Living A "What's Now" Life

Don't get the title wrong. It's not a "woe is me" mentality. A "What's Now" life is about living confidently and happily in the present, rather than always being dissatisfied with the present and looking for what's next. "When I get that new car, I'm going to be happy." "When I get that new job, I'm going to be happy." "When I get that bag of weed, I'm going to be happy." :-) (I don't smoke anything, but you know what I mean).

Many of my problems have been because I'm thinking the grass is greener on the other side, and I didn't appreciate what was in front of me. Ever since I moved to Boston in 1988 until I moved to Dayton, Ohio in 2006, I wanted to leave! I kept looking at NYC, Chi, ATL, DC, MIA, and dreaming of making moves. I sabotaged relationships because I didn't want to bring them with me if I ever got out. I didn't upgrade my life in Boston because I felt when I move, I'll upgrade then. But my life was in a holding pattern because I was looking at things outside my circumstances to make me happy.

Now that I'm back in Boston, "What's Now" is my mantra. Yes, technically I'm still striving for a better future, and it doesn't mean I don't have goals, but I'm not mad about my present like I was. Before it was "yes, I'm an on-air personality, but I want to be a program director." "Yes, I'm doing parties, but I want an every week gig." "Yes, this woman who works as a makeup person is cool, but I want the woman who is an executive." I wasn't appreciative of where I was, who I was with or how far I had come, and I put extra stress on myself because I felt I wasn't progressing fast enough.

"What's Now" means "how am I going to maximize my current situation." "What's Now" means loving the space I'm in right now. "What's Now" means striving for the future without worrying about the future. "What's Now" means making each today count. "What's Now" means giving 110%. Finally, "What's Now" means no more allowing my past to affect my present, no more allowing what I hope to have affect my feelings on what I do have, no more allowing outside circumstances to affect my inner being.

So now I'm happy to be back in Boston, even though many people want to leave. I love the fact my podcasts are being download all over the world. I'm appreciative of having a great friend who allowed me to move into his house when my previous roommate situation fell through. I'm glad to have promoters, club & restaurant owners, websites and venture capitalists reaching out to me because of who I am as a DJ and a brand name in the Boston area. I'm thankful for the chance to have good times with great women, and take it for what it's worth, not feeling like "this is moving too slow" or "I want to be more than friends." I'm grateful for the spirituality I have gained in the last 8 months. And as long as I'm maximizing my potential each day, I know greatness will be blessed upon me. I don't have to worry about what's next… the universe will provide what's next!

Defining My Reality… What I Want… Specifically

So it's 2009. Everyone has their resolutions to do "whatever," and most people are going to look up New Years Day 2010 and say "damn! I didn't reach my goals in 2009. Guess I'll try it again this year." I'm no better. I stopped doing resolutions… no, that's not true. My resolution every year for the past 4 years has been to "be better than I was last year." Since I define it any way I want to, I can always be better than I was last year.

2008 was VERY challenging. A failed radio job search. Stuck in a city that didn't fully appreciate me. Lonely and alone. But 2008 was very enlightening also. I learned how to be a nightclub promoter. I rededicated myself to my graphic design career. I launched very successful podcasts. And I moved back to Boston, which I consider my home. The Secret, The Success Principles and Joel Osteen's podcasts have had an immeasurable impact on me.

So this year will be different. I was reading an article on www.finerminds.com and they asked the question "what would your ideal life look like if you had no limitations?" Now I've been working on that question sorta kinda in my head for the past year. I've even written down what I've come up with. But I haven't publicized it for the world to hear (or to see, as the case may be). It's very, very scary to let people know what your innermost dreams are. Society loves nothing better than to tear down your ideas before you can make them a reality.

The one thing I learned in 2008 is to believe in my dreams 1000 percent. Believe in them with all the passion I can muster. Visualize myself in my dreams. I meditate about my dreams. They are the last thing I think about when I go to sleep and the first thing I think about when I wake up. Pessimists say "just thinking about your dreams don't make them true." And I say you're right. Realists say "dreams are cool, but you have to make goals and plans to make things happen." I say you're right also. Optimists say "preach on, my brother!" And I say, I will! ;-)

Here is the magic elixir, the red pill, the fairy dust that accelerates your life 10 fold: when you obsess over your dreams, your mind goes into overdrive, and brilliant ideas come into your head that help you attain your dreams much faster than you ever thought possible. But you must listen to yourself and write down your ideas as soon as you get them. How many times have you had a great idea, told yourself to remember it… and you forget it?

So here is my reality that I am creating for myself, based on the question "what would your ideal life look like if you had no limitations?"

First of all, I have 3 mantras I base my thoughts around.

Live great, dress great, drive great, look great, eat great, work great, with a great woman in my life.

I will be in the right place, at the right time, and meet the right people who will help move my life forward.

I don't need to know all the steps, I only need to know the next step, and I trust that next step will be in the direction of my goals.

Live great: I live in a one bedroom apartment with a space where I can set up my studio without bothering my neighbors. I have artwork on the walls, a flat screen HD TV on an elegant TV stand, surround sound stereo, a nice dining room table, a coffee table that goes with my couch and love seat, and a queen-size bed and dresser set that compliments my bedroom.

Dress great: my favorite place to shop is Rochester Big & Tall. My style is pretty fly for a big guy :-), so my hats, glasses, sunglasses, dress shirts, t-shirts, pants, jeans, shorts, dress shoes, casual shoes and gym shoes (sneakers) are all on point. My suits look like a million bucks, and my ties have to pop! I have all my dress shirts tailored so they show off the athletic build of my body.

Drive great: the 2009 Black Buick Enclave is my ride! I saw it when it first came out a year and a half ago. I was in a parking lot outside Boutique, a club in Near North Chicago, and this dude was parked waiting for someone. I was so enthralled over it, I went over and asked him questions about it. "How do you like it?" "How long have you had it?" "Would you recommend it?" From that point on I was hooked. You can have your BMW's, Mercedes', Porsche's, Audi's, Lexus' or Infiniti's. I've got my Buick Enclave! For my short trips and just to let the wind blow through my hair (LOL), the Suzuki Burgman 650 is my choice. Yes, it is a scooter, but it goes over 100 mph (not that I would ever go that fast, wink, wink). Another one of those vehicles that when I saw it, I was instantly hooked.

Look great: I am blessed with a nice body. I really can not complain. I have great height; great posture; I don't have much of a belly; and my weight is proportionate to my height. But I still need to hit the gym and ride my bike because I like it when a woman rubs my stomach and goes "mmmmmm." I love it when a woman touches my arm and goes "ohhhh, okay." And it feels great when a woman grabs my ass and says "damn, that's nice!" LOL

Eat great: I love my smoothies! I blend strawberries, bananas, ice, orange juice, plain yogurt, uncooked oatmeal, peanut butter, honey and whey protein together. It sounds crazy, but it tastes great! I love cooking, because all it is is following recipes. I'm happy that many healthy foods I naturally love. Yes I do have a fast food weakness, and I'm back in Boston where my favorite restaurants are (Wing-It, Fajitas and Ritas, and Outback Steakhouse among them). But as long as I'm cooking, I can limit the restaurants until I'm out on a date (or I can just cook for my date).

I'm going to leave work great for last.

With a great woman in my life: I'm excited to be back in Boston because the class of women here are better than most other cities in the country. Courting a lady is one of my pleasures in life. And the women I meet love me for who I am, the way I am, and appreciate the nuances I bring to the table. I'm no Denzel, Morris or Boris, but I'm not the dog-faced boy either! :-) Meeting women is very easy for me, but the one I'm going to bring home to mother? There can only be one. Our love is mutual; I love her just as much as she loves me; her giving 100% and I'm only giving 85%, or vice versa ain't going to cut it. Yes, I'm too picky… because I'm looking for the woman I can spend the next 60 years with, not just the next 60 minutes.

And finally, work great: working in radio and nightclubs in Dayton, Ohio, proved one thing: I can do this anywhere! I'm not saying I didn't fail, because I fell on my ass numerous times. But my radio show was #1 in the market the entire time I was there. My radio station that I programmed was #1 in the market the entire time I was there. Dayton had no upscale Urban nights before I came; I either helped create, promote or spun at 7 different weekly/monthly upscale events in my 2 years there. So now it is time to solidify my standing in the Boston area and also to take my act on the road.

I have thousands of subscribers to my podcasts around the world; that proves I'm not just a local DJ. San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, Miami, Tampa, Charlotte, Atlanta, DC, New York, Hartford, Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis… I'm coming to your town! Black, White, Latin, Asian… I got you! Hip-Hop, Top-40, Dancehall, R&B, Dance, Rock, Neo-Soul, Old School, House, Freestyle, Classics, Dirty South, Slow Jams… "Mr. I Do It All" is here!

Woo… got a little full of myself there. Let's just say I'm a national touring DJ that rocks parties for people 18 to 80. My company, The Reggie Beas Entertainment Company, creates, promotes and executes upscale events around the New England area, helping good people meet other good people. My graphic design company, Reggie Beas Designs…, creates flyers, business cards, posters, jock cards, brochures, newsletters and magazines. I have an internet radio show, The Reggie Beas Show on Downtime Radio, that takes listeners on a musical ride through the 70s, 80s, 90s & today. I have multiple promotional podcasts that hit upon different facets of my DJ personality. 25Plus is radio-edited R&B and Hip-Hop for the sophisticated Urban crowd; Advanced Dance Therapy features Top-40, Hip-Hop and Dance; Reggie Beas is R&B, Hip-Hop and Dancehall for the 18-30 set; NYChi features Deep House, Garage and Underground Disco Classics; and Sky Lounge is my live sets from around the globe. And I write this blog 3 to 4 times a week. I write a Serato/DJing blog… it will not teach you how to spin, it will teach you how to spin better and use Serato effectively.

The ultimate goal is branding my name so when you are looking for a DJ, graphic designer, radio personality, writer or mentor, Reggie Beas is the name you think of first.

This is my ideal life. Making money from multiple sources doing what I love to do while living life to my fullest.