Notes from a Grey Notebook

Was doing some cleaning today. Came across a grey notebook with miscellaneous undated entries circa 1999. There are several pages of notes pertaining to my unpublished novel The Red Scorpion, and a three page summary of my evening in Hollywood when the wheel was stolen off my rental car which I may save for tomorrow. Here are a few of the other extracts.

1. Winning a million dollars involves no skill, no duplicatable formula, whereas creating a million dollars is highly instructive and empowering. Learn how to create wealth and you can do much good.

2. Slogans:
“Show me the money.” ~ from Jerry Maguire
“Where’s the beef.” ~ from Burger King campaign
“Remember who you are.” ~ from Lion King

3. It’s humbling to admit our insufficiency. We are weak and desperately needy. Yet so often we forget. But God does not and provides us a family, friends, a community as gift… to strengthen, encourage, give hope.

4. Preach to broken hearts and you’ll always be up-to-date.” ~ advice to Robert Schuller when in seminary.

5. UNTITLED UNIVERSE
Blustery winds driven by trembling fortunes
and foreign experiences within the galaxies;
the concept of attraction denies the existence of meaningless motions.

Motion is purpose, fueled by desire… illuminating the void.
Apathy is a black hole sucking energy and matter into nothingness.
The complacency of fools destroys them.

6. Interesting note:
Fear, the opposite of complacency.
explore this thought

7. Idea for a book
Letters to My Daughter
~ Fame and Ambition
~ Success
~ Love
~ Hardship
~ Suffering
~ Attitude
~ Wholeness
~ Balance

8. Keep your eyes on the prize, and your back to the wind.

9. On Gambling
I’ve never seen anyone who bought a house or car with gambling money. I’ve seen plenty who lost a car or home.

10. Planet Sandtrap
Gambling, Drinking, Drugs, Sex
(source: Robert Lookup)

11. Learning Rage: Nature or Nurture
explore this idea

12. "No one ends at himself,
each one is an all in all

in another all,

in another one.

The other is contained in the one,

the one is another:

we are all constellations."

~ Octavio Paz