i am Chris Barker

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Lately, I’ve been realizing more and more that it’s hard to get good advice. I don’t mean general rules to live by, but actual advice. More specifically about things business related. Truth be told, no one really knows my business like I do. So how would they know what needs to come next or what I should be working on?

I’ve stopped asking, and started doing whatever my gut says to do. I don’t think there is a wrong answer in most cases. As long as your creating something, making something new, putting yourself out there, how can it be wrong? If we learn from failures and successes then why not make it simple. I’ll continually challenge myself and my creativity.

If I (we are the barkers) come up with an idea we have to ask ourselves that question. Will this challenge us? Will we learn from this or is this something that we’re repeating? While someone may be able to help me answer that question, no one knows my company like I do. So the weight of knowing what to do next falls directly on me.

Time to assume responsibility for what you put out there. Stop looking for someone else to tell you what to do, and start doing what you feel like you should be doing.

It seems like all I hear anymore. People talking. Talking about what they’re plans are, what they would do if they had the time, or the money. What they want other people to start doing.

What happened to doing? I say do something, don’t just talk about it. Maybe talking about an idea is the first step to getting it done, but you’ll never get further than that first step if you don’t take a 2nd one.

I think people become intoxicated with their own ambition. Drunk on it. They find it grand to have these plans and audacious goals and ideas. All that’s fine, but if you’re using those as a crutch just because it sounds good in conversation, think about how much better it would feel to talk about what you’re DOING instead of what you want to do.

No one can do something for you. You have to make the decision to do something for yourself. Change the conversation from what you want to do, to what you are doing.

This morning my wife was talking to me about her best friend from when she was younger. He was a musician, and he was one of those people that was always good. Always honest. Always what a friend, or even a person in general should be. When he was 21 he passed due to liver failure and other complications from Leukemia.

When he first found out he had Leukemia he was being held at the hospital a lot. At the time though, his band had a rather large summer show to play. It was something he was excited about. He was opening for his mentors band. The hospital wanted him to stay. They didn’t want him to leave, they didn’t think it was safe or a good idea. But he pushed. He wasn’t going to let something like Leukemia stand in the way of his passion.

They released him for the day. He played the show with an IV in his arm the entire time. He was a drummer. There is no way that could have been easy. There was also no way that he wasn’t going to play that show.

If only we all could experience that kind of clarity. If he didn’t make an excuse, then how dare any of us? If you love something, do it.

It’s time to start being the person you want to be. No more excuses.