Heart/Passion

Pool story-
I remember sitting next to a champion player at dinner and into his 2nd drink, he turns and looks at me and says
"So you think you're gonna help pool, huh? I've been playing this game for 30 years, and you're not going to make a lick of difference."

I do not know what constitutes "making a difference" and exactly to what depth and breadth.

For some, money is the only viable means of measuring where one stacks up in the hierarchy.

For me, it's the message of your letter.

Well said Zphix!

-CP

Thanks for the warm reply Angel.

You're another great example of someone who embodies passion and heart.

:thumbup:

As for killing baby Hitler... I thought we were trying to get him into art school still.
 
Brain storming the world

LOL....Those dogs have the same look I used to
have when I'd say "No, honey, I haven't been
smokin pot". She never bought one word of what
I was selling.

Sorry for the hijack, carry on with killing baby Hitler :)

Were you brain storming your wife, O baby I am going to save the world single handed without violence :thumbup:
I will just send the poor misguided person to art school, that way they can just draw pictures of 6 million naked starving Jew's and bypass all the death camps.:thumbup:

Let me see I have a passion for Karate and the most violent person in history your going to send them to art school, make sense to me :thumbup:

I know a guy who duct taped a propane torch to his steering wheel ,that way he could smoke meth while driving down the road.
All was good until there was a slight turn in the road and caught himself on fire .
He is yelling to his friend to pour his beer on him to put the fire out that was sitting in the passenger seat .
The friend didn't pour his beer on him, and the guy that was on fire was mad and asked him why he didn't.
The guy said ( it was the last beer ) :speechless:
 
Going in, I have no idea how long this post could get. But, a lot of people are misinterpreting my use of heart/passion for the dictionary definition of these words. Things happen early on in your life that shape the direction your life takes - you learn lessons and make decisions long before you're even aware that you're making them.

As you age, your childhood innocence (read heart/passion) is replaced by logical thinking and a culture telling you that you need college to get a degree, and you need a degree to get a good job, and you need a good job to get a wife and kids and a nice house and that's the dream. Culture is selling you a dream and most people blindly follow it. I don't follow it.

When I was younger, I used to view my dad as a hero. Around 3 I started to notice his tendency to complain about time and money, etc. and I found myself missing out on my connections with him and so at a very young age I made the decision to not be like him. This is my WHY. This is where the core of who I am can be found. I enjoy teaching/coaching/and forming connections because I know what it's like to not have them. But, I wasn't old enough to commit these decisions to conscious memory so this became a program operating behind the scenes.

From there, as I got older I found myself drawn to helping people, and in high school I found myself drawn to psychology and therapy. Then I met my mentor (in London) and I was introduced to life coaching - Anthony Robbins at first, and then into the more spiritual (don't mistake this for religious) side of humanity. Through all my reading, studying, and searching in the field of life coaching I found common themes:

1) Your heart won't steer you wrong if you choose to listen to it. Children naturally do this.

2) Your passion generates the life your heart wants - the life that is most natural to you. Not the life you logically want. A good example would be Scott Lee - he travels around and teaches pool. He's immensely satisfied with his career choice and I bet many people would have told him that he's nuts for wanting to do that. But, his passion created the life he wanted naturally.

3) There are definite patterns and loops that people naturally fall into. Patterns and loops that I've been shown long before I'm ever exposed to them.

I live to change lives and inspire people. I was very much a person who couldn't believe in anything except what science has proven or can prove (like psychology) but along the way I decided to put my beliefs into something psychology can't prove. I no longer help people through scientific means but instead by spiritual ones which I now consider to be stronger than psychology.

The human brain is a vast and fun place when you know how to navigate, and now I view the naysayers as deprived souls who lost their passion along the way. They don't acknowledge anything is wrong and so can't reach their full potential. I have an amazing coach teaching me and I absolutely refuse to be anything less than what my full potential is in pool, martial arts, and life coaching.

I'm sure some people will relate to this, and I'm sure some will attempt to attack it. I just felt the need to write this.

Richard, I didn't need to read all this to realize you're not really serious about becoming a professional pool player. You want to be a pool player, then go play pool and quit pontificating on here.
 
Last edited:
Life is what it is sometimes

You act as if we all have a choice, sometimes we don't have as much choice as you might think, sometimes you do what you have to in order to eat, have a place to sleep and some self respect.

The self respect part can kind of take a back burner to the rest of it if you're hungry.
 
Last edited:
Whatever your passion is --- pool, art, stock trading --- whatever --- You will have to survive and thrive in the sub-culture associated with that field. Talent isn't enough. You have to navigate through the maze of that particular society.

So if you're perusing that whole 'follow your dream thing' ---- You'd better put your armor on and keep it on or you'll wind up in a small back room of some run-down place, cutting off your ear.

Life coaches don't tell you that part.
 
Richard, I didn't need to read all this to realize you're not really serious about becoming a professional pool player. You want to be a pool player, then go play pool and quit pontificating on here.

5482856.jpg
 
And look at what he accomplished before dying. You can't deny that he completely succeeded in making his vision a reality; it just turns out his vision was nothing short of pure evil.

Objectively speaking he's a good example of measuring how far your passion can take you. Realistically speaking he's evil and I'm glad he's dead.

lol I didn't expect that response. So, two good examples of following your Heart/Passion are Scott Lee and Hitler?
 
lol I didn't expect that response. So, two good examples of following your Heart/Passion are Scott Lee and Hitler?

Objectively speaking, yes. As is Abraham Lincoln to came from almost nothing and went on to be the President.

If you see heart/passion for what it is without assuming it's inherently good or bad then Hitler is one of the best examples it just turns out his passion resulted in the Holocaust. Make no mistake, I'm not sympathizing with him or his actions, I'm simply saying that he had a massive driving force to even make those actions a reality and that is a fantastic example.

Scott Lee is another, even if I don't necessarily get along with him. But, every day or at least much of the year he's doing what he loves to do. I guarantee he's happier than 95% of people.

Angel/ChicagoPlayer is another example of passion and heart. She loves pool, and she set out to document a movie about it. Simple but pure passion is what allowed her to travel the world and meet famous players. She's also happier than 95% of people.
 
Hm...........

^^^ I like it.

Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow developed the humanistic approach to therapy and the premise was that nobody is born evil or bad. Circumstances and situations cause people to adjust and adapt which may manifest itself as "evil" or "hateful."

I think Hitler just wanted to be famous. He certainly could have done that if he got into that art school ;) So, maybe it's not such a bad idea after all.

As for you BR, yes... they are all good examples. Pretty much anybody famous in history is there because they had immense passion. I'm glad you get the point.
 
^^^ I like it.

Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow developed the humanistic approach to therapy and the premise was that nobody is born evil or bad. Circumstances and situations cause people to adjust and adapt which may manifest itself as "evil" or "hateful."

I think Hitler just wanted to be famous. He certainly could have done that if he got into that art school ;) So, maybe it's not such a bad idea after all.

As for you BR, yes... they are all good examples. Pretty much anybody famous in history is there because they had immense passion. I'm glad you get the point.

Kylie Jenner is famous because her father is famous, and Kim made a sex tape. So where is her passion? Doesn't work for everyone...Some people are spoon-fed and not molded by society.
 
Kylie Jenner is famous because her father is famous, and Kim made a sex tape. So where is her passion? Doesn't work for everyone...Some people are spoon-fed and not molded by society.

This is easy. She had a passion for the D.

You are correct though, not everybody becomes famous through passion. Some people are born into it. I wasn't saying that everyone who is famous became that way exclusively through passion though. You raise a good point Kris.

Still though, Kim had passion for the D, I'd imagine, during that sex tape.

;) :grin: :nanner:
 
Hard to argue with much of this.

I think the issue is that there is a fine line between being free of the chains of conventional wisdom, and of throwing the baby out with the bath water.

The best example I can give is the research trip some psychologists took to South America. They were looking for a primitive tribe to see how they treated their clinically depressed and mentally unstable tribe members since they didn't have modern medicine. Unfortunately they didn't find out- because there weren't any. That's right. No one was clinically depressed. The researchers eventually concluded that this tribe had evolved naturally over thousands and thousands of years to get the exact lifestyle that best suited humans: Plenty of sunlight, healthy diet, lots of exercise, deep rooted community, strong spirituality, etc. Bottom line, they had life close to solved through a long gradual evolution.

Now in our society we have technology and we have resources and we no longer need to be 'oppressed' with the need to go fend for our food, or to toil in a field. The result? We live online and are sun deprived and have to go tan, we eat garbage and hire personal trainers, we live in our own boxes and spread out across the country with disposable marriages and friendships and make up for it with facebook likes and rep on poolroom forums, etc. It's so synthetic and we're more stressed than ever (or at least you get my point).

I agree with a lot of what you're saying. What I've come to learn, though, is that there is a reason that our culture evolved through thousands of years to act a certain way, do certain things, and believe certain principles. It's really easy to come along and say, 'pshaw, this isn't the best way to live' and start making big changes. Yet you have no idea the unforseen consequences of those changes.

Now I'm using the generic 'you', not aimed at you. I'm sure a lot of your life coaching is about helping people find that those things are important to them and finding ways to reintegrate those thematic needs into their life more directly, etc. And these days that is important. But frankly this notion that following your passion is a secret formula that no one thought of for thousands of years and is now going to enable a higher level of purpose and fulfillment...I just don't quite see it that way. The idea of putting your passions as the pinnacle of one's life can be dangerous, and in my opinion anytime one put's oneself at the center of ANY model it is destructive.

Look, I'm sure I am twisting some things you've said. I also agree with a lot of it. I can tell you're a bright guy, and that you are motivated by doing positive things that truly help people. Nothing wrong with any of that. In fact, I'd bet we'd have some good conversations if we were at the same poolhall, maybe even become friends. I'd just caution you from being too cocky. Trust me kid, I don't pretend I've got it figured out, but I promise you don't either. Tread softly. Be passionate. Take bold action. Lead on. Just don't think you've got it solved just yet. ;) It's all good bro.

This is one of the best posts I have read on here. Great points all around in my opinion.
 
There are a lot of good thoughts on here. Just remember that there are also a lot of things that create perspective through experience, and a lot of things that can't be understood without those experiences (think Robin William in "Good Will Hunting" here).

My perspective on a lot of things at the point of life Zphix is in have evolved considerably due to my life experiences, although I can guarantee you that I though I knew a lot more than I did then. Keep working toward your goals, just remember that you have a lot of life to experience yet that will form you and your opinions.

As a physical therapist, I am fortunate to work a job that I find continually challenging and stimulating while I get to legitimately help others on a daily basis, and I have always loved what I do. That being said, my wife and kids are my passion, my spiritual life is my foundation, and nothing pales in comparison. I would do whatever I had to do to make sure their needs are met, whether I had to do a job I didn't like or not. I would do it because I am the man, and that is the sacrifice I am willing to make for them without question. Fortunately, I haven't had to do anything like that, but I would personally pursue their needs, and my spirituality/religion (which is Christianity) over anything else. That doesn't always mean monetary needs as I sacrifice some of the money I could make to spend more time with them, but you get the point.

Prioritizing your passions first may be more important than aggressively pursuing your own personal passion. I get more joy out of the time with my family than I could ever get from anything else, and in having them, I accepted the responsibility to put them in front of me.

Of course, good planning and organization may allow you to have both. For some, that may very well mean going to college and doing the "so called" media bias we have identified. It certainly worked well for me.

I don't necessarily disagree with your statements, I just think they may be a little short sighted, and I don't particularly like the tone given to the traditional way of doing things, as if it is somehow wrong to do the college thing (Not that you are actually saying that, but it sounds that way). When I was 16, I thought man, if I knew when I was 14 what I know now. I thought the same thing when I was 18 about 16, and then 21 about 18. At that point in time, I realized that idea would never stop, and I had to leave room for the knowledge that was to come, or the knowledge already gained by others. I love your pursuit of what you do, but you speak with such conviction on some of these topics, that you sound like someone who feels they have figured it all out, and quite honestly, it comes across a little arrogant at times. I don't really think you mean to sound that way, but you may want to be aware of that, and may want to remain an open work in progress.
 
Hypothetical situation. You are living the dream, righteously rebelling against social conventions, which also happens to be the most fun and easy route to take. You are playing pool and enjoying life. You have no intentions of having a wife or kids, so you take advantage of every opportunity for casual sex with no real attachment. One such occasion causes you to get a girl pregnant, even when you were careful to use protection. The girl is a struggling waitress with barely enough money to survive on her own, and she's not the brightest person in the world. However, she insists on keeping the baby, and there's nothing you can do about it. Abortion and adoption are off the table. What do you do in this situation? Can you still stick to your life's philosophy that you should do what you are most passionate about? Or do you follow what's socially, morally, and ethically right in this situation, and accept your responsibility to your child?

The fact that you propose you have life figured out, is the exact reason why it's abundantly clear that you don't. Your stance is in fact the easiest and most common in today's age. It's much harder, and takes a much stronger person to actually follow social convention these days.

The point is, even if you think you have complete freedom, and you know how your life is going to turn out, you really have no idea. Until you can admit that, you really aren't as smart or enlightened as you think you are.

Going in, I have no idea how long this post could get. But, a lot of people are misinterpreting my use of heart/passion for the dictionary definition of these words. Things happen early on in your life that shape the direction your life takes - you learn lessons and make decisions long before you're even aware that you're making them.

As you age, your childhood innocence (read heart/passion) is replaced by logical thinking and a culture telling you that you need college to get a degree, and you need a degree to get a good job, and you need a good job to get a wife and kids and a nice house and that's the dream. Culture is selling you a dream and most people blindly follow it. I don't follow it.

When I was younger, I used to view my dad as a hero. Around 3 I started to notice his tendency to complain about time and money, etc. and I found myself missing out on my connections with him and so at a very young age I made the decision to not be like him. This is my WHY. This is where the core of who I am can be found. I enjoy teaching/coaching/and forming connections because I know what it's like to not have them. But, I wasn't old enough to commit these decisions to conscious memory so this became a program operating behind the scenes.

From there, as I got older I found myself drawn to helping people, and in high school I found myself drawn to psychology and therapy. Then I met my mentor (in London) and I was introduced to life coaching - Anthony Robbins at first, and then into the more spiritual (don't mistake this for religious) side of humanity. Through all my reading, studying, and searching in the field of life coaching I found common themes:

1) Your heart won't steer you wrong if you choose to listen to it. Children naturally do this.

2) Your passion generates the life your heart wants - the life that is most natural to you. Not the life you logically want. A good example would be Scott Lee - he travels around and teaches pool. He's immensely satisfied with his career choice and I bet many people would have told him that he's nuts for wanting to do that. But, his passion created the life he wanted naturally.

3) There are definite patterns and loops that people naturally fall into. Patterns and loops that I've been shown long before I'm ever exposed to them.

I live to change lives and inspire people. I was very much a person who couldn't believe in anything except what science has proven or can prove (like psychology) but along the way I decided to put my beliefs into something psychology can't prove. I no longer help people through scientific means but instead by spiritual ones which I now consider to be stronger than psychology.

The human brain is a vast and fun place when you know how to navigate, and now I view the naysayers as deprived souls who lost their passion along the way. They don't acknowledge anything is wrong and so can't reach their full potential. I have an amazing coach teaching me and I absolutely refuse to be anything less than what my full potential is in pool, martial arts, and life coaching.

I'm sure some people will relate to this, and I'm sure some will attempt to attack it. I just felt the need to write this.
 
Anyway, life coaching/ training/ life improvement. Whatever you want to call it is what I do. If you feel like you need to make improvements in your life then I might just be the person to talk to. If you're happy in your life then you have no need to talk to me about it.

I just got done with a very informative session with my mentor. Up until now I've tried to combat your arguments as to why I could or could not be considered a coach or not and I don't have to. If you don't think I'm certified then so be it, if you feel like I can help you then I will offer you every tool at my disposal to help.

That's that. I won't be arguing or debating anymore. Nobody will get me off this path.
 
Anyway, life coaching/ training/ life improvement. Whatever you want to call it is what I do. If you feel like you need to make improvements in your life then I might just be the person to talk to. If you're happy in your life then you have no need to talk to me about it.

I just got done with a very informative session with my mentor. Up until now I've tried to combat your arguments as to why I could or could not be considered a coach or not and I don't have to. If you don't think I'm certified then so be it, if you feel like I can help you then I will offer you every tool at my disposal to help.

That's that. I won't be arguing or debating anymore. Nobody will get me off this path.

You felt compelled to state your views and beliefs on a public forum, knowingly exposing it all to criticism. If you blindly disregard everyone's opinion simply because it conflicts with your own, instead of at least trying to see their viewpoint, why would you expect anyone else to be any more open-minded, and take your advice on how to live life?
 
You felt compelled to state your views and beliefs on a public forum, knowingly exposing it all to criticism. If you blindly disregard everyone's opinion simply because it conflicts with your own, instead of at least trying to see their viewpoint, why would you expect anyone else to be any more open-minded, and take your advice on how to live life?

Railbird99 Thank you for saying this. Life coaches? Do they charge money? Sounds like a scam to prey on someone's weakness.
 
Back
Top