…and now, for whatever reason, my body & mind say take action.

The seed was planted after I read the Four Hour Work Week over a year ago, and I think about it at least once a day –

I need to simplify my life.

I’m done with the responsibility of having things, I’m going to have what’s necessary and no more.

Tim Ferriss, author of the Four Hour Work Week, talks of a life where he sold practically all of his personal belongings and toured the world — and how incredibly liberating it was:

• not being tied to stuff,
• not having to worry about stuff,
• not being liable for stuff,
• reducing responsibilities,
• reducing expenses, and
• enjoying the world!

He states, and I agree, that we use 20% of the the stuff we own (it’s the 80/20 rule in action) — I definitely use 20% of the clothes I own, I play 20% of the video games I own, etc.

In the small changes I’ve successfully made in the last year toward the goal of stuff reduction AND the international travels we’ve taken, I see his points — and I’m committed…

• I want us to have one car,
• I want to bike, or walk, to work (we’re in the process of securing an office easily within biking/walking distance),
• I want to get rid of additional responsibilities such as my boat (don’t worry, if you come to Florida, our good friends at BayWater Boat Rentals will hook us up!)

With all of that in mind — my stuff is for sale!

My Caddie:

2005 Cadillac STS – Fully Loaded (details)

and my boat:

2001 23′ SeaRay Bowrider (details)

My Grandpa (and Dad) taught me from day one to maintain what you have, so the Caddie & Boat have had all of their maintenance when they were supposed to — and function great.

If you know anyone looking for a luxury car or nice boat, feel free to forward this along!

In the meantime, I’m reviewing everything I don’t need and using the power of the Internet to reduce & enjoy.

If you’ve got thoughts on this topic, please leave a comment below.  From the discussions I’ve had, I’m finding I’m not the only one who feels this way …

I’ve only had it happen twice before – where I’ve sat down to read a book, and just couldn’t put it down — reading it through the night.

With Watch You Bleed, it happened again.

I would consider Guns N Roses to be my favorite band of all time, I’d also consider “Estranged” to be one of the best songs ever written.  Not only because I connect to it lyrically, but it’s one of the only songs that make me feel like I’m riding a stream of consciousness.

In an 8 minute song, Estranged nails so many moods – lyrically & musically.

I found Watch You Bleed very enlightening because:

• it told what really went on from day one with each of the original band members of Guns N Roses – not a media-fied version,
• I found that when the original GNR called themselves a gang, they’d been living like one (all but Duff, essentially homeless, living on the streets for a few years),
• it helped me levelize Axl’s presence in the band; for whatever reason, I thought he was the catalyst behind each of the songs; although his voice & stage delivery really sent them home, he wasn’t as responsible for the songs as I thought, and
• most importantly, you feel the constant buzz of passion through all of the drugs, STDs, drinking and rise of the band…

If you enjoy Appetite for Destruction — you’ll love this book, as it dives into each song headfirst, and tells you its history, its evolution, and in most cases, why it was chosen for the album.