America: No Refunds.

America: No Refunds.

By Sean Burton

Congratulations! Here is yet another piece of political propaganda to fill your social media news feeds. I apologize in advance for sinking to this level as I usually refuse to even associate with anything relating to politics due to the amount of bullshit it's full of and how ignorant the majority of people who discuss them are.

For some reason politics, religion and money topics of discussion can easily turn into seemingly well educated person into a moron without them even knowing it. But, in the spirit of the WWE gimmick election we Americans have found ourselves in, I figured I'd throw my 2 cents in the hat.

(For you Americans who think you can move to Canada due to yet another "bad candidate", remember this: 1. You won't be welcomed, 2. you say that every election and 3. For your 2 cents,  they don't use pennies in Canada anymore.)

Politicamania, Brother!

Can I just be real? This election is retarded. I don't believe anyone had portrayed it better than South Park did on their episode on voting way back when. The choice of candidates in the episode were between a Giant Douche and a Turd Sandwich. This election couldn't have been more gimmicky if Vince, Hogan, Russo, Bischoff and Flair all got together in the KayFabe room to plan this out.

And while we glue all of our senses to the TV (because if they said it on TV, it must be true. Right?) the rest of the entire world laughs at us. And not in a "Wow, that was a funny joke" laugh. More like a "Jesus Christ, are these people really being serious with this BS?"

My fellow Americans, it's time to wake the hell up. EVERY single election since the last decent president (JFK in my opinion. He was so good, he was shot for it) we ever had was, has and always WILL be between two horrible choices. This is the problem with democracy in our country. We have created our own divisions by thinking we MUST choose between two shit candidates.

What bothers me the most about this election are two major things:

1. There is a third party candidate that, in my opinion, is a lesser evil than the previous two. But no one will vote for him because he's neither a Republican nor a Democrat. He's the best of both parties and that's just not American. From birth, some of us are groomed to vote based SOLELY on party and not on candidate and it's the most idiotic thing we hear every election year.

2. Do people realize that the president barely does anything out of sign bills into law? You DO realize the Congress and the Senate are the real issues in our American political system right? Have you even heard of the System of Checks and Balances?  Every single election year, a horrible candidate may win, and all Face book and Twitter feeds are full of bullshit about "oh I'm gonna move to Canada if so and so wins" and it's pathetic.

I feel, every single election year, the majority of the American people become more and more ignorant. Every single election, the Antichrist is coming. Every single election, the end of the world is upon us. Every. Single. Election, we are going into a third world war.

Someone Skipped Gov/Eco in H.S.

I recently had a discussion with family about my aunt (who's Mexican) call my grandfather (another Mexican) an idiot due to his choice in candidate for this election. In her eyes, his vote would bring upon the destruction of American and martial law will come into play. He'll be another Hitler, blah blah blah.

Folks, the President is merely a rep for this Country and cannot do anything substantial without Congressional approval. In fact, the reason why NOTHING is being done in this nation is because Congress does NOTHING at all. These assholes don't have term limits, and no end to their expensive pension they get for the remainder of their life. They don't even have to read a bill to pass it to the Senate (Remember Obamacare? "Oh, we didn't read the bill. We just passed it")

Our presidents cannot maintain office for more than two terms, yet members of the Senate, Congress and House don't have term limits and they're the one's writing, interpreting, debating and passing bills to be signed into law by the president.

Our real issue lies within the house and the senate, not the president. And, honestly, if our issue really WAS a single person. Some crazy person would have shot them.  It's happened so many times in our past.

So, until your people who believe the president is some kind of pseudo emperor of the United States actually educate yourself and do a little research of your own instead of putting all of your eggs in the news channel basket, these type of " End of The World" elections will keep happening.

Seriously, knowledge has never been more accessible and, to me, it seems the population has never been more ignorant to it.

I don't get it.

The Great White North

Recently, I lived in Canada for almost a year for a change of pace. While I was enjoying the snow and the wit of the Canadian people, my heart was always in Texas. Let me break it down for you who think you can just run to Canada to avoid being an American.

1. They don't want you there. Canadians do not like Americans very much. (and honestly, who can blame them? From what they see on TV and having to deal with Northerners all the time, I can't blame them) While I was there, Prime Minister Trudeau made it his personal mission to bring a LOT of Syrian refugees to Canada to escape the dangers of their home country. It was voted, as it was his campaign promise. The people voted to make this happen and he, personally, met the first plane of Syrian refugee's in Toronto. Ask if the Canadians would vote to bring Americans into Canada and they'd laugh so hard at you they'd almost spill their Timmie's. You aren't welcome in Canada and for a few reasons.

• Canada is one of the most patriotic counties I've ever been to. Every single home had a flag on it. Every home, every toque, every shirt and damn near every car had some sort of reference to their country. They put Canadians first beyond many and, unfortunately, we aren't a priority on that list.
• You can't marry a Canadian and get citizenship, just like in the states. You have to go through the process just like the immigrants had to go through to get here in America.
• With a few minor details, Canada is a lot like America. They have their own political corruption. Their own corporate greed. And their own health care issues. You aren't leaving Hell for Heaven. You're trading a bad shoulder for a bad knee.

AmeriCAN'T

To be an American is a privilege. (and to be a Texas is a blessing). We are here by the mindless massacre of our native forefathers for the simple pillage of their property. Built on greed, dishonesty and disrespect. We've grown into a grand civilization whom, with the help of many different cultures and foreigners, have strive to become to greatest nation to be. And, sadly, we are.

Before us, it was Rome. And we're following Rome's path. A massive accomplishment of man, empires and prosperity built up only to be destroyed from the inside by the same means of it's own manifestation.

Our ignorance will be our downfall as a nation, but this is avoidable. We avoid it by educating ourselves and our children, not by blindly following what is only heard and not proven.

We do NOT avoid it by running. We do NOT avoid it by abandoning a ship that is not yet sinking. I believe the nation is, indeed, in dire straights. However, I also believe we were once the greatest nation and , with effort, we can return to that state of being. Life goes in cycles but don't always repeat itself.

I, personally, could give a shit less who you choose to cast your vote for and for whatever reason. I'm not voting and that's my right as an American. (However, once the vote for Texas to secede comes on the floor, you can bet your ass I'm standing in that line for a big Texas sized YES!)

At the end of the day, ignorance is how we lose. Ignorance is how we fall, because it is Ignorance that has lead us to our great divide.

Happy Election

Timing Was Everything

Through the eyes of David, we read ...

Every night, it takes a toll. Sometimes in large pay offs. Sometimes in tiny bits here and there. But every night, I go back to that exact moment in time.

The moment where, in my opinion, everything started to go to shit and, in a weird way, I created the storm myself.

It was in the time of my life that I felt I had everything to take on the world, as it came my way. I've broken free of such horrible chains that we find ourselves in each day. Whether it's insecurities, bad relationships or just fear over nothing, I was able to rid myself of that.

In fact, I had noticed, I was given more than what I was putting into my life. How is that?

I guess less really is more?

Fast forward a few months, and I feel the exact opposite. I feel as if, again, I'm riding the eye of this same exact storm I found myself in before.

Her timing had a lot to do with it.

By the amount of damage this person caused, you'd think she took a special interest in tearing me down as much as she could. Between the name calling, the attitude and the frustrations of my lack of forgetting what had happened, I would have thought she might have actually gotten pleasure out of being a bitch to me.

Even though the same blows aren't as hurtful as they once were, the old scars still tingle with every word she regurgitated that day and an oddly familiar feeling crept up my spine.

It's sickening to see what a human being can get used to isn't it?

However, beyond her harsh tongues, I'm still coasting along the eye of this storm. Billboards of potential regret greet me every few feet as I fly. Maybe I should have done things differently? Maybe I shouldn't be so insecure and actually ASK for help when I know I need it. Maybe I need to just fall in line like everybody else? Is it possible ..... was I .... wrong?

"Who am I doing this for? Who am I trying to save?" I think

I can't even save myself.

A blink of a eye, a clatter, a loud noise and back to my reality, I was. Confused, temporarily, yet very much familiar of my surrounds. A gleam of light, as the lighthouse in the middle of that exact storm, showed in the form of just what I needed to see and read in a message

How weird my world seems to work ...

Timing is everything.

Could do, Should do, Didn't do, Repeat.

Procrastination isn't a sign you're headed on the right path. It's a sign you aren't that serious about the path.

As it seems it's in our nature to be put off by the things we know we NEED to get it done. You know what I mean.

• The phone calls we should make
• The emails we should send
• The workouts we should get done
• The books we should read to get ahead

The list goes on and on. However, if we know we should take some sort of action towards the issue, then why are we so ignorant as to not follow through? Even though we know it would make all the different the future outcomes. Whether it's;

1. You getting the job you've applied for
2. You achieving the weight loss goals you set out to accomplish
3. You getting that promotion at work or not
4. You getting another date with that woman or that man that you're into

We say we want something. We post all the motivational bullshit all over our social media and proclaim to the Facebook masses that we're tired, we're done or that it's time for a change.

"New Year, New Me" kind of BS that people love to throw out there because it sounds awesome and it makes us feel like we're actually doing something.

I'm sorry to say, but words always fall short when action isn't there to follow up.

In short, YOU AREN'T SERIOUS ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT

You don't want to put in the work, read the books, have the conversations, or make the sacrifice to have what you claim you want.

So why is that ?

Because it's EASY

It's SO easy to make these claims, say all of this bullshit and post all the motivational banter on our social media  accounts for likes, praise and fake support. It feels good for a second, it makes us feel like we're actually doing something but, the outcome is always the same.

I look at progress, in a weird way, the same way I look at suicide. If it IS going to happen, it'll happen without all the bells, whistles and outcry for the attention.

Our success breathes, eats and moves in silence and when it comes, I do believe we would see a pattern change. We would see a lot less talk and a lot more outcome/result/action.

So I ask of you here; right here and now:

STOP TALKING AND START DOING

Let's stop talking, pretending, bullshitting and proclaiming to our fake social media outlets (Because let's be honest. Social Media is, for the most part, an ego stroke. People live for Likes and it's sad) and begin with action.

• Read those books
• Write those emails
• Make those phone calls
• Get to the gym
• Pay attention to what you have going on and act, don't let it go

It's hard to get ahead and, if you so happen to fall behind, it's twice as hard to get back to where you were and four times as hard to get ahead at that point.

We all have the same resources, we're all capable of the same thing. I believe the only difference between those who achieve their goals and those who repeat their mistakes are how closely they pay attention to themselves and what they're doing.

Stop Bullshitting Yourself

Cue the massively annoying and, unfortunately, catchy song that went viral not to long ago! And think about this,

" Why the fuck you lying?"

Why do we lie? Why do we feel it's better to lie than to tell the truth? At this point, y'all probably think,

"Why's this dude writing a piece on lying when he knows DAMN sure he lies to?"

I'll tell you this: You're right. I do lie. Everyone lies and this piece isn't about superiority, this is about explaining how I interpret the difference between lying and just regular bullshit.

Yes, I have lied and, unfortunately, it took me a few years, a few experience and a few downfalls to realize that lying can be essential at times, but no one has time for bullshit.

To me, a lie is a sign of prevention. This goes in one of two ways. Either:

1/ You're trying to avoid a conflict with someone or hurting someone's feelings

2. You're trying to save your own ass and avoid responsibility.

Now, we know the white lie. That lie we tell our grandparents to keep their spirits up or the lie we tell someone we care about to not discourage them or embarrass them. Is there room for that in our life?

Of course there is. Don't feel bad for not wanting to be an asshole. Remember, life must maintain a balance within itself and, as life goes, we will all come into a situation where a white lie isn't exactly a bad decision.

Then there's the other lie. What has been named, "Bullshit". This is the one that always gets us in trouble. People bullshit and they end up:

marrying the wrong person

maintaining a horrible relationship

maintain a horrible lifestyle

have to keep up with the bullshit until even they can't tell what's real and what's a lie

keep themselves on a path that isn't meant for them.

Just by looking at this comparison alone, we can see we DEFINITELY don't have a need for bullshit , nor do we have the time or the energy for it. Life can be just as exhausting, if not MORE exhausting, without the bullshit.

So why do we do it? Why do people bullshit? Let me give you an example,

Say you have a few friends from out of town and y'all barely keep in touch but find out you'll be in the same town at the same time? what happens next?

You get this text/FB message/phone call:

"Hey, we should hang out when you're in town!"

And what happens? the day comes, and nothing. And what happens next? You get this:

"Oh man, I must have missed you. My bad, I just got to busy. We will have to hangout next time."

Now, there are a few circumstances where this excuse is legit. Even though ALL excuses are bullshit, this sometimes can be legit. But if you KNOW this is an excuse, you got to call Bullshit and let me tell you why.

1/ No one's that busy. You just weren't a priority to them. Lets just be honest. Because if you WERE a priority to them, they would have made time for you come hell or high water. Whether if it was 10 minutes or 10 hours.

2. Why the hell would you say we should hangout when you had no intention of following through with it? Why bother? If you did it to sound nice or feel better about yourself, you FAILED. Now you just seem like an asshole and you sound like you're a bull-shitter.

Relationships are no different. Hell, I dare say, it's worse in a relationship because people have a tendency to do it all wrong in a relationship. Bullshit is at an all time high now when it comes to people in this generation and I don't know how they can do it. Speaking of generations, I'm going to pass on some wisdom to you that was given to me a while ago:

"If you have NO intention of getting married or, at least, marrying the person you're dating. DO NOT MOVE IN WITH THEM!!! Actually, don't even date them to begin with. What's the point of dating when you have no intention of taking it to a serious level? Are you casually dating? Oh? Do THEY know it's just casual? Of course they don't because if they did, they wouldn't take your ass seriously either"

People wear masks all the time. Especially on first dates, we know this. Why? Why the hell do we fake who we are in the beginning? I'll tell you why I think that is,

Because you're embarrassed, ashamed, or insecure of who you REALLY are so you hide until this person falls for you then, for some stupid reason, you think it's safe to be the REAL who and the person who fell for you is confused AF.

The relationship starts off as a lie. Then people will lie in a relationship to either keep it going when they KNOW they don't want to be with this person anymore. Or they've cheated and can't admit it. Why? This is why:

We're afraid

People are afraid. Afraid to admit they fucked up. Afraid to admit they can't stand you, your own bullshit, your baggage, the way you eat, or anything like that. It doesn't matter. So we lie.

And with every single lie, a fire builds inside you. Every lie is like throwing gasoline on it until, that fateful day, you explode and all this is all in the open.

When you could have done yourself, and your significant other, a favor and just been real. However, speaking of real, let's be real about this right here:

People SAY they want the truth, but don't have the courage to handle it, hear it, accept it or deal with it.

You want real, there it is right there. Everybody wants the truth, but no body can deliver it or handle it. So what do you do??

Here's what I did:

I dealt with bullshitting to myself and to others to a certain point when I simply told myself,

"To hell with this. I'm over it. Never again."

Don't bullshit yourself because you're the only one that suffers for it. People enter and leave your life and it's never just for no reason. Life's talking to you and every person you come across is a chance for you to grow as an individual. Where we are in life right now, it's no one's fault but our own as it was no one's choice that got us here but our own.

Don't keep being afraid of the truth. Be afraid of the bullshit. Be open to human interaction. Keep doing everything you can to remain true to who you are.

Stay away from the bullshit.

I love you,

Sean

Everything is going to be okay

In a weird turn of events, and I still find this so hard to believe , something amazing has happened.

I turned a street that was full of horrible memories and, somehow, I found happiness.

I found happiness in the most unlikely of places. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!!

Here's my observation on the how life works. Sometimes you don't get what you wanted, worked for or wished for. That's just the way life is. When this happens, you are left with two choices:

1. You give up

2. You don't.

Those of who you've known me or have read my work long enough to know where I like to stand on this choice, but in my opinion, if you choose Option 1, you've already fucked up.

I am sitting in a coffee shop I've found completely by accident, drinking the best tasting coffee I've had since I've been back in Texas, and a woman with a voice of silk is serenading me with the tune C'est Si Bon. I can't help but have the stupidest grin on my face while I look up toward the speakers to listen to her and ......

I'm happy.

What reason do I have to be this happy?! I literally have no place to live, barely any money, no real steady job to be considered,  and I'm 30! Shouldn't I have my life together at this point in time?!?!

I subtly answer that with this:

HELL NO!

I can answer this confidently, because it is moments like these that we learn what is REAL and what's FAKE.

REAL happiness is without a shit load on money, fame, social status, fast cars, massive houses, expensive jewelry, fine dining or in some tropical romantic get away.

It's right here. Right fucking now. In this moment when we have the LEAST that we've ever had but can still smile, laugh, enjoy and appreciate life. THIS IS REAL. This is legit.

Now, let me tell you what's fake.

Fake is trying to find happiness in: Money, material, possession, spouses, vacations, fast cars, expensive jewelry, social status, big houses, fine dining and in some tropical romantic getaway. That's you stroking yourself with your own ego and it's pitiful.  It's worthless.

Like I've said before, and I mean this:

YOU CANNOT GIVE, OR RECIEVE, WHAT YOU DON'T ALREADY HAVE

I literally live off of six things:

Caffeine, Working Out, Writing, Music,  Faith and Love.

With that, everything will be okay because I am going to have everything I need to make it okay.  This isn't bullshit. This isn't flash. This isn't another mundane motivational article.

This is me telling you that I love you, no matter where I am or where you are,

and this is me telling you everything is going to be okay, because it will.

Never give up and never settle.

I love you all,

Sean

The TexaCadien. One Texans journey to the Great White North

I can remember it so vividly.I was a business owner in San Antonio when President Obama was re-elected to office. Oh, the hate that followed. My Facebook feed was scattered, torn and battered with patriots who were ready to run for the Canadian border afterwards with prophetic propaganda about how it was the end of the United States as we knew it. The rest of it was filled with praise and rejoice. The democrats had won. But, when it comes to politics, the only one's who win are the politicians, but that's another story.

I was once given the opportunity to travel to the border and see, for myself, what Canada had to offer. Without a single hint of reluctance, I jumped at it. I made my way through the central east coast of the country in a car (30 hours, 3 days. It only ran $300 total for the entire trip. Pretty cheap in comparison to flight). I traveled without passport, so granted I was a bit anxious at the border going in. This was before I knew I could enter Canada with a birth certificate and an ID.

My first impression was ..

"This is it?"

I believe we are conditioned to believe the different parts of the world acts as a certain way or means and, unfortunately, we could not be any more ignorant. I'm amazed at the similarities of our countries and, of course, the major differences.

Canada is driving it's economy directly underground with the amount of taxes the citizens are subjected to. Of course, you can't escape the tax man and they serve a great purpose. The fact that the citizens are taken care of at the drop of a dime without being put into copious amounts of debt is reassuring. However, much like everything else, their social systems suffer from leaches and con artists galore. If you think the welfare problem is bad in the USA, you should see it there.

I believe the most interesting and, albeit, beneficial part of this trip was that I was the immigrant. I was the Mexican in Texas looking for work under the table to support myself. I've never had the reason to feel as a stranger in a not-so strange land. I felt as my grandfather did when he first came to America from Mexico. I guess the only major difference was I could find work incredibly easy. In fact, it was easier to find work in Canada than it was in Texas. ( I have an Associates degree, seven personal training certifications, and I've owned and operated my own business and I couldn't get anything beyond part time in Texas)

Apparently, Canadians don't want to work very much. They are either to lazy or they  want to get paid a lot for medial tasks. Whatever the cause, it benefited me and my employer greatly. I was grateful to work, but not every experience was great in itself. A lot of the citizens weren't fond of a Texan making his way around the job market collecting pay for jobs the citizens felt were beneath them. Some even  went as far as to NOT offer me the job because I was American. Others were a lot more open to the idea. I guess my skill of impersonation payed of as I quickly picked up a Canadian accent with ease. To the point where I had to show my I.D. just to prove I was actually born in Texas.

Of course, the ignorant stereotypes of being a Texan were just as prevalent in Canada as ours are regarding Canada in the states. I can't tell you how many times I was asked how many guns I owned or how did I like owning a horse. Regardless, I maintained my own personal character while assimilating myself with the culture. Granted, it wasn't difficult seeing as our countries are very much alike, however to earn a lot of respect from the people, I made an effort to become "Canadian" in a way.I was already a Hockey fan by that time, so that was easy. Tim Horton's coffee became the place for me and, I must say, it is the BEST coffee money can buy. (Seriously, you can't beat $1.70 for a medium cup of coffee that actually tastes amazing. Screw you Starbucks *aka 5 bucks*). It paid off nicely as I started to get a little more respect from the locals.

I find the funniest part of the trip was when I was reading a paper from Hamilton, ON. This particular issue had a full page spread of the paper bashing former PM Harper for his actions of appointing his cronies in office and , on the next page, a full two page spread of the paper basing Donald Trump citing him as " Everything that's wrong with America". Between that, the homeless, the  hippies, the trendsetters, all the people in Toronto (basically every major city in American and Europe rolled into one city), paying for gas by the Litre (that's how it's spelled there) and the people abusing the welfare system, I was reaching my fill.

I will say this, I found the French Canadians to be the most interesting and amusing group of individuals I met. They're really the Mexicans of Texas, in a way.

In the end, I had my fill of all the: Hockey Night in Canada, Don Cherry, Export A cigarettes, REAL Cuban cigars, Labatte 50, Beer Store antics and Canadian Tire I could endure. Time called for me to return to Texas, so I bid the Great White North  adieu

Regardless of the entire experience, I hope to go back and visit the rest of ON along with Quebec for more of the culture, to brush up more on my french, and to have some more Poutin. (awesome Canadian dish)

Until we meet again Canada,

The TexaCadien

Women VS Men: A Test of Strength, Patience and Understanding

Would you believe me if I told you the entire concept of this blog started with a single Facebook post? Don’t lie, you TOTALLY believe it because your life revolves around Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or whatever you use to take your mind off the real world.  The Title seems very obvious. Another mindless post about why men and women are different, some bigoted point of view from some guy who has no clue what they’re talking about or some other rant from another angry future crazy cat lady who’s fueling the feminism fire.

You’re wrong.

Here’s my observation. Men and Women are different, but equal. No one gender is superior to the other. We are all the same. We come from a man and a woman, our anatomy is similar and we all want the same thing. We want to be loved, desired, pursued, etc. etc. etc. The king CANNOT rule without his queen and the queen CANNOT rule without her king. That’s the truth. In fact, if you feel one gender is superior to the other, you’re part of what’s wrong with the world right now.

If you think otherwise, you should stop reading now and go back to your closed-minded world.

Into the fire

Sometimes strength comes to us whether we want it or not, and at a very young age. Some of us can say that we were born into the fire of life. Whether you’ve been raised in a broken home, with a parent or parents who were never around. When this happens, strength is all we know and all we could know.  We didn’t have a choice to take the easier road. Now, as this is a great quality to have, it’s purpose gets lost in translation as we grow up. We become so strong, that we don’t know anything else. We’ve become difficult to be around, be loved, or be understand and thus, we end up alone. By no means besides our very own.

“Is this a bad thing?” You may ask.

Look all over your social media. You’ll easily find someone who’s been through the worst hell of their life and now, all of a sudden, they’re prepared to accept being alone for the rest of their life. They erect massive psychological walls to keep the “bad people” out. They become more and more selfish, negative and miserable. Thus, in their effort to be as strong as possible; They’re the weakest they’ve ever been in their life.

Now, I ask you, “Is THAT a bad thing?”

Get Naked

Keep your pants on, I’m not talking about stripping. I’m talking about what it’s like to be TRULY naked. Vulnerable, no guard, no armour, no anything to protect you from the cruelties of the world except your spirit, your deep inner strength. THAT, my friends, is what strength is. And anybody to tell you otherwise, is wrong. Somewhere in our generation, we’ve been taught the exact opposite. We have guys wearing Uber tight T-shirts, big manly trucks or fast cars, tribal tattoos, flash money, buy expensive crap, talk up a good game, and always trying to “Prove” their masculinity and their value as a man to every person they meet when they’re just making a fool of themselves, for two reasons:

1.      They aren’t fooling anyone

2.      They’re trying to prove it to themselves, in all honesty.

Women are no different. Now days, Women will do anything they can to establish their value, EXCEPT accept themselves for who they are, how they look, what they’re about and so forth. Breast implants are getting bigger, as are ass implants. Botox, fake hair, push up bras, extra make up, plastic surgery. The list goes on and on and on. The funny thing is about this is that guys think they’re doing all of this work to make themselves more attractive to men.

News flash boys: THEY’RE NOT

They do that because they want to prove to every woman around them that they’re more beautiful, thus they think they have more value than the other women in the room. That has nothing to do with men whatsoever.

 Or, they go the opposite direction. They’re completely Anti-Everything I just mentioned and are the vain of a good man and woman’s existence. The Feminists. The women who want to make it perfectly clear to the opposite sex that they’re irrelevant to women, inferior to women and that women can do everything a man can do and they don’t need a man. I often wonder what really goes on inside their heads when they see a man and a woman who are actually good together. Happy as a team and thriving with each other in life.

Feminists, you’re not a symbol of strength. In Fact, you’re just the female version of the male bigots you so hate.

True strength, in my observation, is being able to be nothing BUT who you are. Naked and unafraid of what others will say/do. That is strength. The ability to say, “This is me. These are my faults. There are my strengths. What you see, is completely me. Unyielding, raw and real.” Because anybody can hide behind a mask of bullshit. It takes a strong individual to take that mask off and truly be themselves, no matter if things are going good or bad.

In God, do we trust?

I think it’s safe to assume religion has lost its fire in the last couple of decades as we are given more and more reasons to not follow it. Priests molesting children, cult fanatics, people killing in the name of Jesus, the list goes on and on. And I believe now, we find ourselves even further from God than ever. Divorces are at an all time high, people don’t take their oaths or vows seriously anymore and, it seems more so now, that society has become to accepting of this, “Do whatever, who cares” idea that, literally, leaves us without boundaries. Both personal and social.

Now, again, you may ask me, “well, is that a bad thing?”

Can you honestly say it’s not? No boundaries are a nice way to say Chaos. Pure Chaos. Whether it’s within yourself, your life or your group of friends. Does this work? Is there order out of chaos? Have you ever even seen it work??

The old souls will attest the way love and relationships are carried out by a lack of connection with God. That God is their source of strength and stamina when all seems bleak and hopeless in life. It gives you something more to believe in other than yourself. Something more to believe in that is BIGGER than yourself. I am in agreeance to a slight degree as I’m not a very religious person. I prefer the notion of:

Believing in yourself before anything.

Loving yourself, before anything.

Knowing yourself, before anything.

Because without you, there is nothing.

Is God’s love as representation of you loving yourself? Do you love yourself at all?

Let. It. Go.

Love is the BEST and absolute WORST thing that can ever happen to you. It can send you to the heavens with a single notion of it or it can make your life an absolute hell. And it’s part of life, so you can’t avoid it unless you become a hermit or move to some random place where you know no one and keep it that way. And the funny thing about love is that it comes in two different times in your life.

1.      When you’re NOT ready for it

2.      When you ARE ready for it.

It follows a pattern like this because we, are human beings, are idiots. We have every single resource to our fingertips, loads of advice from willing and unsolicited sources in friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, etc., yet we still need to touch the fire to see how bad it is going to burn us.

Again, Why?!?!

Because we’re morons, but we have to be morons to learn a very valuable lesson. The lesson is:

YOU MUST KNOW HOW HARD ROCK BOTTOM IS SO YOU’LL KNOW TO NEVER GO THERE AGAIN

Now, there is a part 2 to that first time love comes around, it comes around and you DIDN’T learn your lesson, so the same shit keeps happening to you again and again. We all know someone like this, and you probably can’t help thinking why they can’t seem to break this cycle. Because they didn’t learn their lesson. They didn’t accept it, they didn’t pay attention, or they just didn’t care.  However, that isn’t the worst thing that we can experience when it comes to love.

The worst thing we can experience is going through love when it doesn’t work, and NEVER trying again due to fear. Fear is the single more destructive thing in the human psyche and, much like cancer, it spreads to every single aspect of your life if not dealt with immediately. That’s how you see those crazy cat ladies and weirdo dudes who’ve had a taste of this emotion, it crippled them and now they’re forever emotionally handicapped. They’re scared, and for good reason, because love hurts like hell!!!

This pain is meant to sculpt and mold you into becoming the person you are meant to become. That’s Pain’s purpose in life. Pain molds you, teaches you, strengthens you and prepares you for the road ahead. Pain, for me, was the best/worst thing that has ever happened to me. However, Pain kills fear. Once you learn you’re not made of glass, life gets a lot easier.

Let go of whatever happened to you, because THAT’S strength. That’s what strength is; Letting go and moving on and not forgetting the lesson.

S.Y.S. aka Save Your Ship

This is going to be the hardest thing you’ve ever done in your life. You’re going to have to learn how to love yourself, for every reason that has nothing to do with a mate, money, or materiel. You need to know your self-worth, your own value and establish your own self-respect. If you don’t have any of this and are depending on someone else to help you find it, you’ve already fucked up.

Love is with unlimited potential, yet it comes with a serious price and it comes with boundaries. Far too many people have been caught in the web of love and have lost EVERYTHING, including themselves to this emotion. If you think love is everything and everything should be sacrificed for it, you’re sadly mistaken.

According to a few very strong women I’ve spoken to, you can love someone to the greatest degree, however, when you begin to sacrifice yourself, your values, your worth or your happiness, that’s when it’s no longer love. That’s when enough is enough.

You cannot save the world. You cannot force others to change and you cannot force yourself onto others to accept you. This is the rule of love. It comes swiftly, naturally and without force or resistance. We need to be the identifier in this situation, as we need to know if we’re dealing with Love or Lust. And now the difference between the two.

Your boundaries are a symbol of your self respect and self worth. Your confidence is a reflection of your value as a human being and, like I said before, all of this has NOTHING to do with a mate, money or material in this world. All of this begins and ends with you and only you. That’s why you must be #1 in your life. No one else, but you. You’re the ship that’s taking you in the direction you need to be. You won’t go far if you neglect the very thing carrying you in life, will you?

Love yourself first. Establish your value and never let it diminish. Know your boundaries and enforce them. Know yourself, so you don’t have to learn the hard way anymore. And in this process, you’re going to have to cut certain people out of your life. The leeches who cling to anything that can sustain them, the vermin who use and abuse you and the manipulators that will do or say anything to get what they want out of you. You’ve got to identify them and you MUST cut them out immediately.

Final Toast

Not all of this will stick to you, as like I said earlier, because we are morons and have to feel the fire to know if it’ll burn or not. We can’t save everyone and nor do we want to, but at this time, I’d like to leave you with this final thought for all of you.

To all the women who struggle with their identity and accepting of themselves. To you, whose hearts are so loving and full, may you find your happiness within you and may you be without the leeches, manipulators and vermin of mankind. Know that you are worth all the happiness you shall receive and to never settle for what you don’t deserve. Know that your looks are nice but it’s who you really are on the inside that keeps the love going. And Thank you for not giving into social pressures and bullshit banter of what a woman should or should not be, for you’re the only one who can decide that for yourself. To your strength, your love and your heart ladies.

To all the men who still open doors for women, give up the minor inconveniences to show chivalry isn’t completely lost. To the men trying to rewrite a woman’s history on men by his actions, not his words. To those who struggle with their identity as what a real man is, thank you for not caving into the social pressures of being an asshole. Thank you for being an example that other men can live by and thank you for keeping chivalry alive. To your strength, your patience and your understanding gentlemen.

Talk less, act more, keep your promises and, as always, be honest with yourself

And that’s food for the soul,

Sean

The Pseudochiatrist Is In

When having a pretty deep conversation with a friend, I was able to actually pull a few things away from it that I found relevant to a few things I have been dealing with recently. I think this is some Food for the Soul we can all enjoy.

1. Know Yourself. 

You are the guiding force in your own life and no one knows what direction you need to go in but you. Your body is a biological GPS and it WILL guide you to where you need to be.  As it's helpful to have advice from friends and family, at the end of the day, YOU have got to be satisfied with what YOU are doing and where YOU are going, no body else. Be honest with yourself. It'll save you a lot of trouble.

2. It's okay not to live up to societies standards.

We're the TV generation. We're raised on being told what a man is supposed to look like and what a woman is supposed to look like and all of that is just bullshit. We're not all meant to be models, millionaires or business people. We're human and we're meant to be just that. Not perfect. We aren't and we never will be. And that's okay. The things we do need: Love, Acceptance and Purpose, all come from within first, externally second. Remember that.

3. You won't know until you feel how hard rock bottom is. And it'll be the best thing that has ever happened to you.

This is a HUGE lesson I believe a lot of people missed growing up(and especially in their adult years) . We need to feel how hot the fire is so we know what we're dealing with. I believe this is the most important lesson in life. This is the moment that can make of break you.  This is the catalyst that creates the person you were meant to be. No one can save you , you got to want to save yourself. No one can help you, you got to want to help yourself.

And as always  .......

4. What are you really afraid of?

Ask yourself this and be honest.  What are you really afraid of in life?  Because unless it's directly in front you or happening to you,  there is nothing to be afraid of. 

Seriously, if I could workout, eat, play video games, travel and help people all over the world for a living, I would. Actually, I plan on doing it.

SeanB

Food and Drink. The International Language.

Now days you can purchase a device than can translate any language into your own and vice versa in seconds.  While that is helpful, especially when you're a certain super hero traveling all over the world being awesome, it lacks passion.  Such passion in the languages of love like French, Spanish or Italian being spoken in a weird robotic dialogue.

If you aren't rolling in mounds of cash to be able to purchase this, or don't have the patience to learn it, there is another way to communicate with passion. From ocean to ocean. The phrase is called "International Delicacies."

Food , and drink,  is a language of love.  A wide spoken verse that can bring men and women of all culture and background to the same table in harmony. I believe it does this with love "cooked" in your food, brewed in your coffee, and added to your desserts.

I can remember a time during my past relationship, my ex was making a specialty of hers (Her Italian was out of this world.  Next to her Greek) and I'm getting excited as the smell starts filling the kitchen, the wine starts to pour and the salads are being served.  The main course comes and, at first bite, everything changes. It didn't taste like anything! I've never had food that tasted like nothing!  She knew it was off by my reaction as I wasn't floating on cloud 9 holding my belly with a smile on my face.

Calmly, because you know you're in the danger zone when you begin to criticize the cooks food, I simply ask,  "are you alright? The food's off." (Because I'm that smooth)

After a conversation that was smooth as sandpaper dipped in honey and rolled in broken glass, we came to a mutual understanding, ate what we could, finished the wine and ordered a pizza with a B-movie night to follow. 

I believe to become well verse in this international language is to explore the world of delicacies. Try new foods, try different coffee blends, try new wines from different countries.  If you can't explore the land physically, use your taste buds. I also believe your cooking is a reflection of what's inside you.  Yes, fresh ingredients and a method does help, but it's the love inside you that will make your delicacies taste like that of an executive chef.

Bon appetite y'all

Sean

Paper Burns and Fire Dies

As children, I believe we all took those fairy tale stories our parents read to us a little to literally, but, then again, what did we know? right? How were we supposed to understand what we heard and believed was just that ... "Make believe"?

Unicorns and Prince Charmings don't really exist and, for those who are legitimately looking for a legit person in their life, it sucks. It sucks bad. It actually almost makes you want to elbow drop whoever came up with such bullshit. It lead us to believe that in our life, eventually, our fairy tale will come true. I think this is more for girls, as for guys it's more like "Where's my porn star hot ass wife who will never get fat, old or ugly?? * well, most guys at least. I say this because I was once like that. Sue me.*

Here's the truth, when our parents and grandparents were in the dating scene, there REALLY were such things as Unicorns and Prince Charmings. The Unicorn, or the perfect woman in a man's eye, and the Prince Charming, or the perfect man in a woman's eye, all walked amongst each other and married, actually stuck to their wedding vows and made a home for their children and all that fun stuff.

Now, fast forward a generation or two, and the dating world has slipped into a Post-Apoctalyptic pile of Brontosaurus shit * Enter Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park* and the previously mentioned mythological creatures are rarer than rare can get. In fact, they're so rare I heard big foot claimed he had photos of such bizzare mentions. Who knows, and who wants to argue with someone called big foot anyway.

But, as we do not have our mythological creatures, we have a new problem in our selfish generation of independent men and women and the leeches they support. We cannot seem to either stick to a single commitment, let alone a vow, and we can't seem to decipher what we want and what we need.

I've been through a little, so let me break this down for you. You have two people in your love life that you will run into. You have your fire, and you have your paper.

The paper is that individual you meet that, on paper *get it*, is the perfect ideal person for you to commit to. They have a great job, make great money, can take care of you, come from a great family, they seem like the "ideal" candidate for you to spend the rest of your life with. But, on paper, that's all they have. These are usually the type of person you marry for security because you don't make enough money, are tired of working or just a leech. The relationship lacks anything outside of conformity and acceptance of where you are. Don't be surprised if this one ends in a divorce *much like everyone's marriage now-days it seems*

The fire. The fire burns, yes it does. This person is the person you know is just trouble. No matter how you look at it, no matter what red flags come your way and no matter who you meet after, before or during. This person will constantly occupy your desires, your mind and ignite your senses into a flurry of roundhouse kicks and tequila shots. This is the person you desire and think of most while maintaining your mundane and melancholy existence with your paper match. They can't offer you as much as your paper, but they do more for your spirit than you paper would even conceive.

I believe it's our own personal duty, being in this selfish generation, to know who you are and what you want before you, unintentionally or not, ruin another persons life with your ignorance because here is a fact I'm gonna throw at you:

Unicorns DO indeed exist and they are rare. They are rare because some asshole bagged a unicorn, killed it and bragged about his exploits to his other asshole friends.

Prince Charmings DO exist and they are also rare because they fell for the wrong woman and she ruined him.


Whatever you seek, your Charming or your Unicorn, they will possess BOTH your passionate fires while maintaining your life on paper as well.

So I guess my final question is ....

Why settle?

Sean

Adios' San Antone

Heat beats down on the back on my neck, as if I owed it money for something, while the soothing sounds of George Straight and Willie serenade my senses as I see the city of San Antone in my rear view mirror. Slowly disappearing ever so slightly by the mile.

Adios good ol' San Antone. Until we meet again, happy trails to you.

I cruise through these familiar highways and streets being reminded of where I came from and what I've experienced during my short time here. Four years doesn't seem like a long time when you can remember, as if it was yesterday, you in your old car hitting the road, running your own business and  writing for a prestigious local magazine ( Shoutout to San Antonio's NFit Magazine).  But even though everything seems familiar, it seems, it couldn't be any more unfamiliar.

Things change, people grow up and/or apart, and energies move on.  During my time there, I felt as a stranger wondering around in a strange land. Familiar faces turned strangers, old friendships turned questionable, and, for some reason, I can't help but accept this.

Even though I'm long out of the reach of the 1604, I can't help but reflect a lot on myself and my idea of what friendship really is.

I've only shared this idea with one other friend who, at the time, was my best friend and, ironically, my ex. We both shared this belief that we could be the best of friends and maintain a connection, regardless of how often we communicated or saw each other. As time goes on, I've  shared this with another one of my friends, but this isn't exactly a common thing I'm finding.

But even as people I've known have changed, maybe it's not so much them, it's me. I've changed and I know I have. Things I've valued four years ago are so different now, I can't seem to ignore it. I once valued progression measured in attainable assets that I could put on a display, in a way. Whether it was where I lived, what I owned, what I accomplished, etc.  You get the picture.

Now, I find myself valuing anything that cannot be purchased or displayed. I value conversational depth, food for my soul, vibes and energy from the environments and people around me. I've even developed this idea of, "Get Something. Give Something." mentality where I find myself giving things to those who gave me something I have value in now. Whether it was precious pieces from my travels or acts of labour or work to help someone out with something.

The small crossroads of Junction grows nearer as I'm speeding down the highway at damn near 90mph. In a rush to get nowhere. And as the sun kisses the skies goodbye, I look back on those who were there when the dust settled when this huge life change happened. They know who they are, and even though I'm focused on the road, my thoughts are always with them, as are my prayers.

Loyalty is everything now. Friends, family, coworkers, opportunities, words, or anything else are nothing without loyalty behind them. I find loyalty to be the bitter pill of honesty. Everyone wants it, none can give it nor can they take it. Because who really wants to hear how badly one if ruining their life? I guess only those who want to change for the better.

Home is only 30 miles away at this point. Dusk hugs the horizon, the music is just right and I'm okay with it all. My opportunities are few, but I trust in the process of life. I have a few things in the works, and I know I'll be taken to the right road to where I need to be. Trust in the process of your life because if you're on the right path, you'll get to exactly where you need to be at the right time.

Don't let them try to satisfy you with just words and don't take anything at face value. Dig deeper because that's where the treasure is.


Sean