1-starting from zero

This is my final entry in this blog. Thank you for reading and contributing to it. I'll continue blogging, but tomorrow I'll blog directly to my website www.lennoxfleary.com

Tomorrow I will have completed 40 trips in a cosmic circle. Maybe I've learned something from going round all these times. This blog was a record of my 40th orbit around the sun, hence the countdown to zero in the title numbers.

The new blog will document the adventure I've dubbed "Three Thousand Bosses"

By car and rail, I'll be traversing states and nations, meeting people and making music. Kristi and Ray blessed me by saying they think this will end with way more than 3000 Bosses. We shall see. The new blog will count upward starting from zero. The orbit ends, the hiring begins.

At the precise moment of change, everything goes to zero.

Thanks for your support.

Goodnight, Beautiful...

Goodnight, Strender

2--Final Frontier

I got my heart broken today. When I looked to see who had done it, I saw only myself.

5--Drunken

One hour massage from Eva Rose at Knowledge Massage this afternoon. Amazing! I love her holistic approach to care. She's ministering to your spirit as well as relaxing and healing your body. Funny thing, I had some kind of euphoria afterward, so I showed up at Cornerstone to meet with Janna, sporting the most loving attitude. I could hear the universe singing. I could feel my skin flirting with my shirt.

I was like that drunk guy at the bar who loves everybody. You know the guy, "drinks for everyone!"

That's pretty much how I was at 4:30 this afternoon. Massages for everyone, I'm buying. Then I realized I can't afford to buy all of you guys a massage, but it's only $35 an hour right now, plus there's a special introductory offer. Blah, blah, blah, I love you. Call Eva NOW!!!

If you live near 97128, check out Knowledge Massage.

503-857-5563

I'm serious. I'm not drunk. For real. For serious.

5--Chellie Campbell Article: Everyone's In Sales

I went back to Los Angeles in 2005, worked at Carsdirect.com for a few months and then moved into video production at EyeAppeal Media, a videography company out of Canoga Park. The owners are long time friends of mine--I went to college with Deedra.

Deedra would send me out to networking functions to meet and greet vendors and suppliers who might have interest or relevant need for our services. I met some amazing people during those networking tours. I also learned how to deliver a 30-second "elevator speech."

One of the most dynamic personalities I encountered at a WRS (Worthwhile Referral Source) meeting was Chellie Campbell, who simply captivates an audience from the very first moment. I learned many things from her, although we never had more than two brief conversations. I have continued to receive her emails since 2006, and more than once now I have noticed subroutines in my thinking about money and wealth, that were likely installed by her writing and persona.

Here is an article included in a recent email from Chellie:

# 204 Everyone’s in Sales

“I don’t care how many degrees you have on the wall, if you don’t know how to sell, you’re probably going to starve.”—George Forman

Some of the stories in this book look like they’re meant just for salespeople and business owners. They aren’t. If you are a salaried employee, someone owns the business you work for and someone is in charge of raising the money to run it. Top salaries and perks are handed out to the people who are best at bringing in the money. Learn how they do it and contribute to the cause. Be one of the people who care about cash flow, cutting expenses, maximum efficiency, and productivity. Look for opportunities to maximize income and minimize expenses. Anyone can do this. Put yourself in your bosses’ shoes and think as they think. What do you think they want most—and how can you give them that? Be one of the profit centers of the business and your success will be assured.

Everyone is in sales. When you convince your significant other to go with you to the movie you want to see, that’s a sale. When you convince your child to stay in school, that’s a sale. When you convince a friend to stop drinking, that’s a sale.

I’m reminded of a conversation I had one day with a boyfriend named Bobby. I was trying to convince him to go with me to a movie. Well, Bobby was a salesperson too, and all of a sudden noticed all the sales techniques I was using on him. He said, “Chellie, you are closing all the time and you don’t even know you’re doing it!”

When I said, “Well, you know you want to see me,” he said, “That’s the Assumptive Close!” I continued, “And we could either go see that romantic comedy or the spy movie” and he said, “That’s the Alternative of Choice Close!” I said, “We would have fun, get to laugh, eat popcorn, have some balance in our lives, and the only down side is taking some time away from work.” “Benjamin Franklin Close!” Bobby hooted. “So what do you think?” I said, and stopped talking. Bobby didn’t say anything either. After a long silence, Bobby said, “Final Close, and The Next One Who Speaks Loses. I guess that’s me.” And so we went to the movies!

We’re all making sales every day. Use your powers of persuasion to convince others to contribute to your charity, organize political action, improve the schools in your community, or help you turn a hobby into a money-making home business. Help your company to make more money—and then convince the powers that be to give you a raise. The raise will not come automatically—you have to ask for it and show the reasons why you deserve it. It’s a sale.
You are a marvelous, creative human being and endless opportunities await you. Look for them. Then sell your way into them.

Today’s Affirmation: “I am a marvelous, creative person and wonderful opportunities await me.”

Please feel free to copy this article and use it wherever you like. Just include the following “author box” for attribution:

Chellie Campbell is the creator of the Financial Stress Reduction® Workshops, and author of The Wealthy Spirit and Zero to Zillionaire. She has been prominently quoted as a financial expert in the Los Angeles Times, Good Housekeeping, Lifetime, Essence, Woman’s World and more than 50 popular books. She can be reached at Chellie@chellie.com

6--yearning learning

Out of the depths of anguish, my soul cried to the Lord...Isn't that something David would say? Or did he actually say exactly that? There's a song my worship team's been learning and singing lately. I think it's from the Jesus Culture band out of Redding, CA. It's starts off..."my soul longs for you, nothing else will do"...

I've remarked over and again that I don't feel qualified to sing that since I don't really feel like my soul actually longs for God. I can't honestly say that I desire so greatly to be with God that I would define my need as a longing, or a yearning.

On Friday I was part of a conversation about personality types, as profiled by the Myers Briggs Indicator system. I'm an undoubted introvert. Yesterday Christopher said, I keep thinking, "what! Lennox is an invert?"

It's true. After enough time with people, I want to come away and be alone in the silence that allows me to heal something within. It's a familiar pattern. I've seen it and practiced it to the point of ritual. Except, now it's not working so good....

What to do when silence is not enough? I think of Merna's posting, "Do I hear you in my silence?"

Well, do I?

And is this growing desire for more, the beginning of a yearning? Is this how yearning happens? I'm quite sure I don't want human company. Vegas, at least, ignores my crazy antics and all the things I say to the walls.

My soul longs for you

My soul longs for you

Nothing else will do

Nothing else will do

I believe you will come like the rain.

Good thing I moved to Oregon.

So, um....ah, well...

let it rain?

7-Moving In Your Power

Seems I've regained the ability to sleep in. And having dreams, to boot. Time to return to the "real" world. Spent an entire weekend at worship with family, couple hundred of my closest friends.

Got lost in this song I'm recording bass for. It's by Truth Knox, long-time family. 4 hours pumping the same message through my headphones yesterday, and again this morning. It's amazing how you internalize what you feed into your senses. I'm listening to it right now as I prepare for work.

When the final mix is available, I have Truth's permission to include this song in the "Bosses" section of the new website.

I remember why I became a bass player. It's a quiet, unobtrusive position. If I do my job well, you don't need to know I'm there. If all goes well, I can remain relatively invisible. Shouldn't draw any attention unless I'm messing up or doing too much. This track let's me do that, support without being seen.

God does what He does--I just work here.

Have a great day, Beautiful

Time to name your exit date, Strender

11--Windrose

Windrose Retreat Center in Newberg, beautiful space. Right next to the highway, I've driven past this location so many times and never even knew it was here. It's almost 3 pm. I've been with this company for 7 hours now. I feel their passion and I admire their tenacity. I hope this conversation is helpful to them. I'm wondering if I'm helping? Is this just an annoying exercise for them?

11--Retreat

Off to Newberg to facilitate company retreat for a manufacturing company based in Mcminnville. That's all day from 8am to 5pm, and then in the car to head straight to Brownsville for church retreat, Festival of Tents.

I was telling the Osterlunds, I'm not a camper. Not so much. As in, not really at all. So I borrowed Corey's rachet set yesterday, took the back seat out of my SUV and stuck a single mattress in the back there. Perfect fit. This was my favorite accomplishment yesterday. I don't see the point of losing sleep on a retreat for lack of comfort.

13--Up on the hill

Dinner with the Osterlunds--so much laughter. Last time I spoke at church, I went off on a metaphor of Power and how it can only be accessed by maintaining connection. At the end of the service, John Osterlund came up to me and said,

"You know, there's no power without resistance."

We picked up from there tonight. The electrical conduit that brings the power to the bulb is designed with low resistance, because its job is to get the power to where it's needed. But the place where work must be accomplished is waylaid with resistance, because it's the action of power against resistance that makes that light bulb glow, or those fan-blades spin.

I learn a lot from my conversations with John. Tonight he challenged my self-righteousness about playing music to drunk audiences.

"There's probably no one closer to depending on Jesus than drunks and drug addicts--they've already learned how to depend..."

Hmmm, John, I think you're right. I was wrong. Even though I know in my heart that God loves us exactly where we are, I spoke out of my insecurity. Thank you for the reminder. I'm finding that age 40 seems a good time to outgrow the illusion of self-righteousness. It's when you've lived long enough to know you're a jackass, and long enough to realize Jesus likes you still. I suppose I should use my last 13 days to feel as right as possible before I lose that claim entirely.

Feeling pretty humbled today. Cathy called me on the fact I have too many people in my life and can't keep up with all of them. The 18 unchecked voicemail messages on my phone agree. Well, 17 of them agree. Truth just calls to talk to my voicemail anyway--they have a thing. If she accidentally gets me on the phone, she'll talk to me too, but really, I know when I'm just a substitute.

Don't know what to do about the fact there are so many people in my life, but I've been thinking about it for years. And I know one thing I do want to change by living in the same place for a long while, is how well I'm known. I not only want to know many people, but live with, dwell among, and be deeply known, by a few. Somewhere in this balance of family and community and world, there is room to connect at the level each relationship can bear. Hence, dinner. With the Osterlunds.

I was sad today so I ate peanut butter cookies, which made me sadder cause they don't taste as good as I want them to. Cantaloupe is so much better.