I Had A Dream, But THEY Just Didn't Get Me...

I always wanted to be an artist and entertainer.

I've been playing piano since I was 5, (music is in my soul), I was getting paid professionally as a photographer at 10, saw life through the lens of a storyteller, and was always the comedian in the room helping people laugh and lighten up.

But when it was time to go into "the real world," I was told, "you can't make any money doing that," you have to find  a "real" career or you'll starve.

What they REALLY meant is "we won't accept you unless you're like us, and living an average boring ass, expected, unfulfilling life of FEAR and SHOULDS like we do so WE don't feel bad about ourselves because YOU'RE ROCKING YOUR SOUL and SHINING YOUR LIGHT."

No one EVER asked me what makes ME happy, what does MY heart want, what DO I LOVE to do, and what LIGHTS ME UP?

Instead, it was how can you make a lot of money.

I KNOW this is a much too common theme that runs across EVERY culture.

I wanted to go to music and film school but I didn't believe in or love myself enough to do it, (or have the confidence), so I ended up listening to the unfulfilled adults around me, and unawakened society, got a finance degree and became a very successful stock options trader.

I made a million dollars VERY quickly at the age of 28, and sure, I achieved the "American Dream," which turned out to be more like a nightmare, because it almost killed me.

I was miserable, had big red shiners under my eyes that looked like I was constantly being beat up, (which I was on the inside because I was ignoring my soul's calling), and I was angry, irritable, and extremely unhappy.

I felt like I wanted to die.

One day I heard a CLEAR voice in my head as I was standing on the trading floor that said, "You don't belong here anymore," and I literally walked out.

Everyone thought I was crazy to leave, and part of me did too.

Who walks away from a "successful" career with a guarantee of being a multi-millionaire?

I spent YEARS struggling, feeling afraid, ashamed, not worthy, not good enough or talented enough, because I wouldn't listen to my heart, and I kept trying to go back to the "money game."

During that time, I lost it ALL several times, but I NEVER lost the dream in my heart, my soul calling.

It's been some of the most painful experiences of my life, and ALSO some of the most profound, beautiful, learning experiences and epic awakening that a human can receive.

Sometimes you have to be brought to your knees and stripped naked to the core in order to find your TRUE SELF.

The Universe is cool that way, (and a royal pain in the a**.)

And after WAY too much time hiding from my dream, hiding from myself, hiding from the world, even hiding from GOD, (and playing small), I decided I had NO OTHER CHOICE, but to GO ALL IN.

NOW I'm  committed to doing what I LOVE...

CREATING OUT LOUD.

Being an artist, writing, making music, singing, spoken word poetry, telling stories, comedy, and performing all over the world and on the internets, doing what I was BORN to do, while ALSO empowering others like YOU to live YOUR TRUTH, OWN YOUR VOICE, and EXPRESS YOURSELF FULLY, so YOU can TURN YOUR LIGHTS ON AND COME ALIVE, and do what YOU LOVE and were BORN TO CREATE on this planet.

Because if we're not aligned to our soul, and FEELING JOY on a regular basis, we are on a runaway train who's destination is "Station F*** Regret," AKA I Never Did What I Love Or Shared My Gifts And Now It's Over..."

This is WHY I do what I do, and for that little kid in the picture next to this, which is me at 5 years old, already at the piano sharing his gift, dreaming of what could be one day.

That day is FINALLY here Little Scotty (Little Brandon AF), I got you.

I KNOW the pain of ignoring your heart and soul calling, and I truly believe that it is the NUMBER ONE CAUSE of disease, depression, anger, unhappiness, and addiction.

BEING FULLY ALIGNED to and EXPRESSING your AUTHENTIC SELF and GIFTS, and BEING OF SERVICE is the ONLY way to live a happy, joyful, purposeful, abundant, and fulfilled life without regrets.

LET'S MAKE HAPPINESS OUR NEW CURRENCY.

I BELIEVE IN YOU.