I'm on a quest! I am on a journey to find 100 people who would like to improve their life in some way. 

I am looking for 100 people who at some point in their day, they ask themselves, "Who am I? Why am I here?"

The 100 monkey project is inspired by the 100 monkey phenomenon and you can read more about that story by clicking here. 

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. 

Why do I need 100 people? I want to change the world. I want to change the course of history. Sounds lofty, I know. But here we go anyway. Let's just say, it's for a good cause! So please join me if you feel that this sounds right for you. 

All I can say is that this is a RIGHT NOW type of decision. If you are worn out from the way of things and being tired of being sick and tired, you are probably who I am looking for.

Cheap. Easy. Fast. 

If these adjectives describe you or your lifestyle, I'm going to teach you how to change that. If they don't describe your lifestyle, you're in a good position to see results quickly. 

The hardest part is the first step so I'm going to make this incredibly easy on you to get started. 

Whether you say you can or can't, you're absolutely right!

Step 1. 

Set a 2 minute timer on your phone and I simply want you to focus on your breathing. Deep inhale into the belly. Control your breathe all the way out. 

Step 2. 

Drink clean (Reverse osmosis or distilled water) today. All you need to do is check your water source. Bottled water is usually ok, but the real good stuff isn't the cheapest. 

If you drink coffee, try switching to a green tea or something different. Black coffee isn't necessarily bad, but the idea is variety. If you drink soda or anything else like that, stop that immediately. If you drink alcohol, please hold off on that for now. 

Step 3. 

Each day this week, skip 1 meal per day. This is intentional fasting, but trust me, if done with intention, you will be fine. Don't focus on the hunger you may feel, but focus on the gratitude for food and wellness while you fast. 

Those are your first steps for now. You can keep going if you like or you can just focus on those things and reference back to this post once you do the first steps for a week. 

How do you know you can trust what I'm saying? Well for one, it's really straight forward and well researched. Please also do your own research. For two, I have almost two decades of experience with health and wellness coaching. For three, these are the ways I have gone from a complete alcoholic who hated and destroyed my life to someone who does the exact opposite. 

Ok, enough about me. What are the next steps?

Physical Wellness.

Every day, find 10 minutes to do some exercise in the comfort of your home. Trust me, you know what to do. YouTube has a vast amount of exercise videos that you can follow. You can't make a wrong decision. Do what sounds cool to you today. If you move with purpose for 10 minutes, you did the right thing. It's that simple. 

Mental Wellness. 

Every day, set a 5 minute timer and write down everything you can think of to be thankful for. Write it anywhere. It could be a gratitude journal or a loose sheet of paper lying around. I don't care about that. I just care about the practice. Do this every day. 

Even if you feel like you don't have it (let's say excess money), I want you to write something like this...

"I am thankful for the $5 in my wallet." Or, "I am thankful for my ability to buy the things I need." 

Give thanks for everything even if you feel like you don't have enough. Focus on whatever you do have. 

Relationship & Social Wellness. 

No matter who, what, when, where or why, from now on, recognize everyone that you pass each day as if they are your brother, sister, mother, or father. Honor them and pay some attention to them. Even if it is just a person passing by on the street. And moreover, especially if they live in your house with you. 

I will emphasize this: Honor and Pay Attention!

​Nutritional Wellness.

We can vastly improve our wellness everyday by fueling our bodies with whole foods. Practically everything is processed in one form or fashion these days, but some foods are obviously worse than others so it's important to know what to eat and when. 

1) Eat what you crave. Listen to your body. If it's not communicating properly, drink a full glass of pure water, and then listen again. 

2) Eat whole foods. Stay away from anything that is processed too much.

3) Eat fruits, veggies and herbs of every color of the spectrum. Again, listen and pay attention to your body. it will tell you what colors to eat. 

4) Fasting is an excellent way to throw your body off of a normal routine. Skip a meal. Or you can fast other things from your life. Have a cellphone free evening or skip your normal coffee. Don't have drinks with your friends once and just stick to soda water and lime. Fasting is a great way to learn something about yourself more deeply. 

Professional Wellness. 

Do you love what you do for work?

Each one of us has a gift or gifts to offer the world and many of us don't use any of them. Do you know what your gifts are? 

I've been in jobs that I have hated, but I was still required to fulfill my duties. I identified my gifts and started to apply them to that job and things got exponentially better. 

What are your skills? Talents? Special abilities? Write them down and start serving your community with them. 

Spiritual Wellness. 

Spend alone time with yourself. Set a 10 minute timer and just be by yourself. Excuse yourself from the bustle of the world, your to-do list, and just spend a short time in a quiet place. 

What do you think about? Write it down. Is it peaceful? Is it chaotic? 

Try to focus on breathing deeply while your spending time with yourself. Pay attention to your body. 

I must emphasize that this is different than something you do for yourself such as getting a massage or going to the gym. This is alone time with only you around with as little noise as possible. Getting out into the sun or nature is a great way to spend this time. 

I wonder how many of us spend any alone time getting to know ourselves. 

Sexual Wellness. 

I'll take the Buddha's advice on this one and keep it simple. Do not engage in sexual activity that is mentally, physically, or spiritually unwholesome. Good enough!

Rest & Recovery Wellness. 

Sleep when you are tired. Many of us dose ourselves with caffeine to keep up the pace in life. This isn't a natural way to exist. If you are someone who says, "I can't function without my coffee," then I'm just going to say that any thought like that is not serving your highest good. 

If you get sleepy in the middle of the day, instead of dosing yourself, simply lay your head back for a minute and shut your eyes. Usually it only takes a few minutes to completely rejuvenate yourself. If you have the luxury of breaking away from the daily routine, go lay somewhere quiet and comfortable, set a 20 minute timer and have a complete reset. It absolutely works!

Energy drinks are absolutely terrible for your system. Those beverages should be completely avoided. 

If you absolutely need a "pick-me-up", try drinking organic fresh squeezed juices. Add some cucumber in there. Or you can try the different teas they have available at different coffee shops. Many of these add a ton of nutritional benefits as well as a small amount of caffeine that won't last long in your system. 

Rest when you are tired. Simple. 

As far as the gym, don't forget to take days off or de-load days. If you continuously beat on your body without listening to signs and signals of stress overload, your body will break down and that's defeating the purpose. 

When your body is tired, rest. Simple. 

Natural Wellness. 

Get out into nature. Go for a 5 minute walk if your angry or stressed. Play with your dog. Pay attention to the trees, sand, rocks, mountains, sky and water. This releases incredible endorphins that will increase your wellness in profound ways. If you do it and pay attention to the effects, you'll understand what I mean. 

Put your feet and hands on the grass or in the sand on a beach for a minute. Get grounded. So many of us are flying through life at incredible speed. Slow down for a second and get bare feet onto the ground. It's an immediate mood shifter!

**

I believe that we first have to center ourselves and pay attention to have any significant change in the way life is going right now. In my story, it started with me. I had to get to know myself to understand that I did not like the way life was going in my world. Once I made a real change without telling myself a bunch of excuses, I watched my world begin to change before my eyes. 

​Now I'm on a mission to help others. I hope that you will join me in this project by just following the information that I've laid out. If you have any questions or need any guidance, I'm here for that. Just email me at greg@gregwhitejr.com and I'll help any way I'm able. 

If this message blessed you and you would like to give a blessing in return, my Venmo is @gregwhitejr, cashapp $gregwhitejr, or paypal.me/gregwhitejr. I also love gifts that are your gifts and talents. Please share them with me by sending me an email! God bless you and keep you! 

It really is that simple. I create my world. 

Stop. Think about it. 

At one point in my life, I believed I was a ninja or a martial artist. I acted that out. I learned about it. I thought about it constantly. Perhaps I only reached a childhood level of that skill, but I still was a young, blossoming martial artist. 

At one point in my life, I believed I was a football player. I did all the things a football player does and my environment changed into a football oriented one. I was successful to an extent. 

One time, I believed I could physically overpower a bull. A 900 lbs BULL! I believed I could and so I did. 

Quite simply, I said, "I am..." And then that reality happened. 

I have and still do believe that I am a health and wellness professional. I am a healer. I walk the walk and talk the talk. So that's what I do. That's what I think about. That's what I learn about. That's what I act on. I am that. 

I've believed some bad things too. I believed alcohol was just a part of who I was. I also believed that I was flawed and self-destructive behavior was just who I was. Yikes. Guess what? That happened too. I believed I could hurt people and break hearts. I believed I could do anything regardless of consequences. That happened too. I set my mind upon it. I created the reality. 

I've got a lot more examples, but the point is that whatever I set my INTENTION upon, that is what happened. 

What are you setting your intention on?

The I in SIMPLE is simply; I am, what I say I am. I am my intention. My environment is my intention. 

Here are some positive things that I've said, "I am," in my life:

Loved
Successful
Kind
Compassionate
A good father
A good teammate
A good partner
A good lover
Motivated
Handsome
Loving
Smart
Intelligent
Skillful
Talented
And others.

Here are some negative things that I've said, "I am," in my life:

Alcohol
The life of the party (not in a good way)
A dumbass
Making mistakes
A victim of circumstance
Lazy
A rebel
A product of divorce
Unable
Not (insert adjective ie. "good") enough
A loser
Alone

It's simple. I believed it. I created my environment around that belief. 

No matter which thing I was setting my intention upon, the positive news is that I was simply having a life experience. I was figuring who I like being and who I do not like being. I have the gift of free will so I get to choose the world I want to live in. 

I have had many life experiences that taught me a lot of important lessons. I believe there is nothing more valuable than our experiences. 

There is nothing I have that is more valuable than my experience. 

No material item is worth more than experience. Not money, not cars, not houses, or anything else contains such rich value. 

Here is where I've gone wrong though. I lived in the past constantly. I defined myself by my past and I kept recreating it in my present and future. Simply, I wasn't learning the lessons, I was reliving them everyday. 

The magic happened when I realized I could look at the past, learn from it, and say, "I am moving on to a better belief, better choices, and a better life." I stopped criticizing myself about my mistakes and owned them. I wiped off the disgusting qualities of the experience and underneath was a valuable gem that I put in my pocket for future use. The great things I've done and the beautiful experiences were there too. 

Whether you believe it to be true or not true, you're absolutely right!

One phrase I really do not like at all is, "I can't." It's very different than saying, "I won't."

I can't do it. You're right.

I CAN DO IT! You're right.

I don't believe it. You're right.

I DO BELIEVE IT! You're right.

If you believe you can, but don't know how, learn. If you need a guide, I'm happy to help. There are many guides out there to get you out of the past and into the present. There are many resources out there that can help you start believing in yourself and your ability to create a new reality for yourself without hurting anyone.

It's simple. Just say, "I am...," and repeat it until it's your life. 

If you need someone to talk to, I am here. My email is greg@gregwhitejr.com or you can send me a message on my contact page. I offer private consultations if you need that service too. 

If you've been blessed by this message and would like to return a blessing, my Venmo is @gregwhitejr and Cashapp is $gregwhitejr. Paypal is paypal.me/gregwhitejr. I also love creative blessings so if it's a gift of your talent, just message me privately and I'll let you know where to send it. 

I want to work with other creatives to help them receive blessings from their creative gifts. If you are one of those artists or creators, please let me know so I can give you a shoutout so others know about you and your gifts as well. 

Back when I was a boy of 15 years old, things were not going all that well in my life. My parents were newly divorced, my life was completely upended, and I was living in a whole new world that I did not grow up in.

Needless to say, I made some mistakes. I remember this one particular time when I had made a few bad decisions, I decided to climb into a tree in my yard. It was almost as if I was seeking protection from the tree from some dangerous animal that wanted to eat me. I cried a lot. 

While I was in the tree pouring out my soul, I was reminded of what I learned about King Solomon from my days spent in church and Sunday school. 

Basically, the story goes like this..

God offered King Solomon anything he requested of him. "Ask me for what you desire, and I will give it to you," God said. "If you want land, it is yours. If you want gold and treasures, you will have it."

I just remember that King Solomon ask God not for gold nor riches, land nor power, and he didn't ask Him for women and followers on social media. 

King Solomon asked God for wisdom and knowledge.

"Because you have asked this of Me, I will give you everything." said God.

As I sat up in that tree, crying,  I remember asking the same of God. "I want to know everything, please. Just like King Solomon."

Well, like that saying goes, be careful what you wish for. 

I don't know everything... yet! I don't think God works like that as far as I can tell by looking at my life.

**And before I continue, let me clarify one simple fact. It does not matter to me what you call God. If you say some other version of calling out the name of the Almighty God, Creator, Great Spirit, Allah, or Aheeyeh, that's probably fine as long as you know what WHO you are talking about and speak with a deep respect of His Name. To me, God has always been who or what I need Him to be, when I approach Him with respect and honor. I've always approached Him as a father, but He is not limited to that character. 

I'll continue. God hasn't really granted me wishes like a genie in a bottle. However, usually it's a form of direction, a small whisper in my ear, or a deep desire in my heart to move towards a particular call to action. If the whisper is something good, creative, and uplifting, I know that whisper comes from they Almighty Creator, God. 

I know that when I follow that "still small voice," usually great things happen. If I ignore it and do it my own way, usually things do not go very well. 

So what do I know? I know what my life experience has taught me. What do you know?

Knowledge is a loaded word. It means facts, information or skills that are gained through experience and education. 

Wisdom is also a loaded word. It describes the quality of having gained experience, knowledge, and GOOD  JUDGEMENT. 

Don't put your hand in the fire! That shit hurts! That's knowledge and wisdom wrapped up in a painful moment that for some reason, we all have to learn. But we all walk away from that experience a little different; a little more wise than before.

I think nothing of knowledge and wisdom if it is not for the use or good service of myself and others. To clarify that sentence, I do not think it is considered wisdom or knowledge if I cannot use it to help other people live in peace and happiness.

I have to say this so please forgive me. F**K your theories. Theories are ideas of what generally is thought of what might be the case. These could be considered stepping stones towards the truth of the matter, but the actual truth and facts have not conclusively been discovered yet. Theories can lead to confusion and disbelief altogether. 

I prefer universal laws. A universal law cannot be disproven and is timeless.  

Don't put your hand in the fire! That shit hurts! LAW

If you jump out of an airplane with no way to fly, you are going to fall. Usually a law is determined when one condition meets another particular condition. A high place, a jump, and no ability to fly, leads to a fall. That's a law. 

So, what do I know? Why even ask the question in the first place?

I used to antagonize my friends and family with the question, "Do you really believe the earth is round?" Then came the deadpan face and the response, "Are you freakin kidding me?" 

I probably shouldn't have, but I really enjoyed it. I don't care if the earth is round, or flat, or a disk, or a spheroid or a square. I don't care if it looks like a 3d pyramid. I really don't care. But what I did enjoy at the time (and I think it was foolish now for the record) was that nobody would really debate me on the subject. They would usually just get mad and the conversation never went anywhere positive. 

The knowledge I gained from antagonizing my friend and family with flat earth theory was this: 

1) That's a really immature way to irritate someone. 
2) Almost nobody was willing to debate and discover with me. 
3) Almost nobody had any interesting facts or experience to share that would conclusively shut me the f**k up! 
4) Almost everybody quoted things that they read from a book, were taught in school, or someone else told them was the way of things. 
5) Many people got irrationally angry and/or shut down completely.

I think the reason that is the case is because we simply don't know. Why don't we know that absolute truth of the matter in regards to the condition of our world?

Probably because we haven't seen it. Seeing is believing. Trusting in what somebody else told you isn't the same as actually believing it for yourself.

Why are we so willing to believe what someone else told us is TRUTH?

Probably because we're busy. 

When is the last time you asked someone, "How are you?" And their general response is, "Doing good, just busy."

Is that what are lives amount to? Busy? Busy doing what?

What are you doing with your life? And why are you doing it?

I absolutely hate that response when I ask someone how they are doing. It tells me absolutely nothing of the peace, happiness, and harmony they are living in their life. As a matter of fact, usually if someone gives me that answer, it quite the opposite. 

Are we busy like a beehive? Nature, order, teamwork, flowers, energy, flow, harmony and servitude towards a higher purpose (HONEY and LIFE) are things that you will observe from a beehive. 

Something tells me our busy looks way different. Jobs, relationships, homes, kids, school, chores, more chores, rush hours, errands, bills, and a laundry list of other shit that we absolutely have to accomplish or we won't achieve happiness. Usually we end up exhausted, irritated, and farther from peace and happiness than when we started the day. 

Yikes.

I think we should stop being busy. At least, we should stop being busy like that. 

When is the last time you stopped and read a book?

When is the last time you went for a walk in the woods?

When is the last time you prayed or meditated?

When is the last time you stopped and pondered on whether this life is the one you want to be living?

What's it gonna take for you to actually achieve happiness?

I don't know everything yet, but I do know that I have done quite a lot of busy work to try to achieve happiness. 

I've made a lot of money. Didn't last. 

I got a good job. I hated it.

I dated girls. It was superficial. 

I had nice things. They broke.

All of this failure lead to depression and sadness. I don't like depression and sadness. I like being happy. Beer was my happy pill. I got hooked and abused my happy pill until it was destructive. 

What's your happy pill? Beer? Drugs? Weed? Money? Sex? Cellphone? Business? Possessions? 

From my experience, none of those things will work. They will only be fleeting and then it's off to the next beer or off to the next possession. 

Possession. Interesting thought. The word possess means to have as a belonging; to own. The word possessed means to have complete power over someone and be manifested through speech and actions. 

I used to possess a twelve pack of beer. Now that twelve pack of beer has possessed me. That didn't work out so well for me. 

What do you possess that is now possessing you?

The Buddha speaks of this as a clinging or an attachment to something. Simply put, if you cling or attach yourself to anything in this world, it will lead you to unhappiness, chaos, and disharmony. 

Jesus said, "Don't worry about tomorrow. Today has enough worries of its own."

Other spiritual practices teach us to, "Let it go," and, "Nature has the answer to all things."

That all sounds like pretty good wisdom to me. 

So what do I know, really? 

I know that we have all played a hand in banging up this world pretty badly.

I know we didn't mean for it to happen. 

I know that we can change it. 

I know that we are all too busy, worry to much, are depressed and anxious because we exist in either the past or the future. Very few of us are in the present. This leads to mindlessness. 

I know that we all cling to something that is destroying us. 

I know that we all have gifts from the Almighty God, Creator, and that many of us are not living in our gifts.

I know that many of us are not looking for the truth of the matter. If you do not seek, you will not find. And no frickin' way is Google the be-all-end-all of information, facts, wisdom, and knowledge. 

I know that we all believe in things that we have not seen or discovered for ourselves. 

I know that not all of us are busy like the beehive. We are more busy like a wildfire. 

What do you know?

I pray for you all and my heart bleeds for the condition of this world. I truly want you to achieve happiness and peace. But it starts with your first choice when you get out of bed. I know that many of us will not make the necessary sacrifices to attain the level of peace and happiness I have discovered since I discarded alcoholism from my life. I know I had to experience my life up to this point for a divine purpose. That purpose was to bring you this message. 

If this message has blessed you and you would like to leave a blessing, you may do so by donating so that I can continue my mission. Thank you! Venmo: @gregwhitejr cashapp: $gregwhitejr or paypal.me/gregwhitejr

I'm also going to set up a mailbox so that I can receive other blessings that are not money. I love art, gardening, and many other creative works. Please feel free to share these things as well! God bless you all!

Today is the beginning of our true Independence Day. 

Are you truly free?

If you love freedom, please stop what you are doing for one moment and please do this for me:

Grab a piece of paper and a writing utensil. It could be a pen, pencil, crayon, or marker. If you have a choice of colors, grab your favorite color! Now, draw a beautiful spiral. 

How do I draw a beautiful spiral? Try this:

1) Start at the center. 

2) Continuously draw a circle around your center never letting the line touch the inner line. 

3) Keep going until you have covered the entire paper. 

4) Fill in the gaps with all the things about your life. 

5) Now imagine the spiral IS your life.

6) Is it beautiful?

Start At The Center. 

Let me ask you these questions. Thank you for taking the time to reflect on these things!

What is at the center of your life currently? Is it YOU? Or something else?

How does your life look? Is it full of love, gratitude, care, compassion, generosity, freedom, health, motivation, positivity, nature, beauty, music, smiles, and joy?  

Or does it look a bit different from that? Maybe your life spiral just looks busy. Busy, messy, expensive, annoying, anxious, depressing, tedious, tired, sick, and sad? 

If your life truly looks like the first spiral, that's amazing! Keep it going! Keep building your spiral and telling other how to do what you are doing!!

If your life looks like the latter. I'm asking you to join the fight for OUR collective independence. Stop being busy. Let's begin a whole new spiral right now!

Start At The Center... YOU.

The center of your spiral is you. At that center is your breathe. The breathe of life. 

If I gave your a certain amount of money (let's say it's a rather large amount) and told you when your dollars ran out, you drop dead. Yikes! I'd probably be more careful what I do with that money. 

What if I told you that the ONLY WAY to increase your amount of money from what I originally gave you was to pay attention to your health. Interesting... I'm listening... What's the plan? I don't want to die. I want to earn more money so that I can live longer! 

Well, personally, I would start by paying attention to everything I eat or drink. That's a good start. Fruit, veggies, honey, nuts, seeds, salads, superfoods, cleaner the better! I'd look at everything! Every label, every ingredient. I don't want anything keeping me from increasing my dollars so that I can live longer! Basically, I would know everything about everything that line from outside to inside. 

I'd exercise, get out into nature, love on my family and neighbors more. I'd be super careful not to do anything stressful because that would affect my health and therefore, my amount of money, and therefore, the moments I have until I drop dead. 

I also wouldn't listen to anyone trying to sell me something, claiming it would increase my health without doing my research. I would be absolutely certain that that thing they are trying to sell would indeed increase my health. Then MAYBE I would make the investment. But that's only if I couldn't generate that health myself, with my own efforts, without spending anything. 

Now let's get back to the center. Change every word in the previous paragraphs from MONEY to BREATHE. That changes things a bit... 

Death = Bad. Life = Great! 

Let's recap:

1) We'd want to EARN more breathe. (Earn means to gain as a result of our actions.)

2) We wouldn't want our breathe to run out. Nor our families. Nor our friends and neighbors. 

3) We'd pay attention to what we eat or drink. Probably we wouldn't trust the grocery store or any health gimmicks. We'd grow our own food because that way we'd be sure it was the most nutritious possible. We'd be entirely and fully educated on how to live FOREVER!

4) Exercise, nature, and love a lot! 

5) We'd avoid stress and unhappiness like the PLAGUE it is AND everything that causes it. 

6) We wouldn't waste it unless spending it meant we would earn more of it with interest. 

7) When we did something that increased our breathe, we would share it with the world. We would tell everyone with passion how to do it for themselves. 

Draw The Circles Around The Center

I am at the center of my spiral, my collective universe, my world. Therefore, I am responsible for everything and everyone in it. I own it. 

The center of the spiral is one dot. The lines that surround the circle are made of a multitude of closely connected dots that originate from me. These dots are my choices. My choices make up the design of the spiral; my life. I get to fill in the empty spaces with my choices too. 

Every choice designs my life's spiral. That is my responsibility. That is my creation. I own it. 

So I ask you again, how does your spiral look? 

Now that we have identified that we are responsible for the manner, condition of everything around us, let's reflect on a few great questions?

Do you have freedom? 

"Freedom, oh freedom, well that's just some people talkin'. Your prison is walking through this world all alone." - "Desperado" by the Eagles. The song is written by Glenn Frey and Don Henley. 

Imagine your days on vacation (holiday). You wake up with the sun feeling great! That's freedom. You take your time with your coffee. That too is freedom. If you have kids, they don't bother you as much this morning because you aren't rushing. There's probably nature around you too. The beach, the forest, the mountains, a foreign country, an island... breathe in all that freedom. 

Then the moment comes. You have to go home. Back to real life. Are you happy about that? Your answer is huge revelation about the health of your spiral. 

Did you go on vacation because you chose to go? Did you have to ask permission from anyone? Hmmm...

How's the condition of your house?

Do you take responsibility for the condition of your house? How about your bed? Is it made? Is your house clean? Most importantly, do you like the way it is? 

Have you ever said, "Well I'm too busy and I don't have enough money to hire help!" 

That's your choice. It's your world and your responsibility. You own it. 

What about, "Well my kids and spouse don't care. They don't help me. Why should I care?!" 

That too is your choice. It's your world and your responsibility. You own it. 

This one is personal. "Well I don't know how to do that! I can't fix that. I don't have time to learn. I don't have enough money to hire a professional." 

That has been my choice. It's my world and my responsibility. I own it. 

Do you care for and about others? 

Do you really care for and care about those other living beings around you? Your spouse, your kids, your pets, your neighbors, your neighborhood, and your greater community are also all your responsibility. 

This is your world. You own it. 

Do you ever ignore your family? Do you ever neglect your kid's or spouse's needs? Do you ever get annoyed and speak our of emotion at your family, spouse, or pets? 

Do you ever drive like a jerk? Do you ever yell profane things and curse other drivers? Do you ever curse your neighbors, judge and gossip about what they're doing wrong? 

I have. I've done those things. This is my world. I'm responsible. I own it. 

How is the spiral looking so far? 

If you are not feeling so good about your spiral, I want you to know that I'm right there with you. 

Four months ago when I made a choice to stop abusing alcohol (gave up my attachment to it), I woke up to a few realities. This is a small part of the realization that I do not like the design of my spiral. I began to realize the world that I created. It's a broken, untidy, unclean, disorganized, busy, chaotic, disastrous mess! 

I woke up to this mess and my next words were, "What the actual F*&$!!!!!!!"

I realized there is a profound darkness working on my world while I slept and distracted myself with a variety of unnecessary choices. My choices were destroying my world. I blamed everyone and everything for the condition of my world. Personal responsibility was nowhere in my sight. I did this. 

The feeling I had in that moment was quite overwhelming and profound. 

I though, "Where do I even begin?"

Start at the Center... YOU!

You are not cursed. You are not flawed. You are not FUBAR (if those of you know who know what that means) or rather, you are not broken beyond repair. 

Like me, you may not like the spiral you have created so far, but the great thing about a spiral is that at any moment of those closely connected dots, you can begin a brand new spiral. You have the ability to do this because every moment of your life is yours and therefore, you are at the center of every single one of those closely connected dots. 

It's rather simple. Make a choice. Learn from the past. Think about the details of your life's spiral. Start a brand new spiral! 

It's your world. Your choice. Your responsibility. You own it. 

I am a part of your spiral. 

If you are still reading this, I am a part of your spiral. You obviously want more freedom and believe in what I'm writing. If you need more understanding and direction, I am happy to be here for you. I do offer more personal guidance. Let me know if this is something you need. 

If you have been blessed by this message and feel inclined, you may give a blessing at Venmo: @gregwhitejr Cashapp: $gregwhitejr or paypal.me/gregwhitejr. 

Love and gratitude are the only tools in your belt that you need to begin creating a new reality. I am grateful for your support as I continue of my mission to spread this great news. 

We can live in a perfect world. It simply starts with you and me. Our world. Our choice. Our responsibility. We own it. 

I desire to emulate the tree in my life. The roots are deep in the ground creating a strong foundation and collecting energy from the earth. The branches and leaves are open to the sky collecting energy from the cosmos.
 
The leaves and branches provide shade, shelter, food, rest, security, and even loving companionship to anyone or anything that may require it. It does not discriminate for whom it provides these necessities. Even if it is mistreated, the tree will continue to provide its complete resources.
 
The tree represents truly open hands; ready to give (let go of) what is required of it in the form of oxygen, shade and wood. At the same time, the tree is willing to receive what is offered to it in the form of nutrients in the soil and rain from the heavens.
 
The tree is vulnerable to the storm and to external forces. The older the tree becomes and the more storms it weathers, the stronger it becomes. The roots grow wider and deeper strengthening its foundation. The leaves and branches also spread wider with the desire to absorb more wisdom energy.
 
The tree is resilient. It can grow in any condition and does not make excuses one way or another. It also receives scars and breaks limbs because of outer forces. But the scars heal and leaves a permanent memory. The breaking of limbs does not kill the tree but provides new opportunity for growth. Usually, this growth is exponential to the one limb it lost.
 
Even if the tree is cut down, as long as its foundation remains, it will grow back. The tree is patient. It does not complain about being cut. The regrowth is beautifully new and fresh.
 
The tree shares its legacy in the form of a seed. Perhaps the tree understands that it can suffer a fatal blow by the external forces and wishes for a part of itself to survive. Perhaps it is also multiplying itself to offer more to those that might require its resources.
 
Inside the small seed contains all the wisdom and energy of the older, stronger tree. The tree has given enough information to the seed for it to start the journey of life and also become a wise, old tree.
 
The tree is an unselfish servant and provider to all of God’s creation. I want to be like the tree for God’s creation.
 
I thank God for the tree, His creation, its wholeness, usefulness, variety, and all its respective resources.
 
May we honor Him by also honoring His creation and not be wasteful. Amen.

Life is never easy. WE humans might get a glimpse or an impulse of happiness here and there, but it always seems fleeting. When is the last time someone said to you that a certain outward experience was a "fresh breathe of air?" Where did this air come from? Why does it make us feel elated? What is that experience trying to communicate to us? Why is it so fleeting? What were we doing in that experience?

In short, the last few years have had no lack of hardships in my personal life. For weeks on end it felt like a constant struggle to keep moving forward. I have no idea how I did or how I keep doing, but the thought does cross my mind that maybe God is answering my prayer for stamina. 

I'm sure each person has their laundry list of hardships over the last few years. Personally, a divorce, CV19, a handful of different addresses, a hazardously busy schedule, a stunted career, and a lack of personal responsibility were only the major things that made it on this short list. There were some great things as well. I met my wife, invited a new baby girl into the world, found a home that felt like home, and discovered some new talents. These "breaths of fresh air" filled my life with renewed energy. But yet I was still beating myself (my body, mind and soul) to death. 

I was killing myself with alcohol. I had little regard for myself, the blessings in my life, and the source of those "breaths of fresh air." I was affectively dying, or rather, committing slow spiritual and physical suicide. 

Well, God didn't like was I was doing so He interceded. 

About 4 months ago God and I got into a wrestling match and guess who won? Thankfully, He did. He brought me to the ground and made me tap out. When I finally revived, beaten and bruised, I wept until my eyes were swollen red and my heart emptied of sorrow. I picked myself up, bowed my head in respect to the Victor, and decided I needed to do something about my situation. But what? 

I figured I'd ask the Almighty One who had just whooped my ass in battle. I said, "Ok God, you obviously don't want me dead, dying, unhappy, chaotic, and trudging through the mud. I realized I am the problem. I've created this hell of earth for myself despite the continued blessings you've allowed to enter my life. I scoff at your blessings and mistreat them like a spoiled, self-centered brat. But here I am, at rock bottom, and I'm lost. What am I to do next?"

Do you know what happened next? I listened for His response. Then I started moving. 

I gave up abusing alcohol. I started listening to His still small voice. He has me on a spiritual journey that for 4 months now has been nothing short of an amazing adventure of discovery. The world HE has created is nothing short of awesome in the actual meaning of the word: AWE INSPIRING.

I'm going to share my journey with you as we move into the future. Our days are numbered and I don't know how many I have left, but my prayer is that I will spark something in you to get you connected to our Eternal Creator, make a change in your life, and move forward with HIS direction. 

We can't do it our way. It simply doesn't work. Trust me when I say, His way is better. 

Let's start breathing fresh air all day, every day. Amen.

This past weekend I met a songwriter and once again, they mentioned that they do not put out their music because they don't want others to steal from them. After a little conversation, I discovered the real reason is that they did not feel confident in the own creations.
We are songwriters. That makes us artists. When an artist wants to make a living being an artist, we have to generate income from our art. That means we have to have a product and someone to "purchase" it. I put purchase in quotations because nowadays most people don't have to pay to listen to music. But if a listener takes the time to listen to and enjoy your music, they have "bought" it.
A painter paints and sells their paintings. A sculptor sculpts and sells there sculptures. Every creation is different and has a value. Not everything is going to be a hit or masterpiece, but it does have value.
What if the painter and sculptor never show anyone their work? What if they just created the art and hid it in the closet? Hiding your work will not help you grow as an artist, nor will it help you build your reputation/brand as an artist, and it will not help you be successful.
Remember this: Create, Display, Modify.
Create your art to the best of your current abilities. Never stop learning. Never stop improving your craft.
Display your art for feedback from the market (music consumers, bands, artists, tv/film, etc). If the market consumes it, you have a good product. If it stays on the shelf, replace with a better product or define your market to make sure the right people are seeing it.
Modify your art for success. Write, release, rewrite, re-release.
Copyright protection is not an excuse for not putting your art out to the world. If you have your works on a digital file, you have metadata related to that file that is relevant to your copyright. If you have a great piece of art that needs higher levels of protection, you can always register with US Copyright Office.
Every market and every genre in music is very crowded. You've got to know your market! Your responsibility is to know who will buy your product and to deliver it to them. Know what the competition is doing so you can release comparable or better quality products.
As my mentor, Rick Barker (www.musicindustryblueprint.com), says, "You can have the best hamburgers in the world, but if you open up shop in a town of vegetarians, you just screwed yourself."
If confidence is an issue for not releasing your art, hire a professional mentor before releasing your art. Criticism from a mentor is constructive and will help you grow. Criticism from the market can be a bit harsh to swallow. Either way, don't sit on your art; create, display, modify.
You can do this. I'm here for you if you need me. Or, go take Rick's assessment at the above link. Cheers!
#FeelTheLove #inspire #educate #songwriter
P.S. If you're frustrated as a songwriter/artist for whatever reason, call or text me. (813) 336-1102. I'll get you on the right track.

I get asked all the time what my goals are with my career. One of my answers is to be a household name for country music here in Florida! I love Florida and it's why I chose to focus my career on Floridians instead of running off to Nashville like all the other wannabes. 

So who is the best country band in Florida? First, let's take a gander at what it takes to be a damn-good, rip-roaring, party-starting country band!

In my career so far, I have noticed a few things that make me say, "That band is damn good!"

First is that the sound needs to be under control. Blasting the audience away with a wall of sound is not the best thing for a country band (or any band, for that matter). If you want to be taken seriously as a band, make sure to pay attention to what the audience is hearing. I suggest having a quality sound engineer be a part of live shows. 

Keep playing music! Huge lulls in the music to say something clever or shamelessly promote merch and social media is a buzz killer and an opportunity for the audience to realize they're tired and want to go home. Basically, if the music stops, so does the party. If something needs to be said, make it quick and start playing again. I've noted that silence leaves the audience anticipating what is coming next. Sometimes there is no need to say anything at all. Announcements and shameless promotion can wait until breaks.

Interact with the audience! Bring them into the show. If somebody isn't paying attention, ask them for a request, play their request, and then thank them with a free goodie from the merch table. It doesn't have to be an expensive item. A simple sticker will bring a smile to someone's face and make them pay attention to the music.

Speaking of playing requests, it is really important to the audience that the band gives them what they want! It's not about the band at all. As an entertainer, I have noticed that some bands only care about their setlist and their show. Let me say that if Garth Brooks can stop in the middle of a song to care about (and play) what one single fan wants to hear, so can any band out there. 

Those are just a few notes on live performance that I have noticed gain the compliments and affection of new and existing fans. How do you know if you are performing well and gaining that affection? There are many things that can be observed from the bandstand (as long as the stage lighting isn't blinding) that can indicate you are doing well. Here are a few...

• The audience is singing along.
• The audience is taking pictures and video with their phones. (Make sure to ask them to post and tag the band!)
• The manager gives you a thumbs up.
• People are dancing.
• People are asking you to play a request.
• The tip jar is getting a whole lotta love.

​
But is it enough to just perform well? 

Let's face it, when the music starts, most people do not know who is on stage. That's why it has to be announced many, many, many times! Play well and pound it into their heads who is playing such wonderful music. 

The same goes for off-stage performance. Most people are not going to Google and searching for a specific band. Instead, their search phrase will look something like this...

...or something along those lines. Who shows up when the enter button is pushed? A presence on top booking sites is crucial. A review from a local blogger is crucial. Paying attention to a band/artist website's search ranking and SEO is crucial. 

Too many great talents brush these points off and say, "I don't know how." Then they will continue to ignore the problem and they will miss out on many opportunities to grow their brand. There are many people out there that can help accomplish anything a band or artist isn't good at. Build a team of pros and get these things done!

Here are a few back of the house things to pay attention to:

• Website ranking for specific search terms and phrases
• Presence on booking websites (Gig Salad to name one)
• Social media content. How much stuff is specific to music? Are the posts always pitching and selling?
• Income and expenses. Being in music is an expensive hobby. Paying attention to cash is the only way to make it a business and a career.
• What are other pros saying about the music and live performance?
• Contract details. Don't just rely on words and a handshake in this business. When the stress gets high, if there is no contract details, somebody is getting screwed.
• Build a professional team. 
  • Manager
  • Lawyer
  • Accountant
  • PR
  • Website design and SEO
  • Sound Engineer
  • Merch manager
  • and a damn good band!

I always say this, " I can't be the best if I don't work with the best!" 

It will be the one who does all of these things and more very effectively! Grind, grit, and a whole lot of passion will help, but that's just the start. Good luck out there!

Please leave a comment below and share this with your friends! Please go to iTunes and download all my music! #FeelTheLove

Chances are that if you've been out to one of my shows here recently in 2018, you have heard me say, "This is Florida Country music," once or twice. That may or may not have caused you to ask, "What the hell is Florida Country music?" 

I've been asked this a few times directly and so I'd like to go ahead and just lay this answer out there for all you fine folks. Be careful when you stand up and walk around 'cuz I'm about to drop some knowledge!

Florida Country Music is country music crafted for the Floridian and the Florida-country-music-lover's lifestyle. I like to say that my newest album concept, "Four Wheel Dr.", will define Florida Country by setting a solid example of the Florida Country sound. 

So what is Florida Country music? Glad you asked!

From the beaches to the woods, from Key West to the Florida-Bama line, and from the marinas to the honky-tonks, there are so many country music fans in Florida! And we're all proud as hell, are we not? Even those that are not native Floridian love to come to Florida and enjoy this amazing piece of paradise. And we all love to have music right along side whatever activity we are engaging in. It's a staple! There are island sounds, rock and roll riffs, and country rhythms filling our ears with every wave that crashes, fish that's pulled out of the deep blue, cold one that's cracked, boot that's stomped on the hardwood, and with every shotgun blast that rings out the nature of Florida Country. 

Florida Country is true to it's roots. What are those roots? Southern Rock, Rock, Reggae and what is now considered traditional country music. Where it gets fun is that we're gonna stick all that in a blender, put it on frappe, pour some rum in that shit, and then pour that in our cup. Boom! Florida Country music is here!

Most of ya'll reading this might be saying, "Like Kenny Chesney?" Yes, but Kenny Chesney is such a megastar that he is pretty much a sub-genre of country all on his own. I love that guy. Some of ya'll might be asking, "Oh, like Zac Brown Band?!" Yes, but Zac Brown Band does such an eclectic mix of music that some of their tunes fit the Florida Country sound while others do not. I love those guys too. Point is, these amazing artists are the closest thing to Florida Country out there in my opinion. Or rather, they are the most popular. 

If you love rock, country, island music, and love when it's mixed together, you are a Florida Country fan!

If you fit any of these following descriptions, you are a Florida Country fan!

• You wear flip-flops a lot. Occasionally, you throw on your cowboy boots.
• You either go to or consider going to the honky-tonk every weekend.
• You have been on a boat, been fishing, or considered the different qualities of fishing line in the last six months.
• You drink rum, margaritas, or Reef Donkey from Tampa Bay Brewing Company. 
• You know who Justin Moore or Earl Dibble Jr. is. 
• You have actual experience stepping in horse shit.
• You like mangos and have fruit trees in your yard.
• You like 'Merica, respect the U.S. Flag, and know the words The Star Spangled Banner.
• You like Cuban coffee. 
• You've been propositioned by a drag queen on Duval St.
• You like listening to music at The Hog's Breath Saloon.
• You like guns and the second amendment. 
• You actually own the t-shirt that says, "I ain't gay, but $20 is $20!"
• When you say you like Hank Williams Jr., you can actually name and sing his songs acapella.
• You don't know what the hell acapella means. 
• You know the difference between Mahi-Mahi and Grouper and know how to cook them both.
• You have zero problem drinking alone and you have fun when you do!
• In the last month you woke up on a pirate ship with no recollection of how you got there. 
• You own a motorcycle, a boat, a jet ski, an ATV, an RV or all that shit and you can tow it all at once.
• You love Greg White Jr. music and download all his music from iTunes or what-not.

I think that about covers the basics of what makes the Florida Country Music fan. Feel free to add one I missed to the comments below! 

Thank you guys for reading! Please give us a like and share on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! Make sure the hashtag #FeelTheLove! 

I want to know where ya'll want me to come play! Please let me know in the comments or hit me up if you want to hire me for an event! greg@gregwhitejr.com

​Check out the latest single on iTunes and Spotify! "Tonight I'm Drinking Alone"

Disclaimer: If you find a typo, feel free to raz me relentlessly in the comments. Don't actually poor rum into your country music, radios, and iPods don't like that kinda thing. Drink responsibly. No party fouls.

Share, share, share the news! Florida Country Music is here and we're damn proud of our state!!