as I prosper . com

I’m oddly feeling cluttered. Most people would look at my life and say I create a great deal with very little. But today feels like a great day to Feng Shui my life.

aaahhhhhh…..

So, I Googled, “Feng Shui Your Life,” because sometimes looking for what I want brings me exactly what I want. Today, it led me to a book of the same title by someone I’ve never heard of and thus, cannot vouch for. Her offer sounds just like everyone else. Design an ideal life using ancient principles.

But that’s not what I want. What I want today, just might not exist. I want a professional organizer who can come in and wrap up loose ends. I’ve begun a fair amount of things this year that I’m just not going to finish. Last year I came up with the idea of creating a clearinghouse for all the stuff I won’t get to. List ideas and sell them on a sliding scale up front with a piece of the back end.

Honestly, I get swamped with viable concepts that eventually end up in the hands of other creative people, only its years after they hit me. If I were able to organize and present all these ideas in a way that people looking for ideas could access them, we’d all be rich and the world would be a better place sooner than later.

But today, I’m after something completely different. I’m interested in achieving idea-cleanliness. Not from a meditative standpoint. More from a digital office space perspective. I understand the process behind securing and training an effective virtual assistant.

I need more like a virtual legal secretary. One who knows all the stuff an attorney knows, who can work remotely, can complete on multiple projects, and wipe my slate clean on all the stuff I’ve started and genuinely will not get to.

I will pay this person $100,000 to clean my life out in the month of October. This means finding buyers and completing sales for intellectual property, completing registration for patents, and donating useful materials for social change.

In addition, I’ll give them a $39,000 budget to bring a physical Feng Shui artist in to complete the energetic job on a physical level. Zen in my space at all levels. Worth any price. Seriously.

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This is a tough post to write. Mostly because I carry a little embarrassment that yes, I pledged a fraternity in my first year of college. I think the shame is mutual. I am not in touch with any of the guys from the house, and it would appear that none of those hundred or so guys is anywhere near Facebook.

What are the odds?

a place to call house

When I look at why I feel shame, I don’t know if its because my intentions for joining were so out of alignment with my life now? Or maybe it was a 180° departure from my persona in High School. In truth, the house was a bunch of pretty good guys.

There was an ethic of self-development and ridiculous fun, campus civics and community service, all of which I’m drawn toward today. So it must have stemmed with me. There were two primary reasons I rushed greek. Boobs and beer. Plain and simple.

Oddly, it came with a lot more.

something like that

Another thing I’m ashamed to admit to is a little more recent. I’ve been reliving these days watching Greek on hulu. I call it a guilty pleasure. I’m removing the guilt and naming it what it is. A pleasure.

It’s taking me back to the era of brotherhood and pledging, paddles and formals, pins and traditions, keg stands and council meetings. We were famous for an annual Mai Tai Mixer. As pledge class social chair, I can say we rocked that event.

Greek Week was memorable, coming in second that year. I caught grief all year from the actives on my choice of women, who were generally from outside the Greek System, until I stopped caring what they said and met a Harley Gang’s Preacher’s daughter (who I swear is part of the inspiration for Sons of Anarchy).

I remember Hell Week and the time my Dad outlasted me at a House Party. I remember grinding with my Big Brother’s date and getting hazed for a month. Or living in the house all Summer, paying double dues, going active and thinking, “This is it?”

I remember the Greek alphabet to this day. I remember it twice as fast holding a lit match upside down.

There was night after night of playing quarters instead of completing lab assignments. Maybe I’m ashamed because I went from a 3.7 on an Academic track in High School to a 0.09 in College. Or because I discovered publicly my aversion to alcohol. One night I handcuffed a naked girl to my dorm room bed and asked my Little Brother to grab my laundry, giving neither of them any warning. I probably should not have been surprised when she broke up with me and started dating him.

I guess its my behavior in those rugged first months of college that I associate with that environment. In the past I’ve looked at myself as a product of my surroundings. I’ve been less willing to take responsibility, so living with that feeling of a thin film of taint across my college past was easy.

But, in the spirit of all the other cleaning up my side of the street that has taken place in this game, I am starting by giving the alumni club from my house $38,000, and a full, $100k to the active house. I’ll disperse the money evenly and over time so that it can reach maximum impact and dictate that a minimum of 20% must go to the National Charity as well as local community service projects.

And with that, I send a giant check to the brothers of my college fraternity knowing that I claim my side of our mutual experience and I appreciate the opportunity to support the potential of fine young men growing up to be the best possible versions of themselves, warts and all.

Hell Week might be the best possible thing for some men. And although I’ve often called it the second best mistake I ever made, I genuinely believe that supporting it in a healthy way now can offer some structure and support to someone who needs that level of connection, guidance, even family at that stage in their lives.

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What? I must have lost my mind! I can’t believe I’m doing this.

Woah-mantic

It occurred to me that I might have a chance of getting past my stuckness on weddings if I pay for one. And, I’m not quite at the point of paying for one for me. So, some lucky couple gets to get their dream funded in my game. For some people, a $137,000 wedding is not a big deal.

For some other people, that’s a fortune. I want to work with them, the people who will feel grateful. Not because I want them to thank me. I’ll do it anonymously, because I want it to mean something to them.

Doing the research on this post, I found two sources for information on the history behind modern wedding ceremonies. Those who want your money, and those who want your happiness. Get this, Tiffany invented the engagement ring. Before the early 1900’s, an engagement was based on a man’s word. Simple as that.

Also, communities came together in support of a union. There was very little in the way of an industry around it all. That’s so, 20th century. Families saved for, and arranged unions that put their families in good standing. And the advent of free will, marrying for love, and equal rights have added a whole new flavor to the concept of union, some positive, each with costs.

Here’s what a wedding planner told me we could do for this couple with this budget.

• 2 nights for 2 families at a fancy winery,
• rehearsal dinner,
• ceremony,
• reception,
• after-party, and
• post-wedding day brunch

The quality planners don’t quote a fee. They’re smart, they establish your budget up front and build on top of that. So, if you know a quality couple who could use a donated ceremony, I could use to support a couple in the creation of their dream life of commitment.

Looking for some creative inspiration? These folks didn’t just get on their knees, they went all out. Extreme proposals.

Point of interest, google wedding and most of the search results come up with the word “dream” attached.  I fell asleep twice while writing this post. I need to infuse a little more excitement into this topic for myself. Perhaps helping a young couple in love will light the fire for me.

If you know a deserving candidate, yourself included, pop a note in the comment box about why you should have a $137,000 ceremony budget for your wedding. Hint: I’m looking for people who make it about the other person. Can you do that?

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