She's as bright as they come, but she doesn't let that get in the way of her desire to roll up her sleeves and get her hands dirty.  This woman is a bona fide globe-trotter, and I don't mean a tourist.  She'll trade dinner on the rooftops of Paris for the slums of Peru any day- it's all about making a mark for her.  Thankfully, it's a mark of goodwill.  Still, as altruistic as she is, her truest allegiance is to the will of her heart and the plans in her mind; and you can either get with the program or get left behind.

  As you can imagine, the prospect alone of talking to her is nearly as nerve-wracking as the actual action.  And as can be expected from a backbone like mine, for all the years that I've known her, I've been intimidated to say the least.

  That is, until today.  No, today was a different story.  Today, I told myself I was no longer going to be rattled in her presence.  I was no longer going to aim to please her outside of gentlemanly consideration.  I was going to have the confidence to simply be myself, and treat her as my equal and as my friend.

  And you know what?  It worked.  It actually worked.  Any anxiety I may have had over interacting with her is out the window- and even after all these years all it took was a few words and the few seconds to process them.

  I would say that this is the only time this has ever happened to me, but it's not.

  While I was working on my current record, I found myself falling into a funk.  I was creatively stifled, anxious, frustrated, and depressed.  I wanted so badly for this project to be perfect, and for my performance to be perfect.  This meant re-tracking, editing, over and over again just so I could call it "not good enough", throw it away and start the process over.  To make things even more difficult, the more I worked at the project, the worse I got and the worse it got.

  So, thanks to my creative partner Cory Alexander; who's mental endurance, kindness, and ability to deal with me know no bounds; I was able to just say to myself- "Forget about getting it perfect.  Forget about getting it exactly how you hear it in your head.  Don't worry about hitting the right notes, and worry even less about hitting the wrong ones.  Just.  Have.  Fun."  And with that, I started to enjoy working on the project again.  I started to be fulfilled by it again.  I started to have fun again, and quite honestly, I can't tell you what a difference it has made and will make on the outcome of the record.

  The point of all of this is to stress the power of having the right mindset and sending yourself the right messages.  For better or worse, nothing and no one leaves a bigger impact on who you are and how you perform more than your own psyche; and for better or worse, nothing and no one leaves a bigger impact on your psyche than you.

  It's like that old adage says, "whether you think you can or you can't, you're probably right."

  Personally, I'm definitely feeling like I can these days.

  When I was in high school, for the longest time I didn't have a cell phone, and it was actually something I sort of took pride in.  I used MySpace primarily for music at first, and didn't really want to jump into another social network called Facebook.

  Oddly enough however, I'm also the kind of person that once I'm into something, I'M INTO IT.

  I not only have a cell phone now, I have a Droid, of all things- which I can't not look at for more than three minutes a time.  

  I've sort of phased out MySpace, but I've got Facebook and Twitter accounts which I'm getting more and more dedicated to every day.

  Of course, I'm also now one of a bajillion "bloggers" out there who's sense of self-importance has grown so vast that I think anyone actually cares what I have to say outside of 140 characters, if even that.

However, while giving my eyes a rest from tiny jet black text against a glaring screen, I was able to give some thought to the nature of such technological advancements, and whether or not they're actually as great as they seem.

  Really, technology and these social network applications, are meant to make our lives easier and keep us more connected; which, in all honesty, they do.

  For those with long commutes, it's considerably easier to make that trip in a car than it would be to walk, especially in peak weather conditions.  

  Also, I have to admit that I talk to more people, have learned more about people, and can express myself more easily than I have or could have without things like Facebook, Tumblr, etc.

  Still, I cannot honestly say that all of this technology has made my life BETTER.

  Easier, yes, but better?  I don't really think so.

  If anything, it's made me even more neurotic and ego-centric than I already was.  

  If I "like" somebody's status and include some "witty" comment  along with it and they don't reply in less than 2 minutes, I suddenly think they hate me.

  Maybe they don't hate me.  Maybe they're just actually out living life while I'm refreshing my browser every 15 seconds to see if there's any more "news" in my Live Feed.

  In addition, technology has also bolstered my already-great capacity for laziness and impatience.

  I could be "starving" but dammit, if my meal can't be defrosted and ready to serve on a microwave-safe plate in 30 seconds, or doesn't come in a paper bag with two golden arches on the side of it, I'm just not going to eat.

  Furthermore, my mind has to be stimulated constantly.  If I'm not reading or writing something on the computer, I'm watching T.V., or playing a video game, or drumming with my hands on a table top, or thinking of a song or a story idea, or anything really.  I don't know how to just "be."  I don't know how to relax and take it easy.

  Already while writing this blog, I've gone and distracted myself with a handful of other websites for no good reason other than the fact that I wasn't actually typing something in that moment.

  The quality of my life has not truly improved as a result of technology.

  The quality of my relationships actually has a negative correlation to the extent that which those relationships are cultivated online.  My strongest friendships are those in which I have spent and continue to spend actual physical time with the people in them.

  Also, while it is easier to get things done, because I can do so much more, the value of what I do diminishes.

  For example, let's say you have three dollars, and that's it.  Each one of those dollars now has incredible value to you.  If you lose one, that's roughly 33% of all of your resources gone.  Now, if you had 3 MILLION dollars, the value of each individual dollar is relatively obsolete.  

  Making the trek from the Spanish coast to the American coast is not the venture it once was.

  Getting in shape is not nearly as fulfilling and character building as it can be when you can just sit on the couch and watch Leno while a giant waistband sends electric shocks through your abs.  

  I don't appreciate a good steak as much as I would have if I had been the one to track, hunt down, take the life of, cut open, prepare, and cook the cow from which it came from.

  I could go on and on, but the point of the whole thing is that while technological advances make life simpler and quicker, it doesn't necessarily make our lives really any better or more significant.  Anything we do that is of any merit or accomplishment, is gonna take time; and it's gonna take work.  

  Wether it's a marriage, or a business proposal, it can be simple, but it won't be easy.  But if you can understand that, if you can fall in love with that notion, it can be incredible.

  Now I'm not trying to tell you to let go of all of your possessions and go live off in the woods somewhere, God knows I'm not going to- I'm no Thoreau.  I'm simply trying to suggest that you take technology for what it's worth and only use it to enhance or assist in your life- not BE your life.

  To serve as some examples, here's some ideas on how to help reduce the role technology plays in your life:

-No texting at the dinner table.  Or any table.  And unless you're in the car, take that damn thing off of your ear, you look like a yuppie cyborg.  If it's important, they'll call back.  And really, unless you have good reason to assume any call or text or BBM you get as being an emergency or in need of swift response, just try to enjoy the company that you are in.  When you talk to and spend time with the people whose physical vicinity you are in, some crazy, wonderful, and all-around memorable stuff can happen.

-Walk.  Anywhere.  It really doesn't matter where, just do it.  If you can just walk to one location and back ONCE a week; the environment, traffic, your peace of mind, and your cardiovascular system will thank you.

-Pay with cash.  I know, I know.  I'm dying to know about Julia Roberts' secret life, and who the ten best and worst beach bodies of the summer belong to also; but when you are actually watching dollars and cents leave your hand, you REALLY have to think about whether or not STAR magazine is worth 50% of your hourly wage.

-Write a letter.  You have no idea how much just getting something other than bills, credit card offers, and a Penny Saver in the mail can change somebody's life.  Most movies these days aren't worth waiting for, but a handwritten note in a paper envelope- worth every second.

-If you must use some form of texting or instant messaging, please do your best to refrain from using "lol" at the end of every message.  If you say something, mean it.  Just wait and see the response you get from sending "I love you lol" versus "I love you."  Whether it's love, hate, contempt, joy, sadness, or whatever, the things you say convey an emotion you feel towards someone or something, and "lol" just makes whatever you're saying a joke.  Trust that you and your conversational partner are big enough to not have to tip-toe around every facet of your lives.

-Take a break.  Don't always be so accessible.  Set parameters for yourself and for how and when people can get a hold of you.  It instantly gives talking with you more value, as well as gives the impression that you have something better to do- not to mention the time to actually have something better to do.

I'm making these suggestions to you not because they're things that I do, but because they're things that I DON'T do but I SHOULD.  I know I'm not the only one utterly wrapped up in the world wide web, and so I hope that by following these tips or taking something from this post as food for thought, we can all meet each other on the outside- literally.

2. When you wash your hands, it's not about the heat of the water but rather the quality of the scrub.

3. When it comes to love, be bold- no man or woman ever left a sucker standing in the rain.

4. Do not confuse the expression "Treat others as you'd like to be treated" with "Treat others as they treat you."

5. It's not until you give your integrity a price that it becomes valueless.

6. Learn how to change your own oil- and I mean that literally and figuratively.

7. Any good idea at 3 a.m. is a bad idea at any other time of day.  

8. Never trust anyone who is stingy with their money but frivolous with their soul.

9. Take it easy with the boozing once in a while- the things you can't remember are just as dangerous as the things you can't forget.

10.  Recognize now that the secret to this whole life thing isn't playing the right notes- it's playing the notes right.  Unfortunately, you won't know how until you've played them wrong. 

  However, the true spoils of the journey came once I turned and faced the grandness behind me.  Miles and miles, both vertical and horizontal, of trees, rock, and unadulterated beauty surrounded the world below us.  My cousin remarked, "Pretty cool huh?" with the easygoing tranquility of a veteran of any existence.  However, my brother and I couldn't muster the words to convey what we were seeing, and what we had experienced and accomplished.  For the record, I don't think the words exist.  It's near impossible to express the dichotomous nature of the life-affirming pride and mind-altering humility that encompassed us both in that moment.  After all, we had done something completely out of the realm of our being and succeeded.  At the same time, it was something that better men and women than I had been doing, and have done on greater scales, for centuries.  Still, considering that people have been killed and maimed trying to do what we had done, the adventure only increased my respect for the power and magnitude of our planet, and the potential costs of just trying to live while you're alive.

  It wasn't until I made it back to the bottom that I realized just how far we had gone.  And quite honestly, the incredible trek we took was hardly "part of the plan."  Both my brother and I, and I assume my cousin, had began on the trail with the intention and belief that our morning and afternoon would literally be a walk in the park.  However, by venturing off the preset path to get a better look at a stream, of all things, the phrase "Let's just go a little farther" led us up to the edge of our courage and fortitude.  

  And really, the only thing we had guiding us was a general direction (up) and the range set by the available ledges, ridges, and flatrock.  However, by taking things one deliberate step at a time, I, and my companions, reached heights, again literally, we had no idea we could.

  I truly believe that what we experienced in the literal sense applies figuratively to any great endeavor one might undertake.  

Perhaps the door to your old office just closed behind you for the last time.

Perhaps the indistinguishable, but unmistakable, chant of your name by thousands of strangers shakes your stomach as much as it shakes the rafters.

Perhaps she, in the pouring rain with you on the ground before her with nothing but a stone not worth using for floor tile and a petrified expression on your face, said yes.

  Whatever the case may be, even though you might not know where you're going, or how you're going to get there, if you can just make the best effort and attempt to move forward with the information and resources you have available to you, all things are possible.  You won't always have all the answer, and won't always make the right choice, but you will have made progress.  You will have grown.  

  It's not always easy, or safe, and even in the eye of the storm it can be utterly terrifying; but with the right approach you WILL get to where you want to be, and if you're lucky, where you need to be.

  So, for those climbing your own mountains, both literal and figurative, I hope you consider asking yourself the question I asked myself on every step of my climb- especially when I was terrified, exhausted, in pain, and when truly considering turning back:

  Are you going to quit here?  Are you going to let the fatigue you feel right now defeat you?  Are you going to succumb to the same fears you always have?  Are you going to keep on being the same person you've always been?  Or are you going to be something more?

Well, are you?

Today a good friend of mine arrived in Lima, Peru to lend her capabilities and support to children at a local orphanage and the patients at medical facility.

For this week's entry, I'll keep things short and sweet and wish her a safe and successful trip.

As a little going away present to her, and for those of you who may have been wanting to hear some new material, I've posted a video below of my newest song "It's Funny."

I really hope you enjoy it, and as always I'd love to get your feedback.

So here's to a gal off making herself and the world just a little bit better:

LYRICS:

It's funny the way she talks from the corner of her mouth
It's funny the way she laughs out loud
It's funny the way she sees through my every nervous smile
It's funny the way I'm smiling now

It's funny the way she lives one moment at a time
It's funny the way she's so planned out
It's funny the way she knows exactly what she wants
It's funny the way that I do now

And there's no way I could be falling faster
There's no way I could be more in over my head
'Cause now that I've seen where she can take me
There's no turning back to where I've been

It's funny the way she lifts her brow when she's attentive
It's funny the way she knocks me out
It's funny the way she says she don't believe in love
It's funny the way that I do now

And there's no way I could be falling faster
There's no way I could be more in over my head
'Cause now that I've seen where she can take me
There's no turning back to where I've been

And she's got a thousand eyes upon her
But she's got no mind, no time for one
'Cause she's got a life to catch
And there ain't no room to wonder

No there ain't no room for me

But still

There's no way I could be falling faster
There's no way I could be more in over my head
'Cause now that I've seen how she can break me
There's no turning back to who I've been

There's no turning back to where I've been

It's funny how cruel loving her is 

Buenas suerte, mi amiga, and goodnight everyone.

  A partner can keep you accountable.  If you decide to skip a workout, or start lagging behind on a deadline, in many cases you're only hurting yourself.  However, when you've got someone depending on you to follow through with a commitment, to hold your end of a bargain, that can often be all the motivation we need to do some great things and become some great people.  A truly terrific partner is one that not only doesn't let you cheat others, but doesn't let you cheat yourself.

  A partner can both challenge and validate your way of thinking and being.  Let's say you and your longtime friend decide to into business together.  Perhaps you're the creative, charismatic, "big picture" kind of person, and your friend is the rational, intelligent, and detail-oriented kind of person.  All other things aside, this is a powerful combination for leadership as you always have someone who is looking and leading ahead, and someone else making sure your train's got enough steam to get there.  On your own, however, you may end up stuck as someone who's always thinking about what can be done in the future instead of thinking about what can be done or SHOULD be done right now.  With the mutual respect and appreciation that should come with any partnership, it's amazing what having just one other person that balances you out can do.

  Perhaps most importantly, a partner is someone to experience things with.  It's great that you followed your favorite band across the country for an entire Summer, but really the LAST thing you'll probably ever remember are the shows.  Journeys like these, momentous occasions and insignificant instances often times generate their value based on the people involved, and the experiences we share with them.  When you went off to college and made the move completely on your own, that was a big deal.  It's arguably an even bigger deal to consider how big it was when you moved into your first home with your spouse with nothing but love, a $500,000 debt to the bank, and a vision for what could be.  It's the partnerships that we engage in in our lives that make the difference between remembering and reminiscing; between telling a story and sharing a memory.  And really, perhaps the only thing worse than a life not lived is a life not shared.

  I urge you to take the time to express your gratitude for the truly special partnerships you've enjoyed in your life- in whatever way, shape, or form they have come about.  Additionally, for those of you embarking on some new and exciting journeys, I hope you consider doing it with a partner- they can be the one to push you when you need to be pushed, be the one to help you see the right when you're wrong, and be the one to see exactly what you see when telling the story of your life.

  After all, Rome wasn't built in a day, and it surely wasn't built by one person.

  The other day, I was just working on some new song arrangements when my mom brought me a present out of the blue- a box of sourdough pretzels.  She said, "Hey I got these for you.  I know you like pretzels and these are sourdough so they should be pretty good."  I said "thank you" and she just went on her way.  

  Initially, I didn't give it much thought outside of the notion that it was very sweet and thoughtful of her.  But then I started thinking about the whole process that was truly involved.

  She was at the store, shopping for whatever she had been looking for, came across these pretzels, thought of me, and then bought them, a completely unnecessary purchase, for me.

  I know this is my mom we're talking about, as well as a mere box of pretzels, but it's truly the thought that counts and the thought that I'm trying to make a point about.

  With all of the self-promoting and self-centered behavior that goes on on our so called "social networks," on reality TV and so forth, it feels like these days more than ever we're closed off to anything and any thought process but what benefits ourselves.

  That being said, the next time someone, be it a parent, sibling, friend, co-worker, romantic partner, or whatever goes out of their way to do something nice for you, or shows sensitivity or thoughtfulness in your favor, really take the time to genuinely thank them and appreciate their gift.  This person, outside of being in an interaction with you, thought of you.  Of all the things going on in their lives, in their day, and on their mind- they thought of YOU.  Not only did they think of you, but they thought enough OF you, to want to do something special for you.

  Maybe your neighbor was out washing their car and offered to wash yours in addition.  Maybe your favorite barista, who knows you on a first name basis and remembers the names of your husband/wife and children, knows exactly what to get you when you come in, which is usually tea, but today it's coffee 'cause you're in a hurry and you're always in a hurry when you have a big presentation.

  Whatever the case may be, do recognize and pay attention to those who give just to give, those who go the extra mile to get to know you, and to help you.  They're definitely some of the special ones.

  And of course, don't forget to do something thoughtful for someone every once in a while yourself.  I know I'm not the only pretzel fan around, and you might just makes someone's day.

  Thoughts have become muddy, creativity has run dry, and my playing and singing chops have suffered.  Worst of all, I've been becoming resentful of myself, my music, and my craft.

  Still, I haven't lost total sight yet, and I know what and why I'm doing all this for, and it pushes me onward.

  With this in mind, I've begun scheduling rehearsals with my life-long friend and drummer, Carlos Macias.  Carlos has been in just about every band I've ever been in, and knows me and my music probably better than myself.  He's a young man blessed with incredible talent, incredible heart, and incredible spirit.  He is someone who truly derives a sense of purpose from music and it comes through every time I play with him.

  Anywho, yesterday we finished up our first two sessions in order to prepare for a studio date we have on Sunday.  While they were very successful rehearsals on their own account, there were things that I got from those rehearsals that I don't think I'll ever be able to express or thank Carlos enough for.  Hearing the songs I had written beyond just a voice and a guitar, channeling the synergistic communication from two people who understand each other and work well together, feeling the energy that stemmed from a combination of the sheer volume of the music and in playing it with the emotion and power it was meant to be played with; I was beside myself.  Thanks to Carlos and these two sessions, not more than four hours combined, my love for music has been restored.  My faith in myself and what I want to accomplish has been reaffirmed.  And I have a renewed appreciation and understanding that something as incredible as music cannot, and should not, be envisioned, manifested, shared, experienced, or profited by one person alone.  Myself, and all musicians and music lovers, have a responsibility to reach every single soul we can in order to give them the opportunity to experience what I have over the past two days.

  That's the one thing I hope to offer you when this record is finally finished- that when you hear it for the first time, you feel every bit of love, frustration, resentment and renewal that went into making it.  That you become alive through it.

  And who knows, with guys like Carlos and friends and supporters like you on my side, I think I've got a pretty good shot.

  If you have something, or someone, or someplace you've loved, but have lost that love or lost your bearing on what it's all for- try a new approach.  Change the context, change the meaning, change the players, change the game; change something to give you a new outlook on the things that used to mean the world to you.  Often times, they haven't changed, you have.  Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.

  The fact is, it's entirely possible for two people to say the same thing, but not say the same thing.  To see the same thing, but not see the same thing.  To do the same thing, but not do the same thing.  It's entirely possible for two people to live in the same house, but not at all in the same world.  Your point of view is not the only one that exists, and it may not be the one you need right now.

  When you're feeling lost, defeated, frustrated, hurt or scared; don't try to change things that are presently out of your control, and most certainly do NOT give up.  Just remember that sometimes it's not the circumstances that need to change, it's the perspective.

  However, for every bit of designed and manufactured potion or pill created in a lab, there is perhaps at least one natural remedy that does the same job, probably better, and without all of the side effects.

  For example, I'm not one who likes to take too much medicine, or too much of anything for that matter, because I don't want to become dependent on it.  Unfortunately, I haven't been able to sleep at all lately, and have spent the past several nights tossing and turning and watching the sky lighten up through my window.

  I spend hours laying in bed, thinking about all of the things I have to do, want to do, need to do.  However, by the time the day comes, I'm so exhausted I have no energy or drive to do any of it.

  But, on one day I decided I was just gonna push through and do the things I needed to do.  I was just gonna suck it up and run with it, as I'm sure better men and women than me do every day.  That night, I slept perfectly fine.  

  The next day I realized that was the secret to better sleep- a hard day's work.  I had come to this conclusion before in my life, but seemingly forgot it along the way.  I spent so much time at night not thinking about the things I needed to do, but all of the things I needed to do BUT DIDN'T.  However, once I actually DID them, I only spent a nice few moments thinking about all of the things I got done instead.  

  And really, it's not just about hard work either.  Doing the right thing, and showing great discipline are also great sleep aids.

  I mean this isn't some sort of secret, I'm sure many people would agree.  At the same time though, I'm sure many others wouldn't.  That leads me to the question: Do we overestimate or misunderstand ourselves and how we make use of our day?  Of our lives?

  Not to show any disrespect on anyone, but there are standards that have to be established in order to make good on what I'm talking about.  Going to work, is not the same thing as working, or working hard for that matter.  Not being a bad person, is not the same thing as being a good person.  Failing to recognize what skipping a workout or having one last drag of a cigarette has on our psyche, and says about our character, is more detrimental than we can understand.

  Think about it.  When is the last time you got everything on your To-Do List done?  When is the last time you actually worked all 8 hours you got paid for?  When was the last time you gave your seat up to someone on the bus?  When was the last time you said please or thank you?  When was the last time you showed an act of kindness, not because you wanted something or someone was watching, but because it's just the right thing to do?  When's the last time you DID the right thing to do?  When's the last time you let the example you'd be setting for your family and your friends be greater than your addiction or laziness?

  I'm not trying to put anyone down, but rather asking you to recognize these things and live just ONE day with this sort of deliberate and purposeful greatness.  Live one day being the kind of person you've always wanted to be, and knew you could be- which is not the same as living the kind of life you'd like to live.

  Just one day, and see how you sleep that night- knowing that you gave what is presumably your last day on Earth everything you had.

  Heck, please, take two and call me to let me know how it goes.  Thank you for reading.

  In any case, for those who are unfamiliar with the terminology, there is a popular yet infamous term known as the "bad beat."  As the term itself implies, a bad beat is what it's called when you have a hand that is very strong and is most likely to win, only to end up losing to a stronger, albeit unbelievable, hand that usually comes about by a twist of fate or luck on the River (I'll explain in a bit.)

  That being said, I experienced one of my biggest "bad beats" ever recently and it got me thinking about remembering that while it's tough to lose a battle, the transcending focus has to be on winning the war- in whatever it is we do.

  To better illustrate the point, I'd like to re-cap the events of the hand, but perhaps I should explain a bit about the game of Hold 'em for those of you who are unfamiliar with it.

  Each player is dealt two cards called "hole" cards and there are an additional five community cards dealt on the board.  The object of the game is to make the best five-card hand out of the seven available, your two personal cards and the five community cards everyone shares.

  The "board" is dealt in three rounds- the Flop (3 cards), the Turn (1 card) and the River (1 card).  In addition, there are four rounds of betting in the game- before the Flop, after the Flop, after the Turn and after the River.  In these rounds a player may either "check" or pass on the bet if no other player has bet yet, "call" or match the last bet, "raise" or increase the current wager/bet, or "fold" where a player forfeits their hand.

  The game I was playing is known as 2/4 Limit Hold' Em which means that in the first two rounds of betting, one bet is two dollars and in the last two rounds it's four dollars.  In addition, the "raises" are limited to the increments of the given limits and can only go so high in a given round, usually up to four bets.  For example, after the Flop, if a player wants to bet it's $2 and if someone wants to raise they can only raise the bet an additional $2 at a time and up to $8 dollars in one round of betting.  In the latter rounds, those numbers would simply double. 

  While there are more rules and aspects to the game, that should be enough to help you follow along.

  So, at first the dealer dealt the hole cards to all the players and I ended up with a King of Spades and a Queen of Spades (Ks,Qs).  Given that this a relatively strong hand I raised the current bet, and because I'm generally a very conservative player, all of the other players folded except for two.  The first player was also very conservative but not very aggressive, while the other player tended to be a bit unpredictable but not particularly aggressive. 

  In any case, pre-Flop, I raised the bet $2 and the other two players called making the "pot" $14 ($4 dollars each plus the $2 "blind").

  The Flop then came down: Ace of Spades, Jack of Diamonds and Ten of Clubs (As, Jd, 10c)

  I hit the flop beautifully- the Ace, Jack, and Ten (in addition to my King and Queen) gave me an Ace-high "Straight" (five cards in consecutive order).  The "2nd" player bet first and I raised $2 which the "1st" player called.  The 2nd player then called behind us which made the pot $26.

  Next came the turn.  The dealer put down a Four of Diamonds making the board As, Jd, 10c, 4d.  The 2nd player bet out at me again, so I raised- the stakes being in increments of 4$ now.  The 1st player called but then the 2nd player RE-RAISED me!  I gave some thought to it, but at the same time there was nothing yet he could really beat me with and he at best had the same hand.  So, I re-raised him back.  The 1st player called, which also struck me as uncharacteristic, and so did the 2nd player.  This ended up making the pot $62. 

  Finally, the River came- Two of Diamonds.  The board was As, Jd, 10c, 4d, 2d.  The 2nd player bet out $4 and I raised and additional $4 without thinking, without question.  Then, the 1st player re-raised me, the 2nd player called, and I raised again- still not really paying attention.  The other two players called and it was time to go to the showdown.  

  The final pot was $110.

  The 2nd player, to my left, showed his cards first- Three of a Kind, Aces.  A very strong hand, but I had him beat at the flop.  He had just been paying me the whole game.  Feeling confident, I showed my Ace High Straight, and felt a bit of relief thinking I had won.

  Then, the 1st player showed her cards- Six of Diamonds and Five of Diamonds.  The whole table gasped, except for me.  In the dead silence that seemed to follow, I re-checked her cards and the board to see what she had.

  Then it hit me.  Her 6d and 5d, and the board's Ad, 4d, 2d.  On the River she hit it, a Six-High Flush (five cards in all of the same suit).  

  Just like that, on the River, the hand and half of my stack was gone.  I don't think I could have folded the hand at any point, but I definitely didn't need to raise so much, especially if I had been paying attention.

  In any case, this is where many poker players go "on tilt," where they play poorly and unwisely off of their emotions, good or bad, and it begins costing them more and more.  I have to admit that I was bummed, but I was not going to allow myself to go "on-tilt".  With half of my stake still at my disposal, I knew there was poker to be played and I ended the day breaking just about even because though her hand beat mine, I didn't let it beat me.

  Too often, we let life get the best of us.  Whether they be little things that compound on us, or one major loss, it has and will happen to all of us.  But we have to keep these moments in perspective, and remember that life is not a matter of speed, or strength, but of endurance.  Life rewards those who do not quit on it, and do not quit on themselves, but we have to take the necessary risks and beatings that come along with it.

  Love comes to those who love in return.  Money comes to those who invest in making it grow.  Success comes to those who are willing to sacrifice in pursuit of it.  Still, hearts are broken.  Money is lost.  And failure spares no one.  But those who can endure, who choose to endure, will love again, will find new resources, and will establish and achieve new goals- this time with the wisdom that comes with the moments in which they are defeated.

  We all get a bad beat sometimes, but there's always a new hand being dealt.