Street Lessons For Life

Good day peoples,

The world ain't fair. It ain't nice. Nobody cares if you get stiffed, if your feelings get bruised or how hungry you are. Everybody's trying to get a piece of the action, trying to survive. It helps to have to have connections, but the street is equally cruel to everyone.
 

Over the years, mostly through mistakes, you may have learned a few things. You can learn a lot from books, but it's not always enough. Remember though that nothing educates you the lumps you get on the streets.

Life is like the street. When you're feeling strong, you can't understand why other guys have so many problems. A few years later, you can be moving along fine, still feeling strong, only to be ambushed by one of a million things: family, work, health, divorce, tainted spinach, whatever. Some of these things you'll learn the hard way, but you shouldn't have to. If you're smart, you'll put these rules to use before you look back and wish you had.     

Keep Your Guard Up

Some guys are like little dogs: all bark and no bite. However, all of their empty threats can soften you up for the real thing. I saw this happen to a friend of mine. Once, this scrapper made a threat and nothing happened. Time went by and he threatened again. Both times, my friend was ready for the dude, but by the third time, he thought the kid was an empty suit, all talk. He was wrong. The minute you let your guard down, you get burned. 

Stay Out of Arguments

If two guys get in a twist and can't settle their dispute, you will eventually be asked to choose sides. Don't charge in like a sap, wait until they've worn themselves out. Getting in a fight that isn't your own is useless; it serves no purpose. Once they are exhausted, you can ride in fresh on the winning side, crush the loser, and look like a hero.     

Meet Only When Necessary

One thing we hate to do on the street is have a sit down discussing solutions to issues. When a dude in your crew asks to meet, make sure he is prepared. If there is a meeting, there should be a decision. A meeting that simply serves to schedule another meeting is useless. Meetings are necessary, but not every three days. I often wonder: Do some guys just enjoy meetings? I thought broads did that. 

Getting to know a lot of people is a good thing. In business, you can't be chummy with flatfoots, but you still like to know what’s going on. Try to have connections with every spent cop and conman because they might become resources to me someday. Knowing a person doesn't mean you must disclose anything to him. By the way, it helps to actually be interested, too. You can't ask someone, "How'd the operation go?" and then act like you don't care. Having a lot of friends and acquaintances not only creates opportunities, it also allows you to gather information for your own ventures.  

Don't Be Too Proud to Retreat

If you face a situation that you cannot win, do not fight merely on principle.  Saying "I've never backed down from anybody" sounds good, but some outcomes have long-lasting effects. Pompey didn't have to fight Caesar, but he did. Guess who won? Strategy is as important as bravery. Don't be a fool and take a swing just because you've been invited. Backing down can ultimately allow you to win. Run away, go into witness protection; sorry to say it, but retreat is sometimes a necessary evil.

Street Smarts

Tomorrow, you'll be on the streets once again, learning everything the hard way and hoping your kid doesn't have to do the same. There's no cure for this thing called life, so it's best to learn certain things early on. Nothing can truly prepare you for it, but if you keep your head on a swivel, you'll suffer fewer "unfair" surprises. 

the audacious truth

The Audacious Truth Hit List

Good day peoples,

Before you go assuming this is a list of people I’d like to dispose of, it isn’t. This hit list is about types of people who disrupt the smooth flow of business. Naturally, every successful organization relies on quality people to get things done. And for the most part, if your organization recruits well and provides its workers with a clear job description that fits their skill set, you shouldn’t run into too many problems. Having said that, there are a lot of fools out there, and every once in a while, they’ll slip through the cracks. Idiots, though, are pretty easy to deal with. The bigger problem is the type of person who wants to deliberately interfere with your operation. To look into these problems, here is Audacious Truth hit list.

Rats and Moles

You’ve no doubt seen that film Donnie Brasco about the crooked mole Joe Pistone who infiltrated the Bonanno family. Well, moles like Joe Pistone are as bad for business as rats. The difference between rats and moles, though, is that rats have sworn an oath of silence, and by breaking that oath, they prove themselves to be the scum of the earth. This is why they’re called rats, and like a dirty alley rat that scavenges for garbage, they spread disease across the land like a rampant plague.
 

Moles, on the other hand, operate under a different code of conduct, so although they’re a dangerous nuisance, at least they aren’t committing greedy treason by invading your ranks and reporting back to the authorities...

Empty Suits

Empty suits are those guys who stand around twiddling their thumbs and chewing stuff instead of doing something useful. Unlike earners who make money for their organization, an empty suit may hang around because of family ties or because he has pulled the wool over someone’s eyes. In other words, the empty suit is a waste of time because he has nothing to offer the business, and therefore he makes the Audacious Truth hit list. Not only does this make him a burden to the organization, but it likely means someone useful once got fired for bringing someone so useless on board as well.

Blow-Hards

A blow-hard is someone who compensates for their lack of insight by speaking at full volume all the time. A blow-hard is usually shameless and refuses to accept responsibility for the mistakes he makes. And it is this last quality of stubbornness that makes blow-hards so reckless and dangerous. Like any business, your organization cannot afford to be reckless. Sure, there are a few Joe Pesci like characters who come along and are able to back up their reckless tongue with equally reckless violence. Such characters are, of course, viewed with both admiration and fear since they are infinitely valuable while also a permanent threat.

However, these Pesci-like characters are few and far between. More often than not, blow-hards don’t have the balls to be tough guys, while tough guys don’t have the wit to be funny guys. What’s always better is to have a few low-profile storytellers who keep the guys loose, and a few tough guys who keep their mouths shut.

Brown-Nosers

On both sides of the law, you’re bound to find a whole whack of brown nosing ass kissers. That’s right: In case you’d never thought about it, their noses are brown precisely because they’ve gone so far past begging that they’ve turned into animals that suck up in order to get ahead. However, this is something you deal with. And you deal with it because it’s a fairly small yet inevitable price to pay for running ship like a hierarchy, in other words, any operation that has a solid power structure will have its share of brown-nosers. My advice is to have a little fun at the expense of such shameless lackeys. All you have to do is point out an ass-kisser's behavior when a few people are around. By so doing, you’ll remind everyone that you don’t need to sink to their level.

Braggers/Motormouths

There’s a big difference between storytellers and motormouths. Storytellers have a gift and they choose their details wisely. Motormouths are those guys who think out loud and constantly seek approval. In other words, they brag about every little thing, which also what prevents them from doing anything of consequence. Hence, I put them on the Audacious Truth hit list.
 

If you’re the type of dude that needs a pat on the back for getting a girl in the sack, it means you’re not getting much action so you feel insecure until someone hears you shoot your mouth off. If, on the other hand, you check in and out of bed as often as a traveling salesman, then you’ve probably got a story or two that’s worth telling.

Guidos

A few years back, I knew this guido who was driving me home after a night out. Now this guy, acted like a tough guy, full of attitude with super black hair and a different track suit for every day of the week. So anyway, we’re driving down the highway when we run into a road block and the police pull us over for no good reason. However, this guido wasn’t too smart. The policeman comes up to his window and asks for his license and car papers.Guido, instead of playing it like a champ, says to the cop, “You, you got a warrant?” Of course, this try-hard gangster was as clean as a nun’s you-know-what, but after that, he looked as guilty as sin and the whole thing ended in a whole lot of trouble for me. The moral of the story, then, is that guidos are usually just not worth the trouble.

the audacious truth

You Screwed Up, Now Fix It

Good day peoples,

Everybody screws up right? You. The Pope. Your cousin Larry. Everyone has had to clean up a mess that they created or that somehow fell into their laps. Forget the fact that if you've been reading my articles until now, you'd never screw up in the first place and be a first class fool. I consider your reading this like a confession to a priest. It's a chance for you to repent, admit your mistakes, and ask for redemption.

But chances are that despite my advice, many out there are still amateurs in life, so they're still going to make mistakes an idiot makes. Sometimes those mistakes are the size of an concealable zit, and then you need more than that good old common sense.

So now listen up and learn how to clean up a screw-up (and when you're done, go read the rest of my articles so you'll never have a mess on your hands in the first place).

What is A Mess?

Okay, so let's define a mess. I know most of you have seen the movie Pulp Fiction, where that guy Winston Wolf cleans up the mess of the two fools who can't control their piece. The mess? Well, they had a guys' brains splattered across the backseat of a car, and a nice spritz of blood on the windscreen.

The Wolf, through curt, controlled decisions, got rid of the body and had the car magically cleaned. He is a specialist and a professional who recognizes a) the screw-up; b) the situation and its consequences, and; c) a solution.

So we aren't all going to have a dead guy in the backseat of our cars, but you don't need an untimely death in order to find yourself in a "hot" situation. A mess is any kind of mistake that makes your sweat glands work overtime, and your heart beat like you had Beyonce on your lap, the kind of mistake that can permanently affect your reputation, your health, your wealth, or your freedom. Get it genius?

Small vs. Big

Now, before we roll up our sleeves and look at cleaning up, let's separate the big from the small. Small problems like losing money in the stock market and giving your mistress your wife's cell phone number are inconsequential. Be a man and deal with it, don't go looking for a cement truck to plug a leaking roof.

A big problem occurs when you lose someone else's money in the stock market, or your wife gives your hooker your cell phone number.

If a problem affects you and you alone, and doesn't implicate anyone else (your wife don't count), it's a small problem. If a problem affects you and another person, their money, their reputation, or their well-being, then you've got a big problem.

Be Like Ice

Once you realize that you've been an idiot and made a mistake or faux-pas (I knew that French mama would give me something), the most important thing to do is remain cool as ice. Don't panic. Stay calm. Do that yoga crap if you have to. What's vital is that you remain in control of the situation, whatever it is.

More often than not, you are going to have to take care of the mess yourself. Why? Because involving anyone else usually creates more problems than solutions. The more people involved in fixing your little "situation," the more witnesses there are, the stupider the decisions, the more hands and brains you are going to need to keep everyone in check.

That is, if the problem can be handled by you. Use your judgment boys, you know when you need some outside help and when you can handle something yourself. If you do need to make that phone call, make sure you call upon an associate or a member of your crew. You have to trust whoever helps you 100%. If you are willing to lend this guy lumps of cash then he passes the trust test (unless you're a moron of course).

The Facts

Before you start the clean-up process, make sure you get all your facts straight. Analyze the situation (write things down if you have to, because we know how forgetful people are), look at all the angles, all the parties involved, who knows what, who will react in what way, who is trouble, problems that could creep up during the clean-up, and any dangers you face before the clean-up (you don't have time to worry about the consequences if your clean-up screws up).

Then make sure you examine a couple of possible ways to repair your predicament. Look at each way out, its strengths and weaknesses. Make sure you choose the best possible resolution. Just don't pull a Moses and take 40 years to make up your mind. Time is always of the essence. Whatever way you choose to clean up, make sure it permanently eliminates your dilemma, understood?

Execution

Yes, it's all about execution. And if you think I'm talking about being whacked, then you deserve to be executed. Once you are calm and in control, have the necessary outside help, know the facts, looked at different solutions, and chose a course of action, then it's time for the most important part of the clean-up: implementing and executing the plan.

Like I said before, time is of the essence, so leave your morals at Bible school and do what you have to. This has nothing to do with being honorable, this has to do with insuring that your biggest worry later on is being honorable. Stick to your plan, be detached, and stay focused, logical and meticulous. And of course execute, or be screwed, figuratively or otherwise.

the audacious truth

Habits That Destroy You

Good day peoples,

Hope all of you have been well. As it's evident I've been out of sight for a while but I'm back now with a lot to dish out. All in all enjoy the read.

We all have weaknesses. It's only natural, we're primitive beasts called men. We all have that one soft spot that goes against all the common sense, logic and experience we've gathered. Such a weakness can get us into trouble, and can cause us to lose credibility and respect.

That weakness can be a fondness for alcohol, a love of illicit drugs, a gambling habit, an inability to control your debts, being unreliable, an incapability to keep your mouth shut, having a sex addiction, or being a brute. I'm not immune. I do have habits that won't destroy me and some that could do so. I especially keep my "weaknesses" away from my work, so that the two never cross paths. So I have some habits, some bad, some good, but now I'm smart enough to know when a habit gets out of control and has the potential to wipe me out. Some people can't make that distinction, so this article is for you.

Sign of Weakness
A bad habit proves you have weaknesses and a lack of discipline in some aspects of your life. How that habit controls your life shows how disciplined you are. But we can't get away from the fact that you are still weak and vulnerable in one area of your life. I've covered the dangers of appearing weak before. Having the appearance of weakness makes you a target for your enemies. They have found a loophole in getting to you. By having a bad habit that can destroy you, you open yourself to being exploited. Bad habits also affect your reputation.

When you lose control (i.e. you can't help but gamble when you hear the faintest sound of cards shuffling), it takes a toll on your reputation too, you are seen as fallible and a potential liability. You don't want anyone to think you're unreliable and unsavory, putting doubts in people's minds about your reputation is bad for business and social life. It also has a snowball effect.

Breaking Down the Habits
 
Alcohol: Booze can go from a nice accompaniment to a meal to controlling everything you do. All it takes is one moment with the wrong alcohol, at the wrong place, and at the wrong time to open your mouth and say things that will haunt you for a lifetime. Then you'll have a real reason to drink. Recovering from the damage to your rep caused by the bottle can take years my friend.

Drugs: Like alcohol, they make you lose control, logic and reason. Unlike alcohol, they can be a more expensive habit and unlike being found face first in a pool of your own vomit, you end up in jail for dealing or doing the junk. Drugs screw with your brain, which is why the cocaine lords in Colombia don't touch their own supply. Like alcohol, by the time it's doing you enough harm to destroy your life, you'll be too souped up to do anything about it.

Gambling: The problem with gambling is that it doesn't take long for your gambling debt to eventually land in the hands of people you don't want knowing your name. You become known as a degenerate and you add no value to your life. In fact, you end up destroying everything of value in your life because the vig is so high, you can't help but sell off your liver to pay off the juice. Debt is a great way to destroy even the strongest of men.

Sex addiction: When your penis is making decisions your brain should be making, it's inevitable that you'll make an ass out of yourself. Sex and an addiction to women can cloud your judgment, make you easily influenced by a pair of T&A, and eventually burn associates who will look at your obsession with the opposite sex as a good scapegoat to screwing you over, or questioning your decisions and rationale.

Being a big mouth: Not being able to keep your hole shut can be a very nasty habit. Not only do you risk saying things you shouldn't, wrecking your reputation or being perceived as untrustworthy, you can screw someone up the asshole pretty badly. That could cost you big time.

Getting Over Bad Habits

Look, I'm no therapist over here, but there are some things you can do to get rid of the bad habits. I know it's not easy, I know it takes time, willpower, love, hugs, and a good shot across the head, but be a man, grow some balls, and get it done. Trust me.


1- Be Aware of Your Problem
If you are getting beaten up, losing your friends, end up in the hospital more times than Michael Jackson, max out your credit cards, or are always told what a jerk-off you are, maybe it's time for you to go up a hill for a few hours to get some perspective on your life. If you can't see that something is wrong, you're hopeless. If you need people to point out your stupidities, you have no chance unless you act bro. Either open your eyes or get out of town, literally.

2- Be Disciplined, Not Half-Assed
If you don't put all your effort into coming correct, you're doomed to fail. Like anything in life, things done half-heartedly end up being sloppy, inferior, and prone to breaking under minimal stress. Don't be a fool, don't waste your time, own up to your faults, and change .

3- Change Your Circle of Friends

Unfortunately, too often we are a product of our environment, and if that environment is rotten, guess what happens to you? Stop hanging out with losers and people that are a negative influence. If they don't add value to your life, they are sucking it away. Friends either help or hurt, otherwise they are just strangers. Anyone that purposely got out of the business is not going to get too far by hanging out with guys still in the business, is he?

4- Sabotage Yourself
Sometimes, we need the crap beaten out of us for the truth to sink in. Sometimes we need to be taught a tough lesson in order to learn. So maybe you need to set yourself up for some severe consequences that will scare you halfway to Bangkok to get your life back on track. Turn yourself in, rat on someone, screw with the wrong guy's wife; do whatever it takes for you to hit rock bottom and wake up.

Zero Sum Game

Like every bad habit, you are essentially playing poker with your life. Your bad habit makes you happy, it brings you a little bit of a thrill, you can feel like a winner after, but it can also screw you six ways to Wednesday (and to a back room for a beating, heavy knuckles). In the end, you have to ask yourself if the pleasure of the habit outweighs the risk it poses to the rest of your life, and take your chances if it does. As much as I love what I love, honestly, it's a zero sum game.

Control your bad habits or, better yet, get rid of them. We're human and we're imperfect. It doesn't take much for a vice to highlight those imperfections, so why not do something about it? Capisce ? Watch your backs and keep your noses clean.

the audacious truth