Y3E

So of all the virtues, qualities, and traits commonly associated with pursuing your dreams, why Everyday Earnest Effort? Why not some glorified old mainstay like strength, courage, faith or hope? Why not God given talent or ability? How bout heart, passion and desire?

Well here's the deal. Like many of us I too am fortunate enough to have inherited many of the aforementioned qualities. Ya see for much of my life I (like many of us) have had to muster up the strength and courage to get up each morning and face the days challenges. And ever since flingin papers, flippin burgers, and poundin nails I've had faith in that if I work hard good things will come my way. And yes, throughout all of it I've remained incurably hopeful that, well...you know, maybe someday. Because after all, I'm a pretty talented guy, and deep down I know that I (like many of us) have the ability to do whatever I set my mind to.

So ya see I have been blessed, I am gifted, but I gotta tell ya, these blessings, these gifts as precious as they may be, simply aren't enough when it comes down to the practicalities of pursuing your dreams. I can tell you from decades of experience that all the strength, courage, faith, and hope in the world cannot and will not make me a better drummer if I don't sit my ass down behind the kit and practice. And that talent and ability alone will only take ya so far. Heart, passion, and desire, hell I got truck loads. But again, I can assure you that without a daily dose of some good ol' 3E I might as well kiss my dreams and any other long term goals goodbye.

I can also tell you that since stickin with it, a host of other virtues have begun to come forward in an amazing show of support. Steve Chandler, in his book, Reinventing Yourself, writes, "Most of my life had been wasted waiting for faith and courage to show up, I thought it was something I needed up front, but come to find out I had the whole process reversed. Faith, confidence and courage only come later, they are the rewards, not the requirements for action."

In addition to being a rock hard "requirement," another reason 3E got the nod is because I'm a sucker for the underdog, and in many ways 3E epitomizes that. Author, scholar, and Zen philosopher Alan Watts used to say he hated the word "discipline" because it had so many negative connotations. Yet he also knew the key to fully mastering and enjoying any activity was in the discipline. The same goes for effort. I mean let's be honest, it's never been a fan favorite. Strength, desire, passion, these are typically the decorated players in personal growth and achievement; the "stars" of the show. 3E's not a show horse, it's a plow horse, and that as unfortunate as it may be, is rarely if ever looked upon as a star quality these days.

You might also be wonderin why we chose 3E over persistence, perseverance, and/or diligence. Determination and tenacity may also come to mind, and so they should. After all they too are plow horse type qualities. Yet if you think about it not only does each one imply a steady application of ongoing effort, but in order to be effective, requires it.

All in all there's a long list of reasons why we chose 3E to be our unofficial motto. It's from the heart and to the point, straight forward tried and true. It's pure and simple, black and white. Unmistakably down to earth, yet ultimately up to you. It's understandable, recognizable, easily accessible and definitely doable. It's joyful, painful, and at times quite a handful. It's low key, yet highly effective. It isn't about havin it or not havin it (i.e. faith, courage, strength, passion or talent). It's about rollin up your sleeves and doin it! It's not about ability, it's about accountability. It's slow yet steady, and like a good friend there whenever you're ready. It makes sense and costs nothing. In essence, it's everything. Or shall I say, more than you could ever possibly hope for. See ya next time. Till then, keeep it up.