward and upward —
AZ
