My dad brought home a drum set one day, and I fell in love..🥁
I played it until it broke—not from neglect, but from pure passion. When it died, I didn't stop. I found rhythm everywhere: schoolbooks, pillows, tabletops. My boom box became my teacher.
Here's what I learned early: Passion doesn't wait for perfect conditions.
In my late teens, I scraped together enough for my own kit. It was incomplete—barely any cymbals—but it was mine . And it was enough.
The worship teams didn't just sharpen my skills; they showed me that drumming was never just about the drums. It was about:
✨ Connecting with others
✨ Expressing something bigger than myself
✨ Growing through practice, not perfection
The truth? I didn't need that first kit to break to become a drummer. I was already one the moment I chose to keep going—not despite the obstacles, but independent of them.
Today, I drum because it brings me joy. The struggle was real, but it wasn't the price of admission. It was just part of the journey.
What are you already becoming, even before conditions are perfect? 🔥
🎨 The Art of You...
Do you believe in signs?
At the Las Vegas International Art Competition, my piece "Anticipate" took third place in mixed media. I was proud, but something felt incomplete.
At the Gala Premier, my friend Kat—a gifted intuitive—turned to me and said: "Mary is encouraging you to keep doing your art."
My late wife Mary.
Set Your Spirit Free
Here's what moved me: Not that I needed permission from beyond, but that the message confirmed what I already knew deep down.
Mary always saw my art more clearly than I did. Not just my paintings, but me —the way I move through the world, the experiences I collect, the person I'm becoming.
The real revelation? I am my greatest work in progress. Every choice, every relationship, every moment of courage or vulnerability—that's the masterpiece.
I don't create art to prove I'm an artist. I create because I am one, with or without external validation—earthly or otherwise.
What would you do if you already had all the permission you needed? ✨
🌱Growth..
My first cannabis grow taught me that abundance isn't accidental.
Before germinating a single seed, I studied: Low stress training, manifolding, yield optimization. I prepared intentionally because I wanted to succeed, not prove I could overcome failure.
My approach:
Time + Study + Observation + Application + Patience
Yes, there were mistakes. Some plants didn't make it. But failure wasn't a prerequisite for success—it was just feedback.
Here's what surprised me: The abundance came not from suffering through trial and error, but from respecting the process . When I stopped treating mistakes as necessary pain and started seeing them as data, everything shifted.
That tiny spark of intentionality taught me how to be abundant.
And abundance taught me something even better: I don't need to earn it through hardship. I can prepare for it, welcome it, and be grateful when it arrives.
Growth isn't about becoming someone who can "handle" success after proving yourself through struggle. It's about becoming someone who expects good things—and knows how to nurture them.
What would you cultivate if you believed abundance was your natural state? 🙏