Good morning, Warriors. I hope you all are well. I wanted to write today to talk about an incident I had last week and why the phrase "Forward Progress..." means so much to me. On Monday last week my Girlfriend and I took our boat out at sunrise to venture over to Mobile Bay and watch the SS UNITED STATES make its way into Mobile after a long journey being towed from Philidelphia Pennsylvania. Many of you I am sure have been following that story and we were excited to be a small part of it by going and seeing it personally. The day started out well, we got out at sunrise and had an uneventful and quite enjoyable ride over towards mobile bay. Although it was chilly, any time we get to spend on the boat we consider a plus. I was amazed at how great our timing was as just as we were closing in on the Dauphin Island bridge, we could see the ship entering the bay just on the other side. Couldn't have timed it better. We proceeded to get closer to the ship and went alongside her to take pictures and just enjoy the experience when suddenly my engines both started sputtering. The bay was pretty rough, and we were rocking enough that my low fuel situation was turning into a somewhat dire event. Knowing I didn't want to run the tank dry and risk losing prime on my engines, I shut them down. I immediately called Sea Tow and got help on the way. The boat arrived within an hour or so and we were towed to a nearby marina where I was able to buy fuel and hopefully get back under way. Well, that wasn't to be. I was able to get the engines started but there were problems keeping them running reliably and I knew that I wouldn't make it the 40 or so miles I had to go to get back home so I just kept working on what I thought could be the problem. The people at the marina were all talking about the storm that was coming, and I knew I didn't want to be stuck at this dock through a storm, so I was vigilant about trying to fix the problem. I know my boat pretty well by now but no matter what I tried, it didn't fix the problem. It became obvious that we were going to be stuck there for the night. Which in itself was no big deal, our boat has a nice cabin, and we had pillows and blankets and food, so we just chalked it up as part of the adventure. I continued to work on the problem throughout the day and by nightfall thought I had it sorted out. One engine would run perfectly but the other was still questionable. We planned to leave at sunrise the next morning to try to beat the weather and even if I had to run on one engine, that would have been OK with me. At daybreak we fired up the engines and pulled out of the harbor, as I got into the choppy open water of the bay, the Starboard engine shut down. I was intent to make it on the other engine, but the chop was too much, and I didn't want to risk it, especially with my lady on board. So, I limped her back to the Marina and tied off again. I decided to get Jackie to call someone to come get her so she could get on with the day and I was going to stay with the boat until I got it fixed. After more troubleshooting and several attempts to take her out with the same result of having to limp back to the marina, I was getting frustrated. I just couldn't understand why I could get it fixed. Honestly, I was about to give up. I took a short break, cleared my mind and though about the situation. A storm was coming, I was in the position to have to spend another night on the boat with bad weather the next day and it just seemed like a huge disaster. But the idea of "Forward Progress" came to mind. Just work the situation, keep looking at the alternatives to what I had already tried. And with that I pressed on. I decided to look at the main fuel line going to my engines and I followed it to a bulkhead where it went into a series of valves and there, I spotted a valve that was about 3/4 of the way shut off. I found it. Somehow when I was crawling down into the engine room, I stepped on the valve lever and shut it almost all the way off. I opened the valve and cranked the engines, and they fired up and ran perfectly. I was disgusted with myself but happy that I found the problem. So, now I faced a dilemma, the storm was almost upon me, do I risk it and possibly get caught up in a storm, or wait possibly two days for clear weather. Well, if you know me you can guess what I did. I slammed her into gear and headed out. The bay was rough, but the intercoastal was rather pleasant and I was able to enjoy the 2-hour ride back home and reflect on what we had just went through. As I returned to my slip I was faced with one more challenge. The high winds were here and where I park my boat is a bit challenging to get into even with good weather. But I decided that I had come this far, and nothing was going to stop me now. And, by chance I was able to back her into her home on the first try and tie her off by myself. Crisis over.

It’s Sunday boys. Praise your gods, and get your rest (last one is optional)

Hello men. So, I realize that at this point in my life that I have a "LOT" going on. But I was invited to join this group by my close friend because he believes that I might have something to offer that could be of value to some of you. I sincerely hope that is the case. Although I do not believe I am better in any way than anyone here, I do feel as though my life's experiences and accomplishments might in some way help to inspire or motivate some of you to take actions that could in some way improve your everyday life. I will strive to participate as much as I can in the day-to-day posts and activities and contribute what I hope to be beneficial insights from my life to the group as well as learn from all of you as we continue through this journey together. Forward progress.........

Hey brothers! As we journey through life, we're constantly faced with choices that can either empower or imprison us. If you miss the post I made yesterday it was all about uncage yourself, and unmasking yourself and freeing yourself from the prison of your ego. I’ve indirectly made the ego a huge part of my focus in every day life. To the point where friends and family have often rolled their eyes and get sick of the word lol. That’s another challenge in itself and learning how to communicate these things and help guide other people and except people, etc. But I even get sick of the word ego myself and I’m sure you will in this group at some point lol. But it’s just a huge part of our problem. Dare I say it’s the root of all the problems. If you compare religions, study philosophy, and look closely into esoteric ideas and teachings you will see the ego is the common theme. And in today’s post, you’ll see my quick overview of these four agreements and how I interpreted them. It’s pretty plain to see that all four agreements are agreements to not let your ego be in control, but to be a higher guide, a master, a father, if you will to your lower worldly self or as I call it the dog. The Four Agreements, inspired by Don Miguel Ruiz's book ( I highly recommend I did the audio) offer a powerful framework for living a more authentic, compassionate, and fulfilling life. *Agreement #1: Be Impeccable with Your Word* Think of your words as arrows: once released, they can't be taken back. Let's strive to speak truthfully, kindly, and without judgment. Remember, our words have the power to heal or harm. *Agreement #2: Don't Take Anything Personally* Newsflash…people's opinions and actions often reflect their own stuff, not yours. Don't internalize negativity or take things personally. You are not defined by others' perceptions. *Agreement #3: Don't Make Assumptions* Assumptions are like landmines: they can blow up in your face. Communicate openly, ask questions, and seek clarity. Don't assume you know what others are thinking or feeling.

Hey guys. I’m looking forward to being part of the group.