The Rule of 8%, Owning Thyself

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself."

— Friedrich Nietzsche

5:31 a.m., coffee is dark and luxurious, the fireplace is burning to my right, and I have a front-row seat to the sun rising, the sky is pink. Welcome to my morning word soup, where an aging white guy tells you what he's thinking. I do this daily, have been doing it for a few years, some like my word soup whilst others are angered by my messages.

But I don't mind those that are angered; they are spending energy on things that might be better directed for good.  I no longer get angry; I let go of that emotion long ago. I choose to love and embrace all that exists: the good, the bad, the ugly, the marginalized parts of our world. Anger is a wasted emotion.

I do have some fans, people that enjoy my soup. I like those folks, their feedback, input, corrections when I make a mistake; there are a lot of kind people in this world. I choose to lean into the kind folks and appreciate those that have less than a favorable view of myself and my work. I'm not for everyone, and neither are you.

I've written before about my 8% rule. I think that I'm a fit for about 8% of the population, the other 92% for various reasons don't connect with me or my views, and that is fine. Imagine walking into a room with 100 people; eight will fit your tribe, the other 92 will be lukewarm at best, but those eight, wow, those eight and yourself can change the world.

Can I share that this sunrise this morning is a gift? I mean something bigger than myself is giving me a show that is better than any movie; it's like a painting in action. I am writing a paragraph and then stopping and taking in this masterpiece.  Excuse me while I watch the sun make her first appearance.

If you don't know, I live in paradise with a Queen. I live on top of a mountain, I'm blessed, lucky and don't think I'll be leaving here any time soon. I am open to travel, but my Queen is on the cautious side, she makes our rules, I simply follow. Her Rule is not to get on a plane until the end of July; woe is me, I'm stuck with a beautiful woman on top of a mountain. Add me to the prayer chain, please.

My daughter gets married in August; we think the show will go on. She's marrying a brilliant young man, an architect like the lead character in the Fountain Head. What's that, you are not familiar with the Foutain Head, find it, read it, a great tale by Ayn Rand. I'm a little into objectivism. If you are not familiar with objectivism, it can be defined as the belief that certain things, especially moral truths, exist independently of human knowledge or perception of them.

I know, too deep for this early, but seriously, look into the concept; it has helped make me whom I am.  Who are you? Are you happy, sad, frustrated, or confused? Are you living your best life, or are you looking at others wanting to live their life? I don't know of another human with whom I'd trade places. I'm a wealthy man who gets up every morning, very early, and gets to live my life as I choose.  I make my schedule; I talk to those I want to speak with and reject that 92 % that are not in my tribe.

I'm selective in who gets my time, my treasure, and my mind. I'm not wealthy due to money, although I have a beautiful war chest, I'm wealthy due to my choices of living my life as I see fit. My decisions have led me to the top of the world, I am where I want to be, and I am with who I want to be with. I'm blessed, lucky, and fortunate.

I like to thank something bigger than myself for putting me in this position; I didn't do this alone, I have a Queen, I have a strong family and friends that support me to allow me the life we have created. I have three children, a grandchild, and have seeded the future with some amazing souls. My legacy will live on for generations; the best is yet to come.

I decided long ago to be myself, everyone else was taken, and I recommend you do the same. I am a student, a teacher, a preacher if you will, and someone that is leaving my mark on the world. I give of my treasure to others in need; I get great satisfaction helping others. Some in need, others are trying to impact our world, some just looking to make a transition. I help those that help themselves. 

This is me, this is who I am, and I often wonder who you are. Why in the world would you invest a single moment in reading these words? Why are you not matching this output, this is your input, where is your production?  What are you giving to others for free? This is a daily exercise for me; it's a gift; I often wonder about your offerings. What are you doing to help others, and do you deem this a gift or maybe a distraction?

I'm not for everyone, but I am for that 8 % of the population that can connect with my mind, body, and soul. I trust you are in my 8%, and if not, leave, get the hell out of here, we don't need your or your kind around. Oh, I'm sorry, I'm kidding, but seriously life is better when you realize you are not for everyone, and people won't like you, respect you, maybe even hate you. I'm enlightened to this world, and I look forward to cracking the code to the next world, my future existence, this is not my last rodeo, I'm merely positioning for what's next.

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself."

— Friedrich Nietzsche