WHEN THE MUSIC STOPS

WHEN THE MUSIC STOPS

Nothing will go on forever. Nobody knows, when the music will stop. But beware of 'be happy, don't worry'. Because you always need to be prepared for the unthinkable, without getting too paranoid about it. Make sure, that you remain positive at all times. Being positive is simply such a wonderful feeling! And much healthier too. Just keep trying. 'One door closes and another one opens'.

Will you find a chair in your game of musical chairs? Or will you be left standing? You might have to fight for that last chair. Really? If you're not part of the crowd, you may have the opportunity to achieve extraordinary things. You could be the real winner by avoiding being like everybody else. You can unilaterally withdraw from any business if you feel that it will land you in hot water. Turn a setback into a comeback, before you have to! 

If one thing you do fails, you'll succeed at something else. Failure is not an option. Losing a battle does not mean you've lost the war. Will you have tears in your eyes? That's O.K., but don't forget to move on. The best is yet to come, because you've now become more determined than ever. 

RICK SCHMULL

LIFE IS FULL OF SURPRISES

LIFE IS FULL OF SURPRISES

Your life is unpredictable. You often expect something to happen, but something else happens instead. Or nothing happens at all. A delightful surprise may light you up like a christmas tree. An unpleasant one may do the opposite. No matter, life goes on. A lot of things seem to come about by accident. You just know, how it happened. Make sure, that you remain flexible. Then the unexpected will visit you more often.

If you're locked into a detailed plan, the biggest surprise could be, that nothing happens, that you haven't planned. But you've blocked any contribution by the unexpected. You may have to let go for awhile. Because then the deeper part of you may get a chance to develop into something more. The unexpected may appear, again and again.

Try to become a master in trusting yourself. Why rely on others? Your own wisdom is beyond your understanding anyway. Your creative energy may release all expectations of what should be. That's something you couldn't have planned in the first place. Expect a surprise. Things may come through you in the moment like a bolt out of the blue!

RICK SCHMULL

DO YOU GET IT?

DO YOU GET IT?

So how do you get, where you want to be? Be focused and clear. Get going! What counts is the journey, not the destination. The road to success is always under construction anyway. The harder you work, the luckier you get. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence and determination. Not talent, not genius, not education (Calvin Coolidge). So basically you can always get, where you want to be. Do you get it?

It really doesn't matter who you are or where you came from. Why not perform a background check on yourself? Is all the available information about yourself correct? Don't underestimate the more or less extensive screening process, used by others, in order to evaluate, who you really are. But whatever such an evaluation, you'll be unstoppable, if your dreams are BIG enough. If your dreams don't scare you, they aren't BIG enough. Do you get it?

Your goal is not perfection. Your goal is to see, what others are unable or unwilling to see. Your goal is to express, who you really are and where you are on your particular journey. Then others will be attracted to your point of view. Others will become the viewers! Expressing yourself is all that matters. Even if you move forward in the dark. Do you get it?

RICK SCHMULL

YOU'RE THE ARTIST

YOU'RE THE ARTIST

One way or another, you're the artist. You're creating something all the time. It wasn't there before! That's why you're living in a world of your own creation. By the way, as a human being, you're a work of art yourself. There is a time for everything. A time to plant, a time to harvest. All of nature seems to react to some kind of a timetable. The inevitable rhythm of life! Just amazing.

You don't really have to analyze how to live your life in whatever way. You're making use of what the Great Universe is making available to you at any given time. There seems to be no logic to it. Don't worry! You'll act like an innocent child, trying out new things, around the clock. You're constantly looking for the missing piece of a puzzle, as if you're fulfilling a mission. That mission is to do good, most of the time.

You're on the way of achieving a goal, without you really knowing, what's going on. You may feel, that you have no control over the way things are going. Don't worry! You'll become aware, when the time is right. No matter, what happens, it all happens through you. YOU'RE THE ARTIST.

RICK SCHMULL

TIRED, RATHER THAN RETIRED

TIRED, RATHER THAN RETIRED

Your life's work is never done. There will always be another dawn. Don't even think of 'riding into the sunset' like a cowboy in an ancient American Western. There never should be a time for you to move on to a life without work. If you do that, you're asking for trouble. That kind of seemingly long-awaited retirement should be shunned. You should simply move on to just another phase of your life. You should dream of 'riding into another sunrise'. A life without limits! Only then will you be able to increase the quality of your life.

You may be worn out, but never beaten. Look for a meaningful replacement activity. You'll be spoiled for choice! The world needs you. The world cannot afford 'useless eaters'. You should make yourself feel 'ageless'. No kidding! If you are willing and able to continue your contribution, you'll be allowed to go on. And on. You'll be energized. Otherwise, your inactivity could be dangerous. Boredom is the enemy of life. 

Aging could be the future of living. You should be actively moving in the direction of new adventures. You can't wait to experience, what's next! Each new day could be full of new beginnings. There's more to life than merely looking back. Be grateful for the privilege of being part of this world and ignore all the cons. The pros always outweigh the cons. Make sure to keep it that way. If you ever have to change course, so be it.

RICK SCHMULL

WHEN THE BLOOM IS OFF THE ROSE

WHEN THE BLOOM IS OFF THE ROSE

Is something no longer as exciting as it used to be? Go after new ideas! Sooner or later, everything will be out-of-date anyway. Times change. It seems, that the pace of change is accelerating. Those life-long careers, for instance, may have gone out of the window. You'll have to change course frequently. Are you ready for new challenges more often than you would have expected? 

But nature is amazing. A new cycle, perhaps more rewarding than the last, is always just around the corner. That's why you should always do 'something'. Keep your mind sharp. Dream about great things in the future. Stop waiting for the end of today's uncertainties. How will you position yourself for the inevitable better times ahead? Rolling downturns, which occur at irregular intervals, are part of life. They provide you with an opportunity to right and steer your ship. The specific timing of anything is impossible to predict. But new technologies are constantly reshaping the world and you can be part of the next wave. 

Don't put all your available capital at work all at once. A gradual approach is preferable by far. It's never too late to consider a strategy of investing a fixed amount on a regular basis. This may lower your stress level for sure! You don't have to watch the markets all the time. You're participating in the action, regardless of price. Timing is a high-risk strategy at all times anyway.

Keep focused on your budgeting money practices. Ten to twenty percent of your income should be available for savings and investment, while the remainder should take care of your needs and wants. This discipline is always a challenge and sometimes requires sacrifices. But whenever the bloom is off the rose, you've got something to fall back on!

RICK SCHMULL

 

ARE YOU THINKING FOR YOURSELF?

ARE YOU THINKING FOR YOURSELF?

Are you allowed to think for yourself? But aren't we all in the same boat? If you want to win a boat race, you'll have to suffer. You'll have to be very competitive. You'll need to create a team that's all on the same page. You'll have to forget thinking for yourself.

That's why most of the world's population have beliefs, which are not really their own. Do you also feel  your life is dictated by forces outside of your control? Manipulation of human thought is as old as time itself. It can sneak up on you. But who wants to be a loner? Since your addiction to the smartphone, you've probably broken the habit of a normal human connection long ago. So you have now become easy prey for all kinds of sharks. They may be out to get you.

How will you know, what you should do if you don't think for yourself? If you would simply do what you're being told to do, you 'll have trouble seeing the light. You could be going in the wrong direction. Without the freedom of independent thinking, it'll be hard to get at the real truth. Think about the things you would do differently without all the propaganda around you. But you don't want to cause any trouble. You don't want to 'rock the boat'. The very influential people running the show want you to do just that.

RICK SCHMULL

HOW TO DEAL WITH THE WORLD

HOW TO DEAL WITH THE WORLD

No one can be sure, what will happen. But you're not on your own. You've got very valuable skills of your own and no one can take these away from you. Focus on developing your particular skills, because you need to be prepared to use these. Your life is on a rollercoaster. Nothing stays the same. You'll be faced with sudden changes. That's why you'll move on and on --- and on.

Time is precious. Don't waste it. You have to try and limit the temptation to get distracted. Don't get side-tracked. But you can still have some fun! Life doesn't need to be boring at all. But life is short. Make the best of it, as long as your health permits. If your health deteriorates, your life becomes a real struggle, but never, never lose faith in yourself and never, never lose hope. Life is always about overcoming the worst. Every one gets lucky from time to time and you will too.

When things seem bleak, picture yourself in a successful outcome and positive change is bound to happen. Detach yourself from seemingly insurmountable challenges. You'll find a way! Start daydreaming. Life is amazing. As the world turns, you'll be given the key to focus on the good and the good gets better. Opportunities are endless and everywhere. Remember the songs 'Fly me to the moon' (Bart Howard, 1954) and 'The best is yet to come' (Coleman, 1959), as recorded by Frank Sinatra.

RICK SCHMULL

THE TROUBLE WITH PESSIMISM

THE TROUBLE WITH PESSIMISM

If you think the world is ending, you are closing the window of opportunity. You won't act one way or another, because there's nothing to be done anyway. Being a pessimist can be harmful to yourself and others. Have pessimists ever reversed any dark times in the past? As a matter of fact, the accomplishments in this world have mainly been achieved, thanks to the optimists.

Pessimism is often unjustified and unfounded. It could be fatal for the quality of your life. Never get caught up in the collective mood of hopelessness if certain dreadful things are allegedly happening somewhere. Why would you be spoiling your day, while the alarming things could be vastly overblown? You may not have been sufficiently informed. There is a constant stream of misleading information ('fake news') all the time, which arouses the fear of both the educated and the uneducated. 

There is plenty to be optimistic about. Despite all the gloom and doom, more than a billion fewer people are living today below the International Poverty Line than in 1990, just 34 years ago. Across the world, the average life expectancy since 1900 has more than doubled. The number of people reaching the age of 100 has quadrupled in the last few decades.

But pessimists will not be allowed to live a long life. There should be an unspoken rule against voicing extreme pessimism. You just have to find a way to believe in the future of mankind. Therefore, make today count. As the Irish say - 'Here's to a long life and a merry one!'

RICK SCHMULL

DON'T KEEP UP WITH THE PACK

DON'T KEEP UP WITH THE PACK

Is your lifestyle more than you can afford? Have you been bitten by the bug of keeping up with the Joneses? Do you suffer from 'conspicuous consumption' simply to impress others? Easy credit makes it easy to spend money, you don't have. It could become an obsession, which could push you into a downward spiral. That's very different from the old days! You either had the money or you didn't. 

It makes no sense to focus on your social and economic status, compared to others. Break your downward spiral now! You shouldn't flaunt your possessions, like the feathers of a peacock. Stop this catastrophic thinking, before it's too late. You could lose everything and then some.

How you should be living and what you should be buying must be your decision alone, not that of mister advertising, nor that of your neighbour. You will always lose, at any income level. Do you realize, how many unhappy wealthy people there really are? Overspending, let alone overborrowing, leads to disaster! Wake up, people!

Don't keep up with the herd. Scaling back your lifestyle may not be easy, but is essential in order to keep afloat. Especially these days. Prices have risen everywhere. Just compare house prices with 50 years ago. Insane! Unsustainable, because no one will eventually be able to afford it. Would you think about living in a cave, like the Stone Age people of 5,000 years ago or like the 3 million Chinese in the Chinese province of Shanxi currently? You could save money! You could be forced to control your spending someday. Then nothing will be the same again.

After your 'golden' years, you could become penniless. This happened to millions of people, after the outbreak of war or revolution. That's why you should always prepare for the unthinkable, before it's too late. You don't have to be wealthy to build your own 'bunker', somewhere, stocked with canned food, water and gold. No, no guns and ammunition. Because they could be turned against you by your fellow human beings. Don't trust anyone, while Armageddon rages. And keep your mouth shut.

RICK SCHMULL

WHY WOULD YOU EVER PICK A FIGHT WITH A STRONGER OPPONENT?

WHY WOULD YOU EVER PICK A FIGHT WITH A STRONGER OPPONENT?

Assume from the start, that 'fair fights' don't exist. Use your anger wisely. Calm yourself down. Why would you get involved in a fight in the first place? Give yourself time to think, before you have a decent chance of losing and before you'll come to regret it. Take a break. You can give way, without surrendering. Just look it up. 

Avoiding a fight altogether is by far the best strategy anyway. Would you really want to take issue with governments, powerful lobbies, intelligence services and secret societies? Remember, power and money shape the actions of most people. If there is a lot at stake, it could be a fight till the end. Life is short, as it is, and could become shorter. Much shorter. It doesn't matter how strong and tall you think you are. But you could give up things, without giving them up. Just look it up. 

So just walk away. That's a very effective tool! Tomorrow is another day. Nature is amazing. Tomorrow things may look very different. You'll be able to overcome most things eventually. There will always be sunshine after rain.

RICK SCHMULL

NEVER RETIRE

NEVER RETIRE

Just keep going. Idle hands are the devil's playground. Can you handle it, leaving a productive career behind? Always look forward. How long have you still got? Plenty of time! An apple a day may not keep the doctor away, but there are true health benefits. Remaining productive in life, however, is much more essential for your physical, mental and emotional health. That's why you should find a way to abolish your official retirement. Just stay put or move on to your next adventure.

Any possible stressful transition is simply not on and should not happen. It's all in the mind. You are meant to be active! You are not limited by your past. You don't want to feel a bit lost, when you are confronted by a forced retreat. Refuse to accept it. The best of your life may yet lie ahead! No kidding! You are now older, wiser and hotter than ever!

Some health problems may slow you down. Down , but not out! Remember, any setback is temporary, not final. Never lose hope. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Be an optimist! Do you have an action plan? What is your ultimate 'bucket list'? Or would you really prefer a journey, without a destination? Everybody is different. But no matter what follows next, make sure that you have a grand finale during the last leg of your long race. Who knows, you may be able to sprint at the end!

RICK SCHMULL

WHAT IF YOU LIVE TO 100?

WHAT IF YOU LIVE TO 100?

The number of people living to 100 has increased, as life expectancy has improved significantly, despite seemingly never ending epidemics and wars. People lived to 35 - 40 years of age 5,000 years ago, when infant mortality was also very high. You can live a happy and long life, as long as you remain active and curious. If you focus on certain goals, you'll be allowed to go on. Remember, certain foods and pills could actually kill you over time, despite all the propaganda. Be very sceptical towards anything, that may be unnatural. Your life may depend on it. Rely on the invisible hand to navigate the minefield of your life.

Suffering a serious decline in memory is not a given at all. That apparently only applies to a tiny minority. All the research, that is currently being done on cells and DNA should eventually produce amazing results. The survivors among us should look forward to becoming 120 and 150 years old. Giant tortoises can reach an age of 150 years already, with some whales and fish living to an age of 200 years or more. 

You won't be able to live forever nor would you want to. But as long as you aren't 'a useless eater' and you have a contribution to make to mankind, you'll find, that you are a vital part of this world, whatever your age. So try to keep moving!

RICK SCHMULL