How to Win Friends

The hardest thing for many people to do is to make friends with other people. It’s as if when we attempt to reach out to others, we are either shut down or unmemorable. It’s as if we are stuck in limbo when we are introduced to a group of others we are new to. It’s as if others aren’t ready to allow us into their social group, leading us to regret even trying. When we reach out, we are turned away. No matter how hard we attempt to push our influence, it seems like no one is listening. Whenever we try and fit the social mold, others see through our façade. We are stuck in this valley full of others which may be fruitful in our lives but are seemingly unable to grasp that fruit for our betterment. What is a man to do if he cannot even expand his social network and potentially influence others? The simplest way is to learn the lessons which you will read today.

Human beings love being right when it comes to a plethora of issues. Whether it be politics or sports or religion, all of us have our own ideas concerning issues we are passionate about. When we meet with someone who has opposing beliefs, our first instinct is to attack their beliefs and inform that person that our beliefs are better. However, when someone’s ideology is attacked, they harden and hold resentment against you. The better approach is to agree with their idea but ask them to consider your thoughts. This way, you are not attacking their thoughts and allowing that person to ponder over what you are saying. In many instances, you are able to turn their thought process and have someone end up agreeing with you in the end.

                Sometimes, when we are faced with giving someone something they want and we don’t wish to give it to them, we tend to lock down our vice and immediately tell them no. This definitely brings resentment from others and causes a rift in any relationship. An alternative is giving a Quid Pro Quo approach to the situation. Tell that person that, if they want what they want, then they must do something else first. Typically, if they don’t want what they asked for, then they won’t give the time and effort necessary to get it. This not only makes them make the decision, but it also draws no resentment towards you. If they do want what they asked for, then they will do something for you in exchange for their wants. This will make you memorable and will get something you need done in the process.

                Sometimes we think that all we have to do to win over people is to appear kind and civil. We attempt to flatter them in an attempt to seem caring and sincere. Most people will see right through your attempt because you aren’t truly being sincere. The difference between flattery and sincerity is that one is real; one occurs because you are generally interested in that person, the other is an attempt to gain favor from them. The simplest way to find something which you can align with someone about is to find something about them, whether it be their general appearance or one of their hobbies, and spark an interest with them. If you are fishing for something to talk about, ask them about themselves. Continue until you have something to connect with and begin the conversation. Keep it going, ask them to introduce you to something else and continue the process until this person is comfortable with retroacting this process with you. Talk to them about what they want, what they desire, what they feel strongly about. By doing so, continuing the process with this person, you will have a companion for life.

                In the end, there is only one way to win over the hearts and minds of others, and that is to show interest in others. There truly is no other way. If you show interest in others, they will show the same level of interest in you.

Revival of the Tribal Mindset

                Groupthink isn’t a new concept in this world. The idea of Tribalism is arguably as old as mankind itself and is the reason for which man has become the top species on Earth. The idea of Tribalism has been the root to men bettering themselves in action, words, and deeds by instilling honor into their lives by adhering to the code of the group. The idea of Tribalism is what naturally occurs when like-minded individuals unite to become better members of society, better members of their community and better men in general. When there is a weakness, a group makes an attempt to build upon those impairments to raise up their weakest link. If there is uncertainty, the unified minds of the Tribe will work together to bring resolution and clarity. When there is dishonor among the ranks, the Tribe will ensure that shame is felt by the oppressor until they recompense for the crime; the crimes may not be against what the world has deemed law, but it is an offense against the core beliefs of the group. This concept was the glue which bonded social dynamics for thousands of years but was lost in the civil class of society, phasing out as mankind itself became more civil. The death of Tribalism definitively destroyed the entire concept of manliness, leaving frail and empty vessels to take their place. If there is no resurgence of Tribalism in this world, then it is destined for the virtues of manhood to continue to unfurl.

                Men have provided one another with protection since Neanderthals first explored the Earth, providing comfort and peace of mind for all those within the group. Such a quality was necessary in the early days of human existence, for the world seemed to desire nothing more than to extinguish the life from the individual. As the centuries began to pass and societies began to develop, men created their own brotherhoods to build upon the tactical virtues which kept their ancestors alive, protecting us from them. By such a philosophy, men created civilizations whose achievements are echoed into the world today. By the brotherhood of the philosophers of Greece, the concept of Democracy was established. By the brotherhood of Rome, the world reached a technological height in both Engineering and Warfare unlike any the world had ever known. By the wisdom of the brotherhood of the colonies, the Second Continental Congress established the United States of America. Throughout the years, humanity has benefited by men who have unified under one banner to solidify their legacy and build up a place in history that is all their own.

                No matter how wise men are in their social group, no action can be achieved without a significant amount of strength behind their actions. In primitive times, man required physical strength to conquer the elements and to kill animals for food. In later years, a man required strength to maintain his crops and his household. In the halls of the political and philosophical world, a man required educational and mental strength in order to navigate the rules and strategies of shadow warfare. In the modern age, man has descended from his once high pillar of strength into the pits of mediocrity, both mentally and physically. His brain once wafts with intellectualism has now become an empty cavern, his body encased in layers of fat, his heart vacant of passion. The men of old would be ashamed to know that their descendants, those who they have chiseled out a place in the world for them, have become complacent in their ways, have become complacent in their thoughts and have become complacent in their search for a meaning greater than themselves. Without having others to keep them accountable, men have allowed the world to shape them, not the other way around. Man must have to mean for what he does, or he will doom himself, he will doom his family and he will doom all those who look upon him with admiration.

                When a man searches his soul for meaning, he will never find what he is looking for without counselors to hold the mirror in front of him and reveal what he truly is on the outside. By doing so, man is liberated from his fallacy of who he is and begins to transform into what he could be. This man, along with his tribe, will begin to work on his flaws, enhance his strengths, build a bond deeper than blood and will force all those within their group to be better because of the standard required to be a part of the tribe. If he succeeds, he will be praised for the work of his hands, moving him from the realm of idleness and into the heights of self-transcendence, liberating himself and allowing others to be liberated by the fire burning within him. By working with a group of men who united under one banner, he does not have to rely solely on his own judgment. Rather, he has at his disposal the will, the discipline and the insight of all those which he surrounds himself with.

                Some men believe that they can reach their ideal of what a man can be and they can stop their advancement of the self. Some believe that one he meets some sort of standard, either set by himself or by another, then he is the epitome of what a man must be and needs not continue with the process of self-advancement. Some even believe that they will be automatically better and greater than all other men which have not achieved these milestones. This cannot be further from the truth, for he has not learned the greatest test of manliness: he must strive to build upon himself, always! He who is the ideal man understands that becoming a paragon of manhood requires a life-long dedication, life-long devotion and life-long discipline in order to become who he desires to be. He will strive for excellence, and will not be deluded into believing that he has achieved it.

                In the end, man cannot begin this journey on his own. Every man who has ever become great has done so by the aid of others who allowed him to pull away from trivial pursuits and focus his mind upon those actions which will allow him to be successful. In the end, lone wolves will be swallowed by the world around them, no matter how hard they attempt to fight against the raging tides. One man alone doesn’t have the strength necessary to tackle the struggles of life. However, when it comes to the will of a group, all fighting for one goal, the world will be forced to bend around their sigil, and the gangs of men will restart the world.

Author Advice

Recently, I’ve been working on how to be more productive with my writing. This is something I’ve been fascinated about ever since I became involved with authors who publish a vast amount of information a year, and I wished to learn the secret to such an outlook on writing. To my surprise, most of the titans of the industry follow a simple pattern diligently, and it works quite well for them.

The first piece of advice I was given was simple: have a benchmark for everyday writing. Jack London took to writing a thousand words every day for most of his life. Ernest Hemmingway would only write five hundred words a day but was quite meticulous with the choice of words in his writing. He would take as much as four hours to write roughly one and a half pages! Then again, his editors were amazed about just how little they would have to comb through and fix for him. Stephen King writes two-thousand words a day, every day. As the law of compounding interest would have it, King’s pattern would produce a one hundred and twenty-thousand-word manuscript in as little as two months. What I learned from these great authors was a simple idea that would aid me in completing my previous three books in the amount of time that I have: set a time, make it a habit, reach your benchmark every day.

The second lesson I learned was to have a set time and place to write. By doing so, eliminating all the distractions around you and dedicating a specific time frame every day to writing, one would be shocked to see the pages fly by and just how fast one can complete their writing.  By establishing a sacred area to conduct your writing scheme, you will surely give out more than the sporadic manner most indie authors distribute.

The final lesson I learned is from F. Scott Fitzgerald, one that I believe is the true deciding factor to whether or not a book will be completed or not: write to finish a book, not to gain perfection. For most, the most difficult thing to do when it comes to being an author is the process of writing the book, the short-story, the essay, the poem from beginning to the end. Once you have the rough draft in your hands, you will have the opportunity to edit and proofread later. Some even have experts perform the polishing work for them to aid in their production rate. That is what I do.

In the end, if one combines these simple methods, I have no doubts that they will have a work of their own creation read by someone in the world.

The Future of the Ezekiel March Chronicles

When i had begun the process of writing about Ezekiel March, it was initially for a short story idea i had after reading Louis L'amour's "Son of a Wanted Man", a fascinating story of love, betrayal and justice in the eyes of the beholder. The flow and topic of the book was not only an inspiring look into a genre in which I was not well versed, but it also made me think earnestly about delving deeper into this sub-category of literature. To my surprise, there were all too few modern westerns which demonstrated this code of justice within their pages. After months of reading, I could find no trace of such solace, with the exception of some of L’amour’s other books, in any modern version of the western novel. Frustrated, I decided to move away from my reading and moved my gaze towards the cinematic perspective, where I was met with a nostalgia of John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and Ronald Raegan. While true, these actors demonstrated the manly thumos of the time, it was really the writing behind these titans of the industry which allowed their films to be so successful. Instead of focusing on complex plots and situations, writers of old simply placed their heroes into situations and allowed them to work their way out of it. In a similar manner, this is what I have done for Ezekiel March.

                Now that the third edition, The Gunslinger, has been released, I have pondered on just how far I want to take the reader through the life of Ezekiel. I don’t wish to cause him any more harm by the events which would continue, but I feel that his entire story hasn’t been told as of yet. Then again, I cannot help but feel a bit of love and admiration for him throughout the story. I suppose that is because he is, in a lot of ways, myself in a past life. I understand the struggles which he is being placed within, I understand his attempt to keep a moral compass when others have tossed theirs aside and I understand what it feels to make decisions which he cannot pull away from. Much like crossing the Rubicon, Ezekiel proves time after time that he knows he is making a partially wrong decision, but he also feels that not taking action would be an even greater crime. In the end, Ezekiel answers to no other law than the one which has been utterly placed upon his heart. He yearns for a simpler life but understands that some men are placed into situations which force him to transcend what his mind may fathom. Ezekiel is, to me at least, a character who invokes the senses of morality and demonstrates how innocence can be lost by a man in the world which attempts to destroy you.

                In the end, though I tried to condense his story into three small volumes, I feel that it would be an injustice to keep my friend’s past hidden from the rest of the world. I will continue to tell his story till the end, however much it will pain me to do so. I do warn you, the reader, that the happiest days have passed him by, and Ezekiel will experience darker times soon. One day, the shadows will surround him, transforming him from innocent boy into one of the most dangerous men in the west. He will be tested every step of the way, tormented by his actions, forced with his back against the wall to reach deep within the labyrinth of his heart to find the darkness which is in all of us, if he wishes to survive.

                A warm gratitude is expressed to all those who have supported and enjoyed these novels as they have progressed. His story is for you, the reader. And truly, isn’t that always how it should be?

On Destiny

In the English language, no other word captivates the soul than those which consume the vivacities of fate and destiny, the driving forces outside our own will. It is easier for man to claim that his faults are due to his misfortune with such graces rather than any fault of his own, disintegrating both his self-image as well as the image in which he is regarded among his peers. Destiny can be forged, fate can be bent to one’s will, and it is the power of the individual, not the outside forces, which bind him into his current situation.

On Art

Art is the essence of one’s spirit within a realm which is all their own. The artist constructs the world in such a manner that others may be liberated by their craft. The artist constructs the world by utilizing the method which works for them to better understand the cosmos. The artist constructs the world in the manner which they believe the world ought to be. Instead of a blank piece of paper, the artist fills the void with their imagination. Where there was once a blank space in the world, the poet dares to leave a verse. In a room where others see nothing more than four walls and a roof, the architect sees potential. Essentially, the artist is the master of his own personal domain, deciding what will and what won’t work in the pseudo world he has invented. The artist fights with himself and tangles with his own emotions until he has finally completed what he sought after for so long. Without the hand of the artist upon the craft, the ideas will be lost within the labyrinth which is an artist’s mind. The time for composers of the mind is come upon us. Whatever you are great at, continue to learn and understand until you’ve reached Mastery. Whatever you do, excel within that realm. Whatever you are passionate about, own it.

If there is a love for a subject from one person, it is certainly a love for someone else. Once you place your mark upon the world, others are destined to follow your intuition. Whenever you place your heart into a craft and it liberates you, then your craft is destined to liberate others. As the winged Seraphs of Heaven, so is an artist upon the world. Without such craftsman in the world, the power of passion and imagination will begin to unfold, leaving nothing but the passionless to dominate the land.

My Writing Purpose

Sometimes it’s almost as if the past has found its way back to me. Whenever I write, I try to see the world through my characters, witness everything through their actions, and feel the chill in the air with a spray of the sea on their face as they do. Some may see that this is too much of a poetic idiom, but I feel that most authors feel this way. When we create a character that embraces every fiber of our being, when we design a scenario where the character must fight for his survival, we are not simply creating a way to make a profit. Moreover, we are creating an entire universe for our character to live within. I’ve heard the snorting comments and I feel like these people are misguided because they can’t have that kind of connection with my character than I do. Truthfully, I feel like that is truly the reason why we do what we do as authors, to breathe life into existence for characters.

The Gunslinger: Chapter 1

As promised, this is the first chapter of my next book. I pray that you will enjoy the read and it will encourage you to pick up a free ebook copy once available or purchase the paperback edition. Currently, i am unable to sell signed copies directly at this time, but i will certainly sign your books once i have a PO Box confirmed. Thank you and enjoy the read!

Myself and Rand continued to ride on the ferryboat as we moved further into the Midwest. Rand continued to laugh and joke with his henchmen while I was writing in my red notebook. I didn’t know just how many men I killed during our last exploit, so I just wrote a dozen ticks in the back of it. To date, I had taken the lives of sixteen men. My heart weighed heavy upon this notion, causing me to regret each and every decision I had made over the past year. What kind of person would I be in another year if I continued to live this life? I shrugged off the despair and focused my attention on the drafts of stories I would type later. It didn’t work too well. Still, I focused on creating my detective, from his suave composure to his handsome outerwear. I had just about begun the outline of his story when Rand came into the room in the guts of the ship, a cigar in his mouth and his hand wrapped around the neck of a bottle.

     “An what ya doin in here, son?” He asked loudly, retrieving a glass for me. He filled it to the brim and handed the whiskey to me. “We gotta celebrate.” I took the glass reluctantly, the weight of the warm liquid in my hand.

     “Cheers!” I responded, finishing the drink with a massive gulp and placing the glass next to me before focusing my attention to my story once more. Confused, Rand took the chair opposite to me, looking at my notebook.

     “That the same one yuns got the last heist we been on?” I nodded, turning it around for him to see the paper.

     “I’ve been using it to organize my thoughts on stories,” I replied, watching his eyes dart all across the pages. “I was hoping to type it up once I had access to a typewriter.”

     “Sounds good,” Rand piped back, taking another sip from his whiskey before continuing again. “I gotta ask: why’d ya wanna write stories, anyhow?”

     “When I was a child, mother would read books to me, giving me inspiration from massive volumes from authors like Washington Irving, Herman Melville and Edgar Allan Poe. From them, I decided to try it out one day, to see if I could have the opportunity to leave a verse upon the world.”

     “Quite a speech,” Rand pestered, slapping a hand upon my shoulder. “I plan on readin yer stuff soon as I can. Never been much of a writer myself, but maybe yuns can help me, huh?”

     “Any ideas on what you want to write down?” He thought for a moment before speaking again.

     “I thoughta writin a memoir of sorts. Seen a lot in the Confederate Army, fought many a battle an went through a buncha problems in my life. Guess what I’m sayin is I wanna git my story written down.”

     “That sounds like an interesting idea,” I replied. “I would be curious what all you went through myself.”

     “Are ya? Well, I thank it’ll be a great way to git these memories outa my head.” For the first time I had known him, Rand seemed depressed, almost as if the shadows of the past were flickering in his eyes. I stayed silent as he continued to mettle over what was going on in his mind. Rand stared out the window, watching the plains of the Mid-West passing us by. Finally, Rand rose from his chair, moving to the opposite side of the room and finally began to speak once again.

     “I ain’t never been much in my life. Never knew my father, raised in an orphanage, fendin mostly for myself. Don’t know if it’ll be a story nobody’d wanna hear about.”

     “I would like to hear about it.” I looked at my father with new eyes, almost as if I had met him for the first time. He seemed rougher, a bit more sage-like, and...tired. I stood next to him as he slid down the side of the wall, taking a seat on the floor.

     “Ain’t never been too mucha talker bout my past. Hell, I always just thought it was somethin that wasn’t important. I always felt the past was in the past, so their ain’t no point talking bout it.” I slid down next to him and cleared my throat before I spoke again.

     “If you don’t want to talk about your demons, I promise I won’t pry. I just wanted to get to know you better, to know the story about my family.” Rand’s expression turned from a state of gloom to his usual composure, spastic with a bit of excitement.

     “Well, I can tell yuns all bout that bit. Only problem is: where’d ya wanna start on that one?” I laughed at this and was about to open my notebook and take some notes before we were alerted by the clap of thunder in the distance. We rushed to the window, noticing the massive rainclouds swimming over the distance. It wasn’t too long before we were engulfed within the raging downpour, the entire boat shaking as the water beneath forced it to tumble. I held onto the table, hoping that the bolts underneath would support the weight of my body. As the shaking of the craft became more and more tumultuous, I began to fear for the safety of everyone on board.

     “Will this boat hold up?” I asked, my voice shaking in terror.

     “Damn it, I hope so. We only gotta few more miles ta go.” I remained hopeful while we continued our adventure, praying earnestly we would reach our destination with ownership of our lives. I took a deep breath, and waited for the storm to pass. We would land in Kansas, returning with nearly twenty-thousand dollars between us.

On Faith

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen and the fan which indulges the fire which burns within a man’s spirit. In his attempt to make sense of the world, a man will surely drive himself mad if he has no aberrance upon his belief in the Lord God in Heaven. For the atheist, I will surly tell you: every man has his own god in which he brings his forbearance to aid in carrying the burdens of life. Every man has a Bible which he seeks for guidance to live a great life. Truly, every man has his Son of God and Savior in whom he places his utmost faith within. For some, this may be the work of a philosopher; others may have a particular figure from history which he sees as his personal Father in Heaven. Some may even instill his entire being within the sacred heart of a wise man or woman who has heralded the mightiest pinnacle in their hearts. For whatever a man’s religion is, that is the chief trait about him, his character, his purpose in life and where he will be in the future.

            Some of the readers of this passage may say, “I have no religion, but I only have what I believe.” Aren’t the thoughts of a man correlated into a structural form not to be considered a theological aspect? Are your beliefs not your chief traits about who you are as a person? Whenever a man has an unalterable, immovable, unshakable virtue, is this not what would appear to be the pillars of his temple, the bones of his synagogue? Another man may respond to these questions by refuting, “But, I don’t consider my personal beliefs in any form of religion; I only believe what I have generated in my mind.” Do you believe that good deeds are the chief habits of character in most people you want to have in your life? If so, then you share a belief with almost half the world’s population consisting of those you may feel are “Religious Zealots”? What the atheist does not realize is that, while he believes that he is the sculptor of his own religion, his core values are those which religion has taught humanity for centuries. He does not realize that, to discard religion would be like repudiating our parents because we did not like their manners and clothes. The religious impulse is the art of impulse, and both are manifestations of love, and love is the basis of our sense of sublimity. What he does not realize is that good works and religion are one. Human beings are natural creatures of wanting to help one another, to live by one’s happiness and not by one another’s misery. He does not understand that religion is nearly ingrained within mankind’s DNA; as such, he will never be capable of shaking his connection with religion because his everyday thinking is a representation of the major religion he believes in, or the primary belief of those who surround him.

            To make the attempt of separating completely from any concept of religion is a difficult process, indeed! For a man to be freed from all religion which surrounds his culture, he must first begin as such: he must break away completely with any virtue which religion has aided in defining. To the atheist, I tell him that this is the most destructive decision he could ever make. What kind of man would he become if good works were shunned from his life? Where will he be in a year if over-indulgence is seen as a positive habit to engrain into his life? What kind of person would a man become if rape, murder and torture were seen as positive aspects in his daily life? This is not to say there are not religious sects which teach such practices to their followers, there are. However, there is no major sect of any primary religion in the world which does not attempt to teach their followers to live a life which is the antithesis of the previous statements. There are no laws in America, or civilized nations in the world, which would support such horrific crimes. No one would question the opposition to these actions, for it is the morality and ethical ideology of the society which decides that these crimes are emphatically wrong to commit. Funny how religious doctrine influences the lives of those who claim to belong outside the realm of religious doctrine when, in fact, religious ideology was the basis allowing morality to exist in the first place.

On Strength

     Seen as nothing more than an instrument in which to implement one’s will, the virtue of strength is one which few possess, yet many are capable of it. It is a skill which requires the greatest of discipline to master even though it is the most natural aspect of the human condition. What was once seen as commonplace is now a diamond in the rough culture of stagnant men and women, who spend their lives crystalized into pleasure over productivity. To put it bluntly, only they who are disciplined and virile are capable of such an awesome power